YBW pricing policy.

[Sybarite]

Today I happened to be in W.H Smiths in Paris and splurged out on PBO and YM.

That cost me €19.20 or £16.35. In the UK they would have cost me £8.10 (including the 50p offer on YM).

In other words it costs me over twice the UK price if I want to get them. Naturally I only do it now on very rare occasions.

Given that the French market is potentially much larger than the UK market, I would have thought that their advertisers would be putting pressure on them to sell more
copies in France, and hence be more competitive than the three main French magazines which cost approx €5.90 each and have a greater editorial content.

I can understand them not selling much in France at those prices.

 

[[70521]]

I enjoy the French sailing magazines, translated by my wife, when in France.

 

[Richard Shead]

Today I happened to be in W.H Smiths in Paris and splurged out on PBO and YM.

That cost me €19.20 or £16.35. In the UK they would have cost me £8.10 (including the 50p offer on YM).

In other words it costs me over twice the UK price if I want to get them. Naturally I only do it now on very rare occasions.

Given that the French market is potentially much larger than the UK market, I would have thought that their advertisers would be putting pressure on them to sell more
copies in France, and hence be more competitive than the three main French magazines which cost approx €5.90 each and have a greater editorial content.

I can understand them not selling much in France at those prices.

The price is set by the local distributor, we have no control however we do work with them to bring the price down where we can.

You can of course go digital if you have a tablet and are happy to read on a device which his cheaper.

 

[Sybarite]

The price is set by the local distributor, we have no control however we do work with them to bring the price down where we can.

You can of course go digital if you have a tablet and are happy to read on a device which his cheaper.

Do you have exclusive distribution rights with them? If so, you might want to reconsider.

I used to buy your magazines fairly regularly but at those prices it is really once in a blue moon now.

IMHO there is more editorial meat in the French magazines but where the UK might win out is in the very detailed equipment adverts which indicate that a lot of equipment, esp. electronics is much cheaper in the UK. That might whet the appetite of French readers.

 

[Koeketiene]

where the UK might win out is in the very detailed equipment adverts which indicate that a lot of equipment, esp. electronics is much cheaper in the UK. That might whet the appetite of French readers.

You buy yachting magazines for the adverts?
Bet you buy Playboy for the articles.

 

[Richard Shead]

Do you have exclusive distribution rights with them? If so, you might want to reconsider.

I used to buy your magazines fairly regularly but at those prices it is really once in a blue moon now.

IMHO there is more editorial meat in the French magazines but where the UK might win out is in the very detailed equipment adverts which indicate that a lot of equipment, esp. electronics is much cheaper in the UK. That might whet the appetite of French readers.

As I said we can only suggest the RRP but it will be the distributor who sets the price. I am afraid you are right they are expensive overseas but they do sell and in reasonable numbers but yes I do know we would sell more if cheaper, I think we all know that.

 

[Neeves]

You might sell more magazines if they were cheaper but you might also sell more if, as Sybarite might imply (twice), the editorial content was better? and advertisers are attracted by 'the more'?

Jonathan

 

[lustyd]

I'm curious what content is better. I'm quite impressed by YM over the last year or so, especially stuff like the crash test boat and even the sailing with kids stuff (I don't have kids and don't like other peoples kids enough to let them near my boat, but still interesting). Sailing skills content gets dull after a year as it necessarily has to repeat, and the "we sailed in X location" articles will concentrate on where the boats are so will also become repetitive or at the least irrelevant to most.

I can't read French so the mags are no good to me but if you tell YM what content is better they may write similar in English for me

 

[Neeves]

I'm unable to comment on what content of a French magazine is better than YM, as mentioned offshore costs for magazines are pretty prohibitive and I would only buy after flicking through an issue and on finding something of interest (which you cannot do with the electronic version). Worse, I might then go into the local library and read the specific article, and take a photocopy! The problem is not YM alone, but trying to support a number of overlapping publications cannot be very efficient.

But you only need to read through the PBO and YM parts of the YBW Forum and they throw up areas that are obviously of considerable interest and readers are searching for answers. There is a repetitive series of queries on prop (and saildrive) treatment, there are lots of answers - but nothing defiintive, as no-one has done a comparison (or not recently). There is a long running thread current on anchor scope, that has thrown up a number of queries on snubbers and riding sails. Plenty of room for a few decent articles there. There was a short thread on AIS responses the sheer volume of which made AIS a nuisance rather than a a useful tool - a nice topic to investigate and show which bits of kit allow one to programme out the responses that are not of interest. Another forum has had threads on the composition of second rodes and the types of second anchors carried (and reasoning behind each).

To me any long informative thread (and some are not) is indicative that the publishers have missed, or could perhaps identify, an opportunity.

The crash boat series was excellent, but I suspect expensive. Vyv's article on chain was also excellent (I have not seen his recent one on anchors - it has not got to Oz yet!)

But when people can find better answers here (or other forum), because the printed media is not providing answers, then the printed media is simply digging a deeper hole from which it will be increasingly difficult to climb out of.

Better content means more readers, means more advertising - which might mean more staff and better remuneration packages? and I suspect the corollary is also valid.

Jonathan

 

[Sybarite]

I'm unable to comment on what content of a French magazine is better than YM, as mentioned offshore costs for magazines are pretty prohibitive and I would only buy after flicking through an issue and on finding something of interest (which you cannot do with the electronic version). Worse, I might then go into the local library and read the specific article, and take a photocopy! The problem is not YM alone, but trying to support a number of overlapping publications cannot be very efficient.

But you only need to read through the PBO and YM parts of the YBW Forum and they throw up areas that are obviously of considerable interest and readers are searching for answers. There is a repetitive series of queries on prop (and saildrive) treatment, there are lots of answers - but nothing defiintive, as no-one has done a comparison (or not recently). There is a long running thread current on anchor scope, that has thrown up a number of queries on snubbers and riding sails. Plenty of room for a few decent articles there. There was a short thread on AIS responses the sheer volume of which made AIS a nuisance rather than a a useful tool - a nice topic to investigate and show which bits of kit allow one to programme out the responses that are not of interest. Another forum has had threads on the composition of second rodes and the types of second anchors carried (and reasoning behind each).

To me any long informative thread (and some are not) is indicative that the publishers have missed, or could perhaps identify, an opportunity.

The crash boat series was excellent, but I suspect expensive. Vyv's article on chain was also excellent (I have not seen his recent one on anchors - it has not got to Oz yet!)

But when people can find better answers here (or other forum), because the printed media is not providing answers, then the printed media is simply digging a deeper hole from which it will be increasingly difficult to climb out of.

Better content means more readers, means more advertising - which might mean more staff and better remuneration packages? and I suspect the corollary is also valid.

Jonathan

What I like about French magazines:

Better illustrated/more/larger photographs. I don't want somebody to tell me about a boat (except for the things that are not visible such as sailing performance). I want to be able to see for myself and to fantasize about being in the boat and how it is adapted to my tastes and requirements.

Boat tests are often combined with a commentary on the places visited and so you see the boat in a possible cruising context.

In terms of value for money over here it's a no contest.

 

[Richard Shead]

What I like about French magazines:

Better illustrated/more/larger photographs. I don't want somebody to tell me about a boat (except for the things that are not visible such as sailing performance). I want to be able to see for myself and to fantasize about being in the boat and how it is adapted to my tastes and requirements.

Boat tests are often combined with a commentary on the places visited and so you see the boat in a possible cruising context.

In terms of value for money over here it's a no contest.

To add how much do you think they cost over here? that's if you can get them..

Just a question

 

[Koeketiene]

Electronic subscription Yachting Monthly (1 year): £45.89 (http://www.magazinesdirect.com/subs...offer+HARDLINKS&utm_content=Top+Nav+Text+Link)

Electronic subscription Voiles et Voiliers (1 year): €58.90 (£49.91) (http://boutique.voilesetvoiliers.co...oduit.html?productid=517781&catref=abonnement)

That's a difference of £4.02 per year - not much for something worth reading.

Just saying

 

[Neeves]

Electronic subscription Yachting Monthly (1 year): £45.89 (http://www.magazinesdirect.com/subs...offer+HARDLINKS&utm_content=Top+Nav+Text+Link)

Electronic subscription Voiles et Voiliers (1 year): €58.90 (£49.91) (http://boutique.voilesetvoiliers.co...oduit.html?productid=517781&catref=abonnement)

That's a difference of £4.02 per year - not much for something worth reading.

Just saying

For US$40 you can have 14 issues (plus postage) of Practical Sailor, though there are no cruising stories and no advertising, and you get access to full electronic archives (so everything in the past). I think you get the electronic version as well - but I'm not sure.

I can see this thread being closed!

Almost nothing for something worth reading!

Just saying

Jonathan

 

[Richard Shead]

Why would we close the thread? Just because we run it does not mean we dont allow competitor titles to be discussed, if anything it highlights the fact that digital CAN be the same price if not more (and less) than our offerings.

 

[Neeves]

One hopes any critical comment is offered on the basis that it might be useful - though I suspect some (and I am sure I am guilty) might not craft their posts such that this is obvious.

Its not an easy passage to plan and there do seem to be different waypoints - hopefully we will all get there safely.

I suspect its not the form in which it is published that is the issue.

Jonathan

 

[lustyd]

Why would we close the thread? Just because we run it does not mean we dont allow competitor titles to be discussed

This is such a good attitude for any business to have and well done for taking this view!

 

[Rigger Mortice]

I can't recall ever seeing any French yachtie magazines for sale in the UK.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

As I said we can only suggest the RRP but it will be the distributor who sets the price. I am afraid you are right they are expensive overseas but they do sell and in reasonable numbers but yes I do know we would sell more if cheaper, I think we all know that.

but do you sell to the french distributor at the same price you do to whs? inother words is he taking excessive margin or are you cashing in on alimited market?