2. Industry

Publisher and Creator

My magazine is going to be published by Bauer, Europe’s largest privately-owned media group and Britain’s biggest magazine publisher, reaching over 23 million consumers in the UK alone. They print over 600 magazines worldwide from a wide range of genres, including Empire, Bella and Heat. 

Their website slogan is 'We Think Popular', linking their focus to mainstream values and themes, tailoring to the majority of people. They describe themselves as building 'strong cultural connections, drawing people together with the things that they really care about'. In response to this, I should make sure my magazine reflects Bauer's values by featuring mainstream trends as well as supporting a culturally diverse society and promoting the act of sharing among my readers.

Bauer Publishing's main fashion magazine is Grazia. The Bauer website describes Grazia as 'brave, bold and innovative', elements I hope to exhibit in my own magazine. Grazia also tailors to the AB and culturally sophisticated demographic. However, in contrast to my magazine, Grazia's audience is predominantly female with a core readership of women aged 25-45. These distinctions between our magazines enables Bauer to publish both without fear of  competition between them.

My magazine has been created by an 'independent media production company'. Independent production companies often target smaller, niche audiences and do not always conform to the typical conventions of industrial magazines. However, as my magazine is being published by Bauer and intended for retail sale, I must make the compromise of maintaining certain conventional elements which will appeal to large audiences, whilst still creating a magazine with a unique and independent feel. An example of a successful independent magazine production company is Kinfolk Magazine, whose publication has spread worldwide and been translated into Chinese, Russian and Japanese. It currently holds a readership of over 55,000. Published by Ouur, Kinfolk has created a "distinct ripple in the publishing world with an aesthetic all its own", states Portland monthly.

Technological Convergence and Synergy

Nowadays, with the growth of technology and social media, it is important for magazines to reach and engage their audience online. They can do this by creating a website and managing social media accounts which are updated regularly to constantly keep their viewers informed. Across all their online platforms, magazines must maintain a synergised brand identity which is recognisable to their audience. For example, on ELLE UK's Instagram page, their icon is the latest issue of their magazine, demonstrating technological convergence by uniting their product with their online media. They also have created a hyperlink to their webpage in their Insta bio, creating synergy by connecting their different online platforms. 

Regulation

The IPSO (Independant Press Standards Organistion) is 'the independent regulator of most of the UK’s newspapers and magazines'. They are financed by the Regulatory Funding Company (RFC) which is funded by member publications. Their job is to ensure that all publications comply with the Editors' Code: a set of rules written by the  Editors’ Code Committee and updated every year. This ensures that any publication has integrity and is not harmful or offensive to anyone within society. They also ensure that all magazine content is original and not intellectual property of another company or individual, and provide a 24-hour harassment helpline service for people feeling threatened or objectified by the press.

Funding

Most magazines receive revenue from both the cover price of their magazines as well as advertising. As the majority of my magazine's revenue will come from advertising, it is important that it is presented as an attractive platform for advertisers. I will do this by creating my magazine to appeal to a large audience. This can be done by featuring a wide range of mainstream topics which appeal to a variety of people, and keeping the price of my magazine low so as to attract more people to buy it. My specified 16-25 culturally sophisticated AB demographic will also enable advertisers to tailor their featured ads so that they can target my readership.

Current trends in the industry

Covers published since September 2018 have seen an increase in diversity by more than 30%, with black women heavily featured on the covers of top magazines such as Vogue, Glamour, Marie Claire and Cosmopolitan. This increase in racial diversity marks a new wave of fashion magazines which are showing support for equality and individuality. This is a trend I would like to harness within my own magazine in order to promote diversity and appeal to a broad range of people.

Current fashion trends popular among the 16-25 demographic include Street Style fashion and the re-vamping of old or thrift clothes, featuring styles from 1960-90. An example of this can be seen through the release of Nasty Gal designer's new collaboration line with Courtney Love, reviving the 'babydoll' dresses from the 90s. I could appeal to my target audience effectively by incorporating features on this trend in my magazine and website.