<--ooOoOoo--*--**_ooOo* Remnants // of // a // Shooting // Star .........//

Dearest Visitor:

^.^ Hello. Pleasure to meet you. You have just entered perhaps the most popular section of my website. This is the magazine section of my site, in which includes many articles, ads, and periodicals of PGSM published in a variety of magazines. Over the months, I have received many emails from people world wide, telling me that they're glad this section exists because they would've never been able to track the magazine down, where they live. THAT, or they couldn't afford it. It has also come to my attention that the magazine section also worries people, about whether or not its taking money away from the creators of Sailor Moon. SO, I present to you a short lesson in marketing.

In a "educational" video that I watched in my Marketing Class during the senior year of high school, I learned that magazines was a ultimate marketing tool. The sole reasons of a magazine is very much like the internet: It informs, promotes, shares, entertain, markets, and most of all, it tries to sell the reader a "product." In the United States, the typical marketing magazine would be YM, Teen People, Glamour, Animerica, Rolling Stones, etc.. There are hundreds of titles. They're equivalent to titles in Japan like Melon, Seventeen, Fools Mate, Hiho, Animage, etc..

How the "marketing" process work begins with what the magazine has to sell. I'll use the American magazine Rolling Stones for an example. Over the years, the most sold out Rolling Stones magazine would be any issue with Britney Spears on the cover. The magazine pays Britney Spears for an interview, along with a couple of photos. Then, the magazine will contact hundreds of ad companies, informing them that Britney Spears will be in the magazine, therefore will sell a lot. The ad companies will think, "Hey... If so many people are going to pay just to read about Britney, then we should put our ads in the magazine. It means that a lot more people will see the ads!" So the ad companies PAY the magazines to publish an article, an ad, or whatever in the magazine. The goal of this, is to shove as much as what they're selling out to the world. The magazine benefits from this because despite the fact that they had to pay Britney a couple of thousand for an interview, ad companies will pay a LOT more than that sum to get their stuff in the issue. PLUS, when the magazine sells, the magazine company will profit as well. So that is the process. Which is why so many new magazine companies pop up all over the place because its a very profitable business.

It works the same way in Japan as well. The PGSM company will pay to put their articles, toys, ads, or whatever inside magazines. They're trying to expose the show as much as possible to as many people they can. Occassionally, magazines will also pay the PGSM company for an interview or two with the actresses to attract "certain" people to buy the magazines. Then they will run their ads for other shows like Kamen Rider, Power Rangers, Cutie Honey, etc..

The magazine company is really a never ending marketing cycle. Its very similar to how the television works as well. They have the Super Bowl event, and commercial companies will pay up to $2.5 million dollars to put in ONE commercial ( Which is why commercials during the Super Bowl are always so amusing ). Its all about promoting and putting the images and message out there as much as possible.

Also, when magazine companies pay Britney Spears for an interview, she gets a FLAT payment. Meaning that it doesn't matter how many magazine sells. She would not get a percentage of every magazine that sold. Its the same with Sailor Moon. The company gets a flat fee for the press release that they'll allow the magazine to do. But no matter how many issue the magazine sells, the Sailor Moon company will not get a percentage of it.

Something I also noticed now, is when I buy DVDs or VHS. Inside the video or disc, it comes with this little card that asks, "Where did you find out about this product?" And then it'll have a couple of choices like TV, bill board, or magazines. If you check "magazines," it'll ask you which magazine did you see it in. The more people who say a particular magazine, the more the company will advertise in that magazine.

Whether or not my magazine section effects the Sailor Moon company, you can decide. =) But please, if you see a magazine you really like, BUY IT. Even if the marketing process isn't effected, you should still look at the moral behind it. I buy the magazines, pull out the articles and put them into a album. This already ensures that I will have a photobook that no one else in the world will have. If you can, buy the magazines and start your own photobook too. It will leave you with a very satisfied feeling knowing you own one. =) Enjoy everyone.

Itsumo no,
Chibi