Originally posted by Maldwyn
The colour of the cover may be a minor issue when compared to the quality of the content but are the powers that be paying attention to this poll?
Paying attention? Of course.
Surprised at anything other than a vote in favour of green from TNF members? Of course not.
About to change back? No.
Whilst I we appreciate the effort of Stuart D in setting up this poll, the colour of the front cover really isn't up for debate, and I do feel that in going over the reasons why we changed I'm simply covering old ground. That said, TNF members represent core, original Motor Sport readers. Readers who used the colour of Motor Sport as a way of finding us on the bookshelf precisely because it was so familiar. As I've already said though, we need new readers to ensure that the magazine continues for another 80 years. To do this on a crowded and competitive bookstall a publisher needs to create striking covers that reach out and grab new readers. The old style cover was failing to do this - and unless you've just discovered Motor Sport you simply cannot appreciate this fact.
We never expected red to sit easily with TNF readers, but what we did hope was that the improvements we simultaneously made to the content would sit well with you. 5 months in, and with gradual development (a process that will continue over coming issues - some exciting developments in store that WILL please TNF'ers) I think we're doing that. Because we'd like you to tell us exactly what you do and don't like, we've set up a more detailed and useful survey at
www.tgmc-surveys.co.uk/motorsport.htm . We will act on the results.
As for the cover price, yes we are expensive compared to other magazines, and magazines in general do not compare well on price alone to other goods such as fuel or cigarettes. Have you, however, compared us to the cost of books? Do that on a page by page or word by word basis and you'll find that we compare really rather well. As for our price against that of other magazines, well we're a very specialist magazine without an enormous base of advertising revenue to support us (in comparison to the new car market magazines, certainly). Our cover price has, I'm afraid, to be higher to fund the magazine. Check out what those of you who subscribe are paying per issue though. You'll get a nice surprise compared to the cover price. Those of you who don't subscribe, provided that you like the content, could save a great deal of money by doing so.
Oh, and drawing comparisons to a time many, many, many years ago when we sold 192,000 copies are irritating and irrelevant. Since then a few things have changed; television has arrived, man has walked on the moon, and the whole function and appeal of the magazine is entirely different.
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