Content vs. Revenues

Here’s a quandary, and one which I am sure many Editors will relate to during credit-crunched times.

What’s more important – content quality or protecting magazine revenues?

Most editors I know will answer ‘both’ and for the most part I agree wholeheartedly….but…

I have a PR who is controlling the advertising budget for a client – a pretty large client in their industry sector. Said client receives regular monthly News coverage. Rightly so, as they are of interest to the readership of the magazine.

However, when it comes to spending a bit of cash on advertising in the magazine, the PR (on behalf of the client) is cagey, reticent and somewhat obtuse – even though I have seen the PR’s client advertising in other Trade magazines in the past.

So, the quandary is…to reduce the PR’s coverage and push for revenues coming in to demonstrate a mutually-beneficial relationship is occuring, OR to continue the current monthly News coverage for the client, in the readership’s interest?

The PR is woolly, fluffy and demonstrating time-delaying tactics, the readership deserves quality content, whilst the Chairman of the company expects revenues from clients which gain consistent and positive PR-based editorial coverage in the magazines across the portfolio.

It seems impossible to keep all three parties happy!

What would you do? I do not have this issue with any of the other magazines in the portfolio…tricky times indeed.