Evaluation Activity 3 Rosie

Evaluation Activity 3.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

SIMILARITIES

From looking at both front covers you will see that both titles show a similarity in the way that they are formed. NME and PULSE, both use a font technique with a border, which highlights the title of the magazine. When creating my magazine I really liked this idea, which is why I decided to use it in my creation as it would draw the reader to the name straight away.

Also both magazine covers show a use of overlapping text and images to create an interesting and different layout, which will intrigue the reader into wanting to open up and see what is inside. NME have done this with the main focus image of the magazine, overlapping the border, whereas I have overlapped two images to create a sense of something almost bursting out of the page you’re looking at.

A section of text from the main article and selling point of the magazine has been used on both covers. This is good because it gives readers enough information to leave them on a cliff-hanger, normally the quote being the most important part of the text or just a quote which the target audience would find interesting. By leaving readers on a cliff-hanger, it makes them want to read on and find out more, which there fore makes the magazine more marketable. Also for PULSE using white font over a black background, makes it stand out to the reader.

DIFFERENCES.

The difference between the two front covers, that I noticed straight away, was the titling. NME have placed the band name, across the whole width of the magazine creating a main focus for the cover. This is obviously the main selling point for this

issue of the magazine. Whereas for PULSE I decided that I wanted the title to be the main text focus, because from some of my research I have found that this has been the case, and readers will be more likely to remember the name of the magazine and purchase it again, whereas having a lot of big text going on at once, cancels out the magazine title.

Another difference is NME have used the same person to create 3 different images on the front cover, where as on my creation I decided to put a main image of the whole band so the reader would straight away see what the main focus point of the magazine is and would be.

Another difference is where the price is located on each of the covers. For NME it is located on the barcode in a small black font, which shows that they are not trying to get across to the reader how much it is. Where as, my magazine creation I decided to input the price into a shape which looks as if it is bursting off the page. The reason I did this was simple. I wanted the readers focus to draw to the price to get across to them that this magazine is a good buy. This makes the magazine marketable, and would attract more buyers as it is cheap.

NME – How they advertise, distribute and produce their magazine.

COMPETITION.

Comparing my magazine to one like NME, I would say would be my main competition. The reason being it is formed around the same genre, and the audience it is aimed at is also similar. NME is a very popular magazine worldwide, and is very popular throughout many shops and its selling point is very high. If my magazine went out onto the market, I would overcome my competition by the following ways. During the production of the magazine issue coming together, I would research magazines such as NME and look at what aspects they have included into their issue for the month. Then I would know how to overcome the competition and beat their sales.

ADVERTISE.

I did some research on the internet, and found out some ways that NME advertise their magazine across to the public to try and boost their sales on the market. I found that in early 2008 NME published a special issue of their magazine. This particular issue of the magazine was advertised through on air productions and promotions of NME TV and NME radio. Also NME.COM was used and another website called UNCUT.CO.UK. This shows that NME are quite a large organisation because they have a radio and TV station. From looking at statistics it has been proven that indie genre styles of music have soared in the past few years to become the most popular type of music, which is why magazine companies like NME and Q for example are doing well on the market.

NME (New Musical Express) is owned by the company IPC Media (Time Inc.) NME is sold and distributed on the market in shops, but while researching this certain magazine I found that they had a website, which is noted on the front cover of every issue, just left of the barcode. Readers who do not wish to have the magazine

experience, can go online and get all the latest news and gossip they want, just by the click of a button. As time has gone on, and materials and technology have advanced, NME has been printed on glossy paper, tabloid size, which makes the magazine look a lot more professional and would attract readers much easier, because it looks professional, different and interesting.

IPC MEDIA (TIMES INC)

I did some of my own research online about the company that owns NME, as well as many other magazines all over the United Kingdom. It is the most popular magazine publisher and distributer, and the one that is most well-known worldwide. Stats show that over 26 million teens and adults read at least one magazine published by IPC. Other magazines which are published by IPC include Ideal Home, Now, Marie Claire, Pick me up and Women. These are also very popular leading magazines, which show just how big this company actually is.

I thought that IPC would just be a company that was owned by them because of the fact that they publish so many popular magazines. But I decided to go and look on their website and see what information would be given across, and I found out that IPC is owned by another company called TIME INC, which is the publishing division of Time Warner INC. International publishing company is split into different divisions and each certain area covers something completely different, like IPC media covers all magazine publishing and editing.

TIMES INC.

Time Inc, part of the main company Time Warner Inc, is one of the largest publishing companies in the world. The company includes some of the worlds most popular and powerful brands known to the public. It has many connections with different parts of the world, including IPC media in the UK who owns NME. As Time Warner is such a big company it is successful enough to get information across online, television, satellite and even mobile communications. When researching into the companies that own NME, I found it really interesting that IPC is owned by this company, because of the fact that the magazine that they publish are so popular within the UK, you would think that they would be their own company all by themselves, but I found it really interesting that there is a bigger company which owned them. The publishing companies are all linked together, which I found interesting because it shows just how big publishing businesses are in the world today, and how much trade actually does occur from the sales of magazines.

MAKING MONEY

NME make their money by using bands which are most popular to the public eye. They include interviews and articles from celebrities that people will want to hear about. For example, whilst I was researching online about the company itself, the online magazine featured articles and images from people like lady gaga, and Simon Cowell, who are very famous to the public eye.

After taking my own opinion on how I believe NME makes their money, I decided to do a bit of research online about magazines and where their profit is made. I found

that magazine publishers make most of their money from advertisements, subscriptions online and through the magazine itself, and lastly through shop sales and newsagents. From looking at a range of magazines, I have found that they all base their articles and ideas around the same subject. But what draws readers into purchasing a certain one is because they are all written in their own distinct way, which may make a reader feel like they are getting more information from this certain issue than they would any other magazine which is on the market as well.

Also when I was researching into IPC media, I found out that magazines cost a lot of money to produce and distribute. So in order for a decent profit to be produced at the end of the sales, you must ensure that you have a good enough product to sell. Magazines like NME that do well, will grab profit, because they interest a wide audience range as indie music is much more popular today.

How I would distribute my magazine and why.

I think that if my magazine were to be produced and sold, I would defiantly have it put sales in shops, to attract audience attention in a newsagent and supermarket. The only problem that I would say with selling it in a shop is the fact that you have so much competition around you at all times, fighting for the same reason your magazine is. So if your magazine isn’t good and eye catching, then you have no chance at making a profit as better magazine will over run your own. Also you may just be stuck to UK sales depending on who your magazine is published by, which weakens your audience size. I think one of the best way, is too have your magazine online. This then creates a wider audience because anyone in the world can access it much quicker and easier than waiting for it to be sold in a shop. Also on a website you can add in a lot more information than you can in just one certain magazine issue. By using both these methods of magazine sales, you can be sure that with a good design your magazine will sell well, and come out with a good profit in the end.