Another Hornets Nest...............Optical Trade Magazines

[Chris Ryser]

Here we get to another hot item..............................

Optical Trade Magazines are full of advertising and no real interesting or educative articles. Some of them are full of Mr.Smith'es have changed from one company to another, or this sales rep works now for the competition.

Trade magazines in my humble opinion are very discriminatory and lean and favours are going towards the big advertising dollars.

The main articles published either follow or come ahead of some big advertising campaign with multiple color pages.

Trade magazine publishers hate any website like this one, the Optiboard, fearing that one day, a web institution like this one will render them obsolete, and in my opinion it will, just a matter of time and when. I have actually provided a link to the Optiboard on my companies website (only 6000 hits a week) right on the front page, if any other companies would join in the membership at Optiboard would get a welcome boost.

Imagine if an Optiboard would start getting a much larger amount of followers, the way of instant communication would render Trade Magazines a historic institution.

There is one family operated trade magazine going around the globe and their editors are trying very hard to bring fair optical news and technical articles to their readers. There is a new one in the USA that deals in optical products and has a new outlook. All in all they are just out to make an advertising dollar without really make good professional contributions. Exception, the professional optometric magazines.

But like the Trade Exhibitions, the Magazines cater to the large companies only................and this is mainly for the buck.......while neglecting the actual optical news value they should report.

Some input would be very much appreciated.


Chris Ryser

[John R]

Chris. The optical mags also run websites, so all Optiboard is to them is compettition.
Once they full catch on to the net then maybe they will start their own forums.
Biggest trouble they have is how long to leave news before putting it on their websites as they dont want to lose sales...

The Mags have to make a profit to survive. The only way to make money is to sell advertising space, which can lead to conflicts of interest in such a small industry. Steve also needs income to keep this board rolling. Its not cheap running a site like this so sponsors are needed..

[Pete Hanlin]

Of the two finest optical mags I've ever seen, only one is still in existence. The U.K.'s Optician is a publication that should be duplicated here in the U.S. (just drop all the grumbling about your government sponsored health care system, and it would be perfectly applicable here). The articles are informative, relevant, and objective (imagine that).

Here in the U.S., we used to have a magazine called EyeQuest. Every bi-monthly issue contained educational (usually eligible for C.E. credit) articles for the OD, LDO, and Opt. Assistant! It was a wonderful publication, but I believe the editor passed away in an accident, which lead to its discontinuation.

My "dream mag" would be something akin to The American Journal of Opticianry or Review of Opticianry, and would contain "case files" of tricky ophthalmic dispenses, information on state-by-state legislation affecting LDOs, and objective reviews of new lenses coming on the marketplace (this aspect is being covered by another publication currently out there).

Chris raises a very good point here! How many among us are sick of seeing 3 pages of advertising for every 1 page of actual content in our oversized trade mags? To make things worse, it seems like the frames in the advertisements are usually so "fringe" as to be inapplicable to the typical dispensary (the models are usually sort of attractive, however, I'll concede that much).
;)
Give us CONTENT!!!

[Chris Ryser]

The Opthalmic Optican

The Optician

Optical World


All of them British...............

[John R]

Optican Mag Online
As you can see its not a patch on the mag. This is my grumble why cannot they produce a online version..Even if its a week late. Lets face it all the national news papers have upto date web sites that carry all the breaking news why not optical related sites...Oh yes...They need to make money from advertising, and thats something that does not work online....

[SuziBlueEyes]

Not that I'm going to stick up for the magazines, but...

Has anyone picked up a copy of Vogue or any fashion oriented magazine? They're mostly advertisments with very little space set aside for pertinent articles with real information that would benefit the readership. Sign of the times that optical publications have seemed to go that way?

Just a thought...

[Chris Ryser]

SuziBlueEyes said:
Not that I'm going to stick up for the magazines, but...

Has anyone picked up a copy of Vogue or any fashion oriented magazine? They're mostly advertisments with very little space set aside for pertinent articles with real information that would benefit the readership. Sign of the times that optical publications have seemed to go that way?

Just a thought...

Vogue and fashion oriented magazines are directed to fashion interested people,........mostly women..........who can sit on the couch and look and look at the fashion ads and dream about new outfits and jewelry if they can afford them or not..

An optical magazine is supposed to bring news about technologies new and others, to refresh and to help being informed. But, this is not the case these days optical magazines in general are not the informative source, besides the fashionable ads. Actually even their news are ad oriented, the one who buys more ad gets more news, and that seems to be a fact.

I am a strong believer in the internet and websites. If a website is smartly constructed it pays off a lot more than any advertising ever can and, sorry to get back to it "Trade Shows".

If you can get picked up by the search engines a website will bring more visitors than any advertising. I brought my own website from not much to close to 6000 hits, 580 visitors that look at 2500 pages and spend an average of 5min40 seconds per Week within the last 6 month,

Can anybody tell me that any add appearing in a magazine once a month will get that much atention?

A website can be continously changed and will keep the attention of search engines.

Magazines should go back giving the reader the information on technical knowdlege, and not send out a paper consisting of 80% advertising and the with balance of text supporting the adverising. Optical Magazines are not womens fashion magazines, or they should merge with Vogue or similar.

Chris Ryser

[John R]

Chris Ryser said:
Magazines should go back giving the reader the information on technical knowdlege, and not send out a paper consisting of 80% advertising and the with balance of text supporting the adverising.

Great idea Chris, but some how they have to pay the costs involved in producing the magazine. Now there are two ways of doing this. Either the cost goes up or you have to have advertising...
True though they should become more independent of the advertisers and be prepared to lose the odd one they upset.

We have a mag over here (not optical) that went through this arguement with the readers, who were complaining about too many adds... In the end the readers were given the choice either 1..A mag with few adverts, high price and content drien by sales income or
2..loads of adds, low price and more content providing they carried more adds....
Which way did the readers vote..
Yep No 2...
The reasoning behind it, as supplied by the readers was Well we dont have to read the Adds...
Adverts increase income, Higher income leads to more content..In theory..Unless they decide just to take higher profits instead of more content..

[John R]

SuziBlueEyes said:
Has anyone picked up a copy of Vogue or any fashion oriented magazine?

Get to look at them in the dentist or doctors waiting rooms.. I always wonder why people by this kind of mag. I guess its some kind of status thing because as you say there is nothing to read in them....Oh look there's Mrs Bucket with her copy of Vouge.....Must get mine today....

Sorry folks content is king....

[SuziBlueEyes]

What about a Opticianry Journal along the lines of the New England Journal of Medicine?

Is that what you're looking for?

Does anyone publish such a periodical?

Sounds like it could be a sucessful niche for one of the Opticians Associations to pick-up on...

Or has this been done before and turned out to be a nice idea on paper?

Thoughts, historical perspectives and/or any other dreamers out there??

What would the best optical periodical focus on? What would the articles be about? Would there be contests? Open letters to the Editor? Freedom to freely submit articles and stories of the industry?

There was a mention that the articles could be used to fufill CE requirements... that sounded really good.

It's far easier to tear down than to build up.

[Pete Hanlin]

What about a Opticianry Journal along the lines of the New England Journal of Medicine? Is that what you're looking for?
Okay, here's my "vision"...

The American Journal of Opticianry would be published quarterly. Each edition would have technical pieces on new progressive lens designs released during the quarter (written by the technical departments of the manufacturers). There would also be wearer's studies (such as the one recently done by Transitions regarding preference for photochromic lenses) and individual case assessments (sort of like the "What's your diagnosis" in Review of Optometry. Naturally, I would have my own little column (which would be fashioned after Dr. Vicker's column in the Optometry journal... you know, the guy with his feet up on his desk who pokes fun at patients, products, and other OD issues).

There would be educational articles that are C.E. approved. In particular, the ABO/NCLE would allow the conversion of their required core ABO-AC courses into article format so Opticians could more conveniently qualify to sit for the ABO-AC exam (on their way to achieving their ABOM).

Anyway, that's my (unrealistic) dream publication...

[Refractingoptician.com]

;;

[Refractingoptician.com]

''

[Johns]

Gary,

Your idea to leave opti mags in the waiting room is a grand one, except for one minor issue. Most of them are shock-full of wholesale prices of frames, lenses, and accesories.

It sure brings price haggling up to a whole new level!

-Johns

[John R]

Gary said:
Optical magazines are misunderstood.

You guys/women think they are for you to read. That's wrong!!

These publications should be left on the tables and counters for your customers to read.

If only we could get to read them. Our boss seems to think once he's read them then thats that and out they go.....

[Chris Ryser]

Gary said:
Optical magazines are misunderstood.

You guys/women think they are for you to read. That's wrong!!

These publications should be left on the tables and counters for your customers to read. Then they can ask you about the products they see in the ads. Otherwise the public has no access to pictures of the latest styles. They have no concept of what we do . They have no concept that there are so many different frames and types of lenses available .

Optical mags are excellent advertising ..... retail consumer advertising. You are supposed to use these to stimulate your customers curiosity.

The only part of the mag that you are supposed to read is the excellent classified ad sections these mags carry .

I don't believe you guys/women actually think we should read
these.

There is now a new magazine out that is for the "waitimg room" and geared for your customers. thats fine, otherwise you idea is in bad taste for a profession that is of a technical nature. Maybe that is why you MUST go to those education courses at the Trade Exhibitions.

Do you have any notion of what the cost is for 1/4 page black and white ad in one of those magazines ? $1750 and if you make deal for every issue the price is less. One full page color ad is in the thousands per issue.

The reader pays only the subscrition, if that much.............

Is one not entitled to some real interesting text and articles , written by professionals with a lot of expirience?

:finger:

[Alan W]

Gary, I agree with you completely.
Lots of bucks get invested to produce first class fashion ads. Initially, I'm convinced that these great looking ads primarily stimulate vision care providers to show their product.
But, if vision care providers get excited over the photography enough to buy the item, can you imagine how much the ultimate consumer would get turned on if they saw those ads?
The mags are a waste if they get trashed after the doctor or optician reads them. If there are pages that have prices, remove them. Exacto knives were made for that .. . or model airplanes or sumthin!
Have a seat in a high end beauty salon and you'll see fashion up the wazoo. Same thing in a better apparel store. After all . . . Nicole Miller and some of the other women designers weren't exactly Merry Maids, and Gianni Versacci wasn't exactly Manners The Butler.
I miss my Optical Digest circa 1968 . . . learned alot.
I wonder how many opticians, etc. look at the incredible "super model" optical ads and say to themselves . . . . " I need to make my office or store look like that model works here. I'd never have to worry about price defensivenss." Those ads go to the heart of things . . . where the money is . . . fashion. I think vision care providers are a strange bunch. We want high tech tools and machines and stuff and low tech visual merchandising. Sort of like being a salmon . . . . fight the current.

[Refractingoptician.com]

\]

[Chris Ryser]

Like in the Trade Show thread.......one defender of the concept came out of the closet........

Maybe a defender belonging to the media will show up soon

Nice to see different opinions

[Chris Ryser]

I just had to come back here and type before the short term memory problem kicks in.

I just been the search engine I consider the most interesting for our field : askjeeves, see below (could not get it on this line)

After having seen what I wanted, I asked the simple question "Optiboard" and what a surprise:

This place has just about the highest amount of links and mentions in the whole optical field. I think there were at least ten pages full of them one after another.

Congratulations Steve..................who needs magazines

http://askjeeves.com

[John R]

Personally i prefer Google as the top 2 are here...:bbg: and the third...Is MINE....
Ah joy of Joys...

[Chris Ryser]

John R said:
Personally i prefer Google as the top 2 are here...:bbg: and the third...Is MINE....
Ah joy of Joys...

WHAT IS YOURS.......?????????????




What is the joy?

:hammer:

[m0002a]

One magazine that also has a website is Vision Care Product News. (www.visioncareproducts.com). They keep a fair number of back issues on their site. Their editorial mission is "exclusively dedicated to providing information on ophthalmic products -- articulating, explaining and 'romancing' products and product applications in an easy-to-read, easy-to-use format."

Although some of their content is basically a press release from the supplier (possibly influenced by advertising dollars), they do have articles written by independent members of the profession on various subjects. Some of these articles are fairly objective and provide decent introductory information, although sometimes the depth is not as comprehensive as one would wish. But considering that not many individuals are familiar with all products in a given segment, I think they do a credible job on many of the articles.

Here are a couple of example articles:

“The Flourishing Market for Computer Lenses”
www.visioncareproducts.com/17/lens_market.html

“High Index and Aspheric Design: A Winning Combination”
www.visioncareproducts.com/18/lens_aspheric.html

[Pete Hanlin]

One magazine that also has a website is Vision Care Product News. (www.visioncareproducts.com). They keep a fair number of back issues on their site. Their editorial mission is "exclusively dedicated to providing information on ophthalmic products -- articulating, explaining and 'romancing' products and product applications in an easy-to-read, easy-to-use format."
Actually, I know several of the people who write for this publication- and am familiar with the editor. IMHO, they represent some of the best and brightest in our profession. From what I've seen, Vision Care Product News is a very objective source of solid info on ophthalmic products and equipment.

[Chris Ryser]

m0002a said:

Although some of their content is basically a press release from the supplier (possibly influenced by advertising dollars), they do have articles written by independent members of the profession

How right you are.....................

Quote by a publisher of one of the Canadian Magazines.....

"In the of press releases I have to look after my good advertisers first, there was even one who threatend to cut of the advertising if the press releases are not printed" ....