Alexandria Dalton AS Media Blog: 2012

Tuesday, 11 December 2012

Target Audience Survey Results

Tuesday, 27 November 2012

Magazine Publisher Case Study

Bauer media is located in Hamburg, Germany and was first established in 1875. It is a multinational media company and works within 15 countries around the world. Today the worldwide flow of magazine titles of Bauer media products totals to around 38 million per week. The company compromises 282 magazines in total as well as other media sources. Bauer media is a multi-platform UK based Media Company consisting of many companies set under two separate divisions which are Radio and Magazine. Bauer was first introduced to Britain in 1987 with the unveiling of Bella magazine and rose to become one of the largest media and publishing companies within Britain. Publishing brands of Bauer media consists of Bella, Take a Break and TVQuick and also many media brands such as Kerrang!, Q, Bauer Radio and Box Television.

Bauer Media joined the Bauer Media Group in January 2008 following attainment of Emap plc.’s consumer and professional magazines, radio, TV, online and other businesses. Overall, the Group employs around 6,400 people.

The approach of Bauer media is to connect and build strong relationships with their consumers to try and engage listeners and readers, to provide exceptional content through their multiple platforms throughout the media in an array of diverse methods.

The first radio company to be acquired by Bauer media was Kiss FM which was then followed by Liverpool’s radio city. Throughout the 90’s Bauer bought into two other big names FHM acquired in 1994 and popular music channel The Box in 1996. Part way through 2002 Bauer launched closer magazine and in 2005 Grazia. Other magazine’s published Bauer are Heat, Parkers, MATCH!, CAR and Yours. All summing up to around 80 influential brand names.

A smaller magazine publisher called g66monthly offers locally produced and distributed magazines. It was first set up in 2008 located in Glasgow. The magazine is published to serve and entertain the local area. G66monthly only has a small customer base which includes smaller and larger businesses. Each month G66monthly publish around 5000 copies of their magazines to the local areas and each month the customers can request to change their adverts for free. This offers diversity and new content to consumers. G66 believes in their local community and strives to make a positive change to the local economy.

Thursday, 22 November 2012

Magazine Industry Overview

Within the past 10 years there has been a significant decline in the sale of magazines. One of the main reasons for such a large decline is the new and developing technology such as internet and smartphones where customers can look for exactly what they want without any need of purchasing a magazine. This provides a quick and easier fix for the customer than a magazine would. The circulation figures for Kerrang! Magazine for the first half of 2011 was 43,033 which mean the sales fell by 2.2%. This shows us the big threat that technology has on the magazine industry today.

Another significant factor as to why the magazine industry are struggling is because is because of the recent financial difficulties throughout the economy. This will make it difficult for smaller magazine companies to survive and the bigger companies will be made to become more successful. The main way in which magazines would try and fund their magazines would be through advertisement within the magazine, however as the sale has been decreasing the magazines are trying to focus more on the content of the magazine to keep the sales going instead of the advertisements, therefore magazines are finding it increasingly difficult to fund their magazines.

Other methods in which the magazine industry are trying to fund their magazines in recent times is through online advertising, apps on smart phones and tablets and also having an online internet site for their particular magazine.

Kerrang! Music Magazine Case Study

Introduction:

Kerrang! was first published on the 6^th of June 1981 and edited by Geoff Barton. During the 80’s and the 90’s the magazine covered glam and thrash metal bands but then later moved on to featuring more grunge based artists and bands. The magazine would often get a reputation of changing their house style every time a popular, new music trend would come about. In 2000 the magazine once again became popular when the nu metal genre was becoming well known. From 2005 onwards emo and metalcore music began to take over the magazine with many complaints from the readers. However revived themselves in 2008 with the most commercially successful period with a record ever ABC for the title of 80,186 copies.

The magazine content:

The magazine mainly consists of news updates of covered artists and bands also promoting events and gigs tickets and other upcoming bands. The magazine will also offer posters, music downloads, interviews with famous stars and merchandise for customers to buy.

This magazine has its own website which is devoted to extra added information about the magazine and current information on bands, artists and upcoming events. The website includes many things such as online shop, podcasts, message board, TV and radio segments ensuring there is sufficient user generated content and more chances to sell accompanying merchandise and products. Within the year 2001 Kerrang! Launched its brand new online forum otherwise known as ‘rants and raves’ which was initially very successful however faded out in around 2005. Advertisers within the magazine consist of music festivals, magazine subscribers, fashion, horror films and new released albums. These particular advertisements will relate to the audience well. Music festivals such as download which is a popular metal festival may reflect the audience’s ideology. Fashion perhaps will suggest the stereotypical music which the audience listen to. Horror films will easily fit into the violent and gory representation of rock music. New album releases will help to promote bands and artists within the magazine genre.

The publisher of the magazine:

The current publisher of Kerrang! Magazine is Bauer Media Group. It is a multinational media company located in Hamburg, Germany which functions in 15 countries around the globe. The company was established in 1875, it has been privately owned and under management by the Bauer family. The worldwide circulation of Bauer Media Group's magazine titles totals to 38 million magazines a week. The magazine will be mainly funded through advertisements within the magazine and by such things as selling event anf gig tickets to the audience.

Typical reader profile:

The typical reader of this magazine has the mean age of 22. This younger age is elusive and expensive to reach. Their profile will be ABC1 suggesting that the magazine aims at a more middle to higher class young person. The reader will most probably be male, and appeals to them by using content such as hard rock and metal iconic male bands on the front cover. Female readers are targeted by the use of male bands on free pull out posters and feature interviews however there may also be a few female readers. Finally readers will have a significant interest in music which will make up a large part of their lives.

House Style of the magazine:

Kerrang! Magazine will always have a house style and this is where it will have a similar layout and structure each issue. This helps the magazine to establish itself and to help the audience recognize it. Kerrang! Will always use the same masthead which is always central at the top of the magazine with black and white colours and the well-known Kerrang! Font. The key signifier will then either be layered over the masthead or placed beneath and covering the majority of the front covers. They always use the same colours such as red black and white to fit in with their genre and often will have similar content within the magazine again to keep the house style of the magazine consistent and certain.

Do they reflect the values of their audience?

Kerrang! Identifies its audience as ‘individually minded, independent of thought and musically experienced, an audience defined by attitude, passion and loyalty’. Kerrang! Reflects the values of their audience through its contemporary and up to date appearance which will identify with their age and lifestyle. The magazine also accommodate to the values of the audience by fitting the magazine entirely around them such as advertisements to suit their interests and much more. The whole house style of the magazine completely reflects the audience and their values. Their edgy and down to earth look attracts the audience and engages them in the importance of music within their lives and helps them to identify their values with each other through things such as user generated content.