Tshepo Moletsane on Femina - and other women's mags Author: Tshepo Moletsane Publish: 17 February 2010
Gordon Muller puts it best using the his Popcorn Principle: "When the publisher of one of Mzansi's largest magazine groups tells the industry at a major forum that a reader's relationship with a magazine is, in essence, no different from a housewife's relationship with her chosen washing powder, then it is clear that, if the print industry has not already hit rock bottom, the earth is approaching fast."
The truth of the matter is that marketing will not solve the crisis of publishers shutting titles. There are just too many women magazines on the shelf, and nothing differentiates the one from the next. The same thing could be said with most newspapers, where titles are reduced to half naked babes instead of content. The sad thing is that the industry has been selling to advertisers, media owners and management on the premise of see how fast I get off the shelf (perhaps the demise has been "Sexy Sells" driven covers) . From a women's magazine point of view, it has become: see how fast I get to the shelf, spot me amongst the clutter, spotting no difference from one magazine to the next, and please pick me cause inside this issue we talk nutrition, how to loose weight, women in business, ultimate competition and tips for the kitchen amongst nappies adverts and advertorials. Besides masthead differences, there is hardly any difference from one women magazine to the next and this is inclusive of those that talk fitness and so forth. The reality is we have a huge task in finding ways to respond to the critical challenges in the face of increasing production cost, reduced advertising spend, and decreasing circulation. We could honestly not pretend that Gordon's predictions are unfolding right before our very eyes "the earth is truly approaching fast".
With this said, it's about time that the industry goes back to the drawing board. To borrow an expression from last year's Presidential State of the Nation Address "Its Business Unusual". The nature of the publishing industry is one where tltles are kept far apart: circulation, editorial, marketing, sales & finance and all in the name of producing a product that talks to the same audience independently. Every department has its approach to the target audience, synergy is therefore lost and the end result is shut doors. For the industry to truly be saved, we ought to ask ourselves key fundamental questions:
1. Is the product unique from its competitors?
2. Was our premise to launch the magazine based on "All women have the same issues and aspire to see the blonde or celeb on the cover"?
3. Is content still the decider or is glossy the answer to more sales & advertising and what if everyone else is glossy?
5. Is the title still relevant to the audience, how has the audience changed?
6. Are we finding ways to balance new media with traditional media?
7. Are we evolving and finding news ways to monetise additional opportunities within the title?
8. Are we evolving with the times and are we in tune with emerging needs for women?
Only in being honest will the industry be able to reduce the cut costs syndrome. Going back to the principles, will mean that a lot of titles will be saved, and the reader pie can increase provided that the offering becomes unique and that departmental teams play a more interlink role for the end product and ultimately the end user.
Tshepo Moletsane on Femina - and other women's mags
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Tshepo Moletsane
Publish: 17 February 2010
Gordon Muller puts it best using the his Popcorn Principle: "When the publisher of one of Mzansi's largest magazine groups tells the industry at a major forum that a reader's relationship with a magazine is, in essence, no different from a housewife's relationship with her chosen washing powder, then it is clear that, if the print industry has not already hit rock bottom, the earth is approaching fast."
The truth of the matter is that marketing will not solve the crisis of publishers shutting titles. There are just too many women magazines on the shelf, and nothing differentiates the one from the next. The same thing could be said with most newspapers, where titles are reduced to half naked babes instead of content. The sad thing is that the industry has been selling to advertisers, media owners and management on the premise of see how fast I get off the shelf (perhaps the demise has been "Sexy Sells" driven covers) . From a women's magazine point of view, it has become: see how fast I get to the shelf, spot me amongst the clutter, spotting no difference from one magazine to the next, and please pick me cause inside this issue we talk nutrition, how to loose weight, women in business, ultimate competition and tips for the kitchen amongst nappies adverts and advertorials. Besides masthead differences, there is hardly any difference from one women magazine to the next and this is inclusive of those that talk fitness and so forth. The reality is we have a huge task in finding ways to respond to the critical challenges in the face of increasing production cost, reduced advertising spend, and decreasing circulation. We could honestly not pretend that Gordon's predictions are unfolding right before our very eyes "the earth is truly approaching fast".
With this said, it's about time that the industry goes back to the drawing board. To borrow an expression from last year's Presidential State of the Nation Address "Its Business Unusual". The nature of the publishing industry is one where tltles are kept far apart: circulation, editorial, marketing, sales & finance and all in the name of producing a product that talks to the same audience independently. Every department has its approach to the target audience, synergy is therefore lost and the end result is shut doors. For the industry to truly be saved, we ought to ask ourselves key fundamental questions:
1. Is the product unique from its competitors?
2. Was our premise to launch the magazine based on "All women have the same issues and aspire to see the blonde or celeb on the cover"?
3. Is content still the decider or is glossy the answer to more sales & advertising and what if everyone else is glossy?
5. Is the title still relevant to the audience, how has the audience changed?
6. Are we finding ways to balance new media with traditional media?
7. Are we evolving and finding news ways to monetise additional opportunities within the title?
8. Are we evolving with the times and are we in tune with emerging needs for women?
Only in being honest will the industry be able to reduce the cut costs syndrome. Going back to the principles, will mean that a lot of titles will be saved, and the reader pie can increase provided that the offering becomes unique and that departmental teams play a more interlink role for the end product and ultimately the end user.