Hi Ryan, thanks for being so willing to engage the blitz community for suggestions, opinions etc. I for one, appreciate the contact (especially being interstate), and the opportunity for direct dialogue.
Re the Bomber magazine, I am a big fan of the concept as well as the twice a year hard copy version. I have every single issue (dating back nearly 20 years I think?) and consider it a highly valuable part of my EFC memorabilia. I am not in a financial position to invest in most of the great merchandise offered by the club, so I do tend to covet whatever I can get my hands on (literally)! I love being able to go through the old magazines with my kids on my lap, introducing them in a tangible way, to the champions of yesteryear and the modern history of the club, as well as to the players of today. There is not quite the same 'nostalgic feel' when doing this via a PC or tablet!
In saying this, I do very much like and appreciate the digital content that has been introduced in the past few years, especially 'The Hanger', and my kids and I are frequent consumers of BomberTV. My son plays the videos of the boys singing the song after a win over and over throughout the week! However, I am also very confident that the hard copy magazine still retains its own unique place in the hearts, minds, and hands of many EFC supporters - certainly in the case of my family at least. People still wear player badges to the footy, they don't just carry the photos on their phones!
Last year, when I was advised at membership renewal that I would only be able to access a digital copy of the magazine, I was quite disappointed. I have access to plenty of EFC related digital content already. The magazine is different... a keepsake. I spoke (and emailed) at length with Joel in the membership department about this and even suggested (as others have mentioned here), I would be willing to pay a small premium on my membership if I could keep accessing a hard copy magazine. (On a side note, he said that he too would be willing to do likewise!!). I was advised to call the club again when the magazine came out in March as they were expecting that a few hard copies would be produced for sale at the Bomber Shop. As it turned out, when I called in March, the membership department very kindly secured a copy and sent it to me so I was able to add it to my collection. When I recently renewed for 2015, I received the same advice again for the next March issue as the December issue was going to revert to hard copy, but it was expected that digital would again be the primary version for March.
I do understand that the hard copy version is not necessarily the best for the club's bottom line, but of course, stuff like this is never just about the bottom line for us fans! So, I hope the club continues to produce the magazine and that it does so in hard copy twice a year (even if a digital option is also available). If I need to 'opt-in' for the hard copies via a reasonable premium on my membership, I would be willing to do so. Another option might be to keep the membership price the same, but allow the member to choose between say, the magazines and the scarf/pashmina or whatever some of the member goodies are for that year.
One final point... the people who most appreciate the hard copy magazine may not even be the type that tend to engage the club and fellow fans via digital media. They may not have the access or the know-how.
Thanks once again for your connection with Bomberblitz and for the work you are doing at our great club...
EDIT: I just read your post about the wrap-up DVD for spring on the basis that it is a 'look back' at the season and having only the forward looking summer/pre-season edition as hard copy. Just something to keep in mind is that from a memorabilia point of view, ALL the magazines become 'looks back' a year (or even sooner) after they are produced... they are all essentially adding to the written historical record of the club, at least in a 'snapshot' sense, even if they are 'forward looking' in the moment. So, to re-iterate, I am an advocate for retaining both magazines in hard copy form. From a memorabilia perspective, having the season review in hard copy is perhaps even more important for me than the preseason magazine, as it is a written and pictorial 'collector's edition' documentary of the season just completed. Maybe not as comprehensive and visual as a DVD, but the perpetuation of a valuable tradition all the same!
and also, why isn't it 'Maple Leaves'?