Saturday, November 23, 2013

Magazines?

There used to be a time when I spent my monthly allowance on magazines. They're my guilty pleasure. Of course Internet was not readily available then. Now with a "smart phone" (genius phone for deleting my contacts twice) it's easier and more readily available that Internet is. I find that I spent my time online more often. 

In more recent years, I used to subscribed to Cosmopolitan. Well for two years actually. Like the past two years, when the magazine is finally in Singapore. As in their own version of it. I was excited cause a girl of 20s, you kind of need to learn to be a woman you know. It's an open topic and it's a modern world now, women can't lose out. Lose out to who? To ignorant! 

We need to learn. About skills and positions and health and pleasure. For them and the man. Even if you're single there's no harm in learning. Heck I want to be good at it. 

Anyway, I soon realize the magazine is wonderful. They have awesome tips. Especially if you own your own house. Preferable with a two story house. Great if you have money too cause the restaurants are in the $30 and above prices. Looks good, but hope you have the cash to eat there. Like $30 is not much, but for a salad that's something. I will be able to afford that one day when I'm working. Spa treatments I want that. I really don't think Cosmopolitan Singapore is targeted at girls who live in HDB houses with their parents and siblings. As a Singapore women magazine, I really hope they target these women. Like focus on the culture of BTOing and ROM first before moving into your new HDB flat. Sure you can always rent out a place. But seriously, financially smart, the money use for rental is better being use for paying your mortgage. That's the smart way to handle cash. Rental will cost you $2k? That can be use as monthly BTO house payment wouldn't that be more feasible? Unless you are super rich, or can't live in your childhood home anymore. 

My favorite feature in Cosmopolitan Was the buy now, buy later and buy in future or something like that. Basically they show 3 kinds of something e.g. shoes, and for one design they show us 3 options. The least expensive you can buy now cause you probably can afford it if you're an average girl in Singapore. Then the middle pricing where you can buy if you have extra cash. Lastly the expensive probably branded ones where you can hope your friends and family pitch in together to get for you. Or wait for that bonus to get it. That feature is gone. 

Now and again I picked up Cleo. I always forgot how much advertisement are there. And it's pretty much the same in every magazine or Singapore's "billboard" aka bus stop ads. So it's boring. And the articles just doesn't interest me. Sure there's some that catches my eyes but nothing that says omg I love this mag. Is not that the writers are bad but I don't see anything applicable to me. 

At least Teens and Teenage have dear aunt column where it can be helpful and applicable and the target audience is pretty much on par. 

Why can't the women magazines differentiate themselves?

Recently I picked up Herworld. I finally knew its for 30-40s age group. Maybe even 50s. So it wasn't for me. But seriously when they ask some guys the street some question, those guys are way off. The guys are pretty much younger. You're asking a 20 something years old guy if he will ask a girl out again if she had rejected him once. As a 40 years old woman I will hope guys in their 30-50s have the same mindset as these young adults. Ya I sure hope. 

Again it's the target group. Unless you feature hot guys who are into cougars I think you should bring out guys in the same age group. The point of view really varies with different age. So target wisely. 

Really feel so blah after reading magazines. I don't think I'll be buying anymore Singapore magazines unless they have a really good freebies. Or if I heard that the magazine cater to me life or needs or even wants. Not dishing the people who work at magazines. I mean they work hard and I know that. But they really need to learn to closer to home. 

Like who need sweaters and coats when you are living in Singapore. But you can always do a spread for traveling to cold places. I don't mind seeing the sweaters and coats and boots then. 

And like my sis now only buy magazines cause she want the poster of some Kpop. 

Is it just me or do people feel the same way about magazines nowadays?

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