on 11/12/01 8:21 PM, David Freiburger at FreiburD@PRIMEDIAcmmg.com wrote:
David,
It's "your" magazine now but most of us have been reading it for a very long
time. For us it has been "ours."
Land speed racing is "our" passion. Hot Rod ignored it for a long time
after once getting many of us hooked on the sport.
Keep up good basic coverage again and the "whining" goes away.
Wes Potter
> OK, I've tried to ignore this string, but I'm getting too annoyed. Here goes.
> It's long, so delete now and save the boredom if you don't care.
>
> - Hot Rod magazine remains "at the top of the heap for its demographic target
> group." Circulation-wise, it is over twice the size of the next biggest
> performance-car magazine, which is Car Craft.
>
> - True, Hot Rod's size has diminished steadily over the last 15 years. Why?
> Because 15 years ago there were roughly 20 automotive titles. Now there are
> over 200. During the glory days of Hot Rod that many of you remember, it was
> just one of 4 or 5 titles and there was no TV or internet coverage of similar
> material.
>
> - There is increasing focus on the "kids" and the "import crowd." While this
> segment has certainly affected the mainstream performance magazines--and while
> the aftermarket is aggressively jumping on the import bandwagon--you need to
> recognize that it is still a micro-niche. Put all three of the big
> import-tuner magazines together and the circulation is still less than that of
> Car Craft alone. Remember that Sport Truck magazine and the sport truck
> movement was all the rage 10 years ago, with similar hype that the import
> crowd has now. Predictably, its popularity followed a bell-shaped curve that
> the import scene will likely follow.
>
> - The best thing magazine marketers have behind them is that readers consider
> the titles "theirs." Look at the title of this thread: "Our car magazine
> industry." That means we have passionate consumers. It also means that those
> zealots throw darts at major companies that do things like kill Drag Racing
> USA magazine. That magazine had a circulation of about 19,000 total, making it
> tiny and unprofitable (just like every drag racing magazine since the mid
> '80s). Those of you who thought it was totally unfair for the company to kill
> it should have talked everyone you know into buying it.
>
> - Strictly for the bucks? Of course. How many of you would continue to run a
> businesses or manufacture a product at a loss? When people don't buy a
> product, that product goes away. Witness the Camaro.
>
> - I've found that readers in the automotive performance segment really enjoy
> bashing the magazines and often do it from an extremely narrow, personal point
> of view. They also buy into the "ivory tower" theory of how our business is
> run. They panic rampantly over baseless internet gossip, and frequently take
> at face value the supposed inside information from people who are far removed
> from the know. Seemingly, the greatest celebrity is to be had by associating
> yourself with the magazine business just closely enough to be considered an
> authority when criticizing it.
> Further, it's the special-interest groups who moan the loudest that a magazine
> does not cover their affinity subject, then complains the most bitterly when
> that subject is not covered up to their standards.
>
> Finally, in support of those who feel the magazines have slipped lately, let
> me offer this: I agree that many magazines produced these days are pure
> schlock. Since I spend about 100 hours a week trying to avoid that, I also
> know how difficult it is produce those magazines in a world of ever-decreasing
> budgets and resources. I also worry about the monopoly that the car-mag
> industry has become, but you should know that the former Petersen titles are
> largely unaffected by the recent merger. No one has messed with Hot Rod at all
> (except me). The magazines are definitely more advertiser-driven than they
> were 20 years ago, but remember that Robert Petersen started this company to
> sell ads, not to be a great guy. Nothing's changed, yet the climate of America
> is more corporate than ever. Complain about that as loudly as you want. Have
> you ever griped to Universal Studios because there's too much product
> placement in a movie? Do you watch the commercials on rented videos? Did you
> turn off the Superbowl because it was sponsored? Ever skip an Aerosmith
> concert because they're backed by Dodge? Or Pepsi and Brittany Spears? Do you
> stop riding the bus because there's an ad on the side? Have you stopped using
> the internet because of pop-up ads? Advertising is an American problem.
>
> Finally, remember that the vast majority of us on the editorial side are just
> regular car guys doing their best to provide fun, good information under
> brutal deadlines. I've barely scratched the surface of the improvement that I
> feel is needed at this magazine, but when you write a generic "Hot Rod sucks"
> letter, you're hitting us where we live. I want every piece of constructive
> input you can give me. But skip the speculative, whiny blather.
>
> David Freiburger
> Editor In Chief
> Hot Rod Magazine
>
>
>
>>>> wspotter <wester6935@home.com> 11/12/01 8:08:05 PM >>>
> Yeah, Saturday Evening Post, Life, Look, Readers Digest, even Esquire ...
> used to be the top of the heap for their demographic target group just like
> Hot Rod. Today ... competition either drove them under or to drastic
> changes. The quick, gossip, flash stuff showing lots of skin on both sexes
> is what moves today. Guess that's why we are on the internet.
>
> Wes
>
> on 11/12/01 10:43 AM, Nt788@aol.com at Nt788@aol.com wrote:
>
>> When I was a kid in 1940 walking to school, a Model T speedster would often
>> pass by. My reaction to this old guy and his Mom was something like, what a
>> stupid old guy driving that worthless antique! I would guess that's what the
>> "kids" now say about me in my roadster! Simple math tells me who's buying the
>> most magazines now! I'll bet the mag. bean counters also know! Times they are
>> a changing! Jack
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