It’s been an interesting year. Here is my somewhat random selection of highlights:
Magazine launch of the year – Prevention. Brilliant marketing, excellent demand and good on-going sales.
Best magazine promotion – Hair straightener with Dolly. Excellent traffic generator. Great sales. My only concern is what for 2010 and the gifts which come with Dolly? Will the market tire of the strategy?
Magazine of the Year – Better Homes and Gardens. Nails it every month. Excellent cross-promotion with TV. Easy sales.
Best magazine refresh of the year – Australian Women’s Weekly. Much improved – and not before time.
Best imported magazine – People’s Friend. A selfish choice based solely on my experience. Ranks in top 10 magazines every week. Excellent traffic generator. Loyal customers – I love ’em.
Worst newspaper moment of the year – not a moment as such but a worsening frustration: Fairfax and their increased use of ads stuck over editorial content on the front page of the newspaper.
Best newspaper promotion – Discovery Channel DVD series with the Herald Sun. Great traffic generator. Well managed in terms of supply.
Best greeting card launch of the year. Hallmark sound cards. Genuine innovation. Excellent sell through (2 times in three months in some stores). Customers love them. They bring theatre to our stores.
Wake up call of the year – new contracts from News Limited and how the company is handling them. Their introduction will change newsagents forever.
Biggest frustration of the year – the continued poor performance of the magazine supply model. Magazine distributors push stock on newsagents offering barely lip service to newsagent requests / demands yet pursue newsagents aggressively for payment – often for stock which will never sell.
Best feeling of hope moment – contact from a range of independent magazine publishers who share newsagent frustration with the sick magazine distribution model.
2009 has been a good year, not as bad as we expected and plenty of green shoots in the last quarter of the year and a good Christmas trading season.
Feel free to add your own awards.
i would like to give the award to vogue living for giving nice promo.
BEST MAGAZINE DISTIBUTOR ……..BLANK
Worst Contributer to Newsagent discussions : Anon.
At the risk of feeding the troll…….yep!
best newsagency software- TOWER SYSTEMS
best technical support- TOWER SYSTEMS
Happy new year everyone at tower systems
Most spelling mistakes – Shaun
The funniest comment today – Michael
best card + wrap company = phill taylor graphics
Worst paper moment… The age and these stupid christmas bumper editons… they still havn’t learnt from last year!!
Most thumbed but not purchased magazine of the year – Playboy with Marge Simpson on the cover.
Hi Mark,
Interesting insights!
Noticed you liked Prevention so much. Does the small format work well, or is it more the promotion and sales that makes it your winner?
thanks!
Bec
Bec, Promotion and sales are the key. A brilliant launch effort.