The Sausage Dog Today (4)

Today's Sausage Dog continued to lose sales to the new magazine, The Sausage Dog Today. They were also losing advertisers. Tony hadn't had a full and frank conversation with his staff at this stage, but if the magazine continued its downward slide it was destined to close.

The only hope was to find a strong headline story for the issue and hope that the new magazine ran out of ideas.

"Fashion is like such a great theme for the next magazine," said David. "The magazine comes out during Paris Fashion Week so the topic will be the in thing. And we just fill the pages with photos of sausage dogs in the latest wear, it'll look great."

"It's an important issues as well," said Ella. Doggie clothing is aimed primarily at the 'normal-shaped' dog, it's impossible to get most outfits in sausage-dog sizes. There's a lack of quality fashionwear in the sausage dog section, which is why half the sausage dogs you meet are dressed in frumpy tartan knitwear."

"It's a good story," said Tony. "And we can use photos of dogs wearing merchandise from our main advertisers, we need to keep them sweet, we can't afford to lose any more to the other side. I don't want to worry you, but the latest sales are down. It seems that the first issue of TSDT outsold us."

"Well that's the novelty factor," said Ella. "New magazines always start well and go downhill."

"Maybe, but we need to make sure the next issue is top not, we've got a serious competition."

The next edition of The Sausage Dog Today duly arrived. In trepidation the trio opened the new magazine, to find a catchy front page. 

"Fashion Week Special. Top Fashion Designers create new designs for Sausage Dogs."

"The front page photo showed a Sausage Dog in a Vivian Westwood outfit. 

Do you still not believe me, like," said David. There's a mole in Today's Sausage Dog. Someone's letting the rival know all our plans."