Chat & Social > The Bar - General Chat
LR magazines
Guy90:
--- Quote from: "davidlandy" ---I would just like to see some real in depth technical articles
including a real winch test - like some have said they just seem to list the winches and their specs. what they should do is fit them and haul stuff up hills all day and record results, times, weights, stall speeds , failures etc... then people would know how good certain makes are
--- End quote ---
Dave,
I shouldn't think any of the magazines could afford the legal bill if they did this.
Magazines and writers have been threatened by legal action in the past when unfavourable reviews have been published.
davidlandy:
how does Which? magazine get away with it then? and PC mags when then review stuff and star rate it?
it must be possible to do something!
Guy90:
--- Quote from: "davidlandy" ---how does Which? magazine get away with it then? and PC mags when then review stuff and star rate it?
it must be possible to do something!
--- End quote ---
Resources I reckon. The Consumer Association is a big concern and has the muscle to stand up to companies. Imagine if you are publishing a Land Rover magazine and one of the world's largest multi nationals sends you a nasty legal letter. You'll be wiped out.
Two examples. Some products are reviewed. A best product award is given to the most expensive product from a big player. Best buy is given to a competitor. Big player is annoyed and threatens to sue both magazine and writer. Not usurprisingly both writer and magazine are less bold next time round.
A product is used by a competitor in an off road comp. Product fails and competitor tells writer covering event. The manufacturer tells publishing company, writer and competitor it will sue unless they retract story and say they were misuing product when it failed. None of the three fancy taking on one of the worlds biggest companies and agrees.
You can see the problem.
On mags generally, i think they all cater for diffrent markets. LRE is catering for the traditional enthusiast like those in clubs which is why you see lots of articles on Series 2 fire engines etc, LRW is aiming for the Series owener who likes to tinker and do a little greenlaning. LRO is after the new owner and those with the newer vehicles or enough money to do serious quality work to their vehicles. LRM seems to cover travel and overseas stuff and I think would like to appeal to the interlectual.
I prefer LRO myself. All the clubby enthusiast stuff is dull in my view.
As for adverts, there is hardly a mag in the land that could suvive without them and I reckon all the LR mags would go if they didn't have the level f ads they do. Will be the diffrence between profit and loss. Be very difficult to survive on subs alone. All mags have two aims I think. Sell as many copies as possible and raise as much ad revenue as possible.
I must admit I don't have a problem with the ads and a good ad is likely to make me want to buy something. I would not really look at a company that didn't as it would indicate that the company might not be as stable and secure as it should and sending money would be a risky thing to do.
muddyweb:
The other thing to bear in mind is that a lot of the writers for the Land Rover magazines aren't actually employed by the magazines themselves... they are effectively self-employed... this makes the whole thing a lot more complex....
The products they review are generally sent to them by the suppliers at no cost... they have a political game to play with the suppliers as they don't want to alienate them... the relationships with companies are what gives them a lot of their article content.
Equally, the suppliers play their own game... advertising is a bargaining chip, without the advertising revenue the magazines would struggle to survive... to balance this, the magazines bargain with 'advertorial'.. those nice pieces about how great a certain product is, or a multi-page article shot in a heavily branded workshop fitting products which are always given glowing reports.
The whole thing is one of those "neccessary evils"... the magazines form an important part of the suppliers marketing activities... the relationships with the writers are important to gain coverage, and to keep the roof over the writers' heads.
That's all before you get to the actual content..... trying to come up with original and interesting content is a *really* difficult thing... think about it... what would you like to see that hasn't already been done ?
Pete:
I buy T O R for items like "Lane Watch", and have done a few of their road books as well. Some of them more than once, lanes change with the seasons.
No one make mag is going to last long without repeating itself, there just isn't enough material.
That's why forums like this are popular.
Follow the threads that you are interested in. Lanes, P&P etc. Get a different read every day.
Someone does a lane or visits a site, they usually post straight away, you aren't waiting a month or more for an opinion, you may even get some pics.
If you are going that way the following weekend, you get up to date info on conditions etc.
You want an opinion on a piece of equipment. Winch, Roll cage etc.
Ask on the forums. Chances are, some one has, bought/used/knows some one who has one.
First hand experience, with no axe to grind.
You never know. The person who has whatever it is you ask about, moight even be willing to let you see/try it before you part with the hard earned.
Just a few random thoughts on mags v forums.
Pete.
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