Gareth Rhoda, MoreGolf national sales manager, says the first issue of Golf + will go out in July. It is published by href=”https://www.touchline.co.za/” target=_blank mce_href=”https://www.touchline.co.za/”!_LT_UTouchline Media!_LT_/U, which also publishes Golf Digest.
The majority of the print run (25,000 copies) will go to members of MoreGolf businesses, like the Vodacom World of Golf, who fall into the LSM 8 to 10 groups. The other 2,000 will be sold in The Pro Shop, a golfing retail store also owned by MoreGolf.
“The beauty of the model is that the magazine goes out to a guaranteed base of subscribers which means no wastage and a guaranteed audience for advertisers,” Rhoda says.
Unlike Golf Digest, Rhoda says, Golf + will target the broader golfing market with content on practice, play, travel, accessories and lifestyle. Golf Digest is more for the “accomplished golfer” with international content like interviews with the likes of Tiger Woods.
!_LT_EMGolf +!_LT_/EM will have local content as well as content from the UK-based golfing magazines Today’s Golfer and Golf Word, he adds.
Impact
Golf + will take the place of Compleat Golfer, which was distributed to MoreGolf Group members who requested the magazine.
Compleat Golfer publisher, Simon Turck of Ramsay, Son & Parker, says plans have been put in place to compensate for the loss of just under 13,000 (see correction below) copies previously distributed through the group.
“Realising that we were going to lose a substantial channel for us, we ran a campaign to Compleat Golfer subscribers who were receiving the magazine from the MoreGolf Group offering them the chance to subscribe to the magazine.
“We also identified the 50 golf clubs in South Africa with the highest membership and initiated a campaign through the golfing professionals stationed at those golf clubs to give 35,000 members of golf clubs the chance to subscribe to the magazine. This has replaced the loss of the MoreGolf Group distribution channel for us,” he says.
“Our aim has been to shift from the driving range market (of the MoreGolf Group) to the golf clubs members, which I think we have successfully done. We expect distribution to increase from July onwards and hope to bump it up to 40,000 magazines a month over the next six months,” he says.
Turck argues that Compleat Golfer advertising will not suffer as a result of the introduction of Golf +. “Golf + is a company magazine which goes to members whereas we are an independent magazine supported by the broader golfing community. It’s therefore business as usual for us.”
‘Golf Digest’
Craig Ross, Golf Digest publisher at Touchline, says Golf Digest distributed approximately 14,000 to 15,000 copies of the magazine through the MoreGolf Group.
These will now be replaced by !_LT_EMGolf +. Golf Digest !_LT_/EMhas the right to market subscription to the members of the group that previously received the magazine.
Ross says !_LT_EMGolf +!_LT_/EM and!_LT_EM Golf Digest!_LT_/EM will work together to offer a “turnkey solution to advertisers”.RR”The market won’t sustain four golfing titles (the afore-mentioned titles and GOLFPUNK) and by working with the MoreGolf Group, Media 24/Touchline will be able to provide a compelling offer to both advertisers and great content to readers with Golf+ and Golf Digest,” Ross says.RR■Correction: The 13,000 copies of Compleat Golfer previously distributed through the MoreGolf Group is not 50% of the magazine’s print run as was reported. It is approximately 50% of the magazine’s paid-for circulation (25,497 – excluding controlled free and bulk free distribution, as well as back issues) and 35% of the average print run (36,550).RR■This is an updated version of the story first published on TheMediaOnline on 16 May. Golf Digest‘s comment was added.
