Please can you give us some feedback on covers?

[aqua regia]

Originally Posted by jebernerc

I obviously hit a nerve aqua and having studied psychology and sociology myself I truly believe that to go down the route of mainstream consumer models would be lost on this publication. It is, whether we like to admit it or not, a niche magazine and the point of sale models you refer to may work fine for selling lads mags,tv guides etc in an oversaturated ultra competetive marketplace but not for content driven specialist publications. I dont believe you can try to make a fishkeeping magazine appeal to a wider audience as I stick to my guns that only people looking for it will buy it and expect it to look like an attractive, informative publication rather than a mass publication. No ammount of behavioural psychology studies will persuade someone to go for a fish mag unless they are interested in fish. I do agree with you that someone thinking of keeping fish may look for a magazine so it is important that it is instantly recognisable and appealing however I think that by making it look like other main stream publications it would lose its individual feel. Its like a good pub,,,,if you try to appeal to the masses you risk losing your regulars which is fine if you have ready access to a mass market.....I dont think this is the case with fish keeping. You cant even buy it in my local supermarket, which easily stocks over a hundred different titles. Why,,,because the demand doesnt warrant it. If it did stock it I probably wouldnt even notice it if it conformed to mass appeal models.
Keep it different and personal....dont make it conform to point of sale models as one of the appeals of fishkeeping, for me, is the fact that it isnt main stream.

P.s Ed I didnt realise you guys were involved in zoo ha, I still think it's garbage

Jabermerc, your take upon my post, is presented with cogent analysis, producing coherent logic; it is your conclusion of its application where we have a difference of opinion, my perspective entails divergent thinking.

You are right in stating that the " marketing " strategies and tactics are more applicable to mass market entities.

If we apply a different approach, using vision, imagination and creativity, in order, to produce a possible solution; for example; In Darwinism, species develop through adaption which increases the organism's ability to survive.

So why not, with the use of knowledge of the marketing template - adopt and adapt - the tried, tested and proven framework and assign them proportionally to thr PFK strategic planning.

Finally, post was a suggestion, it was not put forward by me as a solution but merely an idea for one way forward and as one famous and succesful supermarket states " Every little helps" and in this highly competitive environment of gaining shelf space; the challenge is to manage change.

Regards Aqua Regia.

[NicoC]

I don't really get involved in these debates but thought I would add by 2ps worth. I personally like the black background. As Matt said the fish stand out more than on a white one and to be honest I don't think that a white background looks very natural or appealing.

However I have to agree with veezee in that the most important thing has to be the logo. Any of the shops where I go to buy PFK (yes I do get it sent to me too but sometimes I can't wait!) stock it amongst the other animal magazines (cat monthly?!). There are usually only a few and usually all you can see is the top (as Matt said). If this is the case, it doesn't really matter what the colour of the cover is as long as the logo contrasts sufficiently.

I do think that PFK is a specialist magazine (if a very popular one), and people will only buy it if they keep fish or are thinking about keeping fish (but I think less so the latter as first port of call would probably be a book). Much as it would be nice to think it, very few people have the time or inclination to stand browsing magazines and say "oo Practical Fishkeeping looks nice, I think I'll buy that one"... in which case you just have to make sure it is in as many shops as possible and that the logo stands out as much as possible.

My personal bugbear with magazines is not being able to find them- my husband loves BBC wildlife and I can NEVER find it! So look at whatever they are doing and do the opposite...!

[felttipfelon]

I personally prefer the white cover - it's clean and clear and doens't distract from the core subject of the image but that's just my preference.

on a side note - When I went to my local newsagent to buy a magazine to supplement the book(s) I bought on my new hobby two days ago - I selected PFK (I recall it was the only choice there) I've now have read it cover to cover several times, the cover has confirmed for me that I want a simple and striking collection of fish in my new tank.

so preference aside I think once the reader has turned the page and is engaged the material speaks for itself - I for one will be buying your excellent publication again and like the many othe rmagazines I read I suspect I'll subscribe shortly afterwards!

keep up the good work!

I look forward to future issues (one with an idiot guide would be fab!)

Lee
:¬ )

[Galaxy]

Cover one is without doubt the eye catching one for me.

[Will Ingram]

I don't mean to denigrate the magazine, but it's physical distribution is limited only to very large newsagents e.g. Town centre WHSmith's , jumbo McColl's and fish shops themselves.
People not living in a large town will presumably have to go into one and get the mag, this involves driving/ the bus so if people have to make this effort they will buy the magazine regardless of it has a shoal of fish or a dead hamster on the cover.

Therefore the cover should be chosen to make the object (animal or plant) look as nice as possible regardless of the mag. features, this is why I chose black (as a fish lover).

With the recession I cannot see another fishkeeping magazine making it onto the shelves of our newsagents!

[Bob Mehen]

Originally Posted by Will Ingram

they will buy the magazine regardless of it has a shoal of fish or a dead hamster on the cover.

But they might pick up Freddy Starr Fan Weekly by mistake....

[Josst]

I don't think sticking 'new look' in a big red box in one corner helps at all, too eye catching.