20 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

The Times Colonist is launching Capital Magazine described as a magazine about "how business works" in Victoria. I suppose it is a direct competitor to the likes of Business Examiner by Black Press and Douglas Magazine.

[bluefox]

... will it be two pages long?

[VicBooster]

Yes.

 

Once you remove the advertising.

[James Bay walker]

https://twitter.com/CapitalMagYYJ

 

jbw

[VicHockeyFan]

The Times Colonist is launching Capital Magazine described as a magazine about "how business works" in Victoria. I suppose it is a direct competitor to the likes of Business Examiner by Black Press and Douglas Magazine.

 

It is.  It's an interesting, but not uncommon approach.  Essentially, you contact a business, say you'd like to profile them with a nice article... oh, and hey, while we are doing that, how about you buy an ad to go in it too?  It's really the same way as the others work.  It's really the last way to get any local ad dollars.  Look at the TC these days, it has very, very little local ads, outside of cars and real estate (where, not coincidentally, they have large sections featuring those products).

[rjag]

Read it, wasn't impressed with it. Seemed to be a ripoff of the Currents profile that the Vic Foundation publishes. The business stuff was pretty dull.

 

Looks like a glossy advertising feature....gotta say I've never placed a magazine like this in the recycling bin as fast as this one. Boulevard and Douglas are much more interesting....

Edited by rjag, 02 April 2014 - 05:51 AM.

[Bingo]

Read it, wasn't impressed with it. Seemed to be a ripoff of the Currents profile that the Vic Foundation publishes. The business stuff was pretty dull.

 

Looks like a glossy advertising feature....gotta say I've never placed a magazine like this in the recycling bin as fast as this one. Boulevard and Douglas are much more interesting....

 

As is Focus which does some investigative reporting, and still manages to attract advertisers.

[VicHockeyFan]

 

 

Looks like a glossy advertising feature....gotta say I've never placed a magazine like this in the recycling bin as fast as this one. Boulevard and Douglas are much more interesting....

 

Yes, not even close to Douglas.  Obviously no extra resources were put into making the thing.  Absolutely poor quality.

[Hmmm]

Everything is **** (according to VibrantVictoria brains trust, anyway).

[Nparker]

Everything is **** (according to VibrantVictoria brains trust, anyway).

Do you possibly mean "brain trusts"?

[Hmmm]

No, I believe it's just one brains trust here.

[VicHockeyFan]

Everything is **** (according to VibrantVictoria brains trust, anyway).

 

We don't think that way abut everything, by any means.  But have you seen Capital?  It is pretty third-rate.

[Hmmm]

Yes, I wrote some of the articles.

[Mike K.]

Your advertising sales team was not concerned about the "brains trust" on VV when they approached us wanting to sell us advertising space in Capital

[spanky123]

It is.  It's an interesting, but not uncommon approach.  Essentially, you contact a business, say you'd like to profile them with a nice article... oh, and hey, while we are doing that, how about you buy an ad to go in it too?  It's really the same way as the others work.  It's really the last way to get any local ad dollars.  Look at the TC these days, it has very, very little local ads, outside of cars and real estate (where, not coincidentally, they have large sections featuring those products).

 

In fairness this is how many magazines work. It is also how many awards work and how many reviews work. Someone has to pay for all of the content and effort.

[Mike K.]

I would be very hesitant to say "many," but you're absolutely right, this is a well known sales generating technique.

I'd estimate that about 15% of publications are based wholly on this model or a derivative of it.

[VicHockeyFan]

In fairness this is how many magazines work. It is also how many awards work and how many reviews work. Someone has to pay for all of the content and effort.

 

Oh, I know, I said as much.  But it makes them much less interesting, except to perhaps people in the industry. Nobody is going to read Time if it only has articles on the advertisers.  That's how Business Examiner has worked, but it's an industry publication, not a "to-consumer" magazine, how Capital seems to be placing itself.

 

It also plays a bit to the vanity of the advertiser.  They like to see themselves in a magazine, just like people like to see themselves on TV.   It clouds their judgement a bit on how much that ad is worth in terms of ROI. But I'm not saying its not an effective means to extract ad dollars.  It is.

[lanforod]

^^ I estimate 85% of statistics are made up...

[VicHockeyFan]

Another issue is out today.  

[Bingo]

Another issue is out today.  

 

Not a bad read. 

Royal Roads/Hatley Castle has been one of the most popular film locations with 23 productions to it's credit.

Edited by Bingo, 25 October 2014 - 03:19 PM.