When magazine publishers treat newsagents as business people they find deeper and more professional engagement. Sadly, such engagement is rare. Instead, we are treated as simple folk who respond to competitions for a great display or obey onerous rules.
A magazine publisher offering bonus revenue for above industry average sales achievement would find a significant lift in newsagent engagement. The publisher of Popular Science is using this approach – offering bonus margin for greater than 50% sell-through. This is what will encourage newsagents to act as business people and not merely as visual merchandisers.
The folks at Notebook magazine are encouraging newsagents to create a great display promoting the latest issue. One of their representatives gave us the flier (pictured) earlier this week. They have $1,200 on offer – nationally. The cash will be distributed to the newsagents with the best display. It’s not much of a deal really.
This reward has nothing to do with sales in a specific newsagency. I see it more as getting their brand in front of as many eyeballs as possible. I appreciate that the publisher will take a different view. They will say it is the kind of promotion they find works. They will say they don’t have the money to pay additional reward for specific placement or for an increase in sales – I think Coles and Woolworths will tell me something different.
I am disappointed that newsagents are told to place Notebook next to Australian Women’s Weekly without paying for this premium space. Many newsagents would need to rearrange space to achieve this and have Notebook in its usual location. Maybe if they offered a placement fee for such specific placement more would be inclined to act on the request.
I like Notebook as a product and have good success with it – even though it is not as good as it used to be. The complaints I make about their current promotion could equally apply to ten or more magazines in newsagencies today. So, this post applies to all publishers who offer the possibility of a reward for a good display and ignore the opportunity to treat us as business people.
Regulars here have every right to criticise me for succumbing to publishers and doing the displays they want. I certainly publish plenty of photos here showing this. In my defence I’d note that at my newsagencies we do displays which we believe will drive sales outcomes, not just to create a nice billboard.
I did place it above AWW because sales had decayed and I thought I’d see what happened.
Well I read about the competition HERE – missed their correspondence somehow(?) and now only have one left to do a display with! The sales were very good this issue.
It won’t be in such a position next issue, but any magazine that wants to treat me as a business partner like Popular Science will be given the opportunity. I received ten and have one left.
No one should be criticised for doing a magazine display.
We are constantly changing our displays and posters. I find it anoying that we are promoting a magazine and selling through, only to be told we have to wait 3 weeks to have our magazines supply increased. Yet we can go to woolworths and find pile on pile of magazines lying around.
I must also add that it was the first time I had the Notebook poster up in store, which was the catalyst for the sales 100% – not it’s postition.
Nelson, If you are referring to my September 10, 2008 post the two are completely different. The Trading Post was looking for suggestons from newsagents on how they would invest $1,000 to grow their business.