Scorpion 'news'

While nothing gives me more pleasure than to see the Scorpion class getting a mention on my favourite web site, this recently posted article http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/?article=22976 is an example of an increasingly all too common sight which I am concerned may - or already has - become an accepted norm'.

I am talking of course about blatant adverts parading around as news in their fully revealed headlines, complete with 'stop press', and 'the greatest manufacturers do it again......... can there really be any need not to shop anywhere else'. 

The fathers of this abomination - the Americans - refer to them as infomercials, but for our friends over the pond, there seems to be less of a clear divide between saying you do one thing (e.g. give news) and flogging stuff for a big company.

I hope this trend apparent is just that and in some time to come lovers of the sailing press at Yand Y'ting can continue to read the news with their cynicism in their proverbial pockets.

P.S. Well done to anyone who managed to read this before it got axed from the site as others have........ damn people expressing opinion - makes you sick! 

Originally posted by Bumble P.S. Well done to anyone who managed to read this before it got axed from the site as others have........ damn people expressing opinion - makes you sick!

Despite all the respect I owe to your grey hair and your acerbic sense of humour, dear Bumble, I think you're being a little unfair.
As far as I know, posts are deleted only when they are abusive or offensive, and those members are firmly asked to pollute someone else's site. I have never seen posts deleted only because they expressed an opinion on the Y&Y website. On the contrary, Mark and his team have often taken criticism into account to make the site easier to navigate, and not totally swamped by adverts. Most "infomercials" are clearly labelled and link to the dealer's website. Nothing sneaky there. Besides, they all have to earn a living...

Being an astute, discerning gentleman, you can easily distinguish between reports and adverts. I have the feeling many others can do this too

(No need to reply with all guns blazing. I'm not being ironic or sarcastic, only trying to present another view, xxx)

 

Some of these articles (the Hyde ones for the 14's spring to mind) actually give a good insight into the workings of the classes at the (semi) professional end, and are well worth the read. Others are easily ignored. And they all help pay for this excellent non-subscription website, I believe.

One of the great difficulties in marketing a more complex product (than say a 'self-explanatory' product like toasters, irons or TV's) is making multiple points about the  product without taking out full page spreads and producing horribly wordy adverts.   If you look through magazines relating to any sports  like moutain biking, kayaking, golf or even football, all feature info-ads like the P&B, Hyde, or similar ads in Y&Y.

It doesn't make sense to spend marketing money on an advert which describes your product (i.e. "it's a really nice" Scorpion, Lark, 505 etc...) when the point you want to make is that it's a really successful xxxxxxx version - that's best put across with 'proof' ie. our new xxxxxxx won this Open and that Championship.

As Rupert says, some of these articles actually give you some good info and if you sail those classes are not very dissimilar to what you'd see in a class assoc newsletter or web posting.

The line that must be observed by the editors of Y&Y is the one where they have to be sure their content doesn't cross over into tacit or complicit 'praise' of an un-tested product in any particular class based on that product's manufacturer or distributors say-so.  For example, running an ad is running an ad, but putting that content into the 'news' section of a magazine isn't on.

But let's be fair, we can mostly tell the difference between information and info-commercials because we get them so many ways now anyhow...

Nice conspiracy theory dude.

Do you think we are monitored and used as a free focus group as to the attitudes of grass roots sailing in order to keep Y&Y relevant and contempary in todays fast based world?  Of course theres gonna be lots of funny looking carbon beasties showing up every issue, unless they developed a cherub filter....mmmmmm