Powerboat Reports is ceasing publication
 

Powerboat Reports, a boating equipment 'consumer reports' like publication,
has printed its last issue (May 07).

Powerboat Reports is ceasing publication
 

end.user wrote:
Powerboat Reports, a boating equipment 'consumer reports' like publication,
has printed its last issue (May 07).


Too bad. It was an important publication - the only boating publication
that I am aware of that told the truth.

After being a subscriber for many years I decided not to renew my
subscription last year.

I don't know the actual reason they've decided to close, but if it is
due to declining circulation then I would speculate that they hurt
themselves very badly with their ridiculously over zealous subscriber
renewal campaigns (probably managed not by them but by a subscription
company they hired). From the moment one renewed their subscription,
subscribers would immediately be deluged with obnoxious and endless
reminders to renew yet again. Although it was probably less frequent
than I imagine, the renewal notices were so annoying that it seemed to
me like they came weekly or even every few days. My complaints to
Powerboat Reports about this fell on deaf ears. I found the renewal
notices so obnoxious and annoying that I decided not to renew. So, I
believe, did a significant portion of their subscriber base. Funny, but
once my subscription ran out, so did the renewal notices - at the time
when they probably would have actually done some good.

Good reporting - bad marketing. Too bad.

Larry Weiss
"...Ever After!"

ps: This coming from me - famous for creating one of the most
notoriously obnoxious yet immensely successful advertising campaigns in
the history of radio and television. That's how bad the Powerboat
Reports renewal campaign was.

Powerboat Reports is ceasing publication
 

On May 3, 7:55 am, Larry Weiss wrote:
end.user wrote:
Powerboat Reports, a boating equipment 'consumer reports' like publication,
has printed its last issue (May 07).

Too bad. It was an important publication - the only boating publication
that I am aware of that told the truth.

After being a subscriber for many years I decided not to renew my
subscription last year.

I don't know the actual reason they've decided to close, but if it is
due to declining circulation then I would speculate that they hurt
themselves very badly with their ridiculously over zealous subscriber
renewal campaigns (probably managed not by them but by a subscription
company they hired). From the moment one renewed their subscription,
subscribers would immediately be deluged with obnoxious and endless
reminders to renew yet again. Although it was probably less frequent
than I imagine, the renewal notices were so annoying that it seemed to
me like they came weekly or even every few days. My complaints to
Powerboat Reports about this fell on deaf ears. I found the renewal
notices so obnoxious and annoying that I decided not to renew. So, I
believe, did a significant portion of their subscriber base. Funny, but
once my subscription ran out, so did the renewal notices - at the time
when they probably would have actually done some good.

Good reporting - bad marketing. Too bad.

Larry Weiss
"...Ever After!"

ps: This coming from me - famous for creating one of the most
notoriously obnoxious yet immensely successful advertising campaigns in
the history of radio and television. That's how bad the Powerboat
Reports renewal campaign was.

Bass Player Magazine has decided to call it quits too. too much
publication and printing costs, forcing higher subscription rates,
with fewer subscribers.

The electronic media is doing them in.

Powerboat Reports is ceasing publication
 

Tim wrote:
On May 3, 7:55 am, Larry Weiss wrote:
end.user wrote:
Powerboat Reports, a boating equipment 'consumer reports' like publication,
has printed its last issue (May 07).
Too bad. It was an important publication - the only boating publication
that I am aware of that told the truth.

After being a subscriber for many years I decided not to renew my
subscription last year.

I don't know the actual reason they've decided to close, but if it is
due to declining circulation then I would speculate that they hurt
themselves very badly with their ridiculously over zealous subscriber
renewal campaigns (probably managed not by them but by a subscription
company they hired). From the moment one renewed their subscription,
subscribers would immediately be deluged with obnoxious and endless
reminders to renew yet again. Although it was probably less frequent
than I imagine, the renewal notices were so annoying that it seemed to
me like they came weekly or even every few days. My complaints to
Powerboat Reports about this fell on deaf ears. I found the renewal
notices so obnoxious and annoying that I decided not to renew. So, I
believe, did a significant portion of their subscriber base. Funny, but
once my subscription ran out, so did the renewal notices - at the time
when they probably would have actually done some good.

Good reporting - bad marketing. Too bad.

Larry Weiss
"...Ever After!"

ps: This coming from me - famous for creating one of the most
notoriously obnoxious yet immensely successful advertising campaigns in
the history of radio and television. That's how bad the Powerboat
Reports renewal campaign was.

Bass Player Magazine has decided to call it quits too. too much
publication and printing costs, forcing higher subscription rates,
with fewer subscribers.

The electronic media is doing them in.


It's not just that. More and more of society is becoming post-literate;
it just doesn't read much at all, not just printed materials. And
interests change. I only read two fishing magazines these days,
Sal****er Sportsman and Florida Sportsman, the latter because it is
iconoclastic. I subscribe to BOATING magazine, but rarely read it. Most
of the boats it covers are the same damned cookie-cutter overdone
plastic monstrosities that do not interest me. I do look at the
occasional issues of Passagemaker, but that's usually at a bookstore at
a mall to which my wife has dragged me.

I still read the paper editions of the NYT, WashPost and WSJ daily, but
I only subscribe to one political rag magazine these days, the NATION. I
used to read a lot of political magazines.

I do read National Geo, and also its travel magazine.

I just finished reading the manual on my new table saw, and I'm now
almost ready to start removing my fingers while installing my new
kitchenette, as soon as the damned electrician finishes up.

Powerboat Reports is ceasing publication
 

On May 3, 5:55�am, Larry Weiss wrote:
end.user wrote:
Powerboat Reports, a boating equipment 'consumer reports' like publication,
has printed its last issue (May 07).

Too bad. It was an important publication - the only boating publication
that I am aware of that told the truth.

After being a subscriber for many years I decided not to renew my
subscription last year.

I don't know the actual reason they've decided to close, but if it is
due to declining circulation then I would speculate that they hurt
themselves very badly with their ridiculously over zealous subscriber
renewal campaigns (probably managed not by them but by a subscription
company they hired). *From the moment one renewed their subscription,
subscribers would immediately be deluged with obnoxious and endless
reminders to renew yet again. *Although it was probably less frequent
than I imagine, the renewal notices were so annoying that it seemed to
me like they came weekly or even every few days. *My complaints to
Powerboat Reports about this fell on deaf ears. *I found the renewal
notices so obnoxious and annoying that I decided not to renew. *So, I
believe, did a significant portion of their subscriber base. *Funny, but
once my subscription ran out, so did the renewal notices - at the time
when they probably would have actually done some good.

Good reporting - bad marketing. *Too bad.

Larry Weiss
"...Ever After!"

ps: This coming from me - famous for creating one of the most
notoriously obnoxious yet immensely successful advertising campaigns in
the history of radio and television. *That's how bad the Powerboat
Reports renewal campaign was.

Publishing a magazine is a pretty expensive proposition, and when you
don't accept advertising you have no choice except to "mine" the
subscriber base very agressively. Consumer Reports gets away with the
model because they cover such a wide range of products and hundreds of
thousands of people ( I assume) subscribe. There aren't enough boaters
out there to support a consumer magazine 100% by subscriptions, and
while the magazine had its fans (I subscribed for a couple of years)
it looks like the marketplace has spoken and Powerboat Reports was
simply unable to attract and/or renew
a sufficient number of readers.

My only complaint about the editorial content in Powerboat Reports is
that there was an obvious preference for products from the NE portion
of the country. Not that they weren't objectively tested and reviewed-
just that a disproportionate number of items either manufactured in or
especially suited for the NE seemed to be featured. Nothing
fundamentally wrong with that, but it points out another challenge in
trying to publish a "national" boating magazine.

Powerboat Reports is ceasing publication
 

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
. ..
snip...
I just finished reading the manual on my new table saw, and I'm now
almost ready to start removing my fingers while installing my new
kitchenette, as soon as the damned electrician finishes up.


Don't give in to temptation and remove that 'blade guard'

Powerboat Reports is ceasing publication
 

Don White wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
. ..
snip...
I just finished reading the manual on my new table saw, and I'm now
almost ready to start removing my fingers while installing my new
kitchenette, as soon as the damned electrician finishes up.


Don't give in to temptation and remove that 'blade guard'




Blade guard? Which piece is that?

Powerboat Reports is ceasing publication
 

On May 3, 5:59�am, Tim wrote:
On May 3, 7:55 am, Larry Weiss wrote:





end.user wrote:
Powerboat Reports, a boating equipment 'consumer reports' like publication,
has printed its last issue (May 07).

Too bad. It was an important publication - the only boating publication
that I am aware of that told the truth.

After being a subscriber for many years I decided not to renew my
subscription last year.

I don't know the actual reason they've decided to close, but if it is
due to declining circulation then I would speculate that they hurt
themselves very badly with their ridiculously over zealous subscriber
renewal campaigns (probably managed not by them but by a subscription
company they hired). *From the moment one renewed their subscription,
subscribers would immediately be deluged with obnoxious and endless
reminders to renew yet again. *Although it was probably less frequent
than I imagine, the renewal notices were so annoying that it seemed to
me like they came weekly or even every few days. *My complaints to
Powerboat Reports about this fell on deaf ears. *I found the renewal
notices so obnoxious and annoying that I decided not to renew. *So, I
believe, did a significant portion of their subscriber base. *Funny, but
once my subscription ran out, so did the renewal notices - at the time
when they probably would have actually done some good.

Good reporting - bad marketing. *Too bad.

Larry Weiss
"...Ever After!"

ps: This coming from me - famous for creating one of the most
notoriously obnoxious yet immensely successful advertising campaigns in
the history of radio and television. *That's how bad the Powerboat
Reports renewal campaign was.

Bass Player Magazine has decided to call it quits too. *too much
publication and printing costs, forcing higher subscription rates,
with fewer subscribers.

The electronic media is doing them in.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

A lot of folks assume that the internet is damaging magazines, but
that's not the case. Specialty and "enthusiast" magazines are
thriving, to the point where a lot of new titles are appearing as new
players seek to get in on some of the action.

I am intimately acquainted with a publication that has seen its page
count triple, advertising revenue quintuple, and press run increase
60% since the year 2000. In fact that particular title moved to
publishing every four weeks rather than once a month, (thereby
creating 13 issues per year rather than 12) in order to respond to
reader's demands for particular types of articles.

Among boating magazines, the "controlled circulation" (aka "free
pickup") model is working very well for regionals. In the Pacific NW
there are three leading "controlled circulation" publications, and
even these are pretty highly specialized. One claims to be a "sailing"
magazine and concentrates specifically on sailing. One claims to be a
"yachting" magazine, and concentrates on sailboat racing, transoceanic
cruising, $XXmm megayachts, etc. One claims to be a "boating"
magazine, is almost 100% powerboat oriented, and includes coverage of
local and regional events as well as boats from 16- 100 feet. I
think all three are doing pretty well. So well, that 2-3 titles from
California keep trying to find a foothold, there's a constant stream
of low-budget local startup attempts that typically stick around for
90-days to 2 years before collapsing. When lots of folks are trying to
get a slice of the pie that's a sign of a healthy industry.

Books and magazines have not been destroyed by the internet, and
probably won't be anytime soon. Maybe one of my all time favorite
encounters with a reader at one of the boat shows helps illustrate one
reason why;

I was standing at a particular publication's boat show booth one day a
few years back when two guys walked up. They were ticketholders
"doing" the show on a weekday afternoon.

One guy exclaimed "Oh, yeah! (name of publication)!" That's my
absolute favorite. I never miss an issue!"

The other fellow looked at him with some surprise. "Really? I've read
that and I think it's OK, but I really prefer that other boating
magazine; the great big one that's more of a tabloid format."

The first guy replied, "Oh yeah, I tried reading that for a while but
I finally gave up on it."

"Why did you give up on it?" asked the fan of the large-format
magazine.

"It's just physically too big. It keeps falling off the back of the
toilet."

Sort of a humbling encounter, but a lot of reading gets done at times
and in places where a computer isn't practical. A lot more people fall
asleep with a good book or a magazine than with their laptop spinning
away atop the covers.
When computers figure out a way to duplicate the "experience" and
portability of print, books and magazines will suffer.

Powerboat Reports is ceasing publication
 

On Thu, 03 May 2007 08:55:15 -0400, Larry Weiss
wrote:

ps: This coming from me - famous for creating one of the most
notoriously obnoxious yet immensely successful advertising campaigns in
the history of radio and television.

Crazy Eddie?

Powerboat Reports is ceasing publication
 

On Thu, 03 May 2007 10:28:32 -0400, Charlie Morgan
wrote:

On Thu, 03 May 2007 10:15:32 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Thu, 03 May 2007 08:55:15 -0400, Larry Weiss
wrote:

ps: This coming from me - famous for creating one of the most
notoriously obnoxious yet immensely successful advertising campaigns in
the history of radio and television.

Crazy Eddie?

Good old Eddie Antar! His legend will never die.

Well, there's one thing we can agree on. :)