Hola,
I was just over at another Hi FI site and saw someone asking for certain types of pictures of the reviewed gear, which got me thinking about what readers want, which got me to thinking about who us readers are, as a group.
I seem to recall that we skew about 98.5% male, with a high percentage of those men being of an age that makes them ITTG (invisible to teenage girls.)
Then, I started thinking about Lee Atwater and Karl Rove. Don't ax me why.
So, I'm thinking here's what ya gotta do to make boatloads of cash for Stereophile:
1) Taken from Rove and Atwater: Since your base is solidly male, forsake trying to appeal to the ladies. Seriously, Atwater realized that black people and gay people rarely voted Republican, and he realized that by alientating and villifying those groups, he'd actually attract more voters than he lost if he were to ignore or even antagonize the gay and black vote.
Stereophile could do the same by writing off the chicks once and for all, and starting to be more manly.
Instead of worrying that some delicate sensibility may be offended by a chick with big hooters holding an audio tube (by the way, can you believe that actually bothered some people?) go for the brass ring and use pictures of naked chicks adjusting a turntable, or have two naked oily chicks trying to tie each other up with Tara Labs cables.
In just two or three issues, I bet readership would double.
So, first, write off the chicks and go for increased male readership.
2) Whenever an ad has any sort of TV screen in it, go with rule number one and put naked chicks on it, or go with a worthy alternative and use the guys/sports connection.
A big Screen TV that has some clown dressed up as Pagliacci (my favorite joke of the day) will not sell as many TV's or stereos as a screen shot of a great football hit taking place. Well, maybe some girl on girl action would work, too.
Either way, the guy reading the ad might say to himself, "Hey, I remember that, and it/they didn't look/sound as good on my TV as they do in that ad. I'm gonna buy that."
3) Insist that in all the audio ads, any shot of a component system or speaker include the required wiring. Guys can relate to that. You don't have to try and fool us with the old "no wires anywhere" BS. That's for chicks and interior designers.
Ads with wiring could be shared by manufacturers, and could do two additional things:
A) Give subliminal pointers
about good cable hygeine.
B) Get a guy to go, "Yeah!
Those Silversmith cables look like
they sound great. And they look
great, too! I'm gonna buy some."
More realistic ads will sell more stuff to guys.
Include some beer posters on the walls, or that one on black velvet with the dayglo painting of the naked chick's torso and you'd be golden. Free hint: If you want to sell black-finish gear, use some Nagel prints.
4) Instead of Art Dudley talking about his Berkeley political bonafides, have him use some sports or sex analogies.
Instead of, "While this country is being handled in a fiscally irresponsible manner by the current conservative administration that at the same time promotes a neo-fascist social agenda..." have Art go with, "Dudes, I talked this chick into coming back to my place after I met her at Scores. As soon as she saw the studly wand on my tonearm, her clothes flew off faster than my Quads can handle a violin transient. The bass from the new REL subwoofer made her shiver like a nervous chihuahua...it was great. The I pretended to cuddle, threw back some Jack, and watched the Bears crush the Saints while she made chili."
I think those Velodyne ads with Alex Smith may be a glimpse of this already starting to happen. 
5) You could also start a coulmn "Systems That Got Me Laid."
Now, I realize we're all audiophiles here, so it would require a different author each month, but I'd be able to cover the first couple year's worth to get the ball rolling. 
6) Combine the High End Show with an AVN event and have alternating rooms/exhibits at the show. I bet there'd be significant "cross pollenation." It would also make for lively articles recapping the show.
Heck, you could even cross promote and have something like "Debbie Does Dynaudio."
It would also give whole new meaning to the term "sounded like live in the next room."
OK, that's a start.
What else do all you manly men think Sterophile could do to kick things up a notch?
(Disclaimer: This is all in preparation for April first.)
Hola,
I was just over at another Hi FI site and saw someone asking for certain types of pictures of the reviewed gear, which got me thinking about what readers want, which got me to thinking about who us readers are, as a group.
I seem to recall that we skew about 98.5% male, with a high percentage of those men being of an age that makes them ITTG (invisible to teenage girls.)
Then, I started thinking about Lee Atwater and Karl Rove. Don't ax me why.
So, I'm thinking here's what ya gotta do to make boatloads of cash for Stereophile:
1) Taken from Rove and Atwater: Since your base is solidly male, forsake trying to appeal to the ladies. Seriously, Atwater realized that black people and gay people rarely voted Republican, and he realized that by alientating and villifying those groups, he'd actually attract more voters than he lost if he were to ignore or even antagonize the gay and black vote.
Stereophile could do the same by writing off the chicks once and for all, and starting to be more manly.
Instead of worrying that some delicate sensibility may be offended by a chick with big hooters holding an audio tube (by the way, can you believe that actually bothered some people?) go for the brass ring and use pictures of naked chicks adjusting a turntable, or have two naked oily chicks trying to tie each other up with Tara Labs cables.
In just two or three issues, I bet readership would double.
So, first, write off the chicks and go for increased male readership.
2) Whenever an ad has any sort of TV screen in it, go with rule number one and put naked chicks on it, or go with a worthy alternative and use the guys/sports connection.
A big Screen TV that has some clown dressed up as Pagliacci (my favorite joke of the day) will not sell as many TV's or stereos as a screen shot of a great football hit taking place. Well, maybe some girl on girl action would work, too.
Either way, the guy reading the ad might say to himself, "Hey, I remember that, and it/they didn't look/sound as good on my TV as they do in that ad. I'm gonna buy that."
3) Insist that in all the audio ads, any shot of a component system or speaker include the required wiring. Guys can relate to that. You don't have to try and fool us with the old "no wires anywhere" BS. That's for chicks and interior designers.
Ads with wiring could be shared by manufacturers, and could do two additional things:
A) Give subliminal pointers
about good cable hygeine.
B) Get a guy to go, "Yeah!
Those Silversmith cables look like
they sound great. And they look
great, too! I'm gonna buy some."
More realistic ads will sell more stuff to guys.
Include some beer posters on the walls, or that one on black velvet with the dayglo painting of the naked chick's torso and you'd be golden. Free hint: If you want to sell black-finish gear, use some Nagel prints.
4) Instead of Art Dudley talking about his Berkeley political bonafides, have him use some sports or sex analogies.
Instead of, "While this country is being handled in a fiscally irresponsible manner by the current conservative administration that at the same time promotes a neo-fascist social agenda..." have Art go with, "Dudes, I talked this chick into coming back to my place after I met her at Scores. As soon as she saw the studly wand on my tonearm, her clothes flew off faster than my Quads can handle a violin transient. The bass from the new REL subwoofer made her shiver like a nervous chihuahua...it was great. The I pretended to cuddle, threw back some Jack, and watched the Bears crush the Saints while she made chili."
I think those Velodyne ads with Alex Smith may be a glimpse of this already starting to happen.
5) You could also start a coulmn "Systems That Got Me Laid."
Now, I realize we're all audiophiles here, so it would require a different author each month, but I'd be able to cover the first couple year's worth to get the ball rolling.
6) Combine the High End Show with an AVN event and have alternating rooms/exhibits at the show. I bet there'd be significant "cross pollenation." It would also make for lively articles recapping the show.
Heck, you could even cross promote and have something like "Debbie Does Dynaudio."
It would also give whole new meaning to the term "sounded like live in the next room."
OK, that's a start.
What else do all you manly men think Sterophile could do to kick things up a notch?
(Disclaimer: This is all in preparation for April first.)