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How much do companies pay to get featured in Freeskier?
I unsubscribed from Freeskier mag years ago, but they still send me the buyers guide every summer. I am blown away by some of the crap that they include in their top gear lists.
Does anybody know how much they get paid to include shit like Marker Griffons, or Line supernaturals? They don't give the slightest bit of credit to high quality brands like ON3P, panda poles, bloom, ect.
I'm not trying to start another holy war on Freeskier magazine, but I'm pretty curious how they actually choose the "best" gear.
This is what is on their rate card -- note that the actual price is probably a lot lower than advertised.
Buyer’s Guide Brand Directory
This advertorial section offers advertisers a 2-page platform to highlight 3 new and exciting products through compelling words and imagery. Each product gets a 50-word writeup and MSRP in addition to visual call outs of new and/or technical features that make the products stand out. We’ll work with your team so that the tone and verbiage perfectly represents your brand.
MousseauThis is what is on their rate card -- note that the actual price is probably a lot lower than advertised.
Buyer’s Guide Brand Directory
This advertorial section offers advertisers a 2-page platform to highlight 3 new and exciting products through compelling words and imagery. Each product gets a 50-word writeup and MSRP in addition to visual call outs of new and/or technical features that make the products stand out. We’ll work with your team so that the tone and verbiage perfectly represents your brand.
Price: $18,350
I believe that is for the ending pages just on the brands. That is obviously just advertisement for the brands.
no wonder print magazines have been dying a slow death. i hate to see them go, but it's almost impossible to find any mag worth reading (outside of maybe powder, which is occasionally, sometimes decent) at any newsstand. you basically have to have a subscription to get the good stuff, which not many people are willing to do. even big box bookstores like barnes and noble are dying. makes me sad :( crazy times we live in
and yea have you seen the free skier snapchats? the test out the ski for one run. thats not enough to rate a ski.
blister gear review is good but they're kinda whiney;)
good thing about most skis now a days is that they're good. honestly i rave about on3p and truly believe they're the best but you could put me on some random all mountain ski from armada or salamon and I'm sure id be happy with them and have fun.
Hopefully none of the magazines are bothered by me posting on this, but alas...this is my take.
SconnieI unsubscribed from Freeskier mag years ago, but they still send me the buyers guide every summer. I am blown away by some of the crap that they include in their top gear lists.
Does anybody know how much they get paid to include shit like Marker Griffons, or Line supernaturals? They don't give the slightest bit of credit to high quality brands like ON3P, panda poles, bloom, ect.
I'm not trying to start another holy war on Freeskier magazine, but I'm pretty curious how they actually choose the "best" gear.
Brands don't pay for awards, but they do pay for access to the test. Think of the tests like this: the magazine sells the brand an ad in the magazine - in this case it is the brand pages you see in the back and listing on the website - and including in that ad package is an invitation to the test.
As you can see by the listed amount, access isn't cheap. As an indie, the magazines do try and help us out on price, so it is not $18,000, but even so, with travel/lodging you are talking a ton of money for small brands.
I know the tests are doing what they can to improve the results and they do take them seriously. I've also seen tests where the testers are employed by the companies being tested or represent them as athletes, so read into that how you may.
Freeskier, for the record, only went to a pay-for-access test two years ago, but that also came with a change in format and a much longer test, so the change wasn't a surprise.
At the end of the day, you need to remember the magazines are a business like anything else. The ski tests are an asset, so there should be no surprise there is a financial component attached to them.
Dennis_Reynoldsthey include on3p, chill
We haven't attended (and thus been included in) Freeskier for two years now, as it is just hard for us to afford both Powder & Freeskier. Last year, we ended up cancelling our attendance and instead sent 2 guys on a 10-event, 2-week demo tour on the east coast for 25% the cost, and it sold a lot more skis than going to the test would have. We would like to be back and make both tests, but only if it is the best financial move for our company.
dreadnessmonsterI believe that is for the ending pages just on the brands. That is obviously just advertisement for the brands.
So, those pages in the back are technically what you are paying for. For example, we went to Powder Week this year, but what we are paying for, from an advertiser perspective, is that brand page. This is what we submitted to Powder this year...
I would finish by saying - the tests are what they are. The people running the tests take them seriously and want to put out good results. Are they then end all of ski tests? No. Are they really thorough like Blister? No. But, if you are buying a ski solely because it won a magazine award, I doubt you would be able to tell the difference between any of the skis in the test anyway. It is a guide, read them as such.
**This post was edited on Aug 27th 2016 at 9:05:41pm
KretzschmarThe only trustworthy reviews on ski gear, in my honest opinion, would be Blister Gear Review.
We also have reviews on here and I feel theyre fairly unbiased but that's besides the point.
Hey, thanks Matt, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside now.
.lenconblister gear review is good but they're kinda whiney;)
Dangit Lencon, I even skied with you! ;)
As Scott / others pointed out, that price is the price of being included with what is pretty clearly an ad. I personally think the ON3P ad is a genius response to this entire ecosystem. But I wish the pictures were weirder, I know I've seen way
better pictures of Kip and Shawn
The bigger problem is that Freeskier is calling anything the "Best." Supernaturals are a great ski for some people in some uses, but they're not the "best" ski. There is no "Best" ski, instead there is the right ski for you, your style, and the mountain you ski on.
That's the point of Blister, and that's why we spend a lot of time not sleeping and being whinny about skis. Our goal is to tell you about the strengths and weaknesses of a particular ski. And this next year, where I'll be reviewing all winter, instead of just mostly after SIA we'll hopefully be able to review much more gear that's of interest to NS. I grew up (as a skier) on here, and when I'm looking at reviewing stuff I spend a lot of time lurking in Gear Talk and Ski Gabber trying to figure out what kind of questions you guys are asking .
All that aside, supper interesting thread on the ecosystem of advertising / featuring skis. Always really cool stuff to learn about.
cydwhitHey, thanks Matt, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside now.
Dangit Lencon, I even skied with you! ;)
As Scott / others pointed out, that price is the price of being included with what is pretty clearly an ad. I personally think the ON3P ad is a genius response to this entire ecosystem. But I wish the pictures were weirder, I know I've seen way
better pictures of Kip and Shawn
The bigger problem is that Freeskier is calling anything the "Best." Supernaturals are a great ski for some people in some uses, but they're not the "best" ski. There is no "Best" ski, instead there is the right ski for you, your style, and the mountain you ski on.
That's the point of Blister, and that's why we spend a lot of time not sleeping and being whinny about skis. Our goal is to tell you about the strengths and weaknesses of a particular ski. And this next year, where I'll be reviewing all winter, instead of just mostly after SIA we'll hopefully be able to review much more gear that's of interest to NS. I grew up (as a skier) on here, and when I'm looking at reviewing stuff I spend a lot of time lurking in Gear Talk and Ski Gabber trying to figure out what kind of questions you guys are asking .
All that aside, supper interesting thread on the ecosystem of advertising / featuring skis. Always really cool stuff to learn about.
Yeah Blister is good, I'm always bummed out when you guys haven't reviewed a certain ski yet. And yes I'm glad you guys focus on the weaknesses as well as the strengths, but I personally find that you guys could not "hype" up the ski a bit more, but get more excitited. Even when I read your guys' bike reviews you all seem stoked, but I've read reviews on skis that just kinda turn you away from the ski even if it's a good ski. That's just me, I'm not sure how everyone else feels. You guys are definitely writing the reviews that need to be written, but maybe just a little more stoke would be good.
.lenconbut I personally find that you guys could not "hype" up the ski a bit more, but get more excitited.
What are you trying to say?
It sounds like youre essentially suggesting that they tone down the honesty in their reviews.
If they're not stoked on a ski for any reason don't you think that it's their duty to let people know if they really want to be an outlier in a world of nerfy and vague ski reviews? If thats what you want then you would be better off reading the freeskier buyers guide.
It sounds like youre essentially suggesting that they tone down the honesty in their reviews.
If they're not stoked on a ski for any reason don't you think that it's their duty to let people know if they really want to be an outlier in a world of nerfy and vague ski reviews? If thats what you want then you would be better off reading the freeskier buyers guide.
Im saying I've read some reviews where they liked the ski, but there was a lot of focus on the negative things about the ski. I know they need to address those things, but I think they should share the stoke on the more positive things they like.
If they hate the ski then don't lie, but if they like the ski also share the stoke on the good aspects of it.
.lenconIm saying I've read some reviews where they liked the ski, but there was a lot of focus on the negative things about the ski. I know they need to address those things, but I think they should share the stoke on the more positive things they like.
If they hate the ski then don't lie, but if they like the ski also share the stoke on the good aspects of it.
