Cycling Weekly in sexism row

[S-Express]

Which is not what @jefmcg is suggesting. What she is correctly saying is that CW, like any other magazine that lasts more than a few issues, has identified its core demographic and plays to it. It's how magazines work - basic marketing strategy.

So how would CW's content differ if it was targeting a different 'demographic' then?

 

[S-Express]

You really want me to give you a lesson in marketing and branding? There's [insert your favourite unit of measure for the web] pages online that explain about targeting particular demographic groups. There's a whole industry built around it.

No, I'm ok on marketing and branding. I'd just like you to answer the question with reference to CW specifically.

 

[jefmcg]

[QUOTE 4945361, member: 43827"]but I must admit that I have never noticed any pics of attractive women in it just because they are attractive women.[/QUOTE]
Of course not. But it's not hard to find attractive cyclists, and cycling kit is flattering to the female form, so it is easy enough to find an editorially valid reason to put in a picture a a good looking woman in tight clothing.

There is a reason why Maria Sharapova earned nearly as much as Serena Williams last year, despite being banned

 

[S-Express]

What changes might be made would depend on what demographic you're targeting. As someone who is "ok on marketing and branding" would understand.

Do you want to stop digging now?

I think you're doing the digging. Let me put it another way. Is CW's demographic either

A) white males or
B) consumers of cycling news & features

 

[jefmcg]

If you are driving past Salford in an Audi with navigation, look out for the 'Manchester Sh1t Canal', a genuine typing mistake by a colleague.

Audi create their own maps? Id assume it would come from Garmin or Tom Tom or Google or o/s etc

 

[S-Express]

I would suggest it's fairly clear that CWs primary demographic is white men interested in cycling - the MAMIL. Do you have anything that would suggest that isn't their core demographic?

I doesn't look like you've ever worked in publishing. Am I right? CW's objective is to publish cycling news & features. Do you have anything that would suggest that they do not publish cycling news & features?

 

[Milkfloat]

Audi create their own maps? Id assume it would come from Garmin or Tom Tom or Google or o/s etc

No they don't create their own, they buy from us, but each customer take releases at different cadences so different customers can have different maps.

 

[jefmcg]

Cycling Weekly's objective is to make money by selling magazines and advertising.

 

[S-Express]

Cycling Weekly's objective is to make money by selling magazines and advertising.

Well obviously. But in the context of the 'demographic' discussion its objective is to print cycling-related news/features.

 

[S-Express]

They target ABC1s - who are majority white in the UK.

Wrong. Their advertisers target ABC1s. That's not the same thing. Their 'marketing blurb' (is that a technical description?) is also called a 'media pack' - which helps advertisers select the right publication for their own target audience, based on audience research. The differences may be too subtle for you.

 

[Blue Hills]

Cycling Weekly's objective is to make money by selling magazines and advertising.

That sounds like an entirely reasonable pastime. What's your point?

 

[S-Express]

They will target their content to that demographic - that's how they keep that core readership for their advertisers to target.

You keep highlighting how much you don't understand about publishing. How will they target it? Get your sister to answer if you don't know...

 

[S-Express]

or you could just admit that your suggestion that @jefmcg was suggesting 'racial profiling' was bollocks?

jefmcg said the mag was 'focused at white men'. It would be difficult to focus on 'white men' specifically, without first understanding what white men specifically want to read about, that 'non-white men' don't. So obviously that would involve some racial profiling (which would probably be illegal anyway). So I'll ask you (or your sister) again - how would they do it?

 

[S-Express]

Targeting a particular demographic is not 'racial profiling'. The fact that you keep harping back to it shows that you really are scrabbling....

On the contrary, Reg - I think you're on the rocks here. You can't target any demographic without first understanding what it wants - and (crucially) what it doesn't want. How can you be certain that the content you produce is not only of interest to 'white men', but also 'white women', or 'black men'..? And if it does also appeal to those other groups, then jefmcg's statement that the magazine is 'focused at white men' is clearly fallacious.

 

[jefmcg]

That sounds like an entirely reasonable pastime. What's your point?

My point might be that we have the same people on ignore.

Just that they will do what is required to keep and gain readers and keep and gain advertisers.