PMQ Outclasses Goliath in Pizza Magazine Wars
Published by Sean December 13th, 2006 in Advertising: Print, Featured Posts
On management guru Tom Peters’ blog, he points out that one of IBM founder Thomas Watson’s Golden Rules was “Though shalt never badmouth a competitor.” Peter’s adamantly agrees, stating “…when one badmouths one’s competitors or tries to limit their activities, the ‘word gets around.’ And one develops a reputation as prickly and egocentric—and, well, as a selfish jerk.”
The folks at pizza industry trade magazine Pizza Today and publisher Macfadden Protech LLC might want to spend a little time on Peter’s blog. Seems in October they had too much time on their hands and produced and circulated a negative “expose” accusing competitor PMQ (Pizza Marketing Quarterly) of, in essence, inflating their circulation by junkmailing their magazine indiscriminately to pizza companies who could care less about getting it. [interpretation mine]
The Pizza Today “expose” is written in a pseudo-folksy style in which publisher Pete Lachapelle answers questions posed by an imaginary pizza industry member who speaks in italics and uses words like “amongst” in everyday conversation. At one point, the incredulous mystery reader asks Are you saying that amongst all the copies PMQ sends out each month… no one receiving it requested it… no one?
Lachapelle, like a dad telling his two year old there’s no Santa Claus - for his own good - replies solemnly, “…those are the facts… no one receiving their publication requested it. Furthermore, no one receiving their magazine is as a result of a company asking PMQ to be sent to some of its employees.”
No one? I requested my subscription to PMQ many years ago, and call to request another if I don’t receive a copy. My employees have also requested subscriptions, and I know of numerous clients who contacted PMQ directly to request subscriptions.
I’m sure Lachapelle’s “expose” turned off many who, like I, read and like both publications. PMQ has a very loyal following among independents, as evidenced by their active web forum. Not only does his “report” undermine the credibility and character of Pizza Today, it gave PMQ the chance to take the high road, and to point out that they have virtually the same circulation as Pizza Today, yet their ads are about half the cost of PT’s.
So remember these lessons: Don’t badmouth competitors. If you do, have your facts straight. If you’re a publisher, use your copy editors (”…no one receiving their magazine is as a result of a company…” ?!)Â And remember, it’s not always a smart strategy to come on like Goliath… especially in an industry of Davids.
See PMQ’s Pizza Expose website by clicking here.
DID YOU REQUEST YOUR PMQ SUBSCRIPTION? WHAT DO YOU THINK? LEAVE A COMMENT AND BE HEARD.
13 Responses to “PMQ Outclasses Goliath in Pizza Magazine Wars”
- 1 Trackback on Dec 14th, 2006 at 4:25 pm
I requested my PMQ magazine look forward to receiving it. Additionally, I frequent their website several times per week.
All these years I felt bad never paying for either magazine and just ignoring the bills. If PMQ only has 1000 paid subscriptions in 40,000 magazines, why send me a friggin bill!!
I ignore it anyway, but I felt a bit bad (a small bit mind you), now I just feel like Steve and the rest of the guys were sitting in the office one day just laughing to them selves and saying, “wonder if this sucker will send us free money, hahaha!”.
I signed up to get a subscription several years ago. I think at their Pizza show. I get alot of good ideas from PMQ. There’s room for both magazines there very different.
I enjoy both magazines and I read both- It’s ironic that pizza is so competitive- yet Pizza Today is all jazzed up about having to compete! Get a life…
Pmq stands for what america is freedom and to be independent…. I read pmq’s think tank 2 -3 times a day, give my imput when I have time. I also check my cheese prices every friday on pmq’s web site. steve and linda keep up the great work. (by the way that is what happens when you are independent every one around you wants to step on you).
Billy Graham
Papa Vito’s Pizza and Italian restaurant
Cocoa Beach florida
Dolph: I agree that PT’s reaction to competition is ironic. In the pizza industry, you’ve got to learn to thrive on competition, and to be energized by searching for the next idea. That’s why I read the pizza mags even when I wasn’t working with pizza companies… they were always filled with creative marketing ideas and stories of aggressive marketers. That’s definitely the stregth of PMQ - mag & forum.
Billy: The PMQ thinktank is an amazing resource filled with specific and useable information. It only works because the PMQ folks are as much pizza people as they are publishers, and that’s threatening to competitors. Pizza Today’s website is very professional and attractive. PMQ’s is has the look of a Rube Goldberg contraption, or one of those early flying machines that don’t make it off the ground. (Sorry, PMQ). I invariably end up in the wrong place (ideaforum?) when looking for thinktank. However, if you research the webtraffic of both sites and the number of sites linking in, PMQ blows away Pizza Today by a multiple of something like 5 to 1.
Again - I like Pizza Today and (probably until now) had a good relationship with them. They ran stories on my IdeaFarm pizza clients (ideafarm.net) and were professional and competent. They need to rethink their approach. If they were smart they would learn from the success of PMQ. Apologizing for their “expose” would also be a good move.
Sean
Personally I think all this hoo-ha about two magazines duking it out is waste of my time, I spend most of my time online when it comes to getting info about the pizza business. Suppliers, research and industry news is too little too late when the print hits my desk.
C’mon Pizza tossers wake up and smell the dough! Print is dead, but makes for pretty good fire staring.
Please…PMQ hasn’t produced a single original idea since its inception. They do little but hurt the overall pizza industry, and make a mockery of the magazine business through their “claims” to advertisers. Pizza Today raised a question: prove what you say PMQ. They can’t, because the BPA is an independent bureau and doesn’t fall victim to the marketing spin that Green puts on everything…even his hilarious little rebuttal. “What, you don’t tell the auditors everything either?”
Worldwide circulation of 55,000? They don’t even know where they’re going here…and China has billions of people. Don’t advertisers here want to know exactly where and what message is getting out. Who cares about pizza in Canuckistan or Australia when I’m trying to make money here and the last thing I want when I’m reading for those whole two minutes I’m having a crap is 10 pages of crap about some guy’s restaurant out in the wilderness.
Come on people, aren’t you tired of reading about the US Pizza Team - which everyone knows is just a “gimme” to Chris Green and his ego. Anyone with any kind of talent in that area bailed or joined the REAL pizza champions. Pizza Cruise? Sank…oh, but wait they’re trying to bail it out again in 2007. New York Pizza Show, now partnered with another restaurant show. Orlando…a whole two aisles of booths that weren’t even full, and partnered with a show that’s been around for years.
Most of the crap on the “think tank” is written by his kids, and their so-called experts don’t even bother to answer half the time.
At least Pizza Today has a purpose.
Slice:
Thanks for illustrating my point about the dangers of badmouthing competitors (though the details of your reading habits might be “a little too much information” for most of us). Personal attacks and petty bickering makes the attacker (in this case, you) look unprofessional and petty, not the person being attacked.
I’m not tired of reading about the US Pizza Team because I don’t read about it. It doesn’t interest me. Why would you? As far as Canuckistan goes, they do have some innovative toppings worth investigating.
I work with advertisers, and can tell you bickering is a turn-off. They don’t care. They care about two things: Direct and indirect benefits. They judge direct benefits by dividing the advertising dollars spent with the publication by the number of leads and the sales the ads/trade shows yield. They judge a publication (at least the smart ones judge a publication) on their cost per lead and, ultimately, cost per sale. If both Pizza Today and PMQ produce leads and sales at an acceptable cost, they will advertise in both places.
There are also indirect benefits to be judged, such as overall association with the publication, press coverage, being invited to speak or participate at their events, referrals, information, perks… and the camaraderie of being part of their activities like the Pizza Team, etc. Again, advertisers weigh the benefits against the costs.
Your time and energy are much more effectively spent figuring out how you can provide more benefit to your readers and your advertisers than wasting time writing reports on the alleged shortcomings of your competitors.
Sean:
Don’t you think, for credibility sake, you should let people know you are paid contributor to PMQ.
Slice:
We are both going to lose credibility on this one. You lose it for once again reinforcing one of my original points (the one about getting facts straight). I lose it for admitting, publicly, that I’m spending potential billable hours blogging without getting paid for it. (Luckily, my wife doesn’t read these sites.)
No, I’m not and have never been a paid contributor (or even an unpaid contributor) to PMQ. I’ve never gotten so much a a foam pizza frisbee from them. I’m not morally opposed to it… they’ve just never offered.
However, if Pizza Today and PMQ want to bid for my allegiance, I’d turn on the low bidder like a rabid dog. Tell PizzaMarketplace.com they’re welcome to throw their dough into the ring as well. Pizza World? Pizza Week? DoughRoller’s Digest? My affections and powerful lobbying abilities are available to the highest bidder. Ask about my weekly rates.
Sean
Hello my friends!
The interesting name of a site - franchisormarketing.com
I yesterday 3 hours
has spent to the Internet So I have found your site
The interesting site but does not suffice several sections!
However this section is very necessary!
Necessarily I shall advise your site to the friends!
Forgive I is drunk :))