What makes a high-end magazine…the ads? I don’t think so. In Marketing Class I found out that Self magazine was considered a high end magazine. I have to say I was stunned. I took a look at some of the ads and I couldn’t position that magazine anywhere near a magazine like Vogue or even Elle. Most of the actual ads in Self are for everyday products that you can buy in the local pharmacy like Covergirl and Revlon. This certainly didn’t shriek “high-end” to me.

Then I took a closer look. Once you actually read Self you will see that the classification of high-end pertains to Self’s position as an opinion leader and not to the class of ads. You see, Self’s writer’s often lay out their opinions on everything from healthcare to hygiene to clothing and food. All of these opinions point to one thing: endorsement. The thumbs up in Self lend a far greater “pull” to the reader than actual ads. If I were an advertiser, I sure would want my hotdog to make the healthy cut in the top 10 healthy foods article. So I’ve discovered that product placement in Self is actually less expensive and more effective. I could see companies tripping all over themselves sending in samples to be included in the next edition.

Sure there are low-end ads for Walmart. Unfortunately, most of the products endorsed in the articles more than likely won’t be found at a Walmart. For instance, April’s article titled “Look Younger By Your Next Birthday” is boasting $50 facial scrub by Estee Lauder and $42 Peptides to fight wrinkles not to mention High Resolution megamoisturizers that cost $75. I found that I could be “sweet and sassy” in a jacket from Tibi for $395 – basically because Self says so and it did so on the page facing a full page ad for ACT Total Care. Basic advertisers such as Walmart, Welch’s and other national brands foot the bill for magazines like Self through advertising but it is the opinion leader articles that fulfill the desire for high-end products for the readers.

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