Breed journals

[aj]

I know there aren't alot of real deep thinkers on this board.....just knabe.....however. How are different breed journals handled? Do associations own them? Herfords....is there one journal or are the horned and polled journals still seperate. Do these breeds have monthly journals......? Gelbvieh,simmental,longhorn,Maine Anjou, charolais,shorthorn,lowlines etc. etc.    has a breed ever had two rags competing in the same breed? Is there money to be made in breed journals.....or is it kind of necessary evil? Are subscriptions ever been included with being a member? I have tried to think back to all breed journals iv'e subscripted to in the last 20 years. Currently Red Angus and Shorthorn. Have done Charolais,Gelbvieh, Maine Anjou, simmental shield, angus, and seems like the longhorns once had a rag. Is the printed paper gone by the way side? I know the show circuit and a couple other mags like that have exploded in circulation. Is there a simangus magazine? Have any breed mags had editorials that whomped the heck out of each other......like on a th defect or something.

 

[oakview]

The Shorthorn World and Shorthorn Country competed against each other for a short period of time.  Country was originally run by the ASA, I believe, before being taken over by Don Cagwin.  In my opinion, the breed magazines should be the voice of the breeders and serve as an information and promotional center.  It is also my opinion that it would be counter productive if two magazines, both in the business to promote the breed and members, would constantly harp on each other.  Similarly, I find it counter productive for persons on this forum to put down their fellow producers.

 

[trevorgreycattleco]

Good points oakview. I'll say that if there is a buck to be made there will be a "rag". The shorthorn country is mostly a ad. Couple articles worth anything. Can't say exactly how many pages was in the July issue bit at the price per page, that issue made money. I'd subscribe to a hard hitting rag. One that researched studies and questioned tax funded university herds. Stuff like that.

 

[trevorgreycattleco]

So does Cagwin own shorthorn country solely?

 

[Doc]

So does Cagwin own shorthorn country solely?

I don't know if he owns it now or leases the rights .
Didn't Brent Langman start the Maine Anjou Voice and then the Assoc. buy it from him or something.
I know when I was trialing Aussies , if I took a full page ad out in the Aussie magazine it was a lot cheaper.

 

[justintime]

In regards to Shorthorn Country, I know that when Don Cagwin took over the magazine, it was losing serious money for the ASA. The ASA was seriously considering closing the magazine down.  I am not sure of the deal Cagwin made, but I am pretty sure he owns the magazine.
In regards to advertising rates, I think it is competitive with other breed magazines around the world. I have advertised in the British and Australian breed magazines and both were higher priced than Shorthorn Country. The British magazine was considerably higher priced but then everything over there is higher priced than here. ( I still am amazed at the huge crowds that attended the Royal Highland show when the daily gate admission was equivalent to $50 US. The largest day I heard when I was there was 120,000 through the gate).
I hear complaints that Shorthorn Country only has ads from producers of show cattle. That may be the case in many issues, but the fact still remains that they want advertising from any and all producers. I don't understand why breeders who are producing more practical cattle do not advertise their herds more. I seems to me that there are a large number of breeders looking for alternative bloodlines and they could do themselves a lot of good if other people knew what they were producing.

In regards to other breed magazines, it appears to me that there is a combination of both association owned and private owned publications. It seems to me that the privately owned magazines are the most successful as the privately owned ones have much more incentive to make a profit even if it is very small. In my own case, I publish the Canadian Shorthorn Report, and I started this magazine after the breed here in Canada,  went for a few years with no magazine. I firmly believe that any breed magazine is better than no magazine, and I made the decision to start this magazine. I was not in the mood for losing money on it so I said I would produce it until it was losing money. It has never made sizable amounts of money, but as long as it breaks even, I am happy. We are now in our 13th year and it is still being produced.

 

[r.n.reed]

I think that SC will have to go Digital and soon if they are to survive.You can get on here sometimes and get a detailed sale report within an hour of the sale or wait a month or better to find out the avg and top 4 animals in the SC as an example.I looked at the prior 4 herd reference issues a year or 2 ago,The total pages of the issues were almost the same each year but the  number of print pages continued to go down.The advertising rates may be cheaper per square inch but the cost per subscriber is high, even higher for a breeder like me who is not in the show business.
So now the ASA will be sending out newsletters via email 2x a month and offering banner advertising this will only speed up the process.
I have no grudge just facing reality  with the numbers as I see them

 

[knabe]

I think breed journals should have a history section. 

 

[oakview]

I really enjoyed the very detailed show and sale reports from the old Shorthorn World.  They published a much more complete listing of the cattle people purchased and the prices.  Likewise, the show reports were very extensive and detailed.  Over the years, the amount of show and sale results in breed magazines has decreased.  The information age and new technology has allowed us to participate in auctions around the world without being there and obtain almost to the minute information if we want it.  However, I still enjoy sitting in my recliner, with a Coke I might add, at night and read show and sale reports.  I also like to have a printed copy of sale catalogs in my hand.  Gene McDonald used to have a historical column in Shorthorn Country that I really appreciated.  Space is at a premium, I suppose, and most breed publications must keep a close eye on the bottom line.  Ads pay the bills.

 

[knabe]

one page above and beyond all the paid ads doesn't really cost that much.

if electronic, my bets would be that a history section would generate more hits than 90% of all the ads.

in fact, the association should set up the journal on-line and start collecting statistics and see what people are interested in.

if they aren't interested in commercial ads, start investigating, asking, potential customers what it would take to try stuff.  there doesn't seem to be that vibe coming from the american association.  they seem mostly influenced by cunia genetics.

 

[Doc]

I agree with Oakview that I enjoy sitting on the couch reading a printed magazine or catalog better than just looking at it on my computer. I also agree that the people that say it's just for show people should show their product to the people and see if they can't convert someone with what they advertise.

 

[r.n.reed]

I enjoy reading an actual book or magazine as well well and commend Oakview and Doc for being able to do that in a recliner and not fall asleep. ;D The generations behind us are not so inclined however and a business will need to reach them in a user friendly mode or lose them to someone who will.
I understand the put up or shut up thoughts but when you have limited advertising dollars to work with you don't advertise steak In a vegetarian magazine.
Knabe as usual you have some great ideas.

 

[Doc]

I enjoy reading an actual book or magazine as well well and commend Oakview and Doc for being able to do that in a recliner and not fall asleep. ;D The generations behind us are not so inclined however and a business will need to reach them in a user friendly mode or lose them to someone who will.
I understand the put up or shut up thoughts but when you have limited advertising dollars to work with you don't advertise steak In a vegetarian magazine.
Knabe as usual you have some great ideas.

I just wish I could read it or watch a whole show on my DVR without falling asleep. ;D
I understand what you are saying about wanting to get the most bang for your buck with your advertising. I truly do. But , by the same token if you have started to maximize your impact on your current customer base then it would be interesting , challenging and satisfying to try to convert some new people to your type of cattle I would think.

 

[firesweepranch]

The Simmental organization has two, one more commercially orientated that is free for anyone who requests; Sim Talk, and the other that is more show based, called The Register. You get the register with paid membership, and with both magazines we read from cover to cover. Good articles in each.
They can both be found here: http://www.simmental.org/site/index.php/firstpage

 

[WB]

There are two longhorn magazines, and one digital newsletter.
The Texas Longhorn Breeders Association has a magazine "The Trails" owned and run by the organization, it was a lot larger until the Texas Longhorn Marketing Alliance purchased the rights to publish "The Journal" and most of the big advertisers have moved over to it.
The International Texas Longhorn Association runs "The Drover" which was a print magazine, and is now strictly an online newsletter.

 

[aj]

thanks