Advertising in magazines

[IrishMuscle84]

From what ive heard from a few people who own thier own supplement company, said it costs an arm and a leg too advertise supplements in magazines, about $15-20,000. Anyone have knowledge on this??

[body88]

It's a a lot more than that to do it annually and with the proper frequency needed for a roi. That said, it's still peanuts compared to tv and radio. Both those vehicles require six + figures in each major market that you want to hit. That said, the return on investment is many times that if you do it the right way (which 99% of advertisers fail to do). Currently, supplement print is among the worst planned/executed advertising out there. A lot of it is almost comical.

[HTexan]

It's a a lot more than that to do it annually and with the proper frequency needed for an roi. That said, it's still peanuts compared to tv and radio. Both those vehicles require six + figures in each major market that you want to hit. That said, the return on investment is many times that if you do it the right way (which 99% of advertisers fail to do). Currently, supplement print is among the worst planned/executed advertising out there. A lot of it is almost comical.

Yep yep, most Companies are going viral to save a few $$$.

[Matt C]

MUSCLEMAG/MD: $5,000 per page but you can get them cheaper.
FLEX: $10,000-$12,000 but you can get them for close to half.
Muscle and Fitness: $20,000 but you can get them for as low as $12,000.

Download FLEX Media Kit PDF (1.28 MB):

http://www.americanmediainc.com/mediakits/flex/pdf/FLEX_mediakit.pdf

[noworries]

I can get your product seen by 5 to 10 million people a month for one year for about what it costs for one full page ad in a major magazine.  magazine ads are not worth what they charge.

[Matt C]

I can get your product seen by 5 to 10 million people a month for one year for about what it costs for one full page ad in a major magazine.  magazine ads are not worth what they charge.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but this begs the question of why does MuscleTech spend half a million dollars each month on magazine advertising then?

[noworries]

I'm not disagreeing with you, but this begs the question of why does MuscleTech spend half a million dollars each month on magazine advertising then?

That is a half a million dollars each month $6 million total a year.  What is there ROI.  How much exactly are those making them.  Would they make that amount or more if they didn't spend that money.  I do product placement.  For a huge fraction of that cost I can get them on major Prime Time TV shows seen by 10+ million people a week.  BMW paid $20 million to have their Z3 introduced in a James Bond movie.  That exposure in that single led to over $300 million in worldwide sales.  Red Stripe Beer was featured on the movie "The Firm"  a relatively obscure beer.  Within 60 days after the release of the beer sales rose 60% and was bought out by another major beer company.  Ray Ban sunglasses sales rose 50% after the release of Risky Business.  If you can get your product on a major show and integrated into scenes the amount of exposure in actual working situations far outweighs any kind of short term impression you get with a magazine ad.  Magazine subscriptions are down that is why ad prices are getting less and less.  People are more apt to turn the channel during a commerical nowadays.  People tend to remember products and brands that are in their favorite TV show or film and used by their favorite star.  Plus with both media (TV and film) you have reruns, DVD sales syndication and internet usage.  So your brand is getting out there even more than can be tracked.

MuscleTech is targeted at people who have no idea about what they should be taking.  They have been brainwashed with clever marketing by MuscleTech.  MuscleTech is far from being the best but they have used gorilla marketing and blitzed the media and it has worked great for them.  I just signed a major company and immediately got their female products on a popular Prime Time comedy and also a major film starting to be filmed March 15 and also a $100 million film. I did this for less than it costs to have a booth at the Olympia and all related costs.  they will have their brand seen by 20+ million people

[Matt C]

Very interesting stuff Keith!!!

Would you say that MuscleTech is comprised of a group of scammers who do a quarter billion a year in sales?

[noworries]

Very interesting stuff Keith!!!

Would you say that MuscleTech is comprised of a group of scammers who do a quarter billion a year in sales?

EVEZRYTHING is in marketing.  They sold millions of "Pet Rocks" in the 70's.  It is ALL in the marketing.  MuscleTech came out of the gates making outrageous claims like being 3000% stronger or better or whatever on their products.  They have great graphics.  They did everything 100% perfect to market their products.  More power to them.  If people are that dumb and they can get the majority of them to buy their products then they deserve making 10 times what they make now.  Spending $6 million a year on mag ads is a drop in the bucket for them.  They need to spend their marketing dollars somewhere.  I wish I could get them signed up for product placement.  I just signed up a major equipment company too who last year spent over $10 million on advertising.  you will see them on CSI and Old Christine and also Two and a Half Men which starts up again in 3 weeks I was told today.  They may also be in the upcoming pilot Hawaii Five-0.  And, that is just in the first month

[Pecs]

well, muscletech and BSN do not seem to be slowing down. I figure they are doing alright.

[stuntmovie]

AS A SIDELINE HERE ..... Back in the day, Weider had Mike Menzer articles in one of his magazines but apparently Mike was not being paid or not being paid ENOUGH, so instead of cash, Joe offered Mike a free, full page ad in the magazine.

Mike told me this himself so it is no RUMOR or "He Said, She Said' ....

At first Mike kind of resented that he had to settle for an ad in the magazine but he accepted it reluctantly.

A few weeks after that full page ad was published, Mike went to check out his PO Box in Santa Monica (might have been Venice) expecting to get a couple of orders as a result of that full page ad, but instead of three letters, he found a note from the PostMaster asking him to report to the front desk.

Mike was a bit concerned thinking that something was wrong but when he handed that "note" to the post office clerk, he was asked to wait while that clerk went into the back.

Upon his return he was carrying a sack the size of a large shopping bag full of mail addressed to Mike.

Mike was very surprised and started to leave but the clerk said, "Wait! You got more."

And a couple of more clerks came out of the back carrying more bags full of mail.

It took Mike a good while to fill those orders. For one thing he had to get more of those little training pamphlets printed and put together and placed in the mail.

He made more money off that full page ad than Weider would have ever been willing to pay him.

Any GetBigger ever place an order with Mike as a result of seeing that full page ad? I have no idea what year that was.

[stuntmovie]

Keith, tell these GetBiggers about the ad placed on the side of Stallone's truck!

[mwbbuilder]

AS A SIDELINE HERE ..... Back in the day, Weider had Mike Menzer articles in one of his magazines but apparently Mike was not being paid or not being paid ENOUGH, so instead of cash, Joe offered Mike a free, full page ad in the magazine.

Mike told me this himself so it is no RUMOR or "He Said, She Said' ....

At first Mike kind of resented that he had to settle for an ad in the magazine but he accepted it reluctantly.

A few weeks after that full page ad was published, Mike went to check out his PO Box in Santa Monica (might have been Venice) expecting to get a couple of orders as a result of that full page ad, but instead of three letters, he found a note from the PostMaster asking him to report to the front desk.

Mike was a bit concerned thinking that something was wrong but when he handed that "note" to the post office clerk, he was asked to wait while that clerk went into the back.

Upon his return he was carrying a sack the size of a large shopping bag full of mail addressed to Mike.

Mike was very surprised and started to leave but the clerk said, "Wait! You got more."

And a couple of more clerks came out of the back carrying more bags full of mail.

It took Mike a good while to fill those orders. For one thing he had to get more of those little training pamphlets printed and put together and placed in the mail.

He made more money off that full page ad than Weider would have ever been willing to pay him.

Any GetBigger ever place an order with Mike as a result of seeing that full page ad? I have no idea what year that was.

I believe it.

I was told by a very good source in Venice that Mentzer was making $600,000.00 a year. That was in the early 90s.

[Voice of Doom]

nuff said,

[mwbbuilder]

nuff said,

If Bill Hicks marketed himself better, I might have heard of him before.

[BB]

I believe it.

I was told by a very good source in Venice that Mentzer was making $600,000.00 a year. That was in the early 90s.

I believe it too. It was always said that Mentzer became a millionaire because of the first Heavy Duty and those Weider ads, circa 82ish.

Dan Duchaine also mentioned doing quite well trading Weider articles for ad space.

[just_a_pilgrim]

From what ive heard from a few people who own thier own supplement company, said it costs an arm and a leg too advertise supplements in magazines, about $15-20,000. Anyone have knowledge on this??

Unrelated but are you the same guy that was on bodybuilding.com with the thread where you were with one sister and left to be with the other? Great thread shame it was deleted.

[body88]

That is a half a million dollars each month $6 million total a year.  What is there ROI.  How much exactly are those making them.  Would they make that amount or more if they didn't spend that money.  I do product placement.  For a huge fraction of that cost I can get them on major Prime Time TV shows seen by 10+ million people a week.  BMW paid $20 million to have their Z3 introduced in a James Bond movie.  That exposure in that single led to over $300 million in worldwide sales.  Red Stripe Beer was featured on the movie "The Firm"  a relatively obscure beer.  Within 60 days after the release of the beer sales rose 60% and was bought out by another major beer company.  Ray Ban sunglasses sales rose 50% after the release of Risky Business.  If you can get your product on a major show and integrated into scenes the amount of exposure in actual working situations far outweighs any kind of short term impression you get with a magazine ad.  Magazine subscriptions are down that is why ad prices are getting less and less.  People are more apt to turn the channel during a commerical nowadays.  People tend to remember products and brands that are in their favorite TV show or film and used by their favorite star.  Plus with both media (TV and film) you have reruns, DVD sales syndication and internet usage.  So your brand is getting out there even more than can be tracked.

MuscleTech is targeted at people who have no idea about what they should be taking.  They have been brainwashed with clever marketing by MuscleTech.  MuscleTech is far from being the best but they have used gorilla marketing and blitzed the media and it has worked great for them.  I just signed a major company and immediately got their female products on a popular Prime Time comedy and also a major film starting to be filmed March 15 and also a $100 million film. I did this for less than it costs to have a booth at the Olympia and all related costs.  they will have their brand seen by 20+ million people

Can you verify your claims about BMW generating 300 million ONLY from their movie placement? TV and radio is their bread and butter, and as a whole, dominate the market in regards to advertisers expenditures. Both are far more effective than product placement. Thats backed up by decades of Nielson and Arbitron data. Bottom line, if done right TV is by far the most popular and best way to advertise products.

I'm not saying that what you offer is not effective...it is, but youre embellishing heavily on how effective it really is. Any advertiser worth his/her salt know that frequency and staying top of mind sells products. Give me frequency all day every day.

What you offer is a new way to reach the consumer as part of a media mixed based on more proven methods of advertising. Perhaps it would be very effective for products that are already branded with comsumers (coke - bmw), but not for new products that need to tell their story and stay top of mind with consumers.

[noworries]

Can you verify your claims about BMW generating 300 million ONLY from their movie placement? TV and radio is their bread and butter, and as a whole, dominate the market in regards to advertisers expenditures. Both are far more effective than product placement. Thats backed up by decades of Nielson and Arbitron data. Bottom line, if done right TV is by far the most popular and best way to advertise products.

I'm not saying that what you offer is not effective...it is, but youre embellishing heavily on how effective it really is. Any advertiser worth his/her salt know that frequency and staying top of mind sells products. Give me frequency all day every day.

What you offer is a new way to reach the consumer as part of a media mixed based on more proven methods of advertising. Perhaps it would be very effective for products that are already branded with comsumers (coke - bmw), but not for new products that need to tell their story and stay top of mind with consumers.

Actually product placement has been around as far back as when you first see a brand name in a movie in the 1950's.  A huge PP story was when M&M's was offered to sponsor the film ET and turned it down.  Reece's Piece's jump at the chance and it propelled that product into super stardom with an 65% increase in sales within 60 days of the release of the film.   Same with Ray Ban Sunglasses after RIsky Business and Ray Ban Aviator glassess after Top Gun.  In the product placement industry publications is where you find this info.  Coca-Cola spends more money in PP than any other company.  If you seen the movie Over the Top you will see one of the widely used films that took advantage of PP and raised close to $40 million.  Brut paid $5 million to have them on the side of the truck as it drove down the road at the end of the movie.  The minimum buy in for that film was $160,000.00

The reason companies use PP is to keep their brand visible to the consumers in realistic situations that are shown to a captive audience.  PP works great in film because you have an audience that is seating in their seats and are not leaving until the film is done.  No commercials!  From research they say brand awareness increase as much as 20% from a single PP in the right TV show or film.  How many of you heard or seen a Mini Cooper till the ads and film came out called The Italian Job.

Have you ever heard of Red Strip Beer.  Before the movie "The Firm" probably not. Within a month of the film's release, sales of the Jamaican beer had increased by more than 50% in the U.S., and Guinness Brewing Worldwide acquired a majority stake in the brewery just a few weeks later for $62 million.

A 30 second commerical on Two and A Half Men cost as much as $500,000.  3 years ago it was almost $300,000.  I own a coffee company.  We placed our coffee on Two and a Half Men.  You can clearly see our bag and label in the background at the coffee shop.  We didn't get enough notice or we would have had a great poster in their too.  Total time on the screen for our coffee bag was about 20 seconds.  We actually had 6 bags on the top shelf behind Charlie.  We are also going to be on Hawaii Five-0 and many other shows.  This will get our brand name out there.  it will show our distributors our support with marketing and promotional assistance.

In regards to the BMW PP.  It was 1995 in the James Bond film GoldenEye with the Z3.  It was judged the most successful promotion of 1995.  This is a quote from BusinessWeek-- "Purists could stomach the discrete promotion of James Bond's hot cars over the years, from Aston Martins to the new Z-3 Goldeneye (1995), which helped BMW turn the roadster's launch into one of the most successful new-car introductions ever."  I don't think I said the PP was the ONLY reason it sold that much.  But, the TV ads and magazine ads used depicted scenes or shots from the movie.  So that too can count as product placement.

Radio sucks.  I never believed in it and nowadays how many people actually listen to the radio.  The Arbitron for radio is bogus.  People are listening to CD's, and MP3 nowadays.  There is no form of advertising out there nowadays that can compare in media impressions and exposure and value as PP.  That's why nearly every major company takes advantage of it.  

Man I just realized how long this is.  But I was doing something else too.  Sorry

[Ron]

It is what supplement companies want - a targeted audience.  Putting a commercial on mainstream tv for 30 seconds sometimes doesnt do anything, and you spends 10-30 times what you would spend in a magazine ad that is in a targeted audience for a month. 

People look at ads in magazines - they skim over them, and if they look good, they actually look at it.  On television, you rarely remember what ad is what, unless it is a big event, like the Superbowl, where they make it the SuperAd and new commercials of the year.

I know that various magazine ads work - depending on where you put them, what type of product it is, and what your target audience is.   Like various expos booths and certain marketing ideas.  Some work, some dont.

[Ex Coelis]

If Bill Hicks marketed himself better, I might have heard of him before.

LOL!

[noworries]

It is what supplement companies want - a targeted audience.  Putting a commercial on mainstream tv for 30 seconds sometimes doesnt do anything, and you spends 10-30 times what you would spend in a magazine ad that is in a targeted audience for a month. 

People look at ads in magazines - they skim over them, and if they look good, they actually look at it.  On television, you rarely remember what ad is what, unless it is a big event, like the Superbowl, where they make it the SuperAd and new commercials of the year.

I know that various magazine ads work - depending on where you put them, what type of product it is, and what your target audience is.   Like various expos booths and certain marketing ideas.  Some work, some dont.

No doubt mag ads work.  But what I am saying is PP is fast becoming the way for companies to receive "more bang for the buck" in advertising.  It is a fact and has been proven that people tend to remember products and brands when placed in a real-life situations and integrated into something they are viewing and enjoying.  PP is supposed to be subtle so not to look like an ad.  But, when a major star picks up a can of coke and takes a drink out of it people remember that.  But, magazine ads are losing momentum just like TV ads.  That is why the prices are going down and mags are willing to wheel and deal.  People are using the internet and turning channels nowadays.  PP is getting a huge amount of usage in video games.  It is a whole other business. 

[Hellenic]

Met-Rx started with supplement product placement if I remember correctly in seasons 1/2 of the sitcom Friends back in '94/95.
They also had good PP in the movie "Any Given Sunday" with Al Pacino and Jamie Foxx.

[body88]

Actually product placement has been around as far back as when you first see a brand name in a movie in the 1950's.  A huge PP story was when M&M's was offered to sponsor the film ET and turned it down.  Reece's Piece's jump at the chance and it propelled that product into super stardom with an 65% increase in sales within 60 days of the release of the film.   Same with Ray Ban Sunglasses after RIsky Business and Ray Ban Aviator glassess after Top Gun.  In the product placement industry publications is where you find this info.  Coca-Cola spends more money in PP than any other company.  If you seen the movie Over the Top you will see one of the widely used films that took advantage of PP and raised close to $40 million.  Brut paid $5 million to have them on the side of the truck as it drove down the road at the end of the movie.  The minimum buy in for that film was $160,000.00

The reason companies use PP is to keep their brand visible to the consumers in realistic situations that are shown to a captive audience.  PP works great in film because you have an audience that is seating in their seats and are not leaving until the film is done.  No commercials!  From research they say brand awareness increase as much as 20% from a single PP in the right TV show or film.  How many of you heard or seen a Mini Cooper till the ads and film came out called The Italian Job.

Have you ever heard of Red Strip Beer.  Before the movie "The Firm" probably not. Within a month of the film's release, sales of the Jamaican beer had increased by more than 50% in the U.S., and Guinness Brewing Worldwide acquired a majority stake in the brewery just a few weeks later for $62 million.

A 30 second commerical on Two and A Half Men cost as much as $500,000.  3 years ago it was almost $300,000.  I own a coffee company.  We placed our coffee on Two and a Half Men.  You can clearly see our bag and label in the background at the coffee shop.  We didn't get enough notice or we would have had a great poster in their too.  Total time on the screen for our coffee bag was about 20 seconds.  We actually had 6 bags on the top shelf behind Charlie.  We are also going to be on Hawaii Five-0 and many other shows.  This will get our brand name out there.  it will show our distributors our support with marketing and promotional assistance.

In regards to the BMW PP.  It was 1995 in the James Bond film GoldenEye with the Z3.  It was judged the most successful promotion of 1995.  This is a quote from BusinessWeek-- "Purists could stomach the discrete promotion of James Bond's hot cars over the years, from Aston Martins to the new Z-3 Goldeneye (1995), which helped BMW turn the roadster's launch into one of the most successful new-car introductions ever."  I don't think I said the PP was the ONLY reason it sold that much.  But, the TV ads and magazine ads used depicted scenes or shots from the movie.  So that too can count as product placement.

Radio sucks.  I never believed in it and nowadays how many people actually listen to the radio.  The Arbitron for radio is bogus.  People are listening to CD's, and MP3 nowadays.  There is no form of advertising out there nowadays that can compare in media impressions and exposure and value as PP.  That's why nearly every major company takes advantage of it.  

Man I just realized how long this is.  But I was doing something else too.  Sorry

First off, TV and radio are FAR more effective than product placement and used much more by advertisers annually. That is a FACT. Second, saying Arbitron is bogus (a ratings currency that almost every major US advertiser subscribes to and buys off of tells me one of two things), you're uneducated in regards to advertising or you're full of shit. Arbitron has been around forever and 100 times the amount of major advertisers and companies buy and subscribe to it than you see investing in pp. Arbitron is bogus. HA!? Tell that to EVERY major ad agency in the US + abroad.

In regards to BMW, you must have missed the hundreds of millions they have sunk into radio and TV advertising over the last two decades.

Advertsing 101 = frequency leads to sales and staying top of mind during all stages of the buying cycle.

I know most of what you typed is bullshit, because I own an agency, and I've done pp placement for clients before. It works for brands that are established in the consumers minds, or as part of a media mix. Anyone who knows anything about media knows that you don't sink your cash into one vehicle anyway.

Ps: There is a difference between simple pp and featuring products in movies for huge stretches of the film such as the mini coopers in the Italian job. Btw, your typical mini cooper consumer is not the person who went to see that film. Also, why has Mini spent far more on TV and  Radio since the Italian job if PP was the end all be all?

[body88]

It is what supplement companies want - a targeted audience.  Putting a commercial on mainstream tv for 30 seconds sometimes doesnt do anything, and you spends 10-30 times what you would spend in a magazine ad that is in a targeted audience for a month.  

People look at ads in magazines - they skim over them, and if they look good, they actually look at it.  On television, you rarely remember what ad is what, unless it is a big event, like the Superbowl, where they make it the SuperAd and new commercials of the year.

I know that various magazine ads work - depending on where you put them, what type of product it is, and what your target audience is.   Like various expos booths and certain marketing ideas.  Some work, some dont.

This whole post is way off base. You don't just put a tv commerical on for 30 seconds. Met Rx and EAS have been doing TV for awhile and their profits reflect that. Most supp companies don't do TV because they are niche or don't have the ability to buy it correctly. Advertising works on frequency...that's why some work and some don't.