Generic Research - Vogue Case Study

Magazines

Website

Industrial Context - Condé Nast

Condé Nast is a global mass media company which was founded in 1909. The company's media brands reach over 72 million in print, 72 million in digital, and 454 million across social media platforms, including Vogue, GQ, Glamour, Vanity Fair, and Wired. Anna Winter is currently the editor-in-chief of US Vogue and serves as Artistic Director and Global Chief Content Officer.

Vogue

Vogue is a monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine that covers style news, beauty, culture, living, and runway. The magazine places fashion in the context of culture and the world around us, immersing itself in fashion. 94% of Vogue consumers agree that "Vogue is an authority on fashion", further exemplifying this.

The magazine has 12.1 million print readers and 96.4 million social followers. Vogue receives an average of 571 million video views monthly.

Codes and Conventions:

The cover star is usually a well-known public figure, typically a supermodel or celebrity and is the dominant central image on the front cover.

The Vogue logo is always located at the top of the front cover in the large serif Didot font.

Feature articles covering fashion, politics, culture and beauty are often included.

Advertisements for premium brands such as Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, and Dior are included alongside editorial content within the magazine.

The content of the magazine typically covers current social issues and includes more diverse models and voices to convey these messages.

GQ (Gentlemen's Quarterly)

Gentlemen's Quarterly, previously known as Apparel Arts, is an international men's magazine which was founded in 1931. The magazine focuses on fashion, culture, and style for men alongside articles on topics of cultural relevance such as food, film, and music. 90% of GQ consumers agree that "GQ is the authority on men's fashion/style" reinforcing GQ's credibility within fashion by implying their influence.

The magazine has 5.7 million print readers and 19.8 million social followers. GQ receives an average of 100 million video views monthly.

Codes and Conventions:

The masthead displays the bold "GQ" logo and is often positioned at the top of the cover and sometimes partially obscured by the model on the front cover.

Cover lines and headlines often feature celebrities, fashion trends or commentary on political and cultural affairs.

There is often a celebrity focus within the front covers displayed with focus largely on high-profile men from film, music and sports.

The magazine provides style guides on fashion and grooming for men with the inclusion of seasonal fashion tips and grooming product reviews.

The magazine presents a more modernised image of masculinity which is both inclusive and diverse. Mental health, vulnerability and gender roles are often discussed within the magazine, exemplifying this perspective.

Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair is an American monthly magazines which was first published in 1913. The magazine focuses on popular culture, fashion and current affairs.Vanity Fair attempts too capture the zeitgeist and offer both insight and entertainment to their audience. 95% oof Vanity Fair consumers agree that "Vanity Fair defines influence and culture" emphasising their influence on the zeitgeist.

The magazine has 7.8 million print readers and 23.3 million social followers. Vanity Fair receives an average of 139 million video views monthly.

Codes and Conventions:

The magazine contains high-end advertisements for fashion, and luxury goods.

The masthead has a classic bold serif font however this can. vary from issue to issue. It is typically red, black or white depending on the colour palette of the cover. It is always displayed at the top of the cover in a large font t ensure maximum visibility.

The cover image often depicts an A-lister placed centrally within dramatic lighting and contains minimal text.

The content of the magazine includes in-depth profiles on celebrities as well as political and cultural figures. Investigative journalism pieces on scandals, politics and social issues are often featured alongside analysis of current fashion and style. The Vanity Fair diaries include lifestyle writing with a confessional tone.

The magazine often comments on culture and politics through coverage of political scandals, societal change and elite institutions and provides a critical lens on fame, identity and power. Trends within media are also explored.

Industrial Context - Contemporary context

The major players within the magazine industry are Bauer Media, controlling 27.7%, Immediate Media Company, controlling 9.81% of the market share in 2020.

The leading publishers are recognised for several well-known titles.

Bauer's biggest titles include "Take a Break", the UK's best selling women's weekly magazine with 271,837 copies circulating per week, "TV Choice", the UK's number one print magazine with sales of over 900,000 per issue, and "Bella", a leader in the Women's Weekly Classics Market.

Some of Immediate Media Company's biggest titles include Radio Times, Good Food, and BBC Top Gear.

Financing

Magazines are largely financed by selling advertisement space in print and digital. Advertisers pay magazines to feature their advertisements within issues often based on audience demographics and circulation numbers. Many magazines also rely on subscriptions as a form  income. They often charge readers a subscription fee for print, digital, or both. Long term subscriptions are often offered at discounted rates to encourage commitment and purchases. Magazines also earn revenue by selling individual copies at newsstands or online.

Distribution

Commercial magazines are able to ensure wide distribution and continue reaching their audience through both physical and digital copies. These copies are distributed to consumers by a range of methods. Traditionally magazines have been sold in newsstands and retail outlets, often typically displayed near checkout counters or in designated magazine racks. Magazine companies heavily rely on subscriptions for regular distribution through both print and digital subscriptions. Print subscriptions are physical copies of the magazine which are delivered to subscribers homes at regular intervals whereas digital subscription allow readers to gain access to the magazine's content through an app or website. Digital subscriptions are currently more popular due to the rise of digital media. Some magazines also distribute articles or features through social media channels and email newsletters, encouraging subscriptions.

Exchange

Commercial magazines are often exchanged through subscription, partnerships, and advertising revenue. The exchange ensures that the consumer or advertiser receives something valuable - content, exposure, or a physical product - as compensation for their payment.

Subscription sales allow the reader to pay in advance for issues of the magazine and receive regular delivery of the magazine in either print or digital format over a period of time. Existing subscribers can renew their subscriptions which continues the exchange process. This can be done through an automatic renewal system which allows a subscriber's payment to be processed periodically in exchange for continuing access to the magazine.

Magazines are sold to retailers at wholesale prices so they can then resell them at a higher price to consumers, allowing them to gain profit. The exchange occurs through the retailer purchasing the magazine in bulk from distributors/publishers and offering them for sale to the public. Similarly, for digital editions, magazines are sold through platforms such as Google Play, Amazon, and Apple News+, where consumers can directly purchase or subscribe to digital versions of magazines.

Some magazines, exchange their products through partnerships with brands. The magazine may feature a brand's content in exchange for either payment or cross promotion.

Audience Research - Focus group

Primary Focus Group

Name: Lily Gillett

Age: 17

Occupation: Student

Interests: Listening to music, fashion, singing, musical theatre, travelling, cooking

Psychometric group: Explorer

Application to brief: Lily is a teenage girl interested in fashion and music, who enjoys reading magazines in her free time.

Name: Aurora Karaj

Age: 17

Occupation: Student / Waitress

Interests: Watching films, photography, travelling, collecting physical media, reading

Psychometric group: Struggler

Application to brief: Aurora enjoys travelling and taking photos of the things she finds beauty in within the world surrounding her. She enjoys reading, particularly gothic novels and film magazines.

Name: Leo Cuthbert

Age: 16

Occupation: Student

Interests: Sewing, drawing, listening to music, playing guitar

Psychometric group: Struggler

Application to brief: Leo is currently studying fashion and textiles, aspiring to go into the fashion industry. She reads fashion magazines to gain inspiration for the pieces she makes in her free time.

Name: Martha Browne

Age: 16

Occupation: Student / Sales Assistant
Interests: Watching films, architecture, fashion

Psychometric group: Explorer

Application to brief: Martha often reads magazines on architecture and films. She often engages with fashion based content on social media.

Secondary Focus Group

Name: June Cuthbert

Age: 83

Occupation: Retired

Interests: Sewing, knitting, travelling, watching documentaries, reading, gardening

Psychometric group: Explorer

Application to brief: June enjoys making clothing for her grandchildren and exploring new areas when travelling to places like Australia and France. She often spends her time reading gardening and fashion magazines or knitting.

Name: Catherine Cuthbert

Age: 46

Occupation: Head of Public Relations 

Interests: Reading, watching television, travelling, running, yoga

Psychometric group: Mainstreamer

Application to brief: Catherine often enjoys reading fashion magazines in her free time and enjoys buying new items of clothing by her favourite designers including Bella Freud.

Industrial Context - History of magazines

Audience Research - Audience profile

NAME    Gabrielle Hunter

GENDER    Female

AGE    19

OCCUPATION    Waitress/Student

ANNUAL INCOME    £21,000

LOCATION    South-east England

PSYCHOGRAPHIC    Aspirer

VALUES, ATTITUDES & LIFESTYLES    Gabrielle likes to wear clothing considered to be within 'coquette' fashion and tries to maintain an online identity through posting content on social media. She places importance on current affairs, advocating for social change and the rights of individuals, alongside celebrity culture. She thinks of herself as a person current within popular trends, especially within 'coquette' fashion. She is interested in fashion and frequently buys fashion magazines, in order to understand the current trends within fashion and keep updated on popular entertainment. She is currently studying at a Russel Group university to obtain a degree within Politics, Philosophy and Law. She is intellectual and socially aware of what is happening in the world around her. She often chooses to purchase fashion magazines such as Vogue as this appeals to her more than magazines such as GQ. She often goes to the cinema to watch new films with her friends, usually shortly after they have been released in cinemas. She uses social media to allow her to keep in touch with friends, and post about her own personal life. She also sources her inspiration for outfits and home design through outfits such as Pinterest and Instagram.

Initial response to the brief

Initial ideas:

- coquette - bows, cherries, baby pink, pearls etc.

- animal print?

- fashion inspired by film & tv ? (intertextuality!)

- streetwear

- microtrends & fast fashion

- recycled fashion - reselling clothes, charity shops, online etc.

Pros of magazine:

• lots of creative control
• potential to explore different areas of 'style' - home interior, fashion
• ability to explore different aesthetics - could look into rise of 'coquette' fashion amongst young people - would appeal to target audience
• easier to appeal to target audience 

Cons of magazine:

• difficult to use intertextual references 
• could be difficult to source clothing/props that would fit in with conventions of high end style magazines
• settings could be difficult for pictures

Initial ideas:
potential songs - Eyes Without A Face by Billy Idol (audio would would need to be cut - fade out from 2:26?) - video must be 3 mins exactly, could edit audio and replace with another section from end of song

- Chasing Pavements by Adele 

Pros of music video:

• easier to make intertextual references (film, tv etc.)
• narrative of song could be followed 
• "eyes without a face" - opportunities for close ups with lyrics
• "chasing pavements" -  shot of running along pavement ??
• more freedom with setting
• audio can be edited when trimming to 3 mins - control over which parts of songs are used 
• Eyes Without A Face - potential for creative control and adaptations of lyrics 

Cons of music video:

• ballads are slower songs - could be visually boring for audience
• most ballads would need to be cut to 3 mins 
• video could be cheesy ect. due to nature of genre
• could be difficult to source props due to limited budget 
• audio needs to flow if cutting parts - could sound choppy

I have decided to progress with a magazine as I feel that the brief is easier to fulfil and allows me more creative control due to the nature of the brief in comparison to the music video which limits me to a slower music video which is harder to make visually interesting. I also have more experience producing print work as I have not yet filmed any content, particularly music videos and lip-syncing. I also struggled to find a song that would fit the brief as my ideas were mostly songs that would need to be edited. I feel that progressing with the magazine will allow me to express greater creative potential and develop skills I have already built within class projects.