Where would you like to see the magazine?

[TGUKGLM]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum, so sorry if I make some hideous mistake.

I work for the BBC doing its international magazines - basically, Top Gear around the world in magazine form.

We've got 12 editions so far but we're always looking for new territories. This is your chance to let me know where we should go next. Basically, I'm looking for an idea of how popular TG is in your country.

Thanks!

James

[bone]

you would get a lot more abonnees if you included all the extras.

lots of people wanted to get a subscription when the cool wall magnets were given with the magazine, or the "i am the stig" shirt when signing up, but you only get those in the UK

[SL65]

TGUKGLM - Good to see you guys are open to suggest (I'll assume you really are the BBC). Check these threads out here:

http://forum.finalgear.com/viewtopic.php?t=9622
http://forum.finalgear.com/viewtopic.php?t=7389

Mind the bad-language

[TGUKGLM]

Good point, and a subject that causes us a lot of debate. We don't send out the gifts with overseas subscriptions because it would cost us a fortune and therefore greatly increase the cost to the subscriber.

This is partly the point of my post - if we have local versions everywhere, then they can run the gifts locally.

The good thing is that, quite often, you can find the UK gift on ebay.

[TGUKGLM]

Thanks SL65AMG

As a company, we are trying to be more 'open source' in our attitude to new media, so we've started using resources like this to gather feedback and ideas.

[Electrastar~Indochine]

It would be handy to have a list of which countries already get their own version of TG. Not for me of course, I'm lucky to be able to nip to WHSmith. I will however offer up Myanmar, bet they'd love it

BTW, since you're reading ... do you really need to put half nekkid pretty bints all over the mag? I feel inferior at the best of times without having feeling the need to scowl at the bird at the wheel of the Rapide. I want to drool over it, not scowl, Goddamnit!

[mgkdk]

Actually I would just like the UK magazine with the gifts (like everybody else in here)
I don't mind that it's twice the price for the subscription, because it's a god magazine, but somehow I feel cheated because I don't get the nice gifts.

btw, do you sell the UK mag to stores outside UK, because I found some in a store here in DK (but too far away to go every month )?

[TGUKGLM]

Good idea. We currently have editions in :

Middle East (mainly Saudi, Arabic language)
China
India
Indonesia
Korea
Netherlands
New Zealand
Philippines
Romania
Russia
Thailand


We're also launching at least 3 more in the next few months, so keep your eyes peeled

[TGUKGLM]

I'm not in charge of marketing but I'll ask the guy who is, what the situation is re.: full version overseas. I suspect he'll say that it's not possible to do it because of the way we distribute subs copies.

We do export the UK version overseas, and in some markets even the full version with gifts.

[Chupacabras]

I read the NZ edition when i was there, I liked it

[Electrastar~Indochine]

Actually, I do have a thought. It's a rather obvious conclusion for me, but what about France?

http://www.info-presse.fr/themes/automobile_17_gp.htm

That's what's pretty much available over there currently. The only one that I read from that bunch is Automobiles Classiques which is an ultra glossy. I honestly don't rate the others compared to what's in the UK market (e.g. I don't buy the French Evo, when I can get the UK one).

[TGUKGLM]

We've not yet looked at the French market, precisely because it is so crowded at the moment.

It's very difficult in the big, West European markets, because the existing French / German / Italian publishers have their own products.

[Electrastar~Indochine]

Originally Posted by TGUKGLM

We've not yet looked at the French market, precisely because it is so crowded at the moment.

That's an interesting comment. Personally I don't think it's crowded (unlike the music magazine market - there's one for every day of the year!). It's not crowded enough that I only choose 1 magazine.

Are you following the map of wherever there's good figures for BBC World coverage, so that at least there's a chance the TG brand name is already known?

[TGUKGLM]

That's part of the equation. More important is to find a local magazine company that wants to do it.

Launching magazines is very expensive, especially in large markets like France, so we have to find someone who is prepared to spend a lot of money.

[MXM]

I don't know what edition we get here (Finland), but definitely not UK one. Some general Euro-edition I guess.

So.. Why is it full of UK ads? It makes it twice as heavy and expensive to print, and most of these ads have no value outside UK. It's not only Top Gear, Car, Evo and all the others are like that. So I don't see why you would save money on those extra gifts, but still print all the ads which ultimately (i think) doesn't bring you money. It would probably cost extra to re-edit the mag to exclude (or replace) ads, but it's apparently done anyway, as UK version seems to be thicker according to comparison pics somebody posted here a while ago.

[TGUKGLM]

The one you get in Finland is the UK export version. We leave the ads in because it would be incredibly difficult and time-consuming to remove them!

This may sound odd but, without wanting to bore you, magazines are made in 16- or 32-page sections. The cost of removing all the ads, re-planning the magazine and then re-printing it without them is just not economic.

Also, some advertisers do like to see their ads in all editions, for brand building.

One final point is that all export versions are now the full magazine, including the data section at the back. We stopped producing cut-down, export-only versions a few months ago.

[Magnet]

Australia is quite inundated in its selection of car mags to be honest. A glance in the local newsagent sees stuff like Car and Driver, Road and Track and Motor Trend from the US; CAR, AUTOCAR, EVO, Top Gear, Practical Classics (everyone needs to know how to fix the rust in their Wolesley) and of course the local selections of Wheels and MOTOR.

I'd only really buy a magazine like Top Gear if there was some local relevance to it. Currently, I'd buy an issue if there was an article that was particularly interesting, or I was simply insanely bored at a departure lounge. The local magazines have a good balance of local content and international stuff (which they seem to pinch from AUTOCAR or EVO usually).

[Kebab gud]

may i suggest a Scandinavian version?

[mgkdk]

Originally Posted by Kebab gud

may i suggest a Scandinavian version?

Second that

[mautzel]

Originally Posted by TGUKGLM

One final point is that all export versions are now the full magazine, including the data section at the back. We stopped producing cut-down, export-only versions a few months ago.

I'm delighted to hear that - although some of the cars are irrelevant to the German market the missing descriptions and ratings of all cars in the back were a reason for me not to buy the Top Gear mag over here (though I like it quite well - most of the German car mags will provide you with more precise data and probably give better general evaluation of a car, but Top Gear mag is simply more entertaining to read in my opinion).