Circulation

This information is a form of secondary research but simply for knowledge of different magazine circulation figures and how they come about achieving this:

The magazines of leading supermarkets have made great success in sales in 2012. All three supermarkets, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons are circulating at a higher rate than all other paid magazines. The fact that the supermarket magazines are actually free for their customers is a unique selling point as people always look for a freebee or a bargain. Also because there are thousands of people using the supermarkets daily, there is an ideal opportunity to put a magazine on show. The placing of the product is clearly been done effectively to generate sales and consumer interest. Although Tesco has in fact in the lead with average sales, Morrisons has made a vast improvement from the year, the percentage being higher Tesco’s. It could be suggested that overall Morrisons has altered their marketing methods and have attracted more consumers, however Tesco has clearly maintained a better income previously which is why the improvement isn’t as big. Asda has managed to generate a lot of sales however they have decreased from the last year. This could be because of many reasons and this clearly highlights Asda’s potential to generate massive sales.

Name of mag	% paid for	avg sale	change y/y
Tesco Magazine	0%	1945015	0.7%
Asda Magazine	0%	1944393	-1.0%
Morrisons Magazine	0%	1293617	10.3%

Because the supermarkets have such a wide target market they all have appealed to mostly families, focusing on their lifestyle. This strategy has proven to be effective due to the great success. The vivid colours catch the eye and the relevance to the consumers is a good selling point. The context of the magazine often relates to supermarket products which often reveal value for money and help boost sales, it would be smart to include certain products in the issue that are not selling so well to attract consumers to purchase them. This is a very effective way of promoting the supermarket and their products.

                   

Action Plan

Research:

Week	Action
1	-          Produce task brief -          Initial thoughts and ideas -          Action Plan -          Background of music genre
2	-          Images related to genre/ mood board -          Methods of distribution -          Circulation -          Target Audience profile -          Defining the audience
3	-          Audience uses and gratifications -          Questionnaire -          Results -          Recommended conventions as a result of the questionnaire
4	Researching similar products: -          Analysis of 3 magazine front covers and the conventions used. -          Analysis of 3 magazine contents pages and the conventions used. -          Analysis of 3 magazine double page spreads and the conventions used.
5	-          Secondary research and the conventions identified. -          Final magazine profile (price, on sale locations etc.)
6	-          Extra time -          Could be used for editing and improving research.

Planning:

Week	Action
1	-          Planning and analysing masthead -          Colours and connotations used in magazine -          Grids/ layout plans
2	-          Image planning -          At least 4 annotated original images.
3	-          Mock design/layout of front cover -          Mock design/layout of contents page -          Mock design/layout of double page spread
4	-          Editing images, how and what tools were used? -          How was I creative in image taking – analysis of technology used -          Audience feedback for 3 mock designs
5	-          Redraft front page - What changes were made? -          Redraft contents page – What changes were made? -          Redraft double-page spread – What changes were made?
6	-          Extra time -          Could be used for further planning

Construction:

Week	Action
1	-          Creating final front cover
2	-          Creating final front cover
3	-          Creating final contents page
4	-          Creating final contents page
5	-          Creating final double page spread
6	-          Creating final double page spread

Evaluation:

Week	Action
1	-          In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (annotated final versions) -          How does your media product represent particular social groups? This can be part of annotated final versions.
2	-          What kind of media institution might distribute your product and why? -          Who would be the audience be for the audience for your media product?
3	-          How did you attract/address your audience? -          What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
4	-          Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
5	-          Extra time, catch up if not been able to complete weekly tasks above
6	-          Extra time, catch up if not been able to complete weekly tasks above

Methods of Distribution

How will my magazine reach my ideal consumer?

Distribution would be efficient if the magazine has its own web page. This would be a fast and effective way to target the market. The ideal consumer is young and up to date with technology and therefore targeting them in this way is actually probably more interesting for them and also of more convenience. A web page should offer the option of subscribing to the magazine; this means that there is a consistence for the customer. Some magazines allow their content to be free online, this is a good way to generate a lot of interest but it means that consequently there are going to be less paper-based magazines sold and therefore less revenue. This is why there is usually a cost attached before the web will let you see the magazine content. If the cost is cheaper online than in stores then it is likely that the web is far more popular. This won’t happen if there are incentives with buying the paper-based magazine. Attaching a CD or free gift will work wonders; the add-on will be cheap to purchase because they are buying in bulk. This means that the price can be bumped up and larger revenue will be gained.

Link baiting is a way of selling a website through the use of hyperlinks. Knowledge of vocabulary that is frequently typed into search engines can lead to very effective promotion of a magazine’s website. An example, making a link between a new and upcoming boy band and 1D is going to be a hit. When 1D is searched for the new band name or content about them is going to appear and will almost definitely generate interest very quickly.

Supermarkets and other retailers are good distributors due to the amount of activity they have on a day-to-day basis. These distributors are also easy to persuade, as they don’t make a loss, any unsold magazines get sent back, this is wasteful and environmental issues will arise as a consequence. 

Social networking sites such as Facebook aren’t as direct as other methods of distribution however offering teasers of the upcoming magazine’s content will intrigue the audience. It is often the case that there is a link to the magazine’s website offering a subscription.

Since my magazine is going to be relatively mainstream, and aimed at Y&R’s mainstreamers, large distributers such as Bauer and IBC would be great for reaching the ideal consumers on a large scale. Bauer Media Empire offers over 300 magazines in 15 countries, as well as online, TV and radio stations. They offer a variety and reach the intended market efficiently. I know that by using this method there will be a positive outcome; Kerrang! is similar to the type of magazine I aim to produce, published by Bauer it once become the best selling British music newspaper and now having circulation figures of around 40,000 per .

The way a magazine is distributed is partially dependent on the content. If the images or language is inappropriate then it is very unlikely for the magazine to be mainstream because places like supermarkets wont agree to put that type of magazine on their shelves. More timid and mainstream magazines such as WeLovePop and Shout etc. are more likely to be seen on supermarket shelves. Niche publications that have a limited or specialized audience will most probably be found in small corner shops. Also many people will subscribe over the Internet, as their magazine is not always easily accessible.

The type of people that are likely to be interested in niche publications are those who conform to some of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. ‘The explorer’ is a type that is likely to seek something different therefore these are the type of people that will respond to something new or bizarre. Not everyone will have this attitude and the content may provoke sensitive issues to do with gender, ethnicity, race etc. Niche publications are rarely ‘clean’ which is why large distributers do not agree to put this content on their shelves.

Initial thoughts

I aim to create an indie rock magazine that gives new and upcoming news about specific artists and their music. I will target my magazine at ABC1 men, aged between 15-30 as the magazines I take inspiration from also share this target market and are very successful; this market appears to be more in sync with the media. I will produce a questionnaire that will give me the relevant information for deciding the conventions of my magazine, things such as layout, when my magazine should issue and the type of content the end consumers are interested in. My initial thoughts for these conventions, before I carry out the questionnaire are as follows:

I intend to make my magazine mainstream like NME and Q so that my potential market isn’t limited as niche publications are. Therefore I would take into consideration the success of these inspirational magazines to make decisions about my own magazine’s codes and conventions. I chose to price my magazine at £2.10 since NME’s newsagents cover price is £2.20. If my magazine was actually being sold and distributed then this price would compete with the others. I would choose mainstream supermarkets such as ASDA and Tesco to distribute my magazine, also Newsagents and news-stands. Also I would offer a subscription online to keep up with media/technology trends, making my magazine potentially available to a wider market, making my magazine more convenient for the end consumer and more easily accessible. I chose to issue my magazine fortnightly to keep the anticipation of consumers, maintaining the hype around the next issue. My chosen colour scheme is red black and white, similar to NME. These are bold, striking and attractive colours which work well for NME. The connotations link well with the genre I have chosen: Black is positively a colour of authority and power, it can also have the connotation of mystery, however it can also connote death and rebellion. The colour red connotes, love, passion and energy but also can be inferred as a provocative, sexy colour. However the fact that it is the colour of blood and fire means it can also connote danger and death. The colour white is in stark contrast with red and black as its usual connotation is purity; however it is good to use in a magazine to even out the balance of colours. The have the intention of making my layout simple but striking, I do not want the page to be too busy. The main image will take up the middle third of the page, making a bold statement that the consumers are immediately drawn to. The most important cover lines will be placed on the left third of the page as it is the first thing seen when the magazine is positioned on a news stand. I also want there to be a puff promoting a competition or a featured poster, this will also be on the left third. In the content of my magazine I aim to have topics of festivals, upcoming gigs and tours. Also interesting articles about most loved indie rock artists.
My ideas for my magazine name are:
- Clique
- CLIQUE
- KLIK
- Stone
- Forgotten 

Brief

My task is to design and produce my own version of a music magazine, which will be a genre of my choice. I should produce a front cover, contents page and a double page spread, these should be similar in style. I will research and analyse conventions of existing publications, which will give me knowledge of how I can be successful when producing my own magazine. Also by creating a questionnaire using survey monkey I can reach my target audience and find out which conventions I should include according to their interests and opinions.

Within my music magazine it is compulsory to include original images, a minimum of four. Also I should use my knowledge of my audience and of the conventions that appeal to them most when making full decisions about my own publication.