Kerrang! Music Magazine Case Study

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.