Not too long ago, I happened across one of my neighbors for the first time. After introducing myself by name, the man said something that I hear quite often: “I know you – you’re the Advocate guy.”
Yes, I confessed, that’s me.
“I really like your magazine,” he said. “I always read it cover-to-cover. So what do I owe you?”
Now this was something I hadn’t heard before.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“What do I owe you for delivering the Advocate to me every month?”
I laughed and told him what I thought was obvious: A free publication generally comes with no strings or invoices attached.
But the question started me thinking, because each month, a debt is accruing here.
Actually, I owe each one of you something: My thanks for reading our magazine faithfully, contacting us frequently with story ideas, and patronizing the advertisers who fill our pages.
It has been said on more than one occasion that Dallas is the most competitive market for publications in the country. And while I can’t offer statistics to prove this statement, I can easily recite the names of more publications that have failed during the past few years than have survived.
I think one of the things that makes the Advocate different from so many other Dallas publications is that so many of you take a personal interest in our magazines.
Many of you are loyal not only to the Advocate, but also to the advertisers who make it possible to distribute our magazine to nearly 45,000 single-family households each month (and that doesn’t include another 20,000 Advocates in more than 200 rack locations throughout our neighborhoods).
With more than 125,000 readers and an average target household income of more than $85,000, the Advocate has quietly become one of Dallas’ most demographically desirable publications for advertisers.
(You may not know this, but no publication – not even the Morning News – is read by more people in our neighborhood.)
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s important to mention it again: Our growth and success is directly attributable to our advertisers, who pay all the bills here at the Advocate.
Many of these advertisers live or work in our neighborhood, and they like nothing better than to see neighborhood residents becoming their customers.
So I’m not asking you to send me any subscription money this month, but I will ask you to do me this favor: The next time you contact or buy something from one of our advertisers, please let them know that you heard about them in the Advocate.
I’m always happy when one of you recognizes me on the street or in the grocery store or at the restaurant, but I’m much happier if one of our advertisers recognizes you in their store or business as an Advocate reader.
That’s payment enough for me.
