andicap
07-09-2003, 03:56 PM
I was greatly disappointed to see a handicapper I greatly respect, Steve Davidowitz write a full-page ad for the American Racing Manual in Simulcast Weekly this week disguised as a regular feature piece.
Simul Weekly promotes its publcation partly by touting the informative handicapping articles that appear each week --- sometimes we get two!.
In the last few months, the publication began the disturbing process of providing exercepts from the new DRF books -- a form of cross promotion that adds nothing if you have already bought the book. Yes, plenty of magazines provide excerpts for books but the self-promotion disguised as an article made Simul Weekly look like a marketing arm of the DRF rather than a helpful publication in its own right.
Still, the book excerpts did at least carry some informative handicapping
info from the books and most people hadn't read them yet.
But this week's article promoting the purchase of the American Racing Manual really crossed the line. Davidowitz, supposedly known for his independence, traded in his good name as an advocate for the handicapper-fan, to shamelessly plug the Manual that he works for.
Filling the pages of Simulcast Weekly with shameless ads for DRF products disguised as informative handicapping articles is a good way to
turn off your readership. I don't mind ads for DRF products when they are labeled as such -- that's the advantage of cross-promotion -- but including a "story" from a "respected" handicapper that is merely an ad is a cynical and
sorry act.
P.S. Does anyone here even buy the ARM?
Simul Weekly promotes its publcation partly by touting the informative handicapping articles that appear each week --- sometimes we get two!.
In the last few months, the publication began the disturbing process of providing exercepts from the new DRF books -- a form of cross promotion that adds nothing if you have already bought the book. Yes, plenty of magazines provide excerpts for books but the self-promotion disguised as an article made Simul Weekly look like a marketing arm of the DRF rather than a helpful publication in its own right.
Still, the book excerpts did at least carry some informative handicapping
info from the books and most people hadn't read them yet.
But this week's article promoting the purchase of the American Racing Manual really crossed the line. Davidowitz, supposedly known for his independence, traded in his good name as an advocate for the handicapper-fan, to shamelessly plug the Manual that he works for.
Filling the pages of Simulcast Weekly with shameless ads for DRF products disguised as informative handicapping articles is a good way to
turn off your readership. I don't mind ads for DRF products when they are labeled as such -- that's the advantage of cross-promotion -- but including a "story" from a "respected" handicapper that is merely an ad is a cynical and
sorry act.
P.S. Does anyone here even buy the ARM?