Front Cover Finished.

Contents Page Finished

Finished Double Page Spread.

Magazine Ownership.

TASK: Question why would one company wish to own so many magazines?

One reason a company may wish to own more than one magazine is it increases their market share. Bauer media group own many magazines, they’re able to gain control over the market, especially as many of their magazines are well-known. Also, the ranges of magazines they create mean they can provide publications for different audiences. Bauer media group owns magazines from classic cars to mother and baby. This means they’re experienced with many target audiences which helps create a well-known brand image. This well-known brand image they have now been able to create will be beneficial because it will enable them to push out any smaller companies who aren’t well-known away from their consumers. No potential competitors are being allowed to enter the magazine business to take away their consumers. This will lead to them being able to dominate the market and stay on top of it for longer.

1.Ownership. Red Magazine.

·       Red magazine is owned by Hearst Magazines UK.

·       It was established in 1910 by William Randolph

·       Merged with Hachette Filipacchi Medias UK in 2011 to form Hearst Magazines UK.

2. Red magazine company profile:

·       Has an adult readership of 412,000

·       ABC1 80%

·       Median age of readers: 44

Source: http://www.hearstmagazinesdirect.co.uk/red.html

3. Editorial Pillars. (Content of Red Magazine)

·       Fashion

·       Beauty

·       Life style

·       Recipes

TASK: You now need to make an ownership and profile page for your own magazine, use the same template as the one above.

Ownership: Insight magazine.

·       Insight magazine is owned by Insight Magazine UK.

·       It was established in 1990 by Annie Wilkinson.

·       Taken over in 1998 by Alexandra Goodluck.

Insight Magazine Company Profile.

·       Has a readership of 450,000

·       ABC1 83%

·       Median age of readers 22

3. Editorial pillars (content of Insight magazine)

·       Music

·       Fashion

·       Beauty

·       Lifestyle

  Final Product.













                                                                   




Draft of final product.

Article for my double page spread. (Interview with a singer in my magazine)

‘So, Lana I’d like to start off by saying 

congrats about your No.1 single!Thanks, it’s literally been one of my dreams ever since I Was a little girl.‘Summertime Sadness’ (the song title) means a lot to me, so it’s a huge accomplishment.‘It’s great. Quite upbeat compared to your usual songs though? Why do you think this is?’ Well, I’m just in a really good point in my life right now, I’m really happy and I think that reflects a lot in my music. ‘I assume that has something to do with a new man on the scene? Tell us more about you and A$AP ROCKY’ *laughing* Well, you know there’s not much to tell. We've gone on a few dates and we have a great time together. I think our

personalities just click and it’s not often to find someone like that.‘Well one thing’s for sure, you make great music when you’re together! Tell us about your song together ‘Ridin’.’

Thank you! Yeah that song was a lot of fun to record. Somehow in the studio things just flow... it didn't take that long to come up with.We both love it.‘Well, I personally love you both together! I hope you continue to have fun.’

*smiling* I’m sure we will.Right, before we all get too jealous about you and A$AP, let’s talk fashion! We adored your look on the red carpet last weekend!’

Thanks so much. It was made by one of my favorite designers. *laughing* I’m not really a dress kind of girl, but I loved it.‘Well it looked wonderful on you, maybe you should wear them more often!’ Maybe, but I've always been a tomboy at heart. I love my jeans and sneakers!

‘Yeah, me too! So, Lana, I've been wanting to ask, have you got any tips? What are your

 favourite pieces in your wardrobe?’ Well, as I said, I like to be comfy... like all the time. So anything I can be comfortable in but still look good in is a win for me, you never  know who you’ll meet throughout your day.I like to make a good impression. My tips would simply be to dress in what you love, don't worry about what anyone else is doing...oh, and always be confident in yourself.‘Woah, well you defiantly have done that! We all love your wardrobe here. So about your music, is there anything out in 2015 that we can look forward to? Well, I’m not gonna reveal too much, i just want my fans to know that I have a surprise for 

them... so stay tuned in 2015.‘Great! Thanks so much for having this chat

 with us! We hope you have an amazing 2015’ It’s a pleasure, thanks a lot. It’s going to be a great year.

Double page spread plan.

The plan for my magazines front cover.

Creating the front of a magazine.

Creating the front cover of a magazine.

TASK 1: Create a conventional magazine that targets your audience.

Front page elements.

Title: ‘Insight’

          I chose this name for a title because insight means ‘the capacity to gain an         accurate and deep understanding of someone or something’, which fits the idea of my magazine idea because I will be featuring various different articles about a range of different things in which people can gain information and an insight into the topic.

Coverlines: ‘All about the hottest gigs of 2015 in this month’s issue!’

                   I chose to keep with the general theme of my magazine when choosing cover lines because I wanted it to be simple, so I only chose one. I chose this one mainly because my magazine is music based, and I think my target audience would be drawn in by, and want to know about the gigs of 2015.

Tagline:  - - -

             I chose not to use a tagline because I wanted the front cover of my magazine to be fairly minimalistic and I thought that too many coverlines or features would make the main picture I use look too busy and take away from my initial ideas of how I wanted it to look.

Main Coverline: ‘All about the hottest gigs of 2015 in this month’s issue!’

                          I chose this coverline to be my only one, for similar reasons to why I don’t have a tagline. With all of the text, I think it looks scattered and goes against the vision I had of how I wanted the magazine to look.

Colour: Different shades of grey and white.

             From the start, I knew that I wanted the colours of my magazine to be very neutral and simplistic. I knew I didn’t want to use anything bright or too eye-catching, because I thought the overall layout and finish of the magazine would be eye-catching enough. I chose to stick to these fairly limited colours to ensure I kept with my theme, and make a certain brand image for my magazine that would be easily recognisable to the audience.

Price: £4.99

        I chose to price my magazine at £4.99 because I think it’s very affordable to my target audience of teens/young adults, and especially as my magazine is produced monthly, I think it’s very affordable considering the content and overall appearance of the magazine.

Image:  Lana             Del Rey.

           I chose one main image of Lana Del Rey because I decided that the magazine would be a special edition based on Lana Del Rey, her fashion n and her love life, so I chose to feature her on the front cover. I changed the image to black and white to keep in with the theme I was going for.

Barcode: I chose to use a barcode so it’s easy for me to track the amount of people purchasing my magazine so I can tell if the target audience are appreciating what I’m doing or if I need to change it. Also, appearance wise, it makes the magazine look a lot more professional.

Date: I chose to put a date because if someone is subscribed to the magazine, and have a few issues of insight, it’s simply easier for them to order. If one is missing, or for whatever reason they didn’t receive an issue, that can be quickly sorted out so the consumer is happy and gets what they want.

Production Log:

By Friday, 9th January please ensure that you have uploaded your cover, DPS and contents page, as discussed.

Magazine Analysis- Case Study.

1.   Colour in Magazines.

KERRANG!

The colours used are mostly red, yellow and orange. I think these colours go with the genre that KERRANG! Is being is mostly based on rock and ‘alternative’ styles on music. The colours red, yellow and orange could also be associated with fire which is then commonly associated with rock bands. The title however is white and bold which makes it stand out from the ‘loud’ colours used in the front cover and background. I think the white colour will attract the attention of an audience because it’s completely different to its background. Also, I think that the colour yellow in particular is used to highlight particular information such as special features like ‘6 freaking weird posters’ which is a feature which ma interest a large amount of their readers.

Analyse the colour that is used in the magazine:

Throughout the magazine the main colours used are red, yellow, black and white. I think red has the connotations of love an danger, however in this context I think its used more for anger rather than love because KERRANG! Doesn’t really have any content about love etc. Also, yellow is used to be very eye catching as most of the special features are written or have yellow around them which makes it very apparent what the magazine is trying to show off. Lastly, KERRNAG! Uses a lot of white in their titles in particular which I think is a good way to make your titles stand out and especially as most pages have coloured backgrounds it makes the titles really ‘pop’.

2) Analysing the Front Cover of a magazine:

Front page elements.

The main image on KERRANG!’S front cover is of the band that is one of the main features in the magazine. Their picture is places over the title which shows the picture very clearly. I think the picture looks friendly to the reader because it’s quite a fun image and all four of the band members are smiling and look like they’re not taking it too seriously.

The title is big and bold on the cover however in this case it is positioned behind the main image which suggests that the image is the main focus and is more important than the title. This could also suggest that because KERRANG! Is already a well-known magazine they’re confident enough to not have to display their title so much all the time to continue to gain profits and the interest of their audience.

The articles displayed on the front cover are of exclusives from bands, ‘freaking weird’ posters and features from solo singers too. I think this would interest their target audience because KERRANG! Is a rock music magazine and most of the features are to do with or are about people associated with rock music so readers will be reading about their interests.

The language used in KERRANG! Is slightly informal, they use words such as ‘freaking’, ‘till’ and ‘mega’ which are all informal however not out of place, I think this style of writing suits the laid back feel you get from KERRANG! I don’t think it would particularly grab the reader’s attention because my assumption is that people who are into rock music etc. wouldn’t be shocked by using ‘til’ instead of ‘until’ however if you were used to reading more formal magazines it may be slightly different.

The colours are mainly red, yellow, and black and white. Red has connotations of love and anger; however I think it’s more anger in this case. Yellow makes everything stand out more to the reader and the black backgrounds compliment this by giving a basic background to showcase the features articles and pictures affectively. I think the colours really suit the magazine because they’re both bright and simple at the same time. Also the colours on the front cover almost seem like fire which could also link to the magazine seen as its rock.

I think the price is very affordable. Its only £2.20 which most people wouldn’t see as a great expense. It also does contain many features such as things to do and different posters so it’s worth the money you’d pay for it.

 I think the target audience for my magazine is both genders ages 16 plus. I think this because KERRANG! Has many features so there is likely to be something in there for everyone as long as they like rock or ‘alternative’ styles of music.  I think a few examples of colloquial words and phrases used to attract the reader are ‘freaking’, ‘mega’, ‘BOOM BOOM’ and ‘when Rock stars lose their shit’ which is quite informal and not something you’d see in average magazines but seems almost normal when it’s in KERRANG!

3) Analysing the contents of a magazine:

The contents page of the magazine I’m analysing, KERRANG! Is set out quite simply as It’s based on a white background. This is affective to the reader because it is then able to put the main focus on the contents and features that the magazine has to offer.

The thing that jumps out to the audience on the contents page most however, is the main image of a singer who features in the magazine later on. It’s a large image and draws your attention to it because of how the singer is dressed (in a mask) and because of the comical caption ‘Corey wasn’t a fan of photographers taking crotch shots’. This image is very suited to the target audience because its music based (which KERRANG! Is) and is obviously based on either rock or ‘alternative’ styles of music which the readers of KERRANG! Are likely to be interested in. Also the word ‘contents’ is placed in a washed-out style circle which suits the feel of the contents page and also give the opportunity for them to highlight that ‘Its only 128 days ‘til download!’ which is something the target audience would be interested in, also.

4) Analysing the double page article of a magazine.

The double page spread I chose to write about in KERRANG! Is an article about a band names ‘Fall Out Boy’ titled “Pete and I make up one member of Fall Out Boy’.

As soon as you go onto the page of the article the main things that get your attention are the title, they use three different fonts, two different colours and underline some phrases in the title to emphasise it. The colours really make it stand out, also. However the main thing that I think stands out are the image used and the uniqueness of the images. The image consists of pictures of all members of the band merged into one. For example an eye from one member next to the eye of another etc. It’s almost as if the pictures are like Polaroid’s too which is quite different and I think it looks really good when the one image is made using all of the different faces. The theme of the article is celebrity lifestyle. It’s based on the members relationships on and off stage and the fact that two in particular, saying that ‘None of us (the two members) are complete in our capacity in the band. We need each other.’ I think this article is interesting because although Fall Out Boy are known for their music, it’s good for their fans to ‘get to know’ them more than by just simply listening to their music and this article gives fans an insight into their personal relationships with each other and the dynamic within the band.

5) Analysing the editor’s letter in a magazine.

The Editors letter in KERRANG! Is along the right hand side of the page. It looks minimalistic which is contrasting to the other features on the contents page which are more eye catching and ‘in your face’. I think this is because KERRANG! is already a well-known magazine with many people reading it month after month, so generally they focus on the content rather than ‘introducing’ it to new potential readers. On top of the letter, there’s a picture of the editor in a casual setting with his/a dog which initially shows the reader the laid back feel of the letter itself and also shows the friendly, laid back approach he’s trying to create. The language is also informal which adds to the relaxed feel where words such as mega and questions which make the letter seem more personal and directed to the audience. Also the way it’s written is less formal for example instead of starting it with ‘dear readers’ or a more formal approach, it’s started with ‘Okay, first things first’ which seems that the editor already feels comfortable with the audience and it’s although you’re having a conversation with a friend.

Questionnaires.

My questionnaire on my magazine:

1.     Do you think ‘Insight’ is attractive enough to make you want to buy it?

·        Yes

·        No

·        It’s not my style of magazine.

2.     What feature do you think makes Insight most attractive?

·        The colours

·        The layout

·        The images used

·        The content

3.     If you could choose one feature that you find least attractive and change it, what would it be?

4.     Do you think the title insight reflects what the magazine is about?

·        Yes

·        No

·        Not sure

5.     Do you think that £3.50 is a fair price to charge (monthly) for insight?

·        Yes

·        No.

Questionnaire (task 1) answered.

I asked 30 people to fill in my questionnaire.

1.      Do you think ‘Insight’ is attractive enough to make you want to buy it?

•        Yes                                                                           22

•        No                                                                              3

•        It’s not my style of magazine.                                   5

2.      What feature do you think makes Insight most attractive?

•        The colours                                                             10

•        The layout                                                                 1

•        The images used                                                      11

•        The content                                                                8

3.      If you could choose one feature that you find least attractive and change it, what would it be?

The majority (9/30) said that they would like to see more colours used within the magazine.

4.      Do you think the title insight reflects what the magazine is about?

•        Yes                                                                        15

•        No                                                                           6

•        Not sure                                                                  9

5.      Do you think that £3.50 is a fair price to charge (monthly) for insight?

•        Yes                                                                        27

•        No                                                                        3

From my graph I can tell that Insight is a good name for the magazine. It also taught me that the majority of people thought that the images used were effective and said this was Insight's most attractive feature. They said that Insight reflects what the magazine is about, and that £3.50 is a fair price to charge for the magazine. However one thing that stood out to me was the amount of people who said they would like to see more colours used in the magazine, which is something i had tried to move away from.

Planning task.

Planning TASK:

Colours in Magazines.

Task 1: Case Study.

The main colours that my magazine, KERRANG! has used are red and black. The features and title are in yellow and white which make them stand out to the reader and make them more eye catching.

The connotations of the main colours: black and red are anger and darkness in my opinion. These connotations are emphasised by the genre of magazine that KERRANG! is.

I think the colours used appeal to the target audience because they go with the overall feel of the magazine. Also, the pictures on the front cover are of ‘alternative’ celebrities such as Ozzy Osbourne who have tattoos and more of a gothic look to them which link to the connotations that the colours red and black give.

I think that the colours are used to emphasise the features and the title of the magazine because they’re very contrasting to the main red and black used in the magazine. I think this is done to make the features stand out to automatically show the reader what the magazine offers.

The main colours used throughout the magazine are mainly similar, colours such as a lot of yellows and whites, similar to the front cover. I think the colours are used to give a crisp, clean and organised look to the inside of the magazine. KERRANG! moved away from the red and black used in their front cover because in my opinion dark colours such as these would put off readers from reading the articles. When whites and bright colours are used it automatically makes text look more inviting to read.

Task 2: Your Own Magazine:

My Colour Palette.

My target audience:

Age: 16-35

Interests: Modern music and gossip.

Features: chances to win tickets to singers in the magazine.

                     Posters of people featuring in the magazine.

My two main colours:   black and white 

I chose the colours black and white to be my main colours because

I want my magazine to be smart and simple. The connotations of white in my opinion are purity and simplicity, however the colour black will enable me to make my magazine stand out and completely contrast the purity of the white.

Featuring colours: grey and purple 

  

I chose these colours because I personally think the grey will compliment my two main colours, however I chose the purple because I think it will be a good way to make my features and anything I want to stand out catch the audience’s attention.

My two main colours will be used for the main body of my magazine, for example the title and front cover. Grey will be used when needed for text etc. I will use the purple for anything I think will appeal to the audience and would be a good selling point for my magazine.

Cross Media Ownership.

As well as Kerrang and Mojo, Bauer own kiss. From looking at their website I can tell that one way in which they use cross media ownership is that on the Kiss website, although it is obviously mostly about Kiss and what they offer, on the sides and top of the page they’re advertising one of their other magazines, Kerrang. This could be because Kerrang also contains high content about music and bands. Bauer has seen an opportunity to get business for their other magazine because they know that the majority of the people on their Kiss website would be interested in music because Kerrang and Kiss are both music based magazines.

I personally don’t think many of the audience of Kerrang, Mojo and Kiss are aware that they’re all owned by one company. I think this could work in Bauer’s favour because when advertising for their other companies, and the consumer is unaware they’re produced by the same company, its not as if they’re trying to self promote, and the audience wouldn’t feel although they’re under any kind of pressure. However from the consumers point of view, there doesn’t seem to be many obvious positive effects of them all being owned by the same company. However one could be that since the consumer enjoys reading for example, Kerrang, they could expect the same from Kiss and Mojo.

Testing the Hypothesis:

‘Parent companies use their subsidiary companies to promote their products discreetly’.

I agree with the statement partly, because it is clear that many parent companies have seen a good opportunity to promote their other products using their larger, well-known companies with presumably bigger fan bases. It’s a good way to advertise similar products because they could be related to one another meaning their audiences would most likely enjoy both products. However, I disagree that the promoting is done discreetly. From the KISS website, it’s clear that they’re desperately trying to advertise one of their other music related brands, KERRANG. As a reader, I personally think that the amount of promotion on one page was slightly overwhelming. However I do understand and agree that self-promotion is a great way to gain new readers and most importantly, gain profit from a wider audience.