By not publishing a monthly TopTV subscriber magazine as pay TV operators does across the world,TopTV is actively choosing to loose out on marketing, consumer awareness and possible subscriber retention. Most of all however, by not providing a monthly TopTV subscriber magazine to subscribers, the pay TV operator that will be one year old at the end of this month is failing to providing basic customer care and information in the crucial area of monthly schedules of its available channels. A subscriber magazine for pay TV operators is probably the main driver to make current subscribers aware of what's generally on in terms of TV content for a month, coax them to upgrade to a better bouquet, and to talk to subscribers in an unfiltered, longform format.
TopTV that haven't started a subscriber magazine and doesn't seem inclined to do so anytime soon, isn't providing specific reasons why it's not servicing subscribers with a monthly TV guide magazine and comprehensive listings.
TopTV that was asked on Friday to comment regarding its view on its more than seeming reluctance to start a TopTV subscriber magazine as well as other questions regarding this issue, didn't respond for this article.
For specific programming awareness TopTV does use social media, does have an electronic programme guide (EPG) containing scheduling for up to 4 days in the future and a drop-down online schedule doing the same. TopTV has send out sporadic, non-regular emails with some brief show info. None of these however contain detailed programming information, and none gives a monthly overview. It also doesn't align with what and who the supposed bulk of TopTV's subscriber base is and the LSM brackets TopTV says its targeting, people who – in South Africa – still have limited internet access.
While several South African clothing stores, cellular operators like Vodacom and even medical aids post monthly subscriber magazines to their account holding clients, TopTV refuses. Interestingly, these companies recognize the worth of custom publishing and of distributing their own monthly magazine, even though the bulk of their account holders or club members' monthly payment would be less than TopTV's lowest monthly subscription of R99. Yet it's worth it for them. It's perplexing why TopTV who nets more from a monthly TopTV subscriber in terms of payment have not yet approached a custom publisher in South Africa to produce a magazine (even a regularly mailed pamphlet would be a good start), while a Foschini, an Edgars, a Vodacom or a Clicks all do monthly magazines for account holders who often pay even less.
For more click on READ MORE below.
During the course of a month TV viewers keep going back to it as a general reference guide for what to watch, especially when the online or EPG guide don't work, or where people have limited or no internet connectivity.
A pay TV subscriber magazine also positively alters viewing behaviour. Some subscribers might actually watch more television, which is what you'd think a pay TV operator would like its subscribers to do. With a monthly TV listings guide, pay TV subscribers who pay for television because they actually want more of it, make future programming choices further in advance and beyond just a few days or a week. They're more interested and slightly more pro-active because they want television and because they're paying for it.
For pay TV operators subscriber magazines are the best marketing tool to get current subscribers on a lower bouquet to upgrade (ooh! Look all these other channels!) to a more expensive bouquet - even if the magazine doesn't contain upsell articles (just the mere inclusion of schedules already entice readers). And after a month's passed, an old subscriber magazine is still an ongoing marketing tool for potential subscribers who see one laying around and might pick it up. So it's also a new subscriber driver.
After a year in commercial operation and as month after month rolls by, TopTV keeps missing out on all of these opportunities to provide a monthly TV guide listing service in print and to market itself much better than what it's currently doing through this integral service which it is sadly lacking.
