T
timbartlett
Guest
Well that's one in the eye for the Volkswagen Audi Group, thenThe next new car I buy will now not be an Audi. A Skoda, methinks.
Well that's one in the eye for the Volkswagen Audi Group, thenThe next new car I buy will now not be an Audi. A Skoda, methinks.
Well that's one in the eye for the Volkswagen Audi Group, then![]()
Six pages of Audi or four pages of Land Rover? It's a tough choice.
Have you ever seen a real press release?... when that editorial is actually a press release for Bavaria or Landrover then it has gone too far.
June 2010 – Leading marine electronics manufacturer ****** is celebrating a new three-year exclusive supplier agreement with Austrian-based ****** Yachts.
****** is supplying a range of marine electronics for ******'s custom-built 24-53-foot yachts, which are renowned for their build-quality and exceptional workmanship.
****** has been working with ****** for 25 years and its Managing Director, ****** ******, says, “****** is a key partner for ****** Yachts and we have been doing business with them for many years.
“Our customers demand top-quality products with exceptional performance and reliability; that’s why we choose products from ******, which is a world-leader in marine electronics. It is also important that they have a network of suppliers that stretches around globe.”
****** Area Sales Manager, ****** ******, says, “We are very pleased that ******, a traditional family-owned shipyard, has signed a new three-year agreement to exclusively fit ****** on its complete ****** range of yachts.
“Maintaining this long-term relationship with a key boat builder allows all parties, including ****** ******, our exclusive Austrian ****** distributor, to work closely with ****** to plan and support the fitting of our complete product range on today and tomorrow’s range of ****** Yachts.”
****** this year celebrates 60 years of producing sailing boats. In 1949, ****** and ****** ****** won their first regatta and their success led to their first order. From 1950-1965, it produced the ******, ******, ******, and ******.
In 1958, the company started making glass fibre boats and designed its first cabin cruiser in 1965, which was the first step to position it as one of Europe’s leading boat builders.
****** is holding a number of events in the Summer for partners and customers to mark the 60th anniversary.
I am quite happy for Audi to have six pages of adverts, what grips mine is the fact that editorial is also given over to advertising. We all accept advertising is necessary to pay the bulk of the cost of production and indeed is the very reason the mag has been published. Where YM goes to far is to cow tow to advertisers in it's editorial policy. It's a subjective judgement of course and my subjective judgement is that YM takes it's readers fro granted. When you get into conversations with magazine staff they'll boast about how they are increasing editorial year on year, but when that editorial is actually a press release for Bavaria or Landrover then it has gone too far.
The people who actually write the mag have nothing to do with media sales. However from time to time they may get told "we'd rather you didn't say that as that client spent £200k with us last year". It's a business for gawdsake, no one shoots down their clients and lives to tell the tale. I think the mag does a good job of the side by side tests (apart from last years anti -foul feature).
I have no problem with adverts in the magazines. I stopped buying then when the editorial content began to read like adverts.
The side by side reviews are not worth reading.
A couple of examples:
- when it came to electronics reviews, up to last year, the Raymarine product was best or the premium product. Without fail, every time. The biscuit: a couple of years ago YM had a 'mist tunnel' on one of the shows. The idea was to create an environment similar to navigating in fog relying mostly on instruments. Splashed on the outside of the tunnel, in HUGE letters, Raymarine. Inside only Raymarine products. Since their advertising budget shrank, other products (Garmin, Standard Horizon, ...) get noticed by YM.
- more recently, the prop review. I'm particularly pissed off about this one, because I bought the mag for that article alone. All sorts of props; folding, feathering, fixed blade. Some figures about all of them and then the conclusion: no conclusion, they're all too different. Felt like an 'I just want to cuddle' moment. If they're all too different, don't put all of them in your test. At least they could have said best folding, best feathering, best fixed; but no nothing. Every manufacturer had about 1/2 page of free advertising masquerading as editorial content. Waste of space.
At LBS was a National Boat Shows feature with YM as media partner and Raymarine supplying the kit, nothing more, nothing less, I know I did the deal, the same way ST had the Anchor watch (for the first year). Just to clear up.
I am not getting involved in all of the above as a lot of is it incorrect.
Not advertised as such in the magazine at the time. Got it in front of me now.
Feel free to point out any obvious errors. Did or didn't the prop side by side 'test' draw a conclusion or recommend anything? Again, I've got the article in front of me.
I know, I know - I'm just the lone idiot ranting and raving in the desert![]()
Blimey, Guapa's done it. He's proved it. Civil servants do tell the truth sometimes!I know, I know - I'm just the lone idiot ranting and raving in the desert![]()
Blimey, Guapa's done it. He's proved it. Civil servants do tell the truth sometimes!![]()
Surely IPC are running a business? To produce a magazine that anyone can afford to buy they need advertisers, if there are no adverts there will be no magazines! seemples![]()
which brings me back full circle to the point i've made on virtually everyone of these recent threads.....Having run a magazine that didnt have (enough) advertising I can back this up....
You very quickly spend a large amount of money.
Then you have no magazine.