After finding out Swimmer takes 30% of our budget,I was thinking how to make it better.I think it is perhaps fine as it is now for what it does now,but if it is to help us grow...
What do you think?
Rodale had a magazine called "Fitness Swimmer' a few years ago and I thought it was excellent and I think implied that such a mag could be(almost) profitable.The current 4 in one format of "Swimming World" now seems excellent.Perhaps Swimmer should have sections:Competitive Swimmer,fitness swimmer,tri,noodlers(to be totally inclusive.)This might help with the problem of technique articles in Swimmer.The articles seem aimed for the middle and are too simple for elite swimmers and too advanced for beginners.
If you want to sell issues how about more pictures of good looking Masters swimmers in swim suits(it worked for Sports Illustrated.)
I don't find the "new product"section very helpful as it just gives what the company says.How about product testing? I expect a company would be glad to say"our goggles were the top rated by USMS-publicity for us.)If you really want to sell how about product testing on LZR vsTracer Rise,vs Nero Comp.I bet most swimmers,coaches,and parents would be interested in that.
Former Member
Thank you Frank for digging that up!
One interesting fact one runs across in the first few posts is that the new magazine was expected to pay for itself within a three year period. It doesn't look like that has happened yet, it would be interesting to hear what factors have prevented that, and what the prospects are for achieving that goal in the future.
Since several people were big fans of the fitness swimmer magazine it would be helpful if someone could post the table of contents from a few issues so we can see what the content mix looked like.
Somewhere on these boards there is a thread that debated the merits of creating the magazine from before the decision was made. I think it would be interesting to look back at but I can't immediately find it...
Here is the thread.
forums.usms.org/showthread.php
Thank you for that thread! Goodness me!
:eek:
I was confused by how some terms were used in the thread, especially the early posts. To my knowledge, the following are accepted definitions:
Publisher: owns the content (unless specified that author retains ownership); thus, USMS as an entity is the publisher
Printer (vendor, contractor): puts ink on page at behest of publisher (a "full-service" printer may also hire proofreaders or do mailouts)
Editor: acquires or edits the content, following editorial board's direction; has general and day-to-day direction of the publication; should know the field (i.e., have participated in swimming); is usually salaried
Contract: renewed at 3 years
As reflected in the masthead of July-August 2008 issue:
"USMS Swimmer is published by United States Masters Swimming...."
"Publishing Services
Douglas Murphy Communications, Inc."
Hope this helps,
VB
To the earlier point about advertising - I see no reason it can't have had for Porsches or vodka or other adult-targeted products.
More money from sponsorship and advertising is a very good idea.
The list of sponsors has a few very well recognized brand names, but there are still many more possibilities.
www.usms.org/.../sponsors.php
I have a friend in the publishing consulting business. He says that it would be difficult for a magazine with such a low circulation (~45,000) to attract "big-name" sponsors.
Anna Lea
...And, in case you're curious, here's a list of the 100 largest U.S. magazines by circulation:
nyjobsource.com/magazines.html
The top ten:
Rank, Magazine, 2006 Circulation
1 AARP THE MAGAZINE 23,434,052
2 READER'S DIGEST 10,094,281
3 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS 7,638,912
4 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 5,071,134
5 GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 4,741,353
6 LADIES' HOME JOURNAL 4,169,444
7 TIME 4,066,545
8 WOMAN'S DAY 4,027,113
9 FAMILY CIRCLE 3,953,651
10 PEOPLE 3,750,548
I have a friend in the publishing consulting business. He says that it would be difficult for a magazine with such a low circulation (~45,000) to attract "big-name" sponsors.
Anna Lea
Yes. As well, there are few to no opportunities for synergy. And corporations try to protect and burnish the brand image through positioning advertising.
I have a friend in the publishing consulting business. He says that it would be difficult for a magazine with such a low circulation (~45,000) to attract "big-name" sponsors.
Anna Lea
Okay, I waited 24 hours before replying to this post. The assumption that only "big-name" sponsors are worth attracting, this has been hard for me to accept.
Independent entrepreneurs may see value in this venture, and that is their decision to make, especially if they are also a part of this special interest group.
Intellectual property has value.
Images have value.
Producing something of quality generates interest and that makes the advertisment worth more. Bottom line, that is a bargain for a business needing to invest in advertisment, even if their brand is "small".
Brand recognition takes investment, there's no way around that, even if you're not "big-time" yet. Look at how many young swimmers quit, because they weren't "big" winners, and twenty years later they realize, they actually did win, and that was because they swam. That is the masters message, and yes, that brand is worth the investment.
Okay, I waited 24 hours before replying to this post. The assumption that only "big-name" sponsors are worth attracting, this has been hard for me to accept.
I didn't say they were the only ones worth attracting. They were the ones mentioned by others in previous posts (Porsche, Cadillac, Swiss watches, hotels).
I was once told that the reason why Rodale Press could be so successful was because they have so many magazines that they can go to advertisers with combined numbers. However, I get a sport specific magazine that has products like Cadillac, Swiss Watches, hotels/motels and occasionally a broker or two. also each event generally has ads. I think that we would have problems if every event took out an ad. Why very large or state finals aren't promoted through paid ads confuses me.
