Sunday, 27 January 2013

Monopoly, Duopoly, Triopoly....?

This may come as a surprise to some, but I live a second life. On a part time basis, I also work within the Motorsport Media industry, mostly via my own mediums, but often on a freelance basis too. My work has been published in several nationwide publications and websites, and I maintain a very strong fanbase in the world of social media too.  Full reports, editorial/opinion, Press releases...I do the lot - and I enjoy it.
Weird huh? I definitely think so myself. For several hours a week, I am very much a Liberal Punk rock kid, immersed in a Conservative, manly culture. Only a few close friends will ever get to know both sides. Even my family know me as either one or the other. I'm not hiding anything, That's just how it is. But enough with the back story...

Anyway, My main brand (seemingly) came to a grinding halt yesterday with the unveiling of a new player in the market. The big boys had finally arrived. A new publication was announced, owned by a Media company who have been a player for a while now. But with one difference - this particular company, with their portfolio of five (soon to be six) publications do things a little bit differently; they only release digital versions of their publications. So unless you have a Kindle, iPad or Galaxy tablet, chances are you aren't going to be able to read anything they publish. I personally find these digital only publications a good opportunity to make money; less overheads than a "traditional" magazine, yet can be sold for the same price as a "traditional" magazine . Using this model, it's easy to see how this particular Media company has grown large in a short space of time.
I can see some issues however; The aforementioned media company hasn't listed their personnel, or credentials as of yet for their new publication. Observing the editorial lists of their other magazines, most of their key contributors seems to be foreign based. This is great if you want to cover International action, but most certainly a long way from what their Mission Statement suggests. I am struggling to anticipate what may come.  
For a long time, I prided myself in being the only organisation that specialised in the one particular form of Motorsport that I cover, and doing so in my own little organic D.I.Y kind of way - a one man band. I kind of predicted that another player would happen to come along at some stage; their arrival however just caught me by surprise. All of which means that I will have to lift my game. After all, a bit of competition can only be good.
And if another player so wishes to enter the fray, I'm all for it - just let me know first... :)


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