Cargo - The Men's Buying Guide? Only for some...
Written: Apr 13 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: some comparison articles are useful, can give guys an idea of different products
Cons: the magazine is really just a giant advertisement
The Bottom Line: There are some helpful articles, but in general Cargo is a lot of stuff that you probably don’t need but that might be fun to think of
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| jps246's Full Review: Sony Cargo Magazine |
Take a magazine like Details, perhaps something along the lines of Computer Shopper (for the gear heads), a magazine like Genre (since I doubt all that homoerotic photography in the advertising is for the straight guys), and maybe even a Consumer Reports like magazine, and you might get something that looks like the new magazine for men, Cargo
Cargo is a brand new magazine that aims to be the “new buyers guide for men.” It’s filled with advertising and what is not advertising is made up of articles that impress upon men what to buy – so in reality, Cargo is like one big ad, spread out over about 200 pages.
Basics
The premier issue of Cargo was published in April of 2004. They are expecting a publication schedule of 10 issues a year and you can either pick the issues up on the newsstand for $3.50 or a 1-year subscription from the publisher runs for $9.95.
There are two major divisions of the magazine, the cover story along with other major articles and then four recurring departments that should be in each issue. The four departments include news, culture, tech and style. Based on the titles you probably already know what to expect in each department but in general: news covers the latest happenings in regards to new products; culture handles short articles on things like the right liquor to choose and what kind of flowers to get a girl; tech looks at the newest products in the electronics world; and style handles new clothes, fashion and grooming.
The major articles generally cover the same topics as the four departments, but each article is about four to five pages in length (and are generally not broken up by too much advertising) and focus on an individual issue. Stories in the first issue focused on topics such as 5-easy fashion pieces, new men’s suits, sneak previews of new cars and home to improve your living room.
In addition to the major stories, the advertisements and the departments, Cargo also has the typical sections you find in most other magazines including a column from the Editor and a review of the contributors to the issue.
Who’s it for?
The target audience for Cargo seems to be males who are in their late 20’s through the late 30’s and early 40’s who are upwardly mobile, are urbanites and who tread along that line known as metrosexuality. I’d also hazard to guess that gay men in the same age bracket are being targeted along with those straight guys. In general, Cargo’s readers are expected to have plenty of cash to spend, are interested in having the latest fashions, looking their best, and wanting to make sure they are pampered in almost every way possible
For your Average Joe living out in suburbia or rural America, Cargo is not likely to appeal very much to them. I doubt they are interested in the latest styles and fashions, or want to know that a $45 shaving cream will leave their face silky smooth.
I live in a fairly metropolitan area and work in Boston – I’ve seen a few guys with issues of Cargo on the train and when I’ve been at a bookstore, people are browsing issues. To me, this is probably where Cargo will be most popular – metropolitan areas where people have lots of disposable money (is anyone else going to get a $85k car?) and where the men are very interested in looking and feeling good.
How about the advice?
The articles in Cargo that review new products and services are generally helpful and in-depth enough to give you a useful idea of each product. This first issue included a comparison of cell phones that are available from each of the major carries that was very helpful for anyone who has been confused by all the options available. I even managed to use some of the information from it when a friend asked me about the various phones you could get from Verizon.
The fashion and grooming advice is generally helpful if you’re looking to update your wardrobe or want to change your style and the home design advice was pretty cool too. The only problem is that most of that advice doesn’t come along cheaply and the recommended products, makeovers or other stuff is generally pretty expensive and probably beyond what most average people are looking to spend.
Is it worth the price?
At $3.50 on the newsstand, I was willing to take a look at the magazine. I’d probably never get a subscription, however I might pick up an issue here and there if the cover grabs me. However, I am just not that interested in what Cargo has to offer to me – I’ve got no need to have the latest, greatest and best things.
Yes, a couple articles are helpful (especially the cell phone review) and I’ll probably use what I learned from a few, but on the whole, many of the products, services and fashions that they are talking about are things I would never want, are out of my reach, or just simply aren’t me.
So…
There are plenty of men out there that Cargo will appeal to. They are probably the ones with plenty of money, time and who want to have the best of everything. For the rest of us, Cargo can be an entertaining read occasionally, but between the extent of the magazine’s advertisements and the general “fluff” nature of the magazine in general, most people will probably pass Cargo on by or only read it on occasion.
Pick up an issue and see for yourself, there are some helpful stories and articles, but in general, Cargo is a lot of stuff that you probably don’t need but that might be fun to think of once and a while.
Recommended:
Yes
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