How can my local magazine combat a new rival magazine thats backed by millions with a mission to put me out? -

Here is the Skinny. I have a magazine that I started and it now has about 50 advertisers. When I started it, the local media (who compete for the same ad dollars) was in support. Kind of a go ahead and try it, laugh it off, ill never make it thing. Well now that I have printed one each month for over a year and got my client list up, they are pissed. They is the newspaper. It is owned by a larger company that has nearly twenty newspapers across the country. So, im cutting into their market share and the head office tells the local paper here to launch a magazine. It can be said they did it as a good business move but honest truth is my publication was targeted. (People who work there told me they have meetings where my magazine is the focus and the big boss is always coming in for them.)There magazine doesn t have my quality but they have a huge sales force and money to back it up, they can afford to print thicker, pay more employees to get content and even loose money if they have to. I started mine with nothing and do not have much reserve capital. I have ran my cost close to revenue to make sure the magazine is always as good as possible (Pages, number of issues, etc.) The lower quality is being turned into a marketing tool, lol actually clever here, they are calling it the Older generations magazine and trying to make it out like mine is for kids. Which it isnt. I just have have fresh and modern graphic design and layouts. There sales people are bad mouthing my publication, under cutting my prices and targeting my clients. I ran a fake ad with a cell number just to see if they would call... they did.So, while I can do the whole, Just keep making a good magazine and stay positive thing, I was hoping someone would have a few ideas. I even tried to think of a movei where something like this happened in an effort to emulate the success of the underdog chericter but I can t think of one lol.Any ideas? (P.S. I promise I am not just crying about competition. This is really a dirty game here.)

I would need more information on nature of magazine, target segment etcFew things I can think of I would advise you to try and get your customers in to subscription so that you secure them.Since your competitor has ample money manpower your way out is only through quality content.Try to cater better to the needs of locals, provide some unique insights, human mind is the most powerful tool unleash yours.On the other side try not to lose out on advertisers.Try providing add ons through your website or email.

Capitalism is a *****

look for investors so you can compete on a fair level.or just continuing working on it and see if the other company gets bored.most newspapers are going bankrupt, they do not have millions to spend on opening a magazine, or hiring extra people, and certainly don t have money to loose. Opening a news magazine is not the way for them to make a profit. Maybe your local market doesn t know this but the higher ups do.A perfect example: In 2007 the Orange County Register (OC, CA) opened a magazine called the OC Post geared to be sort of the USA Today but regional. It lasted only months. Since then the newspaper has laid off hundreds of people. That newspaper is still open. But there are many more that aren t Chicago Sun, Denver Post, San Jose Review etc.

The question is really how effective is your magazine in producing results for your advertisers. Do a study of some important customers on how effective your magazine is for them? What is their return on investment when they place ads in your magazine? Are they getting better quality customers as a result of using your magazine? Are you delivering a better demographic?It all comes down to numbers ... show how you can be more effective than your competition and why you care about them (vs. just running ads).

Call or write everyone of those 50 loyal customers. Let them know you understand there may be alternative advertising being offered. You have proved yourself, they are just getting started.Believe me your customers, understand competition. Let them know your not rolling over, your willing to go the extra mile on their artwork, copy, ideas, anything to make your magazine the one with value added services no huge salesforce or deep pockets can match. Give what you can, extra months of adds, extra copy lines. Year end rebates for staying with you.If you do the above. I can almost guarantee if you build it, they will come . Establish an advertiser hot line, any advertiser that calls in advertising successes and leaves a full report for other potential advertisers to review, with name and dates....gets something free....!!!!!!!