We got a phone call last week about "The Knot" magazine wanting to do a profile on our shop. So dummy cakes etc etc...but exposure in a national magazine. Wouldn't it bet cool to have " " As seen in The Knot" on posters at the next bridal show, etc.

The part of the deal that they want is an advertising commitment from us, and not a cheap one, but not any more expensive than a lot of other advertising sources. I know an awful lot of brides are "knotties", but the question is how much attention do they really pay to the editorial, and how much do they just take referrals from the forums, which in this area favor the less expensive, home bakers over us.

My DH is my advertising guru, and he pretty much *forbids* me to ever pay for ANY advertising where I'm "sharing ad space", where it's me and a bunch of other bakeries. He always shakes his head and says, "I don't care HOW neat the magazine is or how exciting it will be to have a color ad with your cakes in it, you never share advertising space!" And so I pout, and tell them thanks but no thanks. Someday maybe I'll do it anyway, but he's never been wrong with business decisions in the 21 years I've known and worked with him, so I keep listening, even though part of me really wants to be in those magazines...

His other advice is "Why do you need national advertising? You're spending money to advertise in a non-local market! That's the worst possible way to spend your ad $." I wish he wasn't so realistic sometimes, lol.

Flip side--it would be really cool to have a "as seen in The Knot" poster.

I'm no help, lol

Let us know what you do and how it turns out!

See, that's it...It's not just an AD in The Knot, it's pictures of our cakes as part of an article in the Knot. They just prefer to use their advertisers as the subjects of their articles.

I get calls like this ALL THE TIME. I agree with homecook's DH. If you want to be "featured" in an article, I would contact some local magazines. We have a ton of little local magazines that cater to just brides and hand out these free magazines to them at shows, at David's bridal, etc. They are cheaper and get better exposure then the Knot. We also have a "living" magazine that is at the grocery stores and such that also has "feature articles" in it that you can pay to advertise. The price of doing all of these magazines is still cheaper then one ad in the Knot. and they are all local. (these are nice glossy magazines, not penny savers, etc)

If you are DYING to advertize with the knot, they do have a web site ad that lets you put on 10 photos and a little blurb about youself and links, etc, for A LOT less then the print ad. Local brides look at that more then the magazine, as it links to their "local resources" when they sign up.

I wouldn't advertise online with The Knot alone. I just don't think brides read much on the knot other than the forums, but lots of brides pick up the magazine to look at the shiny pictures, and it would be cool to have our cake in an article next to one of Cheryl Kleiman's etc.

Can't decide if its worth it or not. It's still less than half of what we were spending on radio advertising.

the internet is NOT national advertising --

it's as local as local can get....

although there is global access to the internet, by it's very nature it can be as local as a google search will let you zoom in -- which can be a single address.

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as for The Knot magazine -- it's a portal that will hopefully drive business to their website where they will find your listing. -- so, depending upon how much crossover to web occurs from the print feature article, it could be worth it. Brides do buy it and look at it, no matter where they live and will zero in on the vendors local to them.

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the there's the "cachet" factor -- that undefinable, unquantifiable boost to business that comes from being "a nationally recognized" business -- consider what the food challenges and OSSAS have done for many decorators. Their cachet factor jumped allowing them to command higher prices, etc. -- do I need to say anything more than "Duff"? It's the NAH-NAH factor under another guise -- I got what you don't -- a high-end cake from a big name decorator.

THAT cachet must be factored in. It WILL have a pay off to the bottom line.

IF it fits in your planned expenses for advertising and won't make the budget all wonky, then I'd say go for it.

Oh, and be prepared to come up w/ a policy on shipping cakes and upgrade the website to handle more demand.

Wow, that's news to know.

I'd do it. The Knot is the #1 place to go to get local wedding information (when I got married, Wedding Channel was a big competitor, but isn't as much anymore). IMHO, you can't beat that kind of exposure.

I agree, as long as the cost fits in your budget, go for it, and also be ready to handle the increase in demand!

I would run - not walk - away from this "opportunity".

I can't speak for any other area.. but locally, The Knot is losing advertisers like crazy. I know a ton of vendors who have advertised with them in the past, none have / are going to renew. No one here gets response from their ads, and it's EXPENSIVE!

I know it's the same in some other areas of the country, and that's got to be hurting them.

No offense to you, but across the country, they have a HUGE pool of advertisers to get photos from. You have to wonder - is it because your work is *that* much better than anyone that advertises with them, or is it that they're using it as a hook to get NEW advertisers?

I personally don't trust them as far as I can throw them. Dealing with their customer service is horrid, they do NOT produce the results they offer, and the right hand never, ever knows what the left is doing.. nevermind all the crimes against the cake industry they've commited! (lol!)

Hope this helps. I'd just hate to see someone get suckered into that kind of an expensive commitment.

Yup.. Dough is right.. the knot is a National Magazine but is very local for every state..So you wont see the same magazine as you would

txkat --

having just done the tour of your website --

sorry to say, but, well, looking at it with a bride's eyes -- I'd pass you by.

Why--

no gallery of wedding cakes -- heck, no real gallery at all.

menu of lunch specials????? what's that got to do w/ weddings?

events -- well la-dee-dah -- what do I care -- what are your available dates for MY wedding

"bespoke" cute - but no sale -- too obtuse to be clearly your flavors menu, almost pretentious.

too scatter shot -- just what are you? a bakery? a cake shop? a cookie shop? a breakfast and lunch only restaurant?

your message is too diluted and convoluted. (spaghetti w/ really runny sauce!)

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better to create at least TWO websites (see IndyDebi's for example -- one for her catering business and one for her cookies)

one for your breakfast/lunch shop and a totally separate one for your cakes and cupcakes.

FOCUS the message -- target the audience clearly
(use a sniper rifle not as shotgun!)

you've obviously got "mad" skills and a fantastic product. -- Now give it the respect and promotion it deserves with bespoke websites for each aspect of the business.

Overall, if they want to feature your business then they should just feature your business.

Advertising and an editorial piece should not be one in the same because there is a conflict of interest. It's a lot like bribing.

National exposure is great, but only your advertising budget can tell you if it's really worth it at this time.

I wish you the best in whatever decision you make.

no, not every surviving baker -- just the one in my little town -- and yes between home bakers and wallyworld, et. al. the brides can certainly shop the price down.

personally, i believe once you hit a certain point ...

you can survive on cakes alone.

now getting up to that point.....

and you hit the nail on the head tho'

"we want to decide on our core market"

and getting to those $1,000K brides is a challenge.

do THEY read the knot?

at that level and beyond, I believe their looking for that "snoot/cachet" factor. (no longer keeping up with the jones but trying to do a total slam-dunk in your face sort of thing)

so ask yourself long and hard -- just whom do we wish to cater to (yea - a split infinitive -- true to my Midwest heritage).

and if it is those $1K brides -- then figure out where they're looking and getting their info from and put your advert $ there.

PM Indydebi...I think she has tons of experience with The Knot over the years...Good luck

In that case, GO FOR IT! I look forward to seeing you on the "BIG SCREEN" very soon.

Why can't you advertise in the local Knot magazine? Unless they have changed their magazine format, I purchased local versions of The Knot Magazine when I was planning my wedding.

I just checked online and they have 17 regional magazines. Are you in one of those areas? Can you just have them advertise for you in that area?

I am currnetly registered as a future bride on "The Knot" and I have looked at everything on there site. I especially check out the cakes all the time, since I am a decorator also. I have gotten alot of info from there, but I never even noticed who made what cake. I just saved the pics I liked to later take to a local bakery or to the venue for the on-site decorator. I would probably feel that the decorators in the articles would be more expensive since they are on the site or in the magazine.

I agree, when I was a bride-to-be checking out the Knot, I merely drooled over the featured & advertising vendors - assuming they were out of my budget - regardless of whether they were or not, I didn't check. I saved the pretty pictures and looked for a tasty "regular" bakery. My cake budget was not small either (I like cake!), I had a 4 tiered chocolate behemoth. I did browse the online forums & ask and check out the local Knot pages.

However, if you're looking for the big contracts--a feature in a well-known media is the way to go, weather you had to pay for it to be there or not.
Good Luck!