Of course AT wouldn't run ads from retail competitors says Martin, but she is insistent there is no preferential treatment for certain grocery advertisers. She adds that the magazine is also evolving its revenue base, with more FMCG, finance and lifestyle advertisers fleshing out its food clients. One challenge for us is that we know Coles shoppers are younger and richer than Woollies shoppers. We want the magazine to be smart and contemporary but we don't want to go too far that way and risk alienating our market or hitting trouble like competitors did-for example, Elle Cuisine . We have decided to go across the market, not down the market.
Content focuses on rural people, places, pubs and outback stations, as well as youth culture.
Myers says RM Williams advertises at the same rate as anyone else and pays for it. Direct competitors such as Thomas Cook and Drizabone also advertise freely, and all are treated evenly in terms of editorial coverage. They know it has to stand on its own as a title. Myers believes this indirect approach strengthens the brand more effectively in the long term. Our client takes a mature view, in that their market has a small number of players, with each of them catering to different segments, so they are not out to kill each other.