Black Ink Magazine Is Terrible
It has been awhile since I last posted, sorry. However, I just received the latest issue of blank ink magazine, the centurion member magazine in the US (similar to departures, but way worse), and I was reminded of how terrible it is. I don’t think I have received one issue that I thought had a single remotely interesting article. Every issue is the same. They are full of ads for high end brands and then the articles are basically paid ads for other products we should buy. I mean really, you’d think American Express would want to send out something with substance to their wealthier/successful clients. Not some lame excuse to get advertising dollars out of companies.
Departures, I can handle and is pretty good from time to time. Black Ink is just bad. Honestly, unless it changes to something that has substance, I am going to start throwing them away without opening the plastic.
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Comments
I figured I should finally write about it, in hopes that someone from there reads it. Maybe, just maybe, they will do something about it
Good luck.
I think the most important thing is the advertising revenue they receive from the companies who place ads in the “magazine”. I’m sure they make quite a bit from it, but to call it a “benefit” for members is insulting at best.
Soon they will have telemarketers call your home and offer you “exclusive goods and services, as a benefit of membership”…
As well as the advertising fees, AMEX also make a fair bit if you buy the stuff so the point of the magazine is to persuade you to buy stuff.
I often get vouchers with my Amex credit card statements for companies such as wine clubs.
You see the voucher with £50 emblazoned on the front and then read the small print and realise that you have to spend x amount to get the £50 off.
No offence meant to anyone folks (very interesting site Admin) but what do you really expect?
Finance company sends you material to persuade you to buy more stuff using their card, I’d be rather surprised if it wasn’t made up mostly of ads.
If you want a good read, go and buy a magazine that covers what you’re interested in, in my case that would be PC Magazone or Top Gear (UK TV car show)
Oh errr Happy Holidays
I’ve seen a used issue of Black Ink on ebay starting at $9.99. So far, no takers… If anyone actually bids on it I’ll let you guys know.
Admin, if you have an ebay account you may wanna try selling your magazines, just for kicks if nothing else! :o)
Happy Holidays!!
UPDATE: Someone has bid on the magazine I mentioned in my last comment. Don’t throw away these magazines if you have an ebay sellers account!!! Apparantly, people will buy them.
It really is horrible. I told my travel concierge that the magazine should do features on its members. Many Cent members received the card because they know what they are doing. It would be nice to use it as a networking tool and to promote our respective businesses to one another.
Cool blog by the way. Glad I found it.
I’m surprised it even took you this long to come up with that revelation. Black Ink really is an embarrassing waste of paper and postage. I’m sure 100% of members would rather receive a gift card instead of the price it costs to edit, publish, print and mail those “magazines”…