So in the Mean time we have The Editor of Hot Rod trying to provide a
quality magazine to the largest target audience possible... oh and bring
back some of the feeling of Hot Rod from years gone by.... Hmmm
Works for me.... I like the history stuff... As for protecting "our"
Magazine.... I see the same thing out of Bonneville.... we all seem to think
it's " Ours ".... without that feeling of ownership Bonneville wouldn't be
there...
I do tell folks to write you Dave.... but I only tell them to do that when
they say something constructive.... or something they would like to see in
the mag....
Keith ( always remember if your not part of the solution your part of the
Problem )
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bryan A. Savage Jr" <basavage@earthlink.net>
To: "David Freiburger" <FreiburD@PRIMEDIAcmmg.com>
Cc: "List Land Speed" <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2001 11:09 PM
Subject: Re: News on Our Car Magazine Industry : Strictly for theBUCKS! !!
> Thank you David for taking your time to educate me, I always need it.
>
> My son the fireman relates this story:
> A new Battalion Chief started his first meeting with;
> " Good morning, I need volunteers. Will all of you who
> think life should be fair take one step forward. "
>
> Bryan
>
>
>
> David Freiburger wrote:
> >
> > OK, I've tried to ignore this string, but I'm getting too annoyed. Here
goes. It's long, so delete now and save the boredom if you don't care.
> >
> > - Hot Rod magazine remains "at the top of the heap for its demographic
target group." Circulation-wise, it is over twice the size of the next
biggest performance-car magazine, which is Car Craft.
> >
> > - True, Hot Rod's size has diminished steadily over the last 15 years.
Why? Because 15 years ago there were roughly 20 automotive titles. Now there
are over 200. During the glory days of Hot Rod that many of you remember, it
was just one of 4 or 5 titles and there was no TV or internet coverage of
similar material.
> >
> > - There is increasing focus on the "kids" and the "import crowd." While
this segment has certainly affected the mainstream performance
magazines--and while the aftermarket is aggressively jumping on the import
bandwagon--you need to recognize that it is still a micro-niche. Put all
three of the big import-tuner magazines together and the circulation is
still less than that of Car Craft alone. Remember that Sport Truck magazine
and the sport truck movement was all the rage 10 years ago, with similar
hype that the import crowd has now. Predictably, its popularity followed a
bell-shaped curve that the import scene will likely follow.
> >
> > - The best thing magazine marketers have behind them is that readers
consider the titles "theirs." Look at the title of this thread: "Our car
magazine industry." That means we have passionate consumers. It also means
that those zealots throw darts at major companies that do things like kill
Drag Racing USA magazine. That magazine had a circulation of about 19,000
total, making it tiny and unprofitable (just like every drag racing magazine
since the mid '80s). Those of you who thought it was totally unfair for the
company to kill it should have talked everyone you know into buying it.
> >
> > - Strictly for the bucks? Of course. How many of you would continue to
run a businesses or manufacture a product at a loss? When people don't buy a
product, that product goes away. Witness the Camaro.
> >
> > - I've found that readers in the automotive performance segment really
enjoy bashing the magazines and often do it from an extremely narrow,
personal point of view. They also buy into the "ivory tower" theory of how
our business is run. They panic rampantly over baseless internet gossip, and
frequently take at face value the supposed inside information from people
who are far removed from the know. Seemingly, the greatest celebrity is to
be had by associating yourself with the magazine business just closely
enough to be considered an authority when criticizing it.
> > Further, it's the special-interest groups who moan the loudest that a
magazine does not cover their affinity subject, then complains the most
bitterly when that subject is not covered up to their standards.
> >
> > Finally, in support of those who feel the magazines have slipped lately,
let me offer this: I agree that many magazines produced these days are pure
schlock. Since I spend about 100 hours a week trying to avoid that, I also
know how difficult it is produce those magazines in a world of
ever-decreasing budgets and resources. I also worry about the monopoly that
the car-mag industry has become, but you should know that the former
Petersen titles are largely unaffected by the recent merger. No one has
messed with Hot Rod at all (except me). The magazines are definitely more
advertiser-driven than they were 20 years ago, but remember that Robert
Petersen started this company to sell ads, not to be a great guy. Nothing's
changed, yet the climate of America is more corporate than ever. Complain
about that as loudly as you want. Have you ever griped to Universal Studios
because there's too much product placement in a movie? Do you watch the
commercials on rented videos? Did you !
> turn off
> > the Superbowl because it was sponsored? Ever skip an Aerosmith concert
because they're backed by Dodge? Or Pepsi and Brittany Spears? Do you stop
riding the bus because there's an ad on the side? Have you stopped using the
internet because of pop-up ads? Advertising is an American problem.
> >
> > Finally, remember that the vast majority of us on the editorial side are
just regular car guys doing their best to provide fun, good information
under brutal deadlines. I've barely scratched the surface of the improvement
that I feel is needed at this magazine, but when you write a generic "Hot
Rod sucks" letter, you're hitting us where we live. I want every piece of
constructive input you can give me. But skip the speculative, whiny blather.
> >
> > David Freiburger
> > Editor In Chief
> > Hot Rod Magazine
> >
> > >>> wspotter <wester6935@home.com> 11/12/01 8:08:05 PM >>>
> ///
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