Not
really, not yet and quite possibly, not ever! In the late 90's, during
the days of the internet boom "new experts" popped out of
every hole, predicting a lot of things, one of which was the quick demise
of all newspapers and magazines followed quickly by the fast and painful
death of the whole book industry. I other words: no more printed pages,
we have now entered the cybernetic era. Not so fast …. not so fast…buster!
WWW
- the Wicked Witch of the West
According to these "know-it-all gurus", books, newspapers
and magazines were all going to be replaced by the on-line versions
of themselves and those companies which did not rush to produce such
hi-tech alternatives for their readers, were going to be disappearing
very quickly, much like the water-absorbent Wicked Witch of the West
(WWW). Well, maybe we did not pour enough water on them or maybe the
WWW (in this case Wicked Witch of the West) got the ruby slippers after
all and did not melt away as we thought she did. The truth is, despite
those expert predictions, Books, Newspapers and Magazines are all still
going strong. In fact, according the Magazine Publishers of America
(the trade association of magazine publishers) the total numbers of
magazines titles published from 1993 to 2003 (the hot internet years)
grew by more than 20%.
I
personally believe in printed-paper. I like to read magazines, I love
"slow books" and I even tackle newspapers from time to time
… when they deliver our weekly newspaper on Friday that is, where
I carefully read about the local Ambulance runs, speeding tickets, graduating
kids and other important issues that keep our small community together.
We don't need much for entertainment here in the mountains of Oregon:
nature provides that in abundance.
In
our outdoor industry, newspapers and books play different roles (which
we may explore in future chats) but today we would like to talk about
magazines. In particular, what makes, in our humble opinion, a 'good'
magazine?
A
case study - BGA Magazine (www.BGAMAG.com)
To facilitate the discussion, we would like to present to you, as a
case study, one magazine that, in our opinion, epitomizes the definition
of a good niche magazine: Big Game Adventures Magazine, published in
Kelowna B.C. - Canada. They are a true 'niche product' which has taken,
in recent years, a very strong hold onto a market-share previously monopolized
by large publishing conglomerates such as Peterson or Primedia Publishing.
True to its title BGA, is totally devoted to one thing: big game hunting.
Not hunting in general, but big game hunting.
What
makes a good outdoor magazine?
These are some of the traits that we find very desirable or, in some
cases, essential, to a successful, and interesting magazine.
1. Privately owned.
2. Covering a well-defined niche.
3. High perceived value.
4. Editorially driven, both in their 'content' and in their advertising.
5. Devoted readership.
Let's
explore together the points above of this case study and maybe this
will help you selecting another magazine, which will add revenue to
your business much like BGA is doing for many of its advertisers.
Privately
Owned
Maybe it is the idealist in me, but I like to think that small guys,
like most of us, can pursue a dream, and make it happen. Thus, although
it is not an indispensable condition, being privately owned, in our
opinion, is a big asset. In our case study of Big Game Adventures magazine,
the principal owner, publisher and editor of this magazine is Raymond
Oelrich. When he bought the magazine in 2001 he wanted to create an
informative alternative to the Primedia / Peterson Publishing group
monopoly which has been dominating, at least in number of magazines
and visibility, this section of the outdoor market. I like stories of
passion, perseverance and skills, and BGA is certainly one of these
examples. However, privately owned means one very important thing to
readers and potential advertisers (your business): accountability and
control. It means that someone will answer the phone when you call.
That someone has control over what is published both on the editorial
and the advertising part. That someone also has a vested interest in
the quality and the focus of each word, each photo and each page of
each issue. In a recent conversation Raymond told me - "I am not
satisfied yet … there is still so much I want to do for this magazine
… we have done a good job so far, but we want to continue to improve
our product". I like to hear this about any business. Striving
for continued improvement usually bears the mark of success.
Specific
NICHE
I think this is the key to the future survival of your business as well.
Finding new niches in the outdoors and catering your business to serve
them well. This is what BGA has done in the world of big game hunting
for its readers. Notice we are not saying 'hunting' in general. This
is not just a hunting magazine. It will not publish articles on pheasant
hunting or turkey hunting. They are focused on hunting big game. Period.
This translated in a very targeted audience that will allow advertising
dollars to be directed with laser precision to a well-defined audience.
High
Perceived Value
First started in 1994, by 2001 each issue was still averaging 80 pages
and about ten stories per issue. From there it has grown to an imposing
300 or more pages in each issue, with 35 stories and a whopping 2 lbs
in weight! At 300 pages, BGA is the largest hunting magazine in the
world today and it is the only one that is printed in full-color, cover-to-cover.
In 2004 BGA added a "magazine within a magazine" by binding
the new bowhunting magazine (see BGA BowHunter at www.BGABowHunter.com
) inside BGA at no extra charge for the reader. Now bowhunters, can
read all about their sport and know every ad, every story and every
photo relates just to bowhunting. They added a 'niche within the niche'
making the publication even more targeted. When you pick up one of these
magazines you know that somebody has put some serious effort in putting
it together and the readers are impressed. Impressed means readers tend
to hold on to each issue (putting BGA next to the proverbial armchair).
In terms of money spent, i.e. bang for your advertising buck or ROI
(Return On Investment - if we wish to use proper marketing terminology)
makes it an excellent investment for the advertiser.
Editorially
Driven
A magazine that it true to its heart should be "pouring passion
out of its pores". If I buy a Hot Balloon Flying Magazine, I want
to read, breathe and dream about hot air balloons and not pick- up trucks
or sunglasses. This total dedication will certainly appear, to the non-ballooner,
as a totally boring, one-sided way of life, but the idea of a good niche
magazine is not to please the world but its devoted readers. Thus, editorially
driven means that the magazine should be true first to its title and
to its mission/vision. In the case of BGA, they are really serious about
what they publish. They carefully control the content of each issue,
by being focused and direct. This means eliminating "equipment
testing", "product reviewing", "industry trends",
or worse "vehicle testing" articles. The only content a reader
will find in this magazine is big game hunting stories. Simple and direct.
Incidentally the advertising is also editorially driven: BGA does not
allow ads which are not specifically targeted to its niche. This means
no cars, tobacco, drugs, detergent, etc. This choice should be applauded
for it is easy to talk about it, but it is hard for a business to say
no to revenue, when the check is on the table and it does not relate
to hunting big game.
============================================================================
Why
should you still read or advertise in a magazine?
According to a Handbook published by the Magazine Publishers of America,
www.magazine.org, there are 5 good reasons to advertise in magazines:
Five
Reasons to Advertise in Magazines by the
1. Magazines provide reach - faster than you think: The top 25 magazines
reach more teens and adults than the top 25 prime-time TV programs.
The average magazine comes almost two-thirds of its audience within
a month's time.
2.. Magazines target efficiently: With a range of titles that appeal
to specific demographics, lifestyles and interests, advertisers can
hone in on the targets that fit their needs.
3. Magazines sell: Multiple studies have demonstrated that allocating
more money to magazines in the media mix improves marketing and advertising
ROI across a broad range of product categories.
4. Magazines provide rich experiences: Readers experience magazines
in meaningful ways, including: I get value for my time and money, it
makes me smarter, and it's my personal time out and I often reflect
on it.
5. Magazines engage: 90% of magazine readers pay full and complete attention
when reading magazines. Magazine readers demonstrate the lowest level
of multitasking when compared with multitasking rates for other media.
(from The Magazine Handbook www.magazine.org)
============================================================================
Even
though these words clearly come from a partisan source, I nevertheless
believe that magazines are far from being dead and can remain a powerful
source of content for the readers, and effective advertising venue for
the business 'directly' related to their niche and mission, as the Big
Game Adventures magazine case study has shown.
There
are hundreds of niches in our industry from gold panning, to high altitude
sky jumping, from hot air balloon tours, to big game hunting with a
traditional long bow. Find the magazine targeted to your market niche,
Make sure the publication 'speaks' to your audience and offers good
value to its readers. If it does, your advertising money could be very
well spent.
The
ancient Romans, a couple of millenniums ago, expressed it very eloquently
with the famous phrase "verba volant, scripta manent" which
can be translated in "spoken words fly, but written words remain".
There I did it, I was waiting for this finale. Now I feel my 8 years
of Latin at school was time and energy well spent… Have fun in
our wonderful outdoors, and I will see you on the trail.
Maurizio
(Maurice) Valerio, President and Founder
Top Rated Adventures
