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  1. #1
    FEP Senior Member
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    Default Print Media Advertising is Out of Control

    So I received two magazines this week in the mail, and it struck me that advertising in the magazines is ridiculous. You can barely turn a page and not see some sort of an ad. I decided to do some digging over the last year with the print magazines I have subscriptions to.

    HotRod
    July 2018 - 108 pages, 47% ads
    March 2018 - 108 pages, 36% ads...
    Feb 2018 - 108 pages, 34% ads
    Nov 08 - 156 pages, 37% ads

    Car Craft
    July 2018 - 76 pages, 41% ads
    June 2018 - 76 pages, 42% ads
    March 2018 - 76 pages, 30% ads
    Feb 2017 - 76 pages, 31% ads

    Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords
    July 2018 - 84 pages, 44% ads
    June 2018 - 84 pages, 50% ads
    Jan 2017 - 108 pages, 51% ads
    Dec 09 - 172 pages, 59% ads

    Super Chevy
    July 2018 - 100 pages, 52% ads
    June 2018 - 100 pages, 49% ads
    May 2018 - 92 pages, 54% ads
    Apr 2017 - 100 pages, 48% ads

    Chevy High Performance
    July 2018 - 76 pages, 40% ads
    Mar 2018 - 84 pages, 43% ads

    So, for one thing, yes I had too much time on my hands the last 2 days. No need to chime in on that. My wife reminded me plenty.

    After reviewing the numbers, I don't see any big trends other than a couple are going up in precentage like Hot Rod and Car Craft, yet MM&FF is going down. What really shocked me a bit is how much the magazines are shrinking in pages. Literally MM&&FF was double the size it is today, and the percentage of ads is crazy. Hot Rod was 44% thicker 10 years ago, and now has 10% more ads. Wow!

    So I am tryng to frame this for another episode of Real Talk on my YouTube channel. What do you think it should be?
    - Print Advertising is Ruining Magazines?
    - It's time to Reconsider Print Advertising?
    - Print Media is Wheezing for More Life?
    - ??

    I don't have TV service, but last I have seen the advertising there is about the same. 35-50% is probably what's common right now. The question I have is for those that have a business that advertise, where are you spending your money? For those that get magazines, watch TV, watch streamed or online content, what advertising influences you? Since I am a content creator, that is what catches my attention. What creators are using in their content for tools, parts, etc. It's all interesting.
    Last edited by Basin Motorsports; 05-17-2018 at 12:28 PM.
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  2. #2
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
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    Jun 2009
    Location
    SE Michigan
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    Default questions on media direction shifts

    Annual subscriptions traditionally are the best deal.
    Or read non electronic books.
    Why does everything have to be fast paced and electrically powered?
    The art of publishing, writing, going away? Free personal time for these disappearing?
    Performance car mags (and cars themselves) gone, like comic books?
    They all may merge. No easy mods, all cars fast= nothing to write about.
    Will gun, gaming, computer, tech mags go too? Nah. Tabloid gossip? Nope.


    The mag content earned the name, not products. Someday the story will be lost to history.
    Greed again will spell doom for a company. Good riddance. The losing hand of cards.
    Reselling collectable issues make money for collectors.

    Who buys cd's, dvd's anymore? Or ever did. Used to buy records, tapes?
    Takes up store space? Takes up too much free time and energy to shop?
    The internet, computers, phones, largely taken control for now.
    Online is not the always the cheapest way to shop, contrary to what is said.

    Why is US govt quietly auctioning our public OTA free tv spectrum to private-for-profit communications companies?
    Who voted on this? Surly not the public as always. Do we get the money?
    ATT, others, use these spectrums to create bands to make money from us. For what? Media? You betcha.
    To obsolete current phones again, etc, for more profits. The game.

    Junk mail filling up my trash bin which i have to pay 12.00 a month to haul away.

    We do not want, have asked, nor wish to pay for ads ever.
    Forced content. Attempt of mind control to hook people. Good luck.
    With the digital age, easier and more costly than ever to do this.
    Used to be the cost of doing business. Now business cost is passed on to consumers.
    In the form of less (product) for more (profit). Or deceptive marketing stating: "More (cost) for Less (content)".
    The word 'bundle' means 'we will rip you off if not selected'.
    Marketing is main focus and prob the largest department of the companies.

    How about cable/sat TV, internet pages, radio? Same game. Media shift for more profits.
    Constant commercials in live sports. True: Broadcasters control the game thru refs/umps to run commercials.
    All pay TV movies used to run uninterrupted. Ads in front, back like theaters. No more. Ruins the movie.

    Half of 1 hour content is ad or commercial you pay for. Keep pushing the limits of tolerance.
    Then add half or more channels are shopping, infomercials, you pay for.
    So actual cost of desired content to consumer is double or triple the subscription cost.

    Hated tv commercial interruptions back in the 60's just as much as now.
    They are a turn off. Learned auto response is to switch stations, ignore pages, ads.
    Rarely doing us a service providing unneeded deals, coupons to sell something.
    If it needs advertising, is it really any good? Suspicions arise, intended or not.
    Ads, brand names, sponsor ships, increase cost of products, services.

  3. #3
    FEP Super Member Ken P's Avatar
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    Jun 2005
    Location
    Woodstock, Georgia
    Posts
    3,213

    Default

    I cancelled all my magazine subscriptions years ago. As far as TV advertising it is really getting bad. I occasionally check my watch to see the time intervals between the show and the commercials. I've found as the movie gets closer to the end the movie segments get increasingly shorter while the commercials get longer.

    One of my favorite movies is Dances with Wolves. I have a VHS copy of the 4 hour version. Just out of boredom I decided to run my VHS tape version starting at the same time as the TV movie. The TV movie runs 3 hours without commercials. It is also edited to run in the time allotted so it's actually less than 3 hours. I was able to watch the entire VHS tape with time to spare.
    Last edited by Ken P; 05-17-2018 at 03:00 PM.
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  4. #4
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    SE Michigan
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    Default questions on media direction shifts

    Annual subscriptions traditionally are the best deal.
    Or time out and read at library. Easier said than done. Aviation Week is good, not found in stores.
    Mags now focusing on newer cars or new tech for old. Already fast= nothing really to write about.
    Desired old school mods, info, and era aftermarket or oem parts, especially new, harder to find.

    Why does everything have to be fast paced, high tech, electrical, disposable? Huge problem.
    The art of publishing, writing, going away? Mechanical, analog, anything?
    Paper newspapers with pencil puzzles, games, obits. Simple, cheap, easily read, reusable.
    Performance car mags (and cars themselves) gone, like comic books?
    They all may morph into one. Old or new cars.
    Will gun, gaming, computer, tech mags go too? Nah. Tabloid gossip? Nope.

    Monthly issues of Playboy in 1986 were 3.50. Now? Bimonthy- 12.99?
    Is said playboy mag days of print are numbered. Cashing in the name.
    Private equity owners now would rather sell the name on products than print mags.
    The mag content earned the name, not products. Someday the story will be lost to history.
    Greed again will spell doom for a company. Good riddance. The losing hand of cards.
    Reselling collectable issues make money for collectors.
    I still have mags from the 60's. Popular Science, 35¢. Fun to read. Had good timeless info.

    We do not want, have asked, nor wish to pay for ads ever.
    Forced content. Attempt of mind control to hook people. Good luck.
    With the digital age, easier and more costly than ever to do this.
    Used to be the cost of doing business. Now business cost is passed on to consumers.
    In the form of less (product) for more (profit). Or deceptive marketing stating: "More (cost) for Less (content)".
    The word 'bundle' means 'we will rip you off if not selected'.
    Marketing is main focus and prob the largest department of the companies.

    Something is wrong. Blame the computer age again. Lots of things got done without them.
    Created to save time. Yah right. Creates more waste than ever. Can be invaluable used correctly.
    Overall, cannot create anything simple, cheaply, or quickly on small scale. Huge losses dismissed.
    Stagnation of working wages, since it began, changed ability to easily afford items like mags.
    Add a lot of free personal time has disappeared if working. Mags now a luxury item to most?

    Add what was inexpensive or free will not be or is not anymore. Products and services.
    Junk mail filling up my trash bin forced to rent and pay 12.00 a month to empty.
    Potential magazine, etc money, now forcefully prioritized to haul garbage?

    Who buys cd's, dvd's anymore? Or ever did. Used to buy records, tapes?
    Takes up store space? Takes up too much free time and energy to shop?
    The internet, computers, phones, largely taken control for now.
    Online is not the always the cheapest way to shop, contrary to what is said.

    Why is US govt quietly auctioning our public OTA free tv spectrum to private-for-profit communications companies?
    Who voted on this? Surly not the public as always. Do we get the money?
    ATT, others, use these spectrums to create bands to make money from us. For what? Media? You betcha.
    To obsolete current phones again, etc, for more profits. The game.
    More obscure fees, taxes, to tack on bills.

    How about cable/sat TV, internet pages, radio? Same game. Media shift for more profits.
    Constant commercials in live sports. True: Broadcasters control the game thru refs/umps to run commercials.
    All pay TV movies used to run uninterrupted. Ads in front, back like theaters. No more. Ruins the movie.

    Half of 1 hour content is ad or commercial you pay for. Keep pushing the limits of tolerance.
    Then add half or more channels are shopping, infomercials, you pay for.
    So actual cost of desired content to consumer is double or triple the subscription cost.

    Hated tv commercial interruptions back in the 60's just as much as now.
    They are a turn off. Learned auto response is to switch stations, ignore pages, ads.
    Rarely doing us a service providing unneeded deals, coupons to sell something.
    If it needs advertising, is it really any good? Suspicions arise, intended or not.
    Ads, brand names, sponsor ships, increase cost of products, services.

  5. #5
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    5,141

    Default

    Computers defiantly have helped things get out of control.
    Too many resources, expense, consumed, perceived as necessary in the name of efficiency and productivity.
    The opposite is true in many cases. Medical field for one. Go for broke. Mistakes still happen.
    In too deep now to correct this? Tail (pc) wagging the dog (human)?
    Still pcs are used over and over to try and correct/solve this? Incorrect or false input= incorrect results or data.
    Then time spent proving result is right or wrong. Humans not allowed to spend time to do this without pc?

  6. #6
    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
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    Location
    SE Michigan
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken P View Post
    I cancelled all my magazine subscriptions years ago. As far as TV advertising it is really getting bad. I occasionally check my watch to see the time intervals between the show and the commercials. I've found as the movie gets closer to the end the movie segments get increasingly shorter while the commercials get longer.

    One of my favorite movies is Dances with Wolves. I have a VHS copy of the 4 hour version. Just out of boredom I decided to run my VHS tape version starting at the same time as the TV movie. The TV movie runs 3 hours without commercials. It is also edited to run in the time allotted so it's actually less than 3 hours. I was able to watch the entire VHS tape with time to spare.
    I use the pc to edit out commercials on the tape copy, then save to watch later.
    With the right software, is fast and easy to do.
    One benefit of a pc.

    My JVC VCRs have commercial skip, which works very well. Push button, skip exactly 30 sec.
    Commercial lengths are accurately timed. 30sec, 60sec, or multiples of these.

    One thing i know is directors can run more commercials at the beginning of, say, a live NASCAR race, so none are left at end.
    They have flexibility. get it over with. Ads=money like super bowl commercials.
    Nothing kills a good drama or action movie than 3 minutes of repeated commercials, with the stupid music, every 10 minutes.
    Last edited by gr79; 05-17-2018 at 03:35 PM.

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