Magazine renewal messages can be sweet or sour

Magazines, facing fears of slipping circulation, now are sending out multi-renewal pitches months ahead of subscription expiration dates, notes Grumpy Editor.  For many readers, a subscription renewal is now followed within weeks by a message to, yes, renew for the next time around.

Either circulation promotion folks think readers are absent minded or there is great worry from upper management to get those renewals rolling in early and into the bank.

A bit of PR should be injected into some renewal mailouts.

Example:  Money magazine, in the Time Inc. family, sends out renewal reminders to subscribers a half year prior to current expiration dates.  But wait.  That’s when the “third renewal notice” goes into the mail.  With it, a separate form message, identified as coming from the circulation manager, is rather gruff.  Its opening line reads:

“This is the 3RD NOTICE we have sent about your MONEY subscription.  We have yet to hear from you.  It’s important that you take action NOW…”

Those words sound like a warning communication from the Internal Revenue Service.

That compares with a sweeter Money reminder three months earlier --- and eight months before renewal time.  It listed subscriber benefits, proclaiming, “A whole array of personal finance and investment services along with your subscription.”  The detailed benefits form, over the publisher’s name and signature, was accompanied by a brochure also focusing on benefits.

This leaves subscribers wondering if upcoming renewal notices will be sweet or sour.