Apples, Pears and Caviar

Imagine my surprise at receiving an email from one of Franschhoek's small local publications about their planned summer season relaunch, in which a direct price comparison was made to ad prices in The Month. I don't mind the mention but no call in advance of the mail and factual errors don't sit comfortably with me.

So to clear the air...

The Month offers the lowest rates compared to the local publication alluded to - whether calculated as a total cost or ito cents per copy.
The Month offers ad sizes as follows: Full page, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, 1/12, 1/16, 1/32 and has in fact run an ad of 3/16 and other irregular sizes too - as requested by its clients. We only do full colour ads as our readers don't expect anything less.
The Month presently distributes (on average) 6250 copies to the village and surrounds and at festivals and the new The Month Franschhoek-Paarl Advertiser will distribute a further 6000 copies to Franschhoek and Paarl as a pull-out in The Month. Useful numbers, loose inserts and limited editorial is included in the Advertiser. The relative costs are explained below.

At present The Month charges ads at the rates listed at www.themonth.co.za/advertising with a distribution of 12 000 copies to carefully chosen destinations in the Franschhoek and Cape Town regions. To directly compare the price of an ad in The Month to that in a 'competing' local publication without comparing the distribution or the number of copies distributed is questionable as is the suggestion that local businesses only need to advertise locally.

The Month distributes 6250 copies locally, not 5380 as indicated and using this figure, The Month's per copy price is almost identical to that indicated by the 'competing' local publication (the point above re distribution and copies distributed not withstanding). The new A3 pull-out Franschhoek-Paarl Advertiser will be launched in October and will feature useful numbers, a small amount of editorial and ads in sizes limited to 1/32, 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4 of a page. Prices start at R141.00 ex VAT.

The Month has proved to be a quality read that appeals to a discerning audience. It's apples and pears as far as it and any other publication is concerned.