Quality vs. Quantity:

The Truth about 'the Numbers Game'

A certain competitive publication recently made much of its initial audit by BPA International, claiming that it has received 25,000 individually requested subscriptions in less than a year.

Now, we've been in the publishing business for more than 10 years, so we're pretty familiar with BPA audits. Still, we're not going to question their truthfulness. However, we are going to share some confidential data with you-and with them: We receive nearly 1,000 subscription requests every time an issue of Chip Scale Review reaches subscribers.

Additionally, we have carried more pages of editorial material year-to-year than any other magazine in the field, whether or not the amount of advertising has warranted the extensive editorial content.

Finally, and although it may be a small point, we print on the highest quality, brightest and heaviest weight paper available. Our paper contains no groundwood, which makes for superior color reproduction of editorial and advertising material. Of course it costs us more, but it furthers our goal of bringing you the best editorial product possible while giving our advertisers a superior environment.

We have often conducted random surveys among the buyers and specifiers of equipment and materials for advanced IC packaging. While we don't claim the results are scientific, nor are they audited, there is never a contest: Chip Scale Review is the clear winner in reader and advertiser loyalty and is the preferred publication in the field. Our philosophy is, and will continue to be, one based on the quality of our product rather than the sheer quantity of issues we distribute. In other words, we refuse to play "the numbers game." However, as an added note, we mail 27,000 copies of each issue.

At the end of the day, a BPA audit means nothing to you, our reader. We will be happy, without question, to conduct a mailing over any advertiser's list to prove that we hit the mark for the people that matter in the advanced packaging, CSP and interconnect marketplace. Just call us on it.

We are currently involved in a major effort to refine our subscriber list and to ensure that only those individuals who specify, authorize and buy our advertisers' products and services receive subscriptions gratis.

For the past year or so, we have used a third-party Web site. Within the next two months, we will introduce a dedicated, magazine-owned Web site, which will offer archived issues of the magazine, media information, an easy way to subscribe and a central source for chip-scale packaging information.

We invite you to be an active participant in that site, and in this magazine, with your questions, your comments and your suggestions.

Sincerely,

Gene Selven
Publisher