In this piece, I shall analyze the main features of a magazine and how they use codes and conventions to draw in their target audience
Features of a magazine and the codes and conventions
What are the physical features of a magazine? There's quite a lot we have to remember, and each is important to the magazine in their own way, magazines would struggle without them. Firstly: the dominant image, it's exactly what it says it is, it's the image that covers the majority of the cover, the image that will entice us the audience to buy this magazine. In this particular cover, the dominant image is of Daniel Craig in character as James Bond. This is important as it appeals to a certain audience immediately: fans of the James Bond franchise, that'll be good for the magazine as the 007 brand is very popular because it has been around since 1953 and for a franchise to be around for so long it has to be good and continue to bring in an audience otherwise the franchise would die out. The James Bond books have sold over 60 million copies which will mean a lot more new readers even if it's only for that one issue, but maybe the new readers from the Bond angle will stick around and continue to buy. Also, this doesn't just appeal to fans of the 007 franchise itself, it'll appeal to genuine movie fans because people will recognize James Bond and be interested in its history throughout the years. The picture itself is a medium close up of Craig (as we can see his head and shoulders), this is important as it shows his facial expression very clearly, we can see he has a concentrated look on his face and it's relevant as considering he is an international spy he has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and this links in with how he's a spy and he has to be concentrating every second of each mission. The lighting in this shot is low-key, which means that it's a darker shot. This could be referring to how Bond is a spy and he has to do his work in secrecy, and this darkness could be a reference to his secret life and how we as the audience shouldn't know a lot about his work or him in general. It also creates the mystery for the reader as black and dark colours are used to convey drama. Furthermore, in this dominant image, we see that Bond is wearing a suit, this implies that he has style, because in the Bond franchise he is always dressed smartly, which is one of the perks he receives being a spy for MI6.
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| The character of Bond is always dressed well as shown above |
Furthermore, any magazine needs this to separate their magazine from others, but a very important feature is the masthead (which means the title of the publication as it appears on the front page), in this case, the masthead is of TotalFilm. TotalFilm is a very well known magazine and its fans will immediately recognize their logo, it sold around 73,000 copies which shows its popularity amongst audiences. Many critics cite this as the best film magazine with Oliver Stone saying "Total Film has always broached the divide between mainstream and independent and it should be greatly commended for that." This masthead has quite a large size which visually would catch the audiences eye and their use of colours show that they want to appeal to the audience as the colours white and black are easy to spot and visually make the masthead look appealing. Also this magazine has a lot of cover lines, this is to entice the audience if they weren't interested in the main story (this being James Bond), for example, there's a cover line about Back to the Future and that may bring in some fans of the film as it has been so long since it came out people will want to know what the 'new generation' thought of the film and if the movie itself has aged well and can still be considered one of the best films of all time, but speaking of the headline itself: it's referring to how the two main stars of the Back to the Future would be interested in making a fourth film. This would certainly entice an audience as this franchise is iconic in the world of film and even the thought of another film would excite the audience as many of them would've been young when the first 3 came out and another film being made would be nostalgic for the majority of the audience. This shows the impact of a cover line as if the dominant story doesn't bring in an audience, then maybe the other stories will too. A skyline is another important feature of a magazine, it's important as it is another method to catch the readers attention by giving additional information, in this case: the skyline is the names of 4 different actors and actresses, these 4 being Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Rachel Weisz and Andrew Garfield. Although all 4 of these actors are already well known, it'll attract an audience of fans from their past works. For example, Jennifer Lawrence was in the critically acclaimed film series based off the books named the Hunger Games which as a franchise made 1,450 billion dollars which shows its popularity which will equal more audiences for the magazine. The trailer for the HG got 8 million views on YouTube in the first 24 hours of it being released. Finally, the magazine has a sell line, which is what it says on the tin: it's a line which should entice you to buy a magazine, in this case, their sell line is 'the world's best movie reviews' which is a big sell line as if you're the best in anything it'll immediately appeal to people, but movie reviews will be an even bigger appeal as movies are one of the most popular things that we as people love, and being the best in reviewing movies is a key thing as many people will want to read about a new/old movie that they're interested in seeing.
Here is a cover of World Soccer, I'll be analyzing this and a double page spread (not from World Soccer)
Here is a cover of World Soccer, I'll be analyzing this and a double page spread (not from World Soccer)
Masthead: The masthead is visually appealing with the uses of red and black, both colours are easy on the eye. But this masthead is ideal as it makes it clear what the magazine is about, it's called World Soccer which makes it clear that this magazine is about football and how it's played all around the world. This logo is also very recognisable as WS themselves are one of the most popular football magazines in the entire world, they sold around 22,000 copies last year and were only 2nd behind the highest selling football mag FourFourTwo, which sold around 60,000 copies. It may be a long way behind FFT but WS still holds its own in the football world, with people enjoying the analytical side of the magazine.
Dateline: April 2016 - this is the dateline, this is important as it lets the reader know what issue they’re reading, because if they don’t know the context then they won’t enjoy the magazine as much as they might have. This also will make it easier for the audience to read just in case they may want to read it again to see how much of it still holds up. But also this specific date shows that it is a monthly magazine as if it was a weekly magazine it'd have the specific date rather than the month.
Dateline: April 2016 - this is the dateline, this is important as it lets the reader know what issue they’re reading, because if they don’t know the context then they won’t enjoy the magazine as much as they might have. This also will make it easier for the audience to read just in case they may want to read it again to see how much of it still holds up. But also this specific date shows that it is a monthly magazine as if it was a weekly magazine it'd have the specific date rather than the month.
Dominant image - dominant image: this is this magazine’s main selling image, it is relying on this image to sell copies. In this case this is Antoine Griezmann, who is one of the best footballers in the world and one of the most well-known footballers in modern time, he plays for a team called Atletico Madrid, which has quite the fanbase internationally, they have around 22 million followers on all their social media platforms, which puts them in the top 20 most popular football clubs in the entire world. Griezmann himself has 21 million followers on Instagram and 5 million followers on Twitter, this is key as that is guaranteed that there’ll be millions of more new readers as Griezmann is one of the most recognizable sports stars on the planet. Although this wasn't intentional the use of red and white is also visually appealing (although this is Atletico's normal kit anyway) on the eye and easy to spot for any potential new readers.
Main Coverline - the main cover line reads 'Atletico's bright young thing' which will entice an audience of the casual football fan, as one of the most popular things football fans do is like to know about the new best young players and this line will be appealing to any casual football fan, not just fans of Atletico as people always follow the journey of a young footballer so if World Soccer is writing about it then obviously Griezmann has talent and they know this, so writing this means they're taking advantage of the fact that people have a genuine interest in the up and coming stars of tomorrow. Although instead of being informative, it could be a conversation starter, as some people may not believe Griezmann is anything special so instead of being informative it could start a mass debate amongst readers, which isn't necessarily a bad thing because it'd be boring if everyone who read magazines agreed with 100% of everything that was said. The aim of magazines isn't just to inform, it's to begin conversations and debate because not everyone is going to agree on everything and the world would be a worse off place if everyone had the same thought process.
Selling line: everything needs a sell line. A catchy sell line can make a product that more appealing, for example, everyone recognises the iconic 'I'm Lovin it' for McDonald's. And World Soccers is simple but effective, theirs is 'Global Football since 1960' which is simple but effective like I referenced earlier. And it makes it clear that this is a well respected magazine brand as it has been going since 1960, which means it has been going on for 58 years which shows it's a good brand as not that many magazine brands last this long and it makes World Soccer a reliable source for anything football related because of its long history.
Double page spread
Drop cap - a drop cap is a bigger letter that starts off a paragraph. The use of drop caps is necessary as it separates the text clearly and allows the text to flow, and the use of P in a bright colour is used to be easy on the eye and to draw attention to that section of text (also allows it to flow) and it separates the separate paragraphs from each other so it's easier for the audience to read and not get lost and potentially lose where they were reading.
Dominant image - the dominant image is the image that we as the audience will see first when we open the page on the double page spread, if the dominant image isn't good then there'll be less viewers of the article. This image is of Lana Del Rey, who is one of the most popular artists in the current era of music, she will bring in a sizable audience as she has a combined 28 million followers on all of her social medias and as of this year (2018) she has sold 15 million albums worldwide, she's been praised for years by many critics as the future of music itself and her last few albums have received critical acclaim, so this will entice her audience but also fans of music in general. So for this magazine to have her as the dominant image will be good for them and will most definitely increase the sales because of this DPS about her, because not only will fans of her be guaranteed to look and purchase this mag, but also people who are slowly becoming fans of her may be interested to learn more about her as they'll want to know as much as they can if they're fans of her (or want to become fans of her). This may be a small detail but this image makes it clear that she's American, which could also draw in an American audience, because American's have always been patriotic and always want their own to do well.
Smaller image - when there's a dominant image there's usually a few smaller images to go with the dominant one, however on this page there's only one smaller image but it is very informative, because they're all statistics relating to her success, this is good for the reader as non Lana fans will be able to see how successful she is just from one image and it could cause her to gain new fans as if people see the numbers she put up then it may entice them to listen for themselves and see what her music is like. It also proves the magazine's point that Lana is the future of music as these stats prove that she is the real deal and fans, neutrals will be wondering if she can stay in the spotlight and not break down due to the pressure that'd be on her because of her success.
Paragraph header - the quote from Lana is easily visible and is in bright colors which is another way which makes it easy on the eye for the audience, the quote itself says 'Mission Accomplished' which implies that whatever Lana set out to do, they also put a small summary about what the interview is about and talks about how successful Lana is as an artist and creator.
Print v Digital
Advantages of print
Disadvantages of digital
• Although digital magazines allow us the readers more convenience, it can be harder to actually read a digital magazine as we usually view them on our phones and normal phones don't have the biggest screens, so the readers have to compromise and zoom in whilst they're reading.
• Because on digital you can write an article and put it out immediately, it runs the risk of the article being either factually incorrect or it could be plagiarism. The reason this happens is that digital magazines aren't under as much pressure as print to be accurate 100%, and because of the amount of information available from a quick Google search, you're more likely to publish something that just isn't true and could've been written by anyone from JK Rowling to your local shopkeeper, it's hard to determine which is fact and which is fiction.
Selling line: everything needs a sell line. A catchy sell line can make a product that more appealing, for example, everyone recognises the iconic 'I'm Lovin it' for McDonald's. And World Soccers is simple but effective, theirs is 'Global Football since 1960' which is simple but effective like I referenced earlier. And it makes it clear that this is a well respected magazine brand as it has been going since 1960, which means it has been going on for 58 years which shows it's a good brand as not that many magazine brands last this long and it makes World Soccer a reliable source for anything football related because of its long history.
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| Double page spread: Lana Del Rey |
Drop cap - a drop cap is a bigger letter that starts off a paragraph. The use of drop caps is necessary as it separates the text clearly and allows the text to flow, and the use of P in a bright colour is used to be easy on the eye and to draw attention to that section of text (also allows it to flow) and it separates the separate paragraphs from each other so it's easier for the audience to read and not get lost and potentially lose where they were reading.
Dominant image - the dominant image is the image that we as the audience will see first when we open the page on the double page spread, if the dominant image isn't good then there'll be less viewers of the article. This image is of Lana Del Rey, who is one of the most popular artists in the current era of music, she will bring in a sizable audience as she has a combined 28 million followers on all of her social medias and as of this year (2018) she has sold 15 million albums worldwide, she's been praised for years by many critics as the future of music itself and her last few albums have received critical acclaim, so this will entice her audience but also fans of music in general. So for this magazine to have her as the dominant image will be good for them and will most definitely increase the sales because of this DPS about her, because not only will fans of her be guaranteed to look and purchase this mag, but also people who are slowly becoming fans of her may be interested to learn more about her as they'll want to know as much as they can if they're fans of her (or want to become fans of her). This may be a small detail but this image makes it clear that she's American, which could also draw in an American audience, because American's have always been patriotic and always want their own to do well.
Smaller image - when there's a dominant image there's usually a few smaller images to go with the dominant one, however on this page there's only one smaller image but it is very informative, because they're all statistics relating to her success, this is good for the reader as non Lana fans will be able to see how successful she is just from one image and it could cause her to gain new fans as if people see the numbers she put up then it may entice them to listen for themselves and see what her music is like. It also proves the magazine's point that Lana is the future of music as these stats prove that she is the real deal and fans, neutrals will be wondering if she can stay in the spotlight and not break down due to the pressure that'd be on her because of her success.
Paragraph header - the quote from Lana is easily visible and is in bright colors which is another way which makes it easy on the eye for the audience, the quote itself says 'Mission Accomplished' which implies that whatever Lana set out to do, they also put a small summary about what the interview is about and talks about how successful Lana is as an artist and creator.
Print v Digital
Advantages of print
• Ad: Once you buy a print magazine you have it for life, you can pick it up and read it whenever you want and as many times as you want because it's yours forever until you don't have any use for it anymore
• With print you don't require an internet connection, as said before when you have it physically in front of you that's all you need, this is a good feature as, despite most people having access to the internet connection, there are still people that don't have access to it and print is their only form of magazine
• With print you don't require an internet connection, as said before when you have it physically in front of you that's all you need, this is a good feature as, despite most people having access to the internet connection, there are still people that don't have access to it and print is their only form of magazine
• Many people believe that reading a magazine is more 'relaxing' than reading a magazine on a computer screen (digital). The reason that people believe that physically reading is better is that if you sit in front of a computer screen/digital device for too long it can have a bad effect on your body. Sitting in front of the screen for too long can cause blood clots and can increase fatigue in humans
Disadvantages of print
• If you damage the physical copy then you may not be able to read it again, as it's difficult to fix damage to the pages, for example: if water spilt on it it'd make the magazine nearby impossible to read again, as the water would make the page very easy to rip
• Limited reach is a huge disadvantage for the print industry because with print magazines you have to physically go and buy it yourself. This can be an issue for a few reasons:
1 - if your local store doesn't have it then there's no possible way of you being able to ever read it
2 - some people just can't be bothered to go out and buy something they can just read from their phone in the comfort of their home
3 - with print, it physically takes up a lot of space, so if you're a frequent buyer of print then you have less space because of said space that print takes up
• Lack of interactive content, with print you can fit in a lot of words which will make it informative for the reader, however other readers may have a low attention span when it comes to reading, with print you cannot insert any videos which is a negative because many people nowadays prefer being educated about a subject via video rather than a magazine.
Advantages of digital
• Digital magazines cost less because there are no printing and distribution costs, which means that the publisher will save money because it costs a lot less to publish something digitally than physically. This also means that the publisher of a digital magazine won't lose any money from unsold mags.
• The majority of digital magazines are offered through subscriptions, and with digital readers of whatever magazine they read will be able to receive them instantly, rather than having to wait for it to be physically released
• Digital magazines are available on every possible platform, whether it be your phone, computer, this creates a whole new level of convenience as you can just load up your phone and you can begin reading, and considering it's digital the only space it'll take up is on your phone. Disadvantages of print
• If you damage the physical copy then you may not be able to read it again, as it's difficult to fix damage to the pages, for example: if water spilt on it it'd make the magazine nearby impossible to read again, as the water would make the page very easy to rip
• Limited reach is a huge disadvantage for the print industry because with print magazines you have to physically go and buy it yourself. This can be an issue for a few reasons:
1 - if your local store doesn't have it then there's no possible way of you being able to ever read it
2 - some people just can't be bothered to go out and buy something they can just read from their phone in the comfort of their home
3 - with print, it physically takes up a lot of space, so if you're a frequent buyer of print then you have less space because of said space that print takes up
• Lack of interactive content, with print you can fit in a lot of words which will make it informative for the reader, however other readers may have a low attention span when it comes to reading, with print you cannot insert any videos which is a negative because many people nowadays prefer being educated about a subject via video rather than a magazine.
Advantages of digital
• Digital magazines cost less because there are no printing and distribution costs, which means that the publisher will save money because it costs a lot less to publish something digitally than physically. This also means that the publisher of a digital magazine won't lose any money from unsold mags.
• The majority of digital magazines are offered through subscriptions, and with digital readers of whatever magazine they read will be able to receive them instantly, rather than having to wait for it to be physically released
Disadvantages of digital
• Although digital magazines allow us the readers more convenience, it can be harder to actually read a digital magazine as we usually view them on our phones and normal phones don't have the biggest screens, so the readers have to compromise and zoom in whilst they're reading.
• Because on digital you can write an article and put it out immediately, it runs the risk of the article being either factually incorrect or it could be plagiarism. The reason this happens is that digital magazines aren't under as much pressure as print to be accurate 100%, and because of the amount of information available from a quick Google search, you're more likely to publish something that just isn't true and could've been written by anyone from JK Rowling to your local shopkeeper, it's hard to determine which is fact and which is fiction.
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