statement of intent

 

NEA pitch slides

 

Industrial context: the brand

 BAUER MEDIA GROUP:

Bauer Media Group operates worldwide and owns more than 600 magazines, over 400 digital products and 50 radio and TV stations, as well as print shops, postal, distribution and marketing services. The Bauer Media Group acquired a collection of media brands including 'heat', 'closer' and 'Grazia'. Currently, they are the UK's biggest selling magazine publisher, with a diverse and passionate audience.

Their history goes back to 1953 where they launched the 'Angling Times and the acquisition in 1956 of Motor Cycle News. Later, in 2002, their magazine 'Closer' was launched as well as Britains first weekly glossy, 'Grazia', which launched in 2005. Their success is also demonstrated in their Women's Weekly magazines, including 'Take a Break', which has long been the UK's best selling women's weekly title. In addition, their 'TV Choice' magazine is the UK's biggest selling magazine.  

As stated on their website, they are 'committed to innovating and growing our publishing business expanding into digital, broadcast and experiential areas.' this was shown when in 2015, they launched a new magazine catered to the growing gardening market 'Modern Gardens', which, was said to be 'for an audience who want to enjoy their outdoor living space, without having to become expert gardeners. 

NEA initial thoughts

 

INITIAL IDEAS:

16-25 'style conscious'- take inspiration from iconic fashion magazines such as Vogue or GQ as these are well known by the age range due to their global reach. More recently I feel their magazines have been getting a lot more plain. social media is reviving the 2000s look, with old trends such as low rise clothing coming back to life. I want to capitalise on this and theme my magazine around this era, making my cover more lively than the modern ones seen today. this will help me attract my audience as it will be something different from the plain covers usually seen today.

‘Middle and up market’- able to promote more expensive products. Audience will be literate and well educated, include intertextual references to keep audience satisfied. 

The age range will have a strong social media presence, my magazine should include promotion of Instagram/TikTok accounts for my brand so my audience is more engaged and interactive. 

Double page spread- discuss any fashion events or trends, could include celebrity drama for the younger audience.  

Typically, these magazines will feature a celebrity on the cover, while I cannot replicate this, I can use the same techniques such as direct address as well as angles and lighting to make my magazine feel as upscale as possible. My model should also wear similar, expressive clothes.  

NEA generic research

 

PAST STUDENT WORK INSPO 

This magazine has a striking and engaging colour scheme. The models have matched their outfits to the palette on the front cover and content page, this creates a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing page that draws in consumers. I want to create a similar, uniform magazine to make my work look as high end as possible. The contents also fit well with the music theme of this magazine, making it appear very authentic. The male models outfit is one which I believe I can follow, the baggy, oversized attire was trending back in the noughties.

These two front covers both use their model as the focal point in their photo, the use of direct address also draws further attention. The colour palette of both is matched to the background and text on the magazine. this makes the covers look more aesthetically pleasing and high end. The contents page for the second magazine continues the green and white colour scheme, making it look more seamless when reading. I will incorporate this type of design into my own magazine to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

NEA audience research

Audience Profile

16–25-year-old middle and up market audience of style conscious people.

 Class demographic: I have chosen the AB-ABC1 class demographic to fit with the middle to upper market with quite a diverse age range. This means my audience will be up to date on current affairs and will be interested in the latest fashion trends. I can also include more intellectual elements into my magazine, as it will align with their cultural competency, satisfying my audience.  

Hobbies: my audience will have an interest in style and fashion as well as being up to date with the latest brands. By having an awareness of any trends, I can draw in my target audience by focussing on these, making them more likely to read my magazine as it will reflect the zeitgeist. My audience will have a keen online presence, I can use other social medias to engage my audience and further promote my work.  

Age: with my audience being 16-25, there is a range of different potential interests. Teenagers are typically still exploring their fashion preferences, while young adults are more likely to have refined their style, and many are looking for ways to express their evolving personality.  

Gender: the target audience will be both females and males, though women may represent a slightly higher proportion of the market, the male segment is growing rapidly in terms of premium fashion consumption, this allows me to target both genders and widen my potential target audience.  

PRIMARY AUDIENCE

SUBJECT 1:

SUBJECT 2:

SECONDARY AUDIENCE

SUBJECT 3:

the big issue infographic