Just how poor were the GQ downloads on the iPad? 365 downloads to be exact. Talk about underwhelming, considering the hype surrounding digital magazine downloads and the potential a tablet device could have. A breath of fresh air came from Pete Hunsinger, GQ VP, who according to iPodNN claimed that they see the iPad becoming a “major component” of their circulation model. Condé Nast executives could have have easily thrown the device under the bus, but it was pretty wise of them to reserve judgement until they wrap their head around their own price models.
Sure, the GQ iPad app comes in at $2.99, which is substantially less than the bookshelf price, but when Condé Nast offers up a GQ print subscription for a dollar per issue, we begin to wonder if they really get this whole thing. Twelve dollars would get me an entire year worth of GQ delivered to my door, but the same privilege for the iPad version would cost me $35.88, and we don’t even get a sexy GQ bag. Okay, that last part was sarcasm, but the argument remains the same.
Hunsinger says that the iPad edition cost them nothing extra to create, and that all sales up until now have been entirely profit, so we have to wonder why there’s a premium on the iPad edition.
Do you think the sales would be better if they offered a flat rate price for the entire year, much like they do with magazine subscriptions? I’m leaning toward yes, but traditional print magazines still have a huge fight on their hands. Blogs get you the same news a lot quicker, and they’re starting to get their own iPad apps; most of the time these blog apps are free to use (see the Mashable application as a prime example). Comments on the iTunes App Store seem to be just as split on the issue as I am. The reviewers seem to either love or hate the application, which isn’t really anything new either, considering the state of comment systems on the the internet.
We don’t have the answers, but if you think you might, let us know in the comments.
Article Via iPodNN
