MPA chairman Nick Chan: Time to remind media planners of the power of magazines
Magazine Publishers of Australia’s first goal will be reminding the industry of the power of the medium, chairman Nick Chan told Mumbrella after ACP Magazines rejoined the industry body.
Chan, who is also CEO of Pacific Magazines, said that media agency planners from the “Facebook and Google generation” need to be reminded of the strength of the medium.
He said: “There a new layer of marketing people at client level and agency level and we need to give them the magazines message a lot louder.”
One issue, he said, was agencies receiving free magazines sometimes failed to appreciate the commitment a consumer makes to the product when they walk into a newsagent.
Do magazines however understand how ridiculous it is that majority of magazines are now more advertisements than content. I read online, specifically because I’m not handing over my dollars for articles that aren’t worth reading and a magazine that is nearly completely comprised of advertisement?
I’d start buying again, if the level of quality was raised.
Who are the Facebook and Google generation?
I can’t wait for this to turn into a magazine bash …
“No one reads them anymore” (ie I don’t)
“They are so unaccountable” (but my CPC campaign on the internet is totally delivering value)
“No one buys them” (despite newsagents still being around)
“The content is shit” (despite the same content, albeit edited and not as good posted online)
“They’re full of ads” (despite there being 23 ads on every single web page)
Let’s start the cliches.
I don’t remember the last time I made a commitment to a magazine or the last time I walked into a news-agency. Just sayin’
Shirt Guy,
23 ads on a webpage are for more easily ignored than the 26 pages of straight ads in this months edition of GQ.
Cliches, exist for a reason, because magazines, are surviving through advertising revenue.
Case in point, the fact the Fairfax want to take their print across to online platform.
Matt – just because you haven’t doesn’t mean millions of others are doing the same thing.
People buy magazines. AU is a strong magazine market. People make a commitment, a financial one, to a magazine brand. They have emotional and utility value and web hasn’t really been able to replicate this in the same way as yet.
Not saying the web isn’t great, just saying it’s not a flat out replacement for magazines.
Well said Shirt Guy!
Jasmin – ALL media exists because of a) ads, b) government (taxpayer) funding, or c) subscription. The first one makes it a lot cheaper for you. If you don’t like the ads, don’t read the ads. They’re not playing with moving vision and sound you can’t turn off, after all.
Anyway whose side are you on?? Yay ads! Long live evil!
Very interesting Article. I also find out amusing that Nick is trying to remind planners about the power of magazines and yet try and get copies of a lot of the (Thats Life excluded) and you feel like your trying to get blood from a stone.
The amount of times i have tried to have my clients put of the Subs list only to be told “No you have to advertise in the magazine to get a copy” is ridiculous.
The last information we have got from ACP is that they are cancelling Subs and being very selective on who they give magazines to. A buying group may only get 1 copy of each Magazine.
Sure we may not be booking your mag this week, or this month. But plans Strategies and clients change. Get with it Guys. If you want to promote yourself the best way to do that is give the product to your buyers.
Iplanner, based on your theory about promoting magazines is to give the product to your buyers; how do you propose JC Decaux or any other outdoor supplier go around giving their product to the buyers?
don’t be a tight ass, and buy the magazine yourself and if you are smart enough, you can claim it at tax time,
no i don’t work in magazines
Iplanner, based on your theory about magazines promoting themselves by giving the product to the buyers, how wuold you propose JC Decaux or APN promote their product??? Does every media person need a supersite and a bus-shelter at their desk.
Buy the magazine yourself and claim it back at tax time….
Using that logic iplanner, foxtel should give free cable to all media agency folk … otherwise how would they know about it!
@ paul: JC promote their product with Updated media kits and presentations all the time. And i dont think i have room on my desk for a CityLight but if they want to drop one by they can.
@ Logic. its not simply about getting “free stuff” i buy the magazines i want to read for personal use and dont have a problem with that at all.
The problem for the magazine publishers is that magazines do not bring in as much revenue as they used to.
With a still sizable chunk of Aussie eyeballs still consuming magazines, they still have relevance in today’s landscape. Unfortunately for us as consumers, the the old institutions selling them have their focus not on being innovative, but on how to harvest their revenue for maximum short terms profit while they still can. Low cost editorial, low cost sales structures equals low value for all.
The only magazine i read last month was the Qantas Magazine and that was to take my mind of the very real fear of the engine blowing off and having to face the channel 7 news crew at the destination airport.
Bring back the editors who could capture your imagination and inspire.