ArrowSign

Thanks for the kind words. I was thinking a lot about this survey last night and into this morning. I mentioned the record industry because many of the music-related magazines had an unspoken policy that effectively required bands to pay for ads (CD releases, concerts) in order to get a CD or concert reviewed. And guess what? All the reviews were positive? There was no critical analysis of the music, no comparisons to anything negative and really nothing more useful than a bio on the band. A glorified ad, that always ran in the same issue as the paid ads. It is basically the publishing version of "Payola" (radio pay-to-play). As legal observers would note, the problem with Payola-type situations is not in promoting one band/brand over another. The problem is arbitrarily blocking relevant alternatives - eliminating choice in a free market. In the music business, like any other, the big boys would come in and throw their money around promoting their latest, greatest artists. They run up the ad prices and effectively eliminate the competition through lack of exposure. Only their artists' products were reviewed and featured, with maybe a ringer thrown in for credibility once in a while. I have written articles for SOT and SBI, and have never had this experience with them. I think you are on the right track. The sign industry needs a new magazine dedicated to transparency and knowledge-sharing. Like a Consumer Reports for sign products. I would like to see, for example, two LED manufacturers sit in a studio and back up their claims against each other a la the "Deadliest Warrior" TV show. Ask tough questions until we get straight answers. Argument/Rebuttal - all that. Like a debate. A clear winner and loser. Having a magazine dedicated to that sort of thing would help educate customers on the whole "apples to apples" comparisons, and provide much needed insight into a fast-changing marketplace. Better yet, it would make a pretty sweet web-show too. Like that "Does it Blend?" guy on YouTube. Maybe SignPeople.TV isn't a bad idea. Maybe web video is a better venue for this sort of review? It would be awfully powerful on video.

Wow - I'm a bit shocked at how jaded and cynical we've become as a group. I feel like I'm back in the record industry. I had a recent experience with one of the magazines listed, and it was smooth and professional from the beginning. We didn't pay for an ad, and there was no quid pro quo on any aspect of the project. We were on the cover, and featured on four or five pages inside. Then again, I am a marketing genius and all-around nice guy. Nice! Love the drummer emoticon!! >>> http://www.facebook.com/jlilly?v=box_3#!/video/video.php?v=1517029607773