Tuesday, April 13, 2004

How not to sell subscriptions

I've read the New Republic for years. Terrific writing, moderate politics, fascinating POV reports. And a great notes from the field section. But recently, I let my subscription lapse. Why? Was it a stand - did an article offend me? Nope.

What happened is this: I just couldn't justify in my mind paying $80 per year for it. So I let the sub expire. Well, yesterday I got a letter from them pleading with me to re-up. They even offered me a special rate to re-subscribe...

$79.95. The exact same rate I rejected before. Maybe at some point I'll get another new subscriber-type offer from them, with a _real_ reasonable rate of, say, $30 or so. If that happens, I'll subscribe again, but I sure as heck am not paying that kind of money for a semi-weekly newsmagazine. They obviously Do Not Get It.

Not only that, but since the downtown newsstand by the train station has been offering the Boston Globe for $.25 lately (as opposed to the regular $.50) I even go out of my way if need be to save the daily quarter. And I'm going to drop $80 on TNR? Sheesh.

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