FAO MikeH and the guys Subscription.

  • Thread starter Thread starter thecraw
  • Start date Start date
T

thecraw

Guest
Guys this is just a thought or a suggestion and I welcome your views/opinion.

My subscription with a rival magazine has just ran out and I am looking to re-new as I like my monthly magazine. I buy GM fairly regularly for an additional read for train journeys etc and keep it in my bag, buy a cuppa and settle down.

Anyway I also happen to like GW and I notice that they are doing a dozen Srixon Z-STAR balls when you take out a subscription, and to be honest that is a huge incentive to me as I already use these balls. They are also a top quality ball and are certainly swaying me towards GW.

When you guys are marketing/advertising your yearly subscription, its worth considering something like this as an incentive as I'm sure the offer a a dozen top quality premium balls will make a difference.

Srixon Z-STAR or Tit nxt or AD333, I know what I will plump for every time.

I am not meaning this as criticism, just a point of view which I think will make a difference.

Your thoughts?

Thecraw!!!!!!!!!
 
I can see the argument about offering incentives to subscribe and to be fair I think the majority of magazines these do offer something as a sweetener. However I can see that there would be significant revenue implications to then start offering a similar deal on renewal subscriptions especially for a magazine as popular as GM or even GW.
 
Afternoon all,

In Mike's absence (he's out of the office today) I'll try and give you a view from GM on our subs offer. At the moment we are offering a dozen Srixon AD333 balls with a subscription for £39.99. This equates to £24.99 worth of balls for free.

The subscriptions offers we put together change all the time (a manufacturer can come to us with a new product that they are looking to push at any time). With regards to our offering, it was decided that Golf Monthly readers would get great value from the top 2 piece ball on the market, perhaps more so than a ball that's aimed specifically at lower handicappers.

It's not my place to comment on Golf World but I will say that we are confident that we are putting out the best golf magazine on the market. Our tips, equipment reviews, travel pieces, features etc are all designed to help you get more enjoyment from the game. Hopefully this shines through and is an important part of the decision-making process when it comes to subscriptions.

I do appreciate the original post and I hope this explains our position.

Thanks,
 
Afternoon all,

In Mike's absence (he's out of the office today) I'll try and give you a view from GM on our subs offer. At the moment we are offering a dozen Srixon AD333 balls with a subscription for £39.99. This equates to £24.99 worth of balls for free.

The subscriptions offers we put together change all the time (a manufacturer can come to us with a new product that they are looking to push at any time). With regards to our offering, it was decided that Golf Monthly readers would get great value from the top 2 piece ball on the market, perhaps more so than a ball that's aimed specifically at lower handicappers.

It's not my place to comment on Golf World but I will say that we are confident that we are putting out the best golf magazine on the market. Our tips, equipment reviews, travel pieces, features etc are all designed to help you get more enjoyment from the game. Hopefully this shines through and is an important part of the decision-making process when it comes to subscriptions.

I do appreciate the original post and I hope this explains our position.

Thanks,
Click to expand...
You are putting the best Golf Mag in the market place but..
When will my balls arrive having just recently subscribed? its no good having offers if you dont honour them ;), regardless of how hard business may or may not be at the time.
 
I agree Hapless, I renewed mine on Sunday last, I will do without the free ball's.
I think GM is the best, so why should we need gimicks to try and sell it to us. If someone needs to get something free then their not worth having.
 
I can't understand how you can base your choice of subscription on the quality of the free gift...

For me it was simple, I found that playin golf once, sometimes twice week wasn't enough I wanted more so I decided to read golfing magazines. I spent a few months buying all available until I realised that i didn't really need to, so I subscribed to the one I thought offered the most enjoyable, readable and useful content. The free gift is purely a bonus.

Oh and thats obviously GM .
 
I can't understand how you can base your choice of subscription on the quality of the free gift...

For me it was simple, I found that playin golf once, sometimes twice week wasn't enough I wanted more so I decided to read golfing magazines. I spent a few months buying all available until I realised that i didn't really need to, so I subscribed to the one I thought offered the most enjoyable, readable and useful content. The free gift is purely a bonus.

Oh and thats obviously GM .
Click to expand...


Ehhh?????

Where have I said that I chose what I read because of what I get for free???

I will call a spade a spade and will quite happily admit that I enjoy Golf World, its a dam fine magazine, I'm not saying its any better than Golf Monthly or any worse. I also wont slag off or run down another publication because I'm on Gm's forum. As stated I also buy Golf Monthly as well when it takes my fancy or I see an article I like or want to read, just like I do with GW.

I subscribe to Bunkered which is a Scottish based golf magazine. Its not to everyones taste but its has steadily improved over the years and I find it interesting.

My subscription with them has ended and I may just treat myself to another year or switch altogether. I have no preference to GM or GW so a dozen Z-STARS will sway me more than a dozen AD333's. Whats hard to understand about that??

Maybe my honesty about what I enjoy reading is too much for some on this forum to take.
 
If you subcribe you get a dozen ad333s, if you renew you get nowt.
Click to expand...

Anyone in marketing that reads this and doesn't get worried should be shot.

If the mag needs an incentive to get a new punter, then the existing customer should be worth at least the same, if not more of a reward for making the same choice TWICE.

On the other hand, if the mag is so good it doesn't need the incentive to keep customers, then the marketing team are wasting company money throwing it where it isn't necessary in the first place.

Buying something and getting a free gift as a one off is the lazyest form of marketing possible. Necessary, maybe, but lazy.

Free gifts on the cover, to incentivise the initial purchase, of course. A free gift with a subscription with a huge perceived value is ok, but if we're saying a £40 subscription and £25 worth of balls. In effect we're only paying £15 for the subscription. Well if that's all the mag is worth, why the heck would we want to pay £40 next year for something that's obviously not even worth half that ?

Better to keep the subscription as cheap as possible and give away a freebie with a lesser perceived value. Then you can reward word of mouth recommendation from your existing customers, keep them happy, and look to a long term, growing readership.

( I hate marketing people btw - they only look at short term gain, relying on people's lethargy to not cancel the old DD as being the only thing that keeps them in a job. )

PS this is not a criticism aimed at GM, but at marketing people worldwide. They get paid over inflated wages for making suggestions that the tea boy could make. Those wages would be better off saved, reducing the overheads, and making the product cheaper - immediately more attractive for a new customer to buy it.

I would say rant over, but tbh it won't take much to get me really started on this :o
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

balaclava
Balls (Lake, Refurbs or Foundlings)
Replies
12
Views
1K
Deleted member 29109
D
dazlight
Golf shoes / Bad Toes
Replies
14
Views
763
need_my_wedge
need_my_wedge
bradleywedge
Driving ranges, has the clientele shifted?
2 3
Replies
41
Views
2K
Red devil
R
Orikoru
I Am Terrible In The Wind And I'm Sick Of It
4 5 6
Replies
111
Views
3K
Orikoru
Orikoru
Slab
The Flop Shot
3 4 5
Replies
84
Views
7K
Golfnut1957
Golfnut1957
Top