Why I cancelled Car&Driver - how pricing strategies piss off customers

Marjorie Suddard wrote: And in the end, I'd rather have the chance to make 3 people irrationally attached to the magazine; if that means I have to pass up soaking one loyalist for 3 times the price, it seems fair and right.

TBF you probably don't have many, if any outside shareholders that demand a certain year-on-year revenue growth. Not saying that soaking existing customers to meet shareholder's targets is a good strategy, it just seems to happen much more with the bigger players.

Another reason why I prefer to be a customer of a small business.

I like the original post in this thread very much and i pretty much agree with it.

Having said that, one of the things that is simultaneously hilarious and aggravating about watching forum posters lambasting the people who actually DO the job of writing about cars is that their writing and methods of persuasion wouldn't get them through 2 seconds with someone who was looking for a writer for their magazine.

It's basically like watching a bunch of people who can't walk complaining about how other people run. The funny thing about 'armchair quarterbacking' writing is that one can tell whether you are at least plausiby qualified to comment, whereas if you were commenting on an athlete's performance, one would have no idea that you were 5'6 and 370 lbs.

Marjorie Suddard wrote: In reply to mfennell: Yes, but the sales also generate more reach (like on Facebook) and get more people talking about us. And in the end, I'd rather have the chance to make 3 people irrationally attached to the magazine; if that means I have to pass up soaking one loyalist for 3 times the price, it seems fair and right.

Wait, did you just say you soaked me on this deal? :)

I get it but if you pull in 3 new readers with an expectation of $10/yr in perpetuity while creating a similar expectation in the observant loyalists, what have you gained? Maybe the buzz helps the advertising end.

Anyway, sorry to get off track into GRM's business (which is none of mine). I just wanted to rant about C&D.

Marjorie Suddard wrote: And in the end, I'd rather have the chance to make 3 people irrationally attached to the magazine; if that means I have to pass up soaking one loyalist for 3 times the price, it seems fair and right.

mfennell wrote: Wait, did you just say you soaked me on this deal? :)

No, I think she said you were irrational. To be fair, that description probably applies to quite a few of us here.

stuart in mn wrote:

Marjorie Suddard wrote: And in the end, I'd rather have the chance to make 3 people irrationally attached to the magazine; if that means I have to pass up soaking one loyalist for 3 times the price, it seems fair and right.

mfennell wrote: Wait, did you just say you soaked me on this deal? :)

No, I think she said you were irrational. To be fair, that description probably applies to quite a few of us here.

I know that few of the people I am aquainted with would characterize my behavior as rational.

What I said was, "You should pay me one meelyun dollars for each year's subscription, and then you will feel better about everything in your life."

That, and you are all fine-looking, intelligent individuals. Also smart and witty.

Margie

Marjorie Suddard wrote: What I said was, "You should pay me one meelyun dollars for each year's subscription, and then you will feel better about everything in your life." That, and you are all fine-looking, intelligent individuals. Also smart and witty. Margie

Dude, I get it. Let me make out the check

I got in on the 10 year deal a while back. It hasn't run out yet... I think I have a year or two left...

Marjorie Suddard wrote: That, and you are all fine-looking, intelligent individuals. Also smart and witty. Margie

More lies from the media. Next you'll tell my I don't need this shiny foil hat.

yamaha wrote: People still buy C&D.........I stopped nearly a decade ago. I read one recently and there was zero humor, stupid comparasins, and next to no legitimate original writing.......it was like reading something the manufacturor typed up for them.

I once counted the number of ad pages in a C&D a while back and it came out to something like 90, including at least 20 pages devoted to Weather-Tech floormats (which I love, but I don't need to see 20 pages of information about).

Point being, I'm surpirsed C&D chargest customers at all. All those ads MUST pay for damn near everything, lol....

Marjorie Suddard wrote: That, and you are all fine-looking, intelligent individuals. Also smart and witty.

You must have gotten lost. The Classic Motorsports forum is the next one down.

In reply to yamaha:

Agreed, I haven't flipped the pages of C&D in at least 10 yrs, even waiting at the dentist's office for a root canal. Same for Road & Track... Meh!

Bobzilla wrote: I quit re-upping C&D about 5 years ago. They quit sending "Your subscription is about to expire!" notices last year.

I stopped subscribing to Automobile 4 or 5 yrs ago .. they still send me invoices "demanding" that I pay up … trash can fillers …..

motomad1 wrote: In reply to yamaha: Agreed, I haven't flipped the pages of C&D in at least 10 yrs, even waiting at the dentist's office for a root canal. Same for Road & Track... Meh!

I won't even read motor trend anymore........thus far, the only publications I get are GRM and Superbike.

The latter is only for MV agusta pron......as I will end up with one of those or another widowmaker like I have already.

A couple years back, I decided to bail on my sub to Hotrod because the mag started sucking.

It got down to $20.00 for three years so I went for it.

I still feel like I overpaid.

By the way, thanks for the kind words. It helps ease the pain of those late nights.

Marjorie Suddard wrote: What I said was, "You should pay me one meelyun dollars for each year's subscription, and then you will feel better about everything in your life." That, and you are all fine-looking, intelligent individuals. Also smart and witty. Margie

So, uhhhhhhh, hey........how YOU doin'?

I have 10 year subs for GRM (to 2020) and CMS (to 2022). I wish more magazines would offer deals like that. Hemmings offers 3-year deals and a couple of my woodworking mags offer 2 year deals, but the 10 year one is a nice "pay it once and done" thing.

The best place to order a GRM/CMS subscription is in person at their booth.

^^^^ The 10 year deal is probably the smartest thing GRM/CMS does.

Only reason I don't have the 10 year deal is that in the past 2 years I have had six different addresses. I let the subscription lapse and probably won't start it again until my next place.

mtn wrote: Only reason I don't have the 10 year deal is that in the past 2 years I have had six different addresses. I let the subscription lapse and probably won't start it again until my next place.

Umm...

http://www.buc-data.com/SubFunction.aspx?f=a&pi=grm

Ian F wrote: The best place to order a GRM/CMS subscription is in person at their booth.

We do that on purpose, so we don't get lonely at events.

Margie

irish44j wrote: I once counted the number of ad pages in a C&D a while back and it came out to something like 90, including at least 20 pages devoted to Weather-Tech floormats (which I love, but I don't need to see 20 pages of information about) IN EVERY BERKING ISSUE .

FTFY. Also, C&D became way too repetitious for me after the glory days of the late '70s through mid '80s. Just as predictable as Consumer Reports , but with a different set of preconceived "conclusions".

Magazines with dedicated, enthusiastic, subscribing readership basis will survive. Magazines with broad spectrum, single issue sales, newsstand focus, non-subscribing readership will die. The days of huge mega magazines owning the media market are over. Niche media that is worth paying for will grow to meet its fan base, and possible grow some outside of that. I haven't paid for a magazine subscription in years, and I was even an editor of a magazine! Giving away subscriptions to boost circulation numbers to boost ad rates is not a winning business model. Creating good content, supporting your readership base, being in touch with the community, charging a fair cover price, and setting realistic ad rates are the model for success. Luckily Tim and company have chosen the second model.

TL:DR - Hooray GRM/CMS, boo everyone else.

Ian F wrote:

mtn wrote: Only reason I don't have the 10 year deal is that in the past 2 years I have had six different addresses. I let the subscription lapse and probably won't start it again until my next place.

Umm... http://www.buc-data.com/SubFunction.aspx?f=a&pi=grm

Trust me, I would forget.