Amended Cover & Contents Page

Magazine Cover and Contents Pages

Focus Group

Rachel Wilson

Age: 16

Studying: Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Politics.

Likes: Sailing, Skiiing, Surfing, Music, Parties.

Dislikes: The credit crunch

Currently Reads: The Times, Glamour magazine.

Media Consumption: Watches 1-2 hours of TV each night. Uses the internet regularly, mostly for facebook. Listens to music on her iPod.

Helen Villiers

Age: 17

Studying: History, Geography, Maths and Politics.

Likes: Music, going out with friends, being organised, shopping.

Dislikes: Homework, flying, stress.

Currently Reads: The Telegraph, The Economist, OK! magazine.

Media Consumption: Usually spends 3 hours on the internet each night for homework, msn and music. Sometimes watches 1-2 hours of TV.

Daniel Stannard

Age: 18

Studying: Media, Business and Politics.

Likes: Desperate Housewives, formula 1, football.

Dislikes: The credit crunch

Currently Reads: The Economist, NME, GQ.

Media Consumption: 3 hours of TV each evening. Usually uses the internet for about 5 hours a day, mostly myspace and msn.

Charles Cormack

Age: 17

Studying: Geography, Biology, English Literature and Art.

Likes: Reading, skiing, kayaking, swimming, surfing, going out with friends, music, comedy films, the countryside.

Dislikes: global warming, bullying.

Currently Reads: The Times, books.

Media Consumption: 1-2 hours of TV each evening. Listens to his iPod a lot, sometimes to help him concentrate. Usually uses the internet for about 2 hours a day, mostly using myspace and msn but also google for school work.

Results of Questionnaire

These results show that my audience reads a fairly broad selection of magazines. However, it is interesting to note that magazines such as Teen Vogue and Cosmo Girl which are targeted at this particular audience, were not as widely read as magazines like Vogue and Tatler, which are aimed at an older demographic. 

My audience is also clearly interested in celebrity gossip and fashion as demonstrated by their choice of magazines such as OK! and Heat.

The results showed that boys read magazines like GQ and Men's Health and were also amongst those who read The Economist, however of those who did buy The Economist, both boys and girls stated that this was due to its relevance to their politics studies.

Knowing my audience's hobbies can give me a better idea of the types of articles and features to include in the magazine.

Most popular are music and sport. However, following closely behind is 'none'. This suggests that perhaps the audience needs new ideas for

 hobbies outside of school or perhaps that they simply enjoy socialising with friends. On the other hand, it may suggest that their A level studies produce so much work, that they have little time for recreational activities and therefore tips and advice on how to manage one's social life and their studies would be an important feature of my publication.

Like the one above, this question helps me to gain a better understanding of my audience's interests which will aid me in choosing the main features of my magazine.

Fashion is clearly something that interests lots of students, both male and female and therefore it would be important to include fashion pages or perhaps and interview with somebody in the industry.

Music and sport again are high in the ranks and so are confirmed as vital features of my magazine. Television is of interest also and so TV reviews or interviews are a beneficial feature.

This vital question enables me to clearly see what criticisms of school or college magazines my audience may have. Most of them stated that they have never fully read a school magazine as they've found them boring and dull. 

Although I have separated their comments into these four categories, in general my audience's comments were cohesive on all four points.

This shows that I must ensure my own publication is interesting and exciting with features that will engage the reader in order to avoid it falling into the same grouping as previous school magazines.

The way in which I asked this question was slightly more complicated. The audience was asked to rate each option in order of importance and a points system was used to show how each selection was made. Although results were more difficult to conclude from this question, I feel it was worthwhile as it now not only represents the audience's biggest concern but gives an overall representation of all their main worries surrounding sixth form life.

The results show that I need to include articles on all these options as none of them have been discounted by the questionnaire. However I now know that Work Load, UCAS Forms and University Applications are high on my audience's list of concerns and so advice on UCAS Forms and how to deal with the sixth form work load will be featured in my magazine.

The results of this question show me how my audience values some of the different features that I will include in my magazine and therefore indicates which I should focus on.

A requirement from my audience for Tips and Advice has been a major theme throughout my research and therefore will also be a major theme in the magazine I create. 

The front cover is also valued highly and is of course vital in selling a magazine and so I must ensure that it is attractive and eye-catching to the reader.

Interviews will also be included as many students chose this as their most valued feature. Where students chose other, they specified fashion so this will also be important to include.

Audience Questionnaire

As a part of my research, I asked 20 people within my target audience to fill out an Audience Questionnaire. This is essential in helping me to gain a better understanding of my audience and build up a reader profile. I have detailed the questionnaire below and explained my purpose in asking each question.

1. Do you currently buy any magazines? If so, which ones and why?

This question was asked so I am able to analyse the publications my target audience is interested in and so gain a better understanding of what they are looking for in a magazine.

2. Do you have any hobbies outside school?

By asking this, I can gain further understanding of my audience and any activities they may be involved in, aside from school.

3. How would you categorise your main interests?

Again, this question helps me to gain a generally deeper understanding of my audience's interests.

4. What criticisms have you found of any school or college magazines you may have read in the past?

This question is directly related to my product. Any criticisms made are important as I should ensure these are not criticisms that can be made of my own publication.

5. What are your main concerns regarding sixth form life?

This question is vital as it shows me the most important things I need to cover in my magazine.

6. What feature of a magazine do you value most?

By asking this, I can find out which feature I should focus on.

7. What would you consider an appropriate name for a sixth form magazine at SHSG?

This question was really just to help with my ideas and thought processes. 

Reader Profile

From my research, I have created this mood board featuring images and products I feel are relevant and of interest to my target audience. Readers of the school magazine I create will have a positive outlook on life. Whilst, as a student myself, I am aware that the social aspects school offers are generally the most interesting, readers will maintain an enthusiastic attitude towards school due to their understanding of its importance for their future. This future, being a main feature of the magazine, readers will aim to move on to university and pursue their chosen career. However, the importance of the future aside, readers of my school magazine will be looking to have a good time and live life to the full!

Magazines aimed at my Target Audience

Cosmogirl

Younger sister of Cosmopolitan, Cosmogirl is written by young women to encourage readers to be able to relate to it. The magazine offers advice, encouragement and each issue is filled with information on fashion, beauty, health and fitness and relationships as well as interviews or profiles of young celebrities. Theorectically, the magazine is targeted at 13-17 year old girls but in reality it is only read by the younger sector of this catergory and often girls even younger than this.

Teen Vogue

Teen Vogue is targeted at a similar type of audience as its sister, Vogue, but is created for a younger demographic. Like Cosmogirl, Teen Vogue is targeted at girls aged 13-17. However, from my own research I have found that Teen Vogue is more likely to be read by the older end of their demographic. This may be partly due to its more fashion-based content but also its connections to Vogue, one of the world's most widely respected publications.

Seventeen Magazine

Seventeen magazine is the world's most successful magazine for young women. Its target audience is 12-24 year old girls. This is quite broad, and in fact the magazine is generally more likely to be read by younger girls. Its name 'Seventeen', defines its audience, this age being in the middle of the target age range. In reality, the magazine is mostly read by girls of this age and younger and would not often be read by women in their twenties. However, the magazine often features major celebrities on the cover and this may be key to its great success.

Vogue Magazine Full Textual Analysis

Vogue magazine is the world's most influential fashion magazine. It became known worldwide in 1909 when it found its current publisher Conde Nast, and is now published in thirteen different countries across the world with a circulation of over 200,000 in Britain. Vogue is so named because it suggests transient impermanent fashionability but the magazine itself is now so famous that all connotations of the word's original meaning are lost and the connotations of Vogue is a magazine of the highest fashion.

Vogue is published monthly by Conde Nast Publications and costs £3.60. Conde Nast specialise in magazine produciton and also produce a wide range of other publications such as Tatler, Vanity Fair, GQ, Easy Living, House & Garden, Glamour and CN Traveller. Vogue has a readership of over 200,000 which is more than any of the previously mentioned Conde Nast publications. Vogue's website, vogue.com recieves 1.2 million users per month.

Vogue magazine appeals to a wider range of readers than it initially intended. The current Vogue reader profile is 93% women, of ages 18 to 44, with an average age of 28. 29% are married and 67% work full time. However, although these statistics are relevant, Vogue's initial target audience was simply for the independent, sophisticated and probably more mature woman. It is clear that Vogue is targeted at women with money, by the types of products featured in the magazine. However, Vogue appeals to a much wider audience as it is so influencial in the fashion world. Many young girls aspire to live the lifestyle Vogue portrays and so read the magazine.

The cover presents a black and white theme with cover supermodel Kate Moss standing out from the white background, dressed in black. Her facial expression is quite provocative and alluring but in a high fashion way. As a top model, this expression indicates her model status and could be a signature look. Her body language suits her facial expression. As a fashion model, Kate Moss' aim is to make the clothes look good. However, as the cover model for Vogue magazine, her pose is very important. Firstly, and probably most importantly, she is making eye contact with the camera and therefore the reader looking at the magazine. The tilting of her head suggests understanding and familiarity and the position of her arms shows self-confidence and poise. In general, the medium shot give a confident, self-assured impression. The clothing is all black, and being on the cover of Vogue we expect it to be an expensive design. Kate's black clothes stand out from the white background and also from her skin. The use of Kate Moss for the cover shows that readers of Vogue would appreciate her success in the fashion industry. Kate Moss is now regarded so highly in the fashion industry that her name alone is enough to sell magazines and products alike. Therefore, it is not simply the way in which she has been styled and her pose on the cover that tells us about Vogue's target audience, but more about the status of the model and similarly the magazine itself.

Aside from the image of Kate Moss, the cover also presents in the typical layout the masthead for the magazine of which in typical Vogue style has been cut up by the model's head. Titles for the main articles of the issue are displayed on the front cover alongside other information such as the price and issue date. The text is all black and white to fit in with the theme of the issue. This leaves the only part of the cover that's not black or white as Kate Moss' face. This makes it stand out even more from the page, which is appropriate considering her fame. Overall the cover has the conventional look of a fashion glossy and looks similar to many other like publications such as Tatler, Marie Claire and Elle magazine. However, with Vogue as probably the most notable of these, it has set the tone for the other publications to follow.

Vogue's glossy cover and conventional format gives it an expensive look, with a price tag to match. The presentation of the magazine would be recognisable as Vogue even without the masthead. Within the fasion glossy category, it would appear Vogue has the edge, being the most highly regarded amongst members of the industry and also holding the largest readership of like magazines. The print style and artwork create a luxurious look which is cohesive to the products and lifestyle Vogue represents.

The magazine maintains a formal and imperative yet friendly mode of address throughout. Readers are very rarely allowed to address the magazine. In many ways this maintains Vogue's superiority and class, but could also alienate some audiences. Many of the articles in Vogue simply inform readers of things such as how to dress, what trends are in this season or new designers. The main articles are generally lengthy and at least one is related to the model on the cover. The main topic of the magazine is predominantly fashion. However, Vogue covers a range of other related lifestyle topics as well as some other interesting articles.

Most of the advertisments featured in the magazine are for luxurious, expensive designer clothes and accessories. These products share Vogue's target audience in their own right but through exposure to Vogue's audience, they become in further demand as the readers aspire to own such products in order to become more like the women modelling them. These models are typically skinny, pretty and sometimes more unusal looking. As Vogue is read by so many people in the fashion industry, many of its readers may be able to relate to the models in that they are also models, or perhaps just look like them. However for Vogue's younger readers, the magazine is about aspiring to be like the models and to own the things that they're modelling. Vogue's original target audience of slightly older readers may look at the models as simply displaying a product which they may soon go out and buy. It is important to mention that there is much controversy over the use of size zero models and the effect this may have on consumers. For example it has been reported that many young girls starve themselves in order to become as skinny as the models they see in magazines such as Vogue but also on the catwalk. However, although some individual designers that may be featured in Vogue have taken a stand and started using regular sized models, Vogue as a whole has made no change to its attitude towards the issue and continues to use very skinny models without any pressure specific to Vogue to change.

Vogue represents women as strong and independent. Men are rarely featured in images and when they are, as a mere accessory. They are mentioned more in text, but generally not as the main feature. This shows readers that they don't need a man and encourages them to be independent. Children aren't featured apart from in one, family related article and even here, they are only a part of the image rather than the piece as a whole. The working classes are also never featured as Vogue is targeted at rich, upper class women. Celebrities featured in the magazine, are often models. For example, Kate Moss is essentially a model, but whom is now famous in her own right. The cover of Vogue usually features someone famous and then the corresponding article in the magazine is obviously about them. The other celebrities featured in the magazine are generally featured purely for style rather than reporting on events in their lives. Socialites and people with style are featured as those to be admired and Vogue never reports on celebrity gossip. The celebrities chosen are generally for chosen for their style or perhaps they are an up and coming star. However, a woman has to gain a certain status within society before she can be on the cover of Vogue.

Vogue is in competition with other similar publications such as Marie Claire and Elle, but it seems that Vogue has the edge. These other magazines are similarly priced and as far as layout and topics go, they are not different to Vogue. However, Vogue maintains the highest circulation and most significant status in the fashion magazine genre.

College Magazine Textual Analysis

DAVE - South East Essex College

DAVE magazine is associated with SEEC, a college in the centre of Southend but is also available at other locations around the area. Completely free and full of interviews and reviews, the magazine's popularity is increasing and it has become better known. On first impressions, the cover may appeal more to males than females as it features a male model and also presents black and yellow as the main colours which do not particularly have connotations of girls. However, in fact the magazine is targeted at all college students.

The image represents attitude and style and this is enhanced by the brickwork-like backdrop. The model is from a well-known local band in Southend, and therefore is very relevant to the target audience. The stylistic features of the cover such as the cut off square effect surrounding the image are cohesive to its connotations of attitude. The bold fonts used, stand out and draw the attention of the reader. Their bold style also has connotations of enthusiasm and fun, which young outgoing people would appreciate.

Overall, this magazine is highly effective in directly targeting its audience and presenting appropriate features. Although the cover makes it appear to be mostly targeted at males, when asking members of my focus group and other female friends, they said they would read the magazine anyway as it is specific to Southend and in particular SEEC. However, when I questionned boys on whether they would read a magazine which looked like it was targeted at girls, they said they probably wouldn't. Regardless, this suggests that in today's modern society, the barriers between genders are less defined and therefore something that appears to be targeted at males, can actual appeal and therefore be targeted at all young people.

School Magazine Textual Analysis

The Loyolite

The Loyolite school magazine is most likely targeted at students. This cover of the latest issue presents a scrapbook-like layout which has connotations of youth as does the use of lined paper for the background which also connotes school. This shows that the publication is targeted at the younger audience of students, rather than parents. However, the images of the school and its grounds along with the date of simply the year 2008 suggest that the publication is targeted at prospective students rather than current ones. 

The images on the cover are fairly simple and present the school buildings and grounds. The school crest is also presented on the cover which shows the schools pride and respect for its community. However, the students are not represented on the cover. This means the reader cannot feel a sense of belonging. On the other hand, this format does give the magazine quite a unique appearance that is not conventional of other school magazines. The notepad typeface used for the background had strong connotations of school life which fits well with the magazine's topic. 

Overall, this cover is effective in its individuality. However I feel that it does not particularly appeal to students. The magazine has the appearance of a school prospectus, even though it is actually a school publication for current students. When asking the thoughts of my focus groups, they all commented on how there are no images of students and that the cover makes it look like a prospectus. This shows the importance of the front cover in the industry and the impression it gives to readers.

School Magazine Textual Analysis

High Profile (King Edwards School for Girls)

High Profile is produced by the sixth form students at King Edwards School for Girls. It is a news and features magazine with a purpose of creating opportunities for students to practice their journalistic and editorial skills. I have chosen these two examples of covers as I feel they give a good representation of the large selection of  covers available in the school's online archive. Each cover presents a different activity and happy students are always featured. This implies that the school is a happy environment.

These covers are effective in portraying this, however if targeted at students, the images may appear to posed and not natural. Generally they are very positive images though and represent fun activities. The images are also very colourful which makes the covers bold and eye-catching. It is clearly targeted at the students themselves and they are the main cover feature. At the same time, the magazine maintains a professional appearance which does not suggest it is simply a student-produced school magazine.

Overall the magazine is very effective in achieving its purpose. It represents students themselves as the main feature and allows the students at the school to practice their journalistic skills. Being produced by members of its own target audience definitely gives High Profile an advantage over other similar publications. Generally, the magazine gives a good representation of students at the school however, my focus group commented on the style of the magazine and suggested that it could be modernised with some more contemporary stylistic features.

University Prospectus - Cover Analysis

This magazine cover, for a law at an American university is most likely to be targeted at current or prospective students. However, the cover features what appears to be a group of the university professors. This makes the university look respectable and disciplined which although may be a good impression, could also come across as rather dull to prospective students and in particular to current students who are unlikely to consider their professors the most exciting aspect of university.

There is not much text on the cover, it simply presents the name of the university, states that the magazine is for the law department and gives the issue date of 'Fall 2007'. The font is bold and capitalised so it stands out and is clear to the reader.

The photograph is set into a rich red colour which may be the university's colour. It also stands out and makes the magazine look more expensive. The picture is taken in a grand hallway and all the people are dressed smartly. This gives a certain impression of the university. however, although the impression is good, it is not particularly inticing. A photograph of students would probably be more appropriate as the magazine is most likely to be targeted at this audience. It might also be beneficial to quote some of the articles on the front cover.

Overall, I feel this magazine is not appropriate for its target audience. The cover gives off a good impression of the university as far as parents, or professors are concerned but for students, a more exciting cover is needed. Even if the same set up was used but with students standing in the hall, that would be better as readers would be able to relate to those on the cover. However, if i were to redesign this magazine, I would probably base it around a main picture of students and perhaps inset some smaller ones. It's likely I'd also quote some of the most relevant articles in the magazine on the cover.