Sure the markets in crisis but I wanted to share this news with you about the impact of magazines. There is no question, we need BOTH the web AND magazines…I don’t think any of my advertisers are on tv…yet!

it hits NOV
cheers
Michael

Study: Magazines Beat TV In ROI
by Erik Sass, Tuesday, Oct 7, 2008 4:06 PM ET

A new study of magazine advertising ROI by Marketing Evolution found that magazines are the most cost-effective means of influencing consumer behavior at certain stages of the decision-making process, or “purchase funnel,” beating out TV and online media. Specifically, magazines dominate two crucial stages: brand familiarity and purchase intent.

Below are the results of a new study by third party, marketing company (Marketing Evolutions) that hugely reinforces the case for magazine advertising. It came from IPAO.

This can be made to be a very useful sales argument when we talk to clients. It will help justify their choice to spend on us. It supports the pitch that Magazines are the best return on investment.

The study was part of a Meta study (incorporating results from 38 studies) looking at all marketing efforts. It was found that magazine advertising was far more valuable than TV or Online. They measured “cost per impact” in three stages of the purchase funnel–brand awareness, brand familiarity and purchase intent.

Here is the “Cost Per Impact” of each Media. The lower the cost the better.

Expressed in $ TV On-Line Magazines
Brand Awareness - .98 1.97 1.08
Brand Familiarity - 2.61 2.58 1.40
Purchase Intent - 1.77 2.61 1.23

This blog is dedicated to my Uncle Alan, who sadly passed away this morning (October 2nd). Alan was 73 and although he never skated, he always took the time to be genuinely interested in what I was doing – namely skateboarding.

Alan, along with his family, came to visit us numerous times over the past 3 and half decades that we’ve been living here in Canada. These trips are something I will always remember.

So, Alan, thanks for making the effort and being a part of my family. You have left quite a legacy.

Love,
Your nephew Michael

As many of you know, I don’t dive into politics here at the Fish. I figure it’s best to keep things 100% skateboarding. But, I’d be an idiot not to at least acknowledge what’s happening out there on Wall Street. And don’t think that because I sit in Canada that I am immune. No way…the USA sneezes, Canada gets a cold…or pneumonia…simply for the fact that we are your largest trading partner. Over a billion dollars a day crosses the border and if you guys stop buying…we shrivel up too!

The fact is that I have NO control over what’s going on with the government and in most cases neither do you. The only thing constant is change. The truth is I still believe skateboards are well priced for the amount of enjoyment they bring. It’s not like I am selling ad space for a magazine that feature million dollar yachts (the only yachts you’ll find in CW are from Landyatchtz!)

So, in these times of financial turbulance, I think we have to all kind of get out there and skate and listen to that great Canadian band April Wine… what else CAN we do?!

Everyone’s feelin’ crazy, but no one takes the chance
When there’s a knock on the floor, the whole world starts to dance
A fireman rushes over, he’s got stretchmarks on his hose
And he punched out the light under everybody’s nose

Ooh, ooh, it’s alright (it’s alright), it’s alright (it’s alright)
Ooh, ooh, it’s alright, yeah it’s just alright

The music was gettin’ louder, until you could not hear a sound
So turn it up if you want when the record starts
spinnin’ around and around and around

And you can dance on my face if you want to
It’s alright, it’s alright
And if you’re feelin’ much the same way as I do
It’s alright, yeah, it’s just alright
The whole world’s goin’ crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy
Hey baby, you wanna go crazy with me

The ladies smoked the whiskey, and the butler ate the wine
New York, that’s alright, but to keep it down more divine

The whole world’s goin’ crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy
Hey baby, you wanna go crazy with me
And you can dance on my face if you want to
It’s alright, it’s alright (everybody)
Cause if you’re feelin’ just as crazy as I do
It’s alright, yeah, it’s just alright
Ooh, ooh, it’s alright (it’s alright), it’s alright (it’s alright)
Ooh, ooh, it’s alright, yeah it’s just alright

sorry that I am not keeping up to date on the blog. I promise you I will do better. The fact is that there are too many things happening.

Here’s one example…

Associated Press - September 22, 2008 2:05 PM ET

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - A lawsuit seeks $32 million from the city of Eugene and the state of Oregon for injuries suffered by an Idaho woman in a 2006 traffic accident.

The suit says three traffic lights weren’t working when a car hit 29-year-old Kimberly Hagen as she was skateboarding.

She was in Eugene to perform in a stilt-walking puppeteering troupe at the county fair.

Police say the driver couldn’t see Hagen and was not cited.

Her mother, Marsha Hagen, says her daughter graduated 13 years ago from high school in Coeur d’Alene, and the disabling injuries have ended her dream of becoming an acrobat.

Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com

Amazing what you can find on the internet under skateboarding stories…

Again, I love remind folks that 50% of skaters are UNDER 11…The only wizards they know about have the initials HP.

“Wizard stick’ dangerous new drinking game
Posted By Elianna Lev, The Canadian Press
Posted 1 hour ago

VANCOUVER — A drinking game that’s making the rounds confers ‘‘wizard status’’ on anyone who consumes enough cans of beer to exceed their height, but a health expert suggests this kind of binge drinking is anything but wise.

The game is played at so-called ‘‘wizard stick’’ parties and the rules are simple. Every beer that is consumed is taped to the one before it. Eventually the beer cans stack up and form a walking stick, which is carried around for the night.

The person whose staff exceeds their height wins, and obtains ‘‘wizard status.’’ (When the sticks reach a certain height, they often curl over, resembling a wizard staff.)

New York-based photographer Patrick O’Dell has documented such parties on his popular photo website, Epicly Later’d.

He said he first saw the parties in a skateboarding video but has attended several in the last year, including one on a skateboarding tour he was photographing.

‘‘When everyone would gather around the campfire, we’d call it wizard’s council,’’ O’Dell said. ‘‘You had to get help to drink your beer by the end. Somebody would hold on to the end and lift it up.’’

A study conducted in Ontario between 1996-2005 by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health found the demographic that tends to take part in wizard stick parties — males between 19 and 29 — appears to be the same as the group that is most likely to drink to excess.

That group had the highest percentage of people surveyed who admitted they drank more than five drinks on one occasion on a weekly or monthly basis.

‘‘It’s a particularly vulnerable group and I’m sure the drinking games don’t help,’’ said senior scientist Norman Giesbrecht with the centre.

In some cases, binge drinking can lead to serious problems like liver damage, permanent brain damage or death from severe dehydration.

Giesbrecht said he’s concerned about the social consequences of binge drinking like fighting, drunk driving, sexual violence and unprotected sex.

“All these things are related to heavy drinking and binge drinking,’’ Giesbrecht said.

In August, a 20-year-old man from Burnaby died after drinking 10 beers and then chugging a more than 550-ml bottle of whiskey on a bet.