it has been almost a year since av xpress' birth. i still receive occasional phone calls from dealers telling me that they want to advertise in av xpress.

but when i start telling them my marketing approaches, the positioning of the magazine, the distribution network, most of the times, it drew a blank on their faces. they simply don't understand (and appreciate) things like "independent" magazine, non-traditional distribution network and online marketing.

traditionally, a magazine needs to please advertisers because they need advertising revenue to survive. the magazine's publisher/editor needs to "spend quality times" with the advertisers to improve PR and to get the sales. and more often than not, the publisher needs to write pretty things about their products. the publisher/editor not only needs to be a good sales and marketing person, he also needs good PR, must be thick-skinned, able to handle the politics of the business and has tons of patience and perseverance. which, sadly, is not my forte. well, i am a pretty good marketer and i have decent PR; it is just that i don't sell out or please anyone, especially people i don't particularly fond of. to know oneself is half the battle won, haha.

call me unorthodox, un-business savvy, anti-establishment - i don't think that's the way i want av xpress to be. maybe i don't need to depend on av xpress for my livelihood, i dare to be bold about my approaches. that's cool.

local dealers, by and large, don't understand online marketing and they don't give two hoods about online audiophile community. true, the buying ones (mainly middle-aged audiophiles who are not internet savvy) are still shunning away from internet. but things are going to change with this blog and others like hifi4sale blog garnering loyal readers.

that's why i think av xpress is ahead of its time, in the malaysian context at least. given time and persistence, it will be a force to reckon with, that's my personal belief.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

My hats off to you!
I honestly feel you are doing the right thing.
i am surprised to know that your blogs are quite popular among the expat community.
Our challange is to be united about our love for music irrespective of race, creed etc...
You have my utmost support..
P/S.Arready told abt your blogs to some of my friends in usa
CHEERS!!!

maggielurva 愛美姬 said...

thanks, david, for the encouragement.
your good words are a source of motivation to me. it is never easy to do something against tradition and doing it all alone as a hobby.

i am flattered that the expats find it useful. i hope the starbucks distribution network will allow more readers to find out about av xpress and the blog.

keep the music alive!

yoyoma said...

will you say yourself 100% committed to the local hifi scene and no cheat from it, like getting well treat by local dealer to write good about their gadgets eventhough they are not so good or, you will get a ultra cheap price for the equipment that you wanted and promise to write only the good things about it?
have you ever buy things from overseas instead of local dealer after you declared to support the local hifi scene?
beaware maggilurva

maggielurva 愛美姬 said...

dude, your views are so extremist and i don't want to waste time with you.

yoyoma said...

from your reply, you are admitted to what i say..its ok. in our country, the reviewer always get lower agent price for the equipment they wanted and then sold them off to make a profit yet they denied of doing so..you are one of them I believe. just be honest and nothing wrong with it.
i just having doubt of good stereo reviewer/publisher still exist.
cheers

Anonymous said...

coming from someone who has benefitted from maggielurva's resourcefulness, you are definitely a hyprocrite of the highest order, mr. yoyoma!

yoyoma said...

have you benefitted from maggielurva "resourcefullness"?? or you are also one of them who get benefitted like maggielurva may get? or you are actually maggielurva who try toplay jackel and hyde here..do you know maggielurva very well to the extend you spoke for maggielurva here.
cheers