Ski Mags

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 19:13:12 +0100,
(The Older Gentleman) wrote:

And the top selling ski title sells about 20k copies.

The top selling bike publication (MCN) sells about 140,000 copies per
week. The top selling monthly manages about 90,000.

I think you're ignoring the fact that in the world of motorcycling
there is news to report on a weekly basis - race results, team gossip,
new bikes - genuine and (as we know) fictitious, plus road tests of
new vs. existing models, mechanical features, nostalgia, etc. etc.

And the _main_ reason MCN sells is for the bike ads - the rest is just
padding for many people.

Compare that with the possible content of a periodical ski magazine -

Race results? Most (British) recreational skiers don't have the
slightest interest in ski racing, and those that do wouldn't be
looking at reading results in a monthly publication anyway.

New models? Well, although new technologies have been emerging at an
unprecedented rate in the last ten years or so there's never the surge
of interest when Salomon or Rossignol announce their next years
offerings. Equipment tests, which used to be a greater focus of Ski
Survey (as was) have declined in popularity over recent years, so are
evidently not what the reading public wants.

So all-in-all, I'd agree, to a certain extent, with:

Conclusion - either skiers don't read ski magazines per se, or they
don't like what's offered to them. I know exactly where my money would
go.

but suggest that in fact it's the former hypothesis that's closer to
the truth than the latter.

--
Ace (bruce dot rogers at roche dot com)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

"Ace" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 19:13:12 +0100,
(The Older Gentleman) wrote:

..../...

Race results? Most (British) recreational skiers don't have the
slightest interest in ski racing, and those that do wouldn't be
looking at reading results in a monthly publication anyway.

Sad, but true. Of course, if a skier were actually to win something one
day.....

Unlike a lot of other countries though we don't invest anything like
enough in training for the future, especially in the minority sports. We
only think we're constantly winning mainly because the papers/news don't
report anything we're no good at (cricket being the exception).

Pete

"The Older Gentleman" wrote in
message
news:1g33l1u.h8hu2v1h9d0w0N%chateau.murrayNOSPAM@d sl.pipex.com...
ash wrote:

My info comes from someone VERY close to the testers!!


It's still usually ********.


Poorly financed/planned ventures in the publishing world are under
increasing pressure these days. Too many mags competing for limited
advertising revenue, with actual sales often only covering a fraction of
costs.

It's a fact that certain advertisers tend to get an easy ride. Sometimes
their influence is even more pervasive. I've seen it happen.

Pete

On Mon, 20 Oct 2003 10:31:09 +0200, "PG"
wrote:


"Ace" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 19:13:12 +0100,
(The Older Gentleman) wrote:

.../...

Race results? Most (British) recreational skiers don't have the
slightest interest in ski racing, and those that do wouldn't be
looking at reading results in a monthly publication anyway.

Sad, but true. Of course, if a skier were actually to win something one
day.....

I'm not sure it's relevant to the magazine arguement though, don't
most people in Alpine nations get race news from the newspaper and TV?

On Mon, 20 Oct 2003 11:37:50 +0200, Ian Spare
wrote:

On Mon, 20 Oct 2003 10:31:09 +0200, "PG"
wrote:


"Ace" wrote in message
. ..
On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 19:13:12 +0100,
(The Older Gentleman) wrote:

.../...

Race results? Most (British) recreational skiers don't have the
slightest interest in ski racing, and those that do wouldn't be
looking at reading results in a monthly publication anyway.

Sad, but true. Of course, if a skier were actually to win something one
day.....

I'm not sure it's relevant to the magazine arguement though, don't
most people in Alpine nations get race news from the newspaper and TV?

Well yes, which was my point really - that ski mag's would not be an
appropriate place for this, hence the comparison with MCN held even
less water.

--
Ace (bruce dot rogers at roche dot com)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

"Ian Spare" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 20 Oct 2003 10:31:09 +0200, "PG"
wrote:


"Ace" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 19:13:12 +0100,

(The Older Gentleman) wrote:

.../...

Race results? Most (British) recreational skiers don't have the
slightest interest in ski racing, and those that do wouldn't be
looking at reading results in a monthly publication anyway.

Sad, but true. Of course, if a skier were actually to win something
one
day.....

I'm not sure it's relevant to the magazine arguement though, don't
most people in Alpine nations get race news from the newspaper and TV?


Just thinking along the lines of benefits such as a higher profile for
the sport, emulation, investment from sponsors, more resources heading
UK Snowsports way, national headlines, etc ... would be bound to create
more interest in the periodicals, especially if success were maintained.
As it is we take our inability to compete for granted, and UK Snowsports
hasn't the means to support talented skiers, it's all down to the
parents in the early years, making it an elitist competition sport, one
in which only the extraordinarily talented can hope to make any
progress.

Most mags over here (France) use the big names to sell though bios,
interviews, advice etc, rather than race results.

Pete

"Ace" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 20 Oct 2003 11:37:50 +0200, Ian Spare
wrote:
Race results? Most (British) recreational skiers don't have the
slightest interest in ski racing, and those that do wouldn't be
looking at reading results in a monthly publication anyway.

Sad, but true. Of course, if a skier were actually to win something
one
day.....

I'm not sure it's relevant to the magazine arguement though, don't
most people in Alpine nations get race news from the newspaper and
TV?

Well yes, which was my point really - that ski mag's would not be an
appropriate place for this, hence the comparison with MCN held even
less water.

That said, in France unlike in the other main alpine states there is no
*national* tv channel which covers alpine ski racing, and non-specialist
newspapers - national and local - do the usual rather bland pieces, so
there's always room in the right publication for more in-depth analysis
of racing action.

Pete

Ace wrote:

So all-in-all, I'd agree, to a certain extent, with:

Conclusion - either skiers don't read ski magazines per se, or they
don't like what's offered to them. I know exactly where my money would
go.

but suggest that in fact it's the former hypothesis that's closer to
the truth than the latter.

You could be right. Motorcycling is aspirational - skiing is to an
extent, but not to such a great extent.


--
Trophy 1200 750SS CB400F GN250 ST70 YTC#3
GAGARPHOF#30 GHPOTHUF#1 IHABWTJ#1 BOTAFOT#60 ANORAK#06
BOF#30 WUSS#5 "Worse than Timo" - Official

PG wrote:

"The Older Gentleman" wrote in
message
news:1g33l1u.h8hu2v1h9d0w0N%chateau.murrayNOSPAM@d sl.pipex.com...
ash wrote:

My info comes from someone VERY close to the testers!!


It's still usually ********.


Poorly financed/planned ventures in the publishing world are under
increasing pressure these days. Too many mags competing for limited
advertising revenue, with actual sales often only covering a fraction of
costs.

It's a fact that certain advertisers tend to get an easy ride. Sometimes
their influence is even more pervasive. I've seen it happen.

An easier ride, yes, but generally not to the extent of praising their
products to the skies. The usual way is simply to give them more
editorial space.


--
Trophy 1200 750SS CB400F GN250 ST70 YTC#3
GAGARPHOF#30 GHPOTHUF#1 IHABWTJ#1 BOTAFOT#60 ANORAK#06
BOF#30 WUSS#5 "Worse than Timo" - Official