Industrial context: Magazines

Magazines can be general interest for mainstream audiences or specialist interest for niche audiences.

Most popular magazines

• Entertainment Weekly (Circulation: 1.8 million (2013))
• People (Circulation: 3.4 million (2018))
•  Us Weekly (Circulation: 2 million (2013)) 
• TV Guide (Circulation: 1.8 million (2014))
•  Rolling Stones (Circulation: 700,622 (2018)) 
• Empire (Circulation: 123,004 (2016))

Financing of Magazines

Magazines are usually financed by advertising or by a purchased price or by prepaid subscription or a combination of the three. For adverts, the magazine allows advertisers to use their unused space for their adverts which usually costs thousands of pounds. For subscriptions allow consumers to receive the magazine directly and is usually more profitable as one of the intermediaries are cut out but, also allows the magazine know what their audience’s consumption habit are like.

Industry decline

Magazine sales have been in steady decline since the introduction of online magazines. Some magazine producers have said that the industry is in a crisis, as print magazines have to compete with online only magazines.

UK magazines

In the UK alone there are over 8000 different magazine titles for general sale. 

Industrial context: Bauer Media Group

Bauer Media Group globally 

Bauer media is one of the world's largest privately owned media business with media assets all over the globe. Founded in Hamburg in 1875 and now in its 5th generation of family ownership, the Bauer Media Group reaches 200 million consumers worldwide and operates in 13 countries including the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA and has 15,000 employees. 

Bauer Media UK is part of the wider Bauer Media Group and is the No.1 UK Publisher and the No.1 Digital Commercial Audio broadcaster.  An entertainment network of iconic and innovative multi-platform brands reaching 25 million consumers using insight and instinct to tell stories that are relevant to audiences and advertisers alike delivering cultural impact.   

Bauer publishing UK

Today we are the UK’s biggest selling magazine publisher, creating iconic and influential magazine media brands for diverse, passionate audiences. 

Our magazine heritage stretches back to 1953 with the launch of Angling Times and the acquisition in 1956 of Motor Cycle News, both still iconic brands within our portfolio. More recently, Closer was launched in 2002 and Britain’s first weekly glossy, Grazia, was launched in 2005.   

Our Women’s Weekly magazines include Take A Break, which has long been the UK’s best-selling women’s weekly title, and TV Choice, the UK’s biggest selling magazine.  In 2015, we created a new niche within the growing gardening market, with the launch of Modern Gardens, for an audience who want to enjoy their outdoor living space, without having to become expert gardeners. 

Case Study/ generic analysis

Grazia magazine analysis

Grazia magazine is a womenswear magazine that originated in Italy with international editions printed in over 10 countries. 

Masthead - As this is a fashion issue, the masthead font is similar to those of high end fashion brands.

Puff - details what is featured in the magazine and gives the reader a 'sneak-pea' of what is inside.

Coverlines: relative to the target audience, women in their mid 25s-40s 

Has some true story articles inside but is presented in a more sophisticated manner. Shows ABC1 demographic

Barcode - convention of magazines

Take a break analysis

Typography of the title is unique to the magazine and used on every cover which creates a sense of brand identity.  Also the use of the colours pink, yellow and blue on all the covers also help to create brand identity.

The cover star isn't a well known celebrity meaning it is more relatable to the audience. She represents the magazine's demographic of 25 to 40 year olds.

The bold colour palette draws the attention of potential readers and highlights the sensational headlines.

All stories featured are true, real life stories, so the reader would be more likely to relate some of the stories to their own life. 

Chinese horoscopes are popular amongst the target demographic age, so featuring them in the magazine would attract more readers.

This particular image doesn't show a barcode as it was taken from the website, however all their issues do have a barcode which is a convention of a magazine.

Happiful uses a mixture of celebrities and ordinary people so the audience are still able to identify with the people featured on the magazine.

Typeface is unique to the magazine, creating brand identity, even though each cover has a different colour scheme.

Happiful focuses on mental health and wellbeing which is prevalent for the target audience. It doesn't use sensational headlines like Take a break does.