WHY COVERS MEAN NOTHING IN THAILAND

Students studying for a career in magazine publishing are taught the importance of strong cover design. Whether it's a strong headline, dynamic picture, attractive use of colour .. all these factors contribute to the decision whether to buy.
In a recent story in The Australian media veteran Ita Buttrose said: "As an editor, getting the cover right is one of the most important jobs, and the hardest." Ida has probably created more eye-catching covers in her career than an art director has font options. "You're aiming to grab a reader's attention, and the cover is the first thing they notice. So every cover has to have the 'Wow!' factor."
In Thailand, the impact of covers is lost because of the sheer number of titles competing for limited shelf space. There are very few shops where an entire magazine cover can be seen; most shops have displays similar to the one pictured here. This is bad for the publisher because they can have the best cover and best cover story in the world, but no one can see it. It's bad for the shop too because they're missing out on additional sales and the associated revenue.
As a Managing Editor and Publishing Director I am not adverse to paying for better merchandising in shops, either in the form of a modest sum or increased commission for the shop. I know I'm not the only editor who spends far too much time rearranging shop displays, putting my magazine in a better position and, in some cases, hiding the competition.
A lot of magazines in Thailand appear to pay almost no attention to this side of their business. The reason? It's because most magazine make next to nothing from selling their magazine this way. Chickens and eggs, I think. If readers could actually see the covers then they at least stand a chance of being tempted to buy.