Success without ads

Consumer Reports, a monthly magazine, continues to thrive with a subscription-only model, even on the Web.
The New York Times

The story "Success without ads" published December 8, 2007 at 2:27 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

Content from The New York Times expires after 7 days.

[MythicalMe]

CU is a breath of fresh air

Consumer Reports is a breath of fresh air that a lot of media could mimic. I'd pay for a subscription where I new I wasn't going to be hit with a barrage of advertisements.

The New York Times and most major newspapers couldn't entice me to subscribe because in the first instance they're giving us news that can be found free other places. Secondly, can anyone actually lift a Sunday print edition without requiring a forklift?

Advertisements may be the life blood of many publications, but it all boils down to charging subscribers for content they want to buy at a price they can afford. I stopped subscribing to magazines when they put those cards that drop out, annoying me when I just want to get my mail.

Finally, the movie industry needs to rethink their use of the DVD. I pay to see movies, not advertisements. I'll stop renting and/or buying DVD if I see many more ads in them. I've already determined that I will NOT be considering purchasing any kind of Toyota truck. The Prius may be the most environmentally friendly car on the planet, but if you keep disturbing my pursuit of entertainment I'll be finding another car.

[BigGuns149]

CU is overrated...

I agree with your cynism of ads, but Consumer Reports is far overrated. If you exclude all of the libraries that subsribe to it how many individuals actually subsribe to it? Very few.

Merely because you don't advertise doesn't mean that your content is any good. I used to work at an electronics retailer and I met stupid people every day who didn't receive anything from the vendors and their opinions were completely wrong. There is a fallacy that the Consumer Union, the people behind Consumer Reports, perpetuate and that is that their reviews are inherently better because they don't take money from advertisers. Disproving that as I already mentioned is easy. There are tons of people who have taken nothing from advertisers who write terrible reviews. By the inverse, most reputable publications that accept advertising separate their ad divisions and publishing divisions so that the publishers feel no pressure to be kind to advertisers. I have seen bad reviews for stuff advertised in PC Gamer because the publishers realize no one would read it if the opinions in the magazine consistently gave good reviews to bad games. Just because you don't receive any funds from ads doesn't make you unbiased and doesn't make your reviews good.

I received a solicitation for Consumer Reports a few years ago and had a free subsription and I sent in a cancellation long before they started charging me. Their reviews on tech products seemed so dubious that I figured if they were bad at tech products than why should I trust them on products that I don't know a lot about?

Their reviewers don't give the readers their test methods. If Consumer Reports were writing a lab report I bet most junior college professors would give them reports an F. If you don't tell me how you did it, how can I evaluate the review? In addition, there is almost no objective information. You tend to get subjective little bubbles that don't explain anything. Furthermore, since their writers have no notable credentials why should I take their word.

When it comes to tech products Consumer Reports is often almost worthless. By the time they publish a review many of the products are discontinued and difficult to find. Since they only review tech products a few times a year it isn't a replacement for PC World or PC Magazine.

Since Consumer Reports does an awful job with tech products and they have been found guilty in court for libel for their car reviews so that leaves us with cheap stuff like bug spray and BBQ sauce(yes they do reviews on BBQ sauce.) I don't think spending money to find out what the best BBQ sauce makes any sense.

So who buys Consumer Reports? People who like spending money to avoid ads is the only market for their publication. It certainly isn't people looking for the best reviews.

[chash360]

Ad-inifinum

CU probably has much higher revenue because they are actually supplying a valuable product-service. The readership of major newspapers is lacking because their contrived news, has lost respect, trust and therefore value, to the average consumer. If the major news media would invetsigate and report the truth, instead of sensationalized lies, contrived by our administration, maybe they could regain some readers. Until then I will get my news from the world outside our controlled media. Even the BBC is occasionally reporting things, that will never see light in the US controlled media.