Kudos to News Magazines for the teaser postcard they sent to newsagents and other magazine retailers yesterday promoting the soon to launch MasterChef magazine. I can’t recall a publisher teasing the launch of a new title in this way. With magazine departments crowded and busy, the postcard is a good reminder of a major launch without intruding too much on our day to day business.
I am hopeful that the innovation of the postcard is an indicator of what we can expect when the title launches later this month – in terms of content and supporting collateral. This will be essential for the new food title to find its place in a crowded food segment.
Ideally, I would like to see publishers launching titles provide retailers with tools to help leverage retail sales:
- Flyers to drive putaway requests.
- Flyers to give to customers making other purcahses in-store – with room on the flyer for a business stamp.
- A one pager of research to help understand the title – target customer etc.
- Better margin (50%) for the first three issues to respect the additional time and space commitment involved in launching a title.
Mark who is going to be the supplier ? i have orders for it but now i am worried i might not be allocated any because i have not received any info on it at all
Shaun I think it’s Network. If I’m wrong I am sure someone will let me knnow.
I hope its not NDD because I am about to give them the flick and concentrate on Network and GG.
Wow can’t believe you don’t know the details of this launch.It is next week.Wouldn’t your stores have had someone speak to them?
Well it is not so smart marketing if it is to be launched next week and you don’t know about it.
I have had space booked by my merchandise for a few weeks now and it’s not network.
It’s coming from GG. It’s being published by News Magazines (which GG do the distribution for now), and my GG merchandiser asked me the other day if I’d like some merchandising materials for it (I said “give me everything you’ve got!”)
LMAO Whats a merchandiser? I have not seen one in the 8 years I have had the shop. One of the benifits of living in the country 😉
I’d hope that the merchandise materials come with the title and not later. Space allocation for displays is often done when stock arrives and not when a merchandiser visits.
I’m with you peter, what is a merchandiser. We have owned our business since 1989 and have never had anyone come in from the mag companies since early 2000. We must not be special enough. Anyway we will do the best we can as bushies.
Thanks Simon, the cloak and dagger process of elimination of who was distributing it wa giving me a headache.
We’ve been visited by “our” merchandiser twice in which she walked in the store, moved our magazines around, demanded that she have over 50% of the prime display area and then left…. its a shame the door didn’t hit her on the a@#e on the way out!! I am glad she doesn’t come to visit very often, I don’t particularily like her cause she is really not very nice.
Back on topic, the masterchef magazine looks great and hopefully we will not only get the marketing materials but also the numbers to actually make it worth while.
Thanks Simon, May the 4th be with you.
I just rang GG to make sure we were getting support material so we can start advertising. Apparently our allocation is ZERO. Despite receiving a postcard yesterday. They have told us they will see what they can do. We have had so much interest from customers, what do you do????
I have spoken with Gotch today and they are certainly adjusting supply when newsagents request this. The key is to get in now.
Hi Mark, News used the postcard idea to promote the impending release of Alpha back in the day here in Qld. I remember getting that postcard and getting all excited about this new release. Shame about the bad feelings towards Alpha that have come about since. I’m sure newsagents will be central to the success of Masterchef as they were with Alpha.