Dora Jones' AS Media Blog 2014

As Bauer is the publisher of Q, this is why I would choose it as the publisher of my music magazine, as I already applied quite a few of Q's layout and techniques to attract my target audience.

Despite this, I would also choose Bauer as it is they are a division of the largest, privately owned publishing group in Europe, which has grown to become a global media empire, owning 80 brands and 230 magazine in 15 different countries. Through this, I consider my magazine's association with this publisher to be beneficial as it would grow through their success and global recognition.

Bauer has demonstrated their power in the media industry through the acquisition of Emap in 2008 and all the brands and platforms it entails, gaining Bauer Media in the process.

Bauer Media also publicises other platforms, such as magazines and radio mainly. This would support my magazine in using these platforms to advertise the magazine brand and gain popularity.

As well as this, since the most recognisable magazines are published by Bauer and their success has generally grown since their establishment, it is difficult to perceive any other publisher as being more beneficial to a highly positive outcome.

It could be fair to say that this is partially a result of their dedicated focus to connecting with their target audience. This can be done through the layout, images (the models and representation), language and platforms such as the internet and television (Bauer's 'Box Television'). This appeals to the technophiles of the media's audience, that is growing more everyday through technology's greater influence over our daily lives, especially the lives of the younger generation. From this, Bauer has introduced technological platforms for it's most successful brands as a way of maintaining it's appeal to it's target audience, who generally tend to be the teen/young adults. This is why I made sure to include the aspect of the online site of my brand 'AMPlified' within my magazine, which was www.amplified.co.uk, as I too share this target audience age.

Bauer's brands are distributed by Frontline, which was formed by Emap in 1986 to handle their demands of an expanding circulation, yet now distributes Bauer Media, since Bauer's aforementioned acquisition of Emap. However, Bauer was already involved with Frontline since 2005.

Front line has also acquired many other partners, such as Haymarket and BBC, since it was created, making the company bigger. Overall Frontline distributes 160 magazines, and from this, is the most successful distributor in the UK. It's main job is to maximise the sales in the most cost effective way and use sophisticated software that ensures the right magazines and the right amount of copies are getting to the right shops.

Therefore, I would use Frontline as the distributor for my brand, not only as it distribute Bauer which owns Q which I used a considerable amount in analysing techniques for my own production, but also as it's success would hopefully raise of my magazine.

The only possible negative of Frontline, is that it is under threat of going bust as less and less people want magazines on paper because of the increase in popularity of technology and the competition of free magazines, such as fanzines like The Fly, who may force big brands to downgrade their magazines to become free and exist off advertisers. This means that publishers will not need a distribution company, meaning that the jobs of the employees of Frontline are in danger. However, the elderly audience generally still prefer the old fashioned paper copies, suggesting that this may still allow the paper copies of magazines to continue to be sold for a while longer which will keep the distributors in business in the meantime. Although, this is true for all distributors of magazines, therefore Frontline is still the best to choose, as as a result of it's higher success, it may mean that it may sustain itself longer than other less popular distributors.

Supply Chain

Wednesday 9 April 2014

Question 2

How does the Media Production represent a particular social group?

The aim of my music magazine product was to appeal to a certain social group, specifically 16 to 25 year old males. I feel my product achieved this is a number of different ways.

I designed my magazine in the style of Q Magazine, with my individual interpretation, as we both share the genre of rock/indie. Therefore, I thought it to be wise to take into account Q's mode of address, to attract my target audience.

I also mostly modelled my cover on this issue of Q as I felt it was not over-detailed and refreshing in it's simplicity, unlike magazines such as Kerrang!, which are presented with quite a cluttered layout. I chose this as it conveyed a relaxed atmosphere and a professional look, appearing well-thought out and specific. It was this I thought would attract my target audience as it appears inviting and eye-catching. Instead of the mass of information and complicated layout of Kerrang!, which I felt would overwhelm the audience.

I eventually chose this image to be displayed as the main image for my cover page.
The model of the photographs is a female within my target audience age range. As shown through my research, my target audience do favour a singular female artist. I have also used similar clothing and make-up to other models from other same genre magazines (eg, Q, NME), this is in keeping with the audience's preferences, and also ties with my aimed colour scheme (approved in my research) of red, black, yellow and white. This all relates the artist to the audience and their social group, conveying that the magazine understands them, which creates the trust that will ensure further sales from that individual.

The model portrays the representation of my target audience's social group, while also expressing the desire to aspire in life through her facial expressions; to feel free to self express themselves in their preferences; to be original in a society they do not necessarily feel they fit. I choose this representation as it is considered the stereotypical concern of my teenage/young adult social group, that they have difficulty finding their purpose for the rest of their life. A phase where they have left the restriction of childhood and are embracing the responsibility of the adult world as well as their individuality as a person.

This all relates the artist to the audience and their social group, conveying that the magazine understands them, which creates the trust that will ensure further sales from that individual.

In the article the best representational aspects can be seen from again the images, but also the textual content. For example, the image portrays vulnerability. I chose this image as her eye contact between herself and the audience, relating to the storyline, but also creating empathy and the suggestion that the model links to that individual and understands them, which is what the magazine I have created, is trying to convey.

In keeping with the layout of other articles, I made certain that I included details such as credits like words and portrait, drop caps, pull quotes, an image of the artist, the colour scheme of the magazine, the date of the issue, conventional language 'exclusively', page numbers that match the contents page (pages 21 and 22) and subscription and website details to appeal to the technophiles and to portray that this brand has multi-media platforms. This all presents the magazine as professional and realistic and appeals to my target social group.

The contents page represents the social group through its images again, similar to above, such as the rock/indie style of the clothing the artist wears. I have also kept the same model for the cover page, contents page, and article, to portrays how this magazine links together (and also helps the audience to make the connection between these pieces of content), how they would realistically focus on a main artist per issue, and how they would manage time and cost by using images from the same shoot.
I also used different genders to represent the specified male gender of my target audience, to relate them to the magazine.
As well as this, choosing a more seductive pose for the female artist in my contents page, plays to attracting the male audience that the magazine targets, which could also generate more sales, and by extension, profit for the brand.

Like my article, my contents page uses words and phrases, for example 'exclusive' and 'revealed' to entice the audience to delve deeper into the magazine's contents, appealing to my specific target audience by detailing artists that connect to the genre of the magazine and their age range, 'Arctic Monkeys'.

Sunday 6 April 2014

Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

(please use full screen)

Front Cover Contents Page Double Page Spread Article