[NSRCA-discussion] Electronic versus Paper K-Factor Poll

Sat Jan 24 17:35:56 AKST 2009

Hey guys,

This is a little long. Please read it's important to the NSRCA.

I would like to say something regarding the printed KF vs. a online only KF

Today the KF is costing the organization a ton of money every month. I spoke to Derek about this at the AMA show a few weeks ago. Today the KF is running us about $2100 a month for just round numbers. Most folks don't know this or understand the huge cost involved every month. We are funding it from dues and NATS money when advertising comes up short. John Konneker is struggling to sell advertising and doing a great job....but we already owe our check to the company store.

We are bringing in advertising money that is short of that number, Let's call it 1700 or 1800 a month typical for the last few years. Now I know John K has been working very hard to increase advertising money. The problem is even its breaking even.....is it really worth it to you to have it in your mail box? AT $2100 a month to the group?

Look at it this way. Re-structure the KF to a new layout. An online magazine. The advertisers are not going to like the idea at first...but here is the what I think would work.

#1 tell all the advertisers. Today is a new day.  We are going to give you free ads for 2 months at your current ad level. And we are going online only.

#2 make all KF downloads free to the public. Absolutely free in every respect. But put a counter on the downloads. Get the modeling public looking at what we have to offer.

#3 at the end of 2 months....take the counter numbers to the advertisers and say look...we were producing 800 copies a month. Now it's downloaded 2000copies a month. You just doubled your exposure.

#4 Oh by the way Mr. Advertiser, we understand the economy is tough on you too. Let's do this. We want you to stay with us advertising and since it's a web only magazine, we are going to cut your ad rates in ½. You get the same number of pages for the ½ the money.....would you like to double your ad space for the same $$ you were paying? This makes the online only magazine larger...more prestige, more info for the public to see and like. Today we are limited on content...we can only afford so many pages. Online there is no limit essentially. At least not the budgetary limit we currently have.

Now let's look at what this will do. John Konneker is selling $2000 a month in ads for just round numbers. It's close to this from the info I have been told. 

$2000 a month is $24,000 a year. We are using that to pay the US mail, and printer company. That's 24K a year guys!

Now let's go to online and ½ the rates....more circulation as its free to all that want to get it.  We get to take $12,000 a year and put in our pockets to support and grow pattern.  What can you do to grow pattern if you have money in the bank? Can we give more to the USA Team. Can we hold invitational contests like the Tucson shootout and give cash prizes  in all classes or buy products to give away to pilots. Could we completely fund the NATS banquet?

The advertiser people want more exposure...so we give it away for free after all the more that download it the better it is to sell ads right?   Then we get new members by showing them we are friendly and open folks that want them to come play with us. We get them to join our organization because we support pattern not because we make a magazine.  Telling them to join to get the news letter is like saying we have a club but you gotta pay to play. They will be helping to pay by downloading it. Oh and download often they will.  People want this information.....when they like what they see they will join the organization. If you hold it as a sacred cow then they don't want to play in that environment. Elitism: remember the stereo type we all know it's not true or is it....You have to pay to play: is this elite? Just a question there not slamming the argument...just pointing out what we have been doing in the past. I think it's time for a change.

Oh and by the way back to John Konnecker's job on those months when advertising is low meaning not breaking even on the printing costs we currently have...Guess what we are using MEMBERS DUES and NATS funds to pay the printer company and the US mail.  On the new system low month for ads is just that, a low month and it's still profit mostly profit...Today we go in the hole on the KF and make up the difference. Would it be neat to say well we only made $5K in advertising last year but we put 4K of that in our pockets.  Instead it we brought in 24K in ads, and spent all of it plus another 2-3-4K out of the NSRCA treasury to pay for a printed KF.

This new idea allows us to have money to advertise ourselves hold events and promote pattern and get new members. The idea of paying to get the KF is not attracting new members....the members we have are footing the bill to pay the printer on those months that the KF advertising comes up short.

This is common sense guys...run this like a business and it can grow and expand. Live pay check to pay check like we are..... and we are always struggling to stay afloat.

Is the KF in its current form worth $2100 a month to you? Yes a small setup fee would need to be charged to layout the Online version...so Online doesn't mean free setup...just free printing and distribution.

Look Al Gore invented the internet...lets think like business people and use it to spread the word. The US mail is not going to go belly up, the price of stamps will just increase and so will our costs to print and mail each and every member a copy.

Please keep this information in mind when you vote in the poll

My two cents on the subject. 

Troy Newman

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