A Level Media - End of year 1 exam: Learner response
Create a new blogpost on your Media Exam blog called 'End of Year 1 exam learner response' and work through the following tasks:
1) Type up your feedback in full (you do not need to write mark/grade if you do not wish to).
WWW: Narrative + Gender
EBI: See comments throughout. This needs to be a wake-up call, particularly for 20 and 25 mark questions. Lots of work to do in Year 13.
2) Read the mark scheme for this exam carefully, paying particular attention to the 'indicative content' for each question. This is some of the best learning you can do all year as it gives you an idea of what the exam board is expecting. For your LR blogpost, identify ONE point you could have added for the first three questions in Section A:
Q1 additional point/theory: • Intertextuality: cover creates intertextual reference to King Kong stories/movies of 1950s which engages audience using narrative.
• Binary opposition: cover image creates classic binary opposition of good and evil, hero and
villain etc.
Q2 additional point/theory/CSP reference: • Evidence of the male gaze (Mulvey) with passive blonde female wearing revealing top reflects male dominance of the time period. Media products typically represented men in a hypermasculine way.
Q3 additional point/theory/CSP reference: • Jean Kilbourne’s work on the representation of women in advertising can be found in the Score hair cream advert. This presents women as objects and reinforces many of the negative, reductive stereotypes seen with regards to women in advertising from the 1950s
until at least the 1990s (and arguably to this day).
3) The final question in Section A was a 20-mark essay that required an extended response containing a coherent argument. Using the suggested content in the mark scheme, write an essay plan containing five paragraphs/points that answer the music video and postmodernism question.
Paragraph 1: Michael Jackson: Billie Jean
• The postmodern idea of ‘copying copies’ (that nothing is truly original) and therefore finding
originality in old ideas is a strong theme of Billie Jean.
• Billie Jean uses polaroid photos and moving billboards to create a ‘screen within a screen’
postmodern effect.
• Repeated intertextual references to old movie genres, and indeed a blurring of genres (film
noir, Hollywood musical etc.) could be seen as postmodern aspects to the music video.
• The construction of the video is an example of bricolage – the combining of old and new
elements. Classic 1950s film noir detective narrative combined with light-up pavements
much more in keeping with 1980s aesthetic.
Paragraph 2: Common: Letter to the Free
• In many ways, Letter to the Free is not conventionally postmodern – but it does subvert
some aspects of Goodwin’s theory of music video conventions. It is black and white, lacks
close-ups and offers a very slow pace in both editing and camera movement. However, it
also offers a performance element and has visuals that match the lyrics in places which is
more conventional of a music video.
• The reflective, floating black square in Letter to the Free arguably offers an example of
hyperreality. It’s a deliberately ambiguous motif that never makes clear whether it is real or
symbolic. This echoes Baudrillard’s claims with regards to audiences being unable to
distinguish between reality and copies or simulations of reality.
4) Section B began with two questions testing your knowledge of industry terminology. Make sure you know the answers to these (get the answers from the mark scheme if you have to):
Two benefits of vertical integration:
1.Greater control of the production process.
2.Lower costs and highers profits.
Definition of diversification: Diversification is when a media company branches out into a different area of the media industries. For example, many media companies have had to diversify to internet-driven distribution (e.g. streaming) as a result of new and digital media.
5) Question 8 (TV industry) was arguably the hardest question on the exam. Write a new paragraph that answers the question referring to either Capital or Deutschland 83 and the global TV industry. Use the indicative content in the mark scheme to help you.
Capital reflects the global nature of London (multiculturalism) but perhaps less the global
nature of TV industry. State-of-the-nation drama largely aimed at British BBC audience who
understand cultural references to house prices, Eastern European builders, city bankers etc.
Did Capital’s emphasis on British culture and politics mean it did less well internationally?
Alternatively, some of the issues taken on by the drama could be seen as global – financial
crisis, immigration, family. These are quite universal themes that could play to a global
market.
Capital production company Kudos have sold many of their shows to international markets
(including Capital). Capital was distributed by Fremantle Media, an international distributer
that is part of the RTL group conglomerate (Bertelsmann).
TV networks and streaming services are increasingly creating content that can work in
multiple markets (e.g. Netflix and Amazon Prime developing original content in multiple
languages).
Friday 12 July 2019
Magazines: final index
1) Men's Health - Audience
2) Men's Health - Language and Representation
3) Men's Health - Industries and the impact of digital media
4) Oh Comely - Audience
5) Magazine front cover production task - learner response
6) Oh Comely - Language and Representation
7) End of Year 1 exam - learner response
8) Oh Comely - Industry case study
2) Men's Health - Language and Representation
3) Men's Health - Industries and the impact of digital media
4) Oh Comely - Audience
5) Magazine front cover production task - learner response
6) Oh Comely - Language and Representation
7) End of Year 1 exam - learner response
8) Oh Comely - Industry case study
Magazine cover learner response
Magazines: Magazine cover production learner response
You will receive feedback on your magazine front cover production work in the next few days.
Depending on lesson time and staff availability, you will receive this feedback either via email or verbally/handwritten in class. It will be marked out of 15 using the new specification mark scheme for coursework. This divides up your mark using the different Media concepts - Media Language, Media Representations, Media Industries and Audiences. For this front cover assignment, we are only using the mark scheme for Media Language:
Magazine front cover - Learner response
Create a new blogpost called 'Magazine cover learner response' and complete the following tasks:
1) Add your finished magazine cover as a JPEG image.
2) Type up your feedback from your teacher. If you've received this by email, you can copy and paste it across - WWW and EBIs.
WWW: Excellent cover image
and the overall effect is close to professional standards which is the hallmark
of A/A* work. This is definitely close to the level of design we need to reach
in any print tasks for the coursework next year. Strong image, good balance to
the page design and some nice creative touches in terms of typography and
colour.
EBI: There are a couple of
things holding you back with this cover. Firstly, some missing conventions –
date, price, barcode (optional). The top left of your cover (the GQ masthead)
just looks a bit empty compared to professional examples. Secondly, why are the
cover lines in the bottom right in speech marks? Who is saying these things? In
addition, those cover lines need to be right-aligned and ‘men’s fashion’ is missing
an apostrophe. This is the level of attention to detail we need to hit those
top grades next year!
3) Consider your mark against the mark scheme above. What are the strengths of your production based on the the mark scheme? Think about magazine cover conventions and the media language techniques you have used to communicate with your audience (e.g. mise-en-scene, camera shot etc.)
Good application of knowledge and understanding of media language, demonstrated by the frequently appropriate and effective selection and combination of elements to communicate clear meanings throughout the product.
4) Look at the mark scheme again. What can you do to move your mark higher and, if required, move up a level?
Instead of leaving white space on the left of the magazine, fill it in with text.
5) What would be one piece of advice you would give a student about to start the same magazine cover project you have just completed?
To make sure they know what they're going to write, the right lighting is used for the central image along with the font that is used for the text.
Oh Comely Industries case study
Oh Comely Industries case study - blog tasks
Work through the following tasks to complete your work on the Oh Comely magazine CSP. There are plenty of questions here but you will be given lesson time to start this and will find the reading gives you a brilliant insight into a vital aspect of media - the power of independent institutions.
Iceberg Press
Visit the Iceberg Press website - particularly the Who Are We page and the Why Are We Here page. Read the content and then answer the following questions:
1) Why did the people behind Iceberg Press set it up?
Iceberg Press was set up to provide the public with present material in a changing fresh social age.
2) What is the Iceberg Press mission statement? (It's on the Why Are We Here page and is a series of statements).
3) What are the two magazines that Iceberg Press publishes?
The two magazines are: The Simple Things and Oh Comely.
4) What similarities do you notice between The Simple Things magazine and Oh Comely?
Both magazines appear to be extremely minimalist in design, with very few cover lines featured at the bottom of the cover, with both mastheads in lower case letters, neither magazine using ' star power ' to attract mainstream audiences, and both magazines using similar, minimal, natural color palettes
5) What differences can you find between Hearst UK, publisher of Men's Health, and Iceberg Press?
Through its mission statement, Hearst tries to appeal to a much broader, more mainstream audience, offering typical content and magazines with very standard designs, while Iceberg Press primarily targets a very particular audience of females with particular content and unconventional design for their magazines.
Writer's Edit journal article
Read this excellent Writer's Edit academic journal article on the independent magazine industry and answer the following questions:
1) What is the definition of an independent print magazine?
An autonomous print magazine is a magazine that is published without any economic assistance from bigger organizations or companies.
2) What does Hamilton (2013) suggest about independent magazines in the digital age?
Hamilton called the media industry a ' worldwide niche, ' autonomous magazines can use a wide internet presence to collect an audience and encourage their magazines. This allows more creative license to be available to creators and editors.
3) What is the aim of Kinfolk magazine and what similarities can you draw with Oh Comely?
Kinfolk magazine's objective is to help readers find ways to "simplify their life, cultivate community, and spend more time with their friends and family," similar to the objective of Oh Comely to encourage readers to discover their own creativity and become more socially conscious.
4) Why does the article suggest that independent magazines might be succeeding while global magazine publishers such as Bauer are struggling?
Independent magazines have been able to take advantage of new digital media by creating an online presence to help promote and distribute their magazines to a loyal audience, while global magazine publishers have been unable to adapt and find it difficult to maintain a stable print audience.
5) How do independent magazines launch? Look at the example of Alphabet Family Journal.
Independent magazines have been able to take advantage of new digital media by creating an online presence to help promote and distribute their magazines to a loyal audience, while global magazine publishers have been unable to adapt and find it difficult to maintain a stable print audience.
6) What does the article suggest about how independent publishers use digital media to target their niche audiences?
Independent publishers can use digital media to target their niche audiences by interacting with social media audiences, inspiring crowdfunding donations and a general interest in the magazine, as well as establishing the magazine's online retailers.
7) Why is it significant that independent magazines are owned and created by the same people? How does this change the creative process and direction of the magazine?
It is significant because this makes it possible for independent magazines to be truly specific with their content to directly target a niche audience, specifying the direction of the magazine and sometimes being the only magazine to talk about a particular subject.
8) What does the article suggest regarding the benefits of a 'do-it-yourself' approach to creating independent magazines?
The paper indicates that this strategy would benefit if the magazine were fundamentally original and could specifically appeal to an audience with the same opinions described in the magazine, and in the cooperative strategy to these journals, it operates to expand these opinions rather than restrict them.
9) The article discusses the audience appeal of print. Why might audiences love the printed form in the digital age?
Because of its aesthetics, it has a retro attraction and appeals to a millennial, hipster crowd, audiences may prefer the printed form of a magazine in the digital era.
10) What are the challenges in terms of funding and distributing an independent magazine?
Autonomous magazines must be by and by subsidized and dispersed, which can be hard to accomplish as the creation procedure is expensive. This implies some autonomous magazines need to depend on companions or crowdfunding so as to kick begin their magazine and afterward depend on memberships and high spread costs to help continue the business.
Irish Times feature
Now read this short feature in the Irish Times on the growth of independent magazines and answer the following questions:
1) Why are independent magazines so popular?
Autonomous magazines must be by and by subsidized and dispersed, which can be hard to accomplish as the creation procedure is expensive. This implies some autonomous magazines need to depend on companions or crowdfunding so as to kick begin their magazine and afterward depend on memberships and high spread costs to help continue the business.
2) Why is the magazine publishing industry set up to favour the big global conglomerates?
Worldwide aggregates have all the more financing and along these lines can print more duplicates at a lower cost, and contact more crowds, and can more effectively promote than independents.
3) What does the article suggest regarding finding an audience for an independent magazine?
Independents will in general discover little yet steadfast spectators because of their specialty content and are effectively ready to adjust to new media to further their potential benefit.
4) What are the challenges for magazine distributors?
Magazine merchants face the test of the expenses to dispatch magazines to sell and furthermore the expenses of being delivered back on the off chance that they don't sell numerous
5) The article suggests that many independent magazines only make money by diversifying into other products. What examples do they give?
Model given incorporate occasions put on by magazines, selling prints and dress product, and setting up web based life records to stream substance connected to their magazine.
Work through the following tasks to complete your work on the Oh Comely magazine CSP. There are plenty of questions here but you will be given lesson time to start this and will find the reading gives you a brilliant insight into a vital aspect of media - the power of independent institutions.
Iceberg Press
Visit the Iceberg Press website - particularly the Who Are We page and the Why Are We Here page. Read the content and then answer the following questions:
1) Why did the people behind Iceberg Press set it up?
Iceberg Press was set up to provide the public with present material in a changing fresh social age.
2) What is the Iceberg Press mission statement? (It's on the Why Are We Here page and is a series of statements).
- The Iceberg mission statement reads:
- It's all about the audience
- Chase the work, not the money
- Compromise isn't our friend
- We will always make time for ideas
- We are stronger when we work with others
- Every year we will help a cause that matters
- We want good people to work in a good place
- We believe in a thing called print
3) What are the two magazines that Iceberg Press publishes?
The two magazines are: The Simple Things and Oh Comely.
4) What similarities do you notice between The Simple Things magazine and Oh Comely?
Both magazines appear to be extremely minimalist in design, with very few cover lines featured at the bottom of the cover, with both mastheads in lower case letters, neither magazine using ' star power ' to attract mainstream audiences, and both magazines using similar, minimal, natural color palettes
5) What differences can you find between Hearst UK, publisher of Men's Health, and Iceberg Press?
Through its mission statement, Hearst tries to appeal to a much broader, more mainstream audience, offering typical content and magazines with very standard designs, while Iceberg Press primarily targets a very particular audience of females with particular content and unconventional design for their magazines.
Writer's Edit journal article
Read this excellent Writer's Edit academic journal article on the independent magazine industry and answer the following questions:
1) What is the definition of an independent print magazine?
An autonomous print magazine is a magazine that is published without any economic assistance from bigger organizations or companies.
2) What does Hamilton (2013) suggest about independent magazines in the digital age?
Hamilton called the media industry a ' worldwide niche, ' autonomous magazines can use a wide internet presence to collect an audience and encourage their magazines. This allows more creative license to be available to creators and editors.
3) What is the aim of Kinfolk magazine and what similarities can you draw with Oh Comely?
Kinfolk magazine's objective is to help readers find ways to "simplify their life, cultivate community, and spend more time with their friends and family," similar to the objective of Oh Comely to encourage readers to discover their own creativity and become more socially conscious.
4) Why does the article suggest that independent magazines might be succeeding while global magazine publishers such as Bauer are struggling?
Independent magazines have been able to take advantage of new digital media by creating an online presence to help promote and distribute their magazines to a loyal audience, while global magazine publishers have been unable to adapt and find it difficult to maintain a stable print audience.
5) How do independent magazines launch? Look at the example of Alphabet Family Journal.
Independent magazines have been able to take advantage of new digital media by creating an online presence to help promote and distribute their magazines to a loyal audience, while global magazine publishers have been unable to adapt and find it difficult to maintain a stable print audience.
6) What does the article suggest about how independent publishers use digital media to target their niche audiences?
Independent publishers can use digital media to target their niche audiences by interacting with social media audiences, inspiring crowdfunding donations and a general interest in the magazine, as well as establishing the magazine's online retailers.
7) Why is it significant that independent magazines are owned and created by the same people? How does this change the creative process and direction of the magazine?
It is significant because this makes it possible for independent magazines to be truly specific with their content to directly target a niche audience, specifying the direction of the magazine and sometimes being the only magazine to talk about a particular subject.
8) What does the article suggest regarding the benefits of a 'do-it-yourself' approach to creating independent magazines?
The paper indicates that this strategy would benefit if the magazine were fundamentally original and could specifically appeal to an audience with the same opinions described in the magazine, and in the cooperative strategy to these journals, it operates to expand these opinions rather than restrict them.
9) The article discusses the audience appeal of print. Why might audiences love the printed form in the digital age?
Because of its aesthetics, it has a retro attraction and appeals to a millennial, hipster crowd, audiences may prefer the printed form of a magazine in the digital era.
10) What are the challenges in terms of funding and distributing an independent magazine?
Autonomous magazines must be by and by subsidized and dispersed, which can be hard to accomplish as the creation procedure is expensive. This implies some autonomous magazines need to depend on companions or crowdfunding so as to kick begin their magazine and afterward depend on memberships and high spread costs to help continue the business.
Irish Times feature
Now read this short feature in the Irish Times on the growth of independent magazines and answer the following questions:
1) Why are independent magazines so popular?
Autonomous magazines must be by and by subsidized and dispersed, which can be hard to accomplish as the creation procedure is expensive. This implies some autonomous magazines need to depend on companions or crowdfunding so as to kick begin their magazine and afterward depend on memberships and high spread costs to help continue the business.
2) Why is the magazine publishing industry set up to favour the big global conglomerates?
Worldwide aggregates have all the more financing and along these lines can print more duplicates at a lower cost, and contact more crowds, and can more effectively promote than independents.
3) What does the article suggest regarding finding an audience for an independent magazine?
Independents will in general discover little yet steadfast spectators because of their specialty content and are effectively ready to adjust to new media to further their potential benefit.
4) What are the challenges for magazine distributors?
Magazine merchants face the test of the expenses to dispatch magazines to sell and furthermore the expenses of being delivered back on the off chance that they don't sell numerous
5) The article suggests that many independent magazines only make money by diversifying into other products. What examples do they give?
Model given incorporate occasions put on by magazines, selling prints and dress product, and setting up web based life records to stream substance connected to their magazine.
Oh Comely Language and Representation
Oh Comely Language and Representation: blog tasks
Language: close-textual analysis
Work through the following tasks to complete your close-textual analysis of the Oh Comely CSP pages:
Front cover
1) What do the typefaces used on the front cover suggest to an audience?
The primary typeface used for the title is a non-serif scripted font that appears to imitate handwriting, offering the magazine a private and direct feel for the public, and is rarely discovered on magazine covers.
2) The words under the title introduce the content and topics addressed. What do these suggest about the potential audience of Oh Comely?
The content and topics discussed suggest that this magazine is aimed at those of a creative nature who are interested in social issues and different views on such issues.
3) How do the cover lines use narrative to create enigma? What do the cover lines suggest about the magazine's content and audience?
The cover lines use alliteration, which is a conventional feature of magazines, but the use of adjectives is to create enigma codes of the content of the magazine, instead of explaining what exactly is in the magazine, this highlights the focus of the articles instead of ' Power and Poise ' as a juxtaposition may allude to the article ' Speaking Out. '
4) Write an analysis of the central image.
The central image features female, as seen through her hair and makeup, outfit and posture, with a blur between femininity and masculinity and a confident and empowered attitude that is not typically seen in women's magazines
5) What representation of gender can be found on this front cover?
Gender could be seen as a performance.
Feature: Speaking Out
1) What does the headline and standfirst suggest about Oh Comely's feminist perspective?
The title indicates that the females featured ' speak out ' about essential feminist problems or identity problems that might have been socially relevant
2) What do the interviewees in this feature suggest about the values and ideologies that underpin this magazine?
The interviewees in this feature are all females of color, and many of the characteristics deal with particular gender female problems and provide voices to those from minority groups, thus enabling the feature to be addressed to the middle class, educated, socially conscious public.
3) How conventional is the page design in this feature? Why?
The layout of the page is unconventional, with lots of white space, indicating a full focus on each interviewee, not overloading the page with conflicting material that may attract attention away from the significant topics being discussed.
4) Pick out specific aspects of this feature that subvert the stereotypical representation of women in the media. Are they different to what we may find in conventional women's lifestyle magazines such as Glamour or Cosmopolitan? Why is the absence of men a key feature of Oh Comely?
The pictures used for each interviewee subvert the standard representation of females in other lifestyle magazines, with each woman posing smiling for the camera, yet having a grounded, frank aspect, introducing them to the crowd as well as removing the element of the male gaze Mulvey, not working to current females in any other manner than how they wish to be represented.
5) How does the photography offer a fresh or unusual perspective on women?
As mentioned above, photography enables females to be presented as they are, without airbrushing or particular touch-ups, demonstrating a much more realistic and natural women's representation.
Feature: More than gender
1) How does this feature offer a fresh perspective on gender and identity?
This characteristic portrays a transgender individual as they start talking about gender fluidity and sex oscillation within their identity.
2) What is the significance of the writer and photographer? How does this fit with the Oh Comelybrand?
The writer is the sister of the individual who has moved, and the photographer is the son of the individual who has relocated.
3) What style of photography is used in this feature?
The pictures used are candid pictures that enforce the article's family aspect.
4) What representations of the transgender lifestyle can be found in this feature?
Once again, the candid, natural photography demonstrates a private and related perspective of this tale in relation to its audience.
5) Why is the biographical information at the end of the article significant? (Clue: the writer is also an editor of a niche, creative magazine called Entitle).
The biographical information at the end adds personal approach elements together with opening readers to similar content from the same editor.
Representation and identity
Work through the following questions on representation and Oh Comely:
1) How do representations in Oh Comely challenge stereotypes?
Representation in Oh Comely challenges stereotypes as they subvert the anticipated beauty norms for cover models by using an androgynous model and use candid style pictures throughout the magazine, such as in the talk-out post, featuring individuals smiling and looking straight into the camera that is typically not seen in magazines.
2) What representations of race, ethnicity and nationality can be found in the 'Speaking Out' feature?
All the females featured are females of colour, a Somali, a Muslim woman talking about FGM, a British Jamaican-Scottish poet, an American Body Positive Blogger, an Immigrant activist, and a British coder.
3) What representation of women and femininity can be found in Oh Comely?
It can be found that women and femininity are created as non-linear, and that there is no binary definition of femininity.
4) Why might Oh Comely deliberately under-represent men? (The absence of men in the magazine appears to be a largely deliberate move by the editors).
The magazine is aimed at females, and as a feminist magazine, the lack of males in the magazine enables their target audience to have targeted material that would have a more direct impact on the problems being discussed than on males.
5) Does Oh Comely fit into the possible fourth wave of feminism? Or is it evidence of post-feminism - that feminism is no longer needed?
The characteristic ' more than gender ' introduces the whole aspect of gender as a spectrum, challenging the idea that gender is a binary notion (Strauss), and indicates that gender opinions are built socially.
7) Judith Butler argues gender is a performance. How does Oh Comely challenge traditional gender roles? You should refer to both the cover and the selected CSP features.
The feature ' More than gender ' specifically reinforces Judith Butler's concept of gender being a performance, and although the talk-out function somewhat reinforces the aspect of femininity on its own, although the article itself concentrating on women's empowerment could be viewed as gender being a performance, as seen by the British coder, removing gender as an element of her job sector.
8) Angela McRobbie explored the empowering nature of women's lifestyle magazines in the 1990s. Oh Comely seeks female empowerment in a different way. What differences can you find between Oh Comely and more traditional women's lifestyle magazines such as Cosmopolitan or Glamour?
Oh comely removes the concept of the masculine gaze, or presenting the woman as something to be wanted visually, concentrating more on the tales of females themselves rather than on how a magazine like cosmo would present females.
9) David Gauntlett argues that identity is becoming more fluid, media representations change over time and that there are generational differences. Does Oh Comely support this viewpoint?
Oh Comely supports Gauntlett's hypothesis, it reflects gender fluidity through the many gender representations throughout the print, but there is a limited variation in age representations, and because of the millennial audience, this might suggest that it's just time to create the tolerance required to make this magazine a success.
10) It has been argued that Oh Comely is a far more open text (Stuart Hall - encoding and decoding/reception theory) with more room for negotiation in interpretation. Do you agree with this view? Why?
I agree with this view, since Oh Comely has a variety of content and many readers have also submitted content, the idea of ' readers as writers ' and vice versa, not just a clear indication of Tolson's changing dynamic theory, suggests that interpretation negotiation is the preferred reading, in relation to Hall's theory.
Thursday 11 July 2019
Oh Comely - Audience
Oh Comely - Audience blog tasks
Read the Oh Comely website page on advertising and audience to get a good idea of the demographics and psychographics for the Oh Comely target audience then answer the following questions:
1) How does Oh Comely introduce itself?
Oh Comely is a powerful mix of words and pictures, stylishly presented and much loved by its readers. It provides an alternative to the ‘pile-it-high-sell-it-cheap’ aesthetic of mainstream magazines for young women, and this is why it has carved a loyal niche of fans. It is a breath of fresh air for a creative audience desperate to find something that speaks to them directly in an accessible, intelligent and interesting voice.
2) How do the print circulation/readership statistics for Oh Comely compare to Men's Health?
Oh Comely has an average readership of 25,000, while Men's health is much larger, with about 1,047,000 average readership
3) How is Oh Comely distributed to the audience?
Through WHSmiths.
4) What do you think the target audience demographics for Oh Comely might be? Some details are provided by the magazine (e.g. average age 27) but make an educated guess on further demographic details.
21-35
5) What psychographic groups might be attracted to Oh Comely?
Reformers and explorers.
6) What social class classification would you expect most Oh Comely readers to be? Why?
Readers are potentially fitting into the AB demographic (Educated)
7) What level of education would you expect for most Oh Comely readers? Why?
A elevated educational level owing to the magazine's text-heavy nature and the complex language used throughout.
8) What audience pleasures are offered by Oh Comely?
Personal identity, Personal relationships and Surveillance
9) It has been suggested Oh Comely is a “magazine about people, their quirks and creativity rather than money and what it can buy”. How does the design and advertising content of Oh Comely support this view?
The magazine has plenty of white room (empty space), with the minimalist style indicating an attitude to ' quality over amount. '
10) Why do you think Oh Comely has been able to build a loyal audience of subscribers in the eight years since it launched? Think about audience demand, rival magazines and the overall media landscape in the digital age.
I think Oh Comely has been able to create a loyal subscriber audience because of its niche, focused content that appeals to a very particular segment of individuals, and how the magazine has become more important as society has progressed.
Read the Oh Comely website page on advertising and audience to get a good idea of the demographics and psychographics for the Oh Comely target audience then answer the following questions:
1) How does Oh Comely introduce itself?
Oh Comely is a powerful mix of words and pictures, stylishly presented and much loved by its readers. It provides an alternative to the ‘pile-it-high-sell-it-cheap’ aesthetic of mainstream magazines for young women, and this is why it has carved a loyal niche of fans. It is a breath of fresh air for a creative audience desperate to find something that speaks to them directly in an accessible, intelligent and interesting voice.
2) How do the print circulation/readership statistics for Oh Comely compare to Men's Health?
Oh Comely has an average readership of 25,000, while Men's health is much larger, with about 1,047,000 average readership
3) How is Oh Comely distributed to the audience?
Through WHSmiths.
4) What do you think the target audience demographics for Oh Comely might be? Some details are provided by the magazine (e.g. average age 27) but make an educated guess on further demographic details.
21-35
5) What psychographic groups might be attracted to Oh Comely?
Reformers and explorers.
6) What social class classification would you expect most Oh Comely readers to be? Why?
Readers are potentially fitting into the AB demographic (Educated)
7) What level of education would you expect for most Oh Comely readers? Why?
A elevated educational level owing to the magazine's text-heavy nature and the complex language used throughout.
8) What audience pleasures are offered by Oh Comely?
Personal identity, Personal relationships and Surveillance
9) It has been suggested Oh Comely is a “magazine about people, their quirks and creativity rather than money and what it can buy”. How does the design and advertising content of Oh Comely support this view?
The magazine has plenty of white room (empty space), with the minimalist style indicating an attitude to ' quality over amount. '
10) Why do you think Oh Comely has been able to build a loyal audience of subscribers in the eight years since it launched? Think about audience demand, rival magazines and the overall media landscape in the digital age.
I think Oh Comely has been able to create a loyal subscriber audience because of its niche, focused content that appeals to a very particular segment of individuals, and how the magazine has become more important as society has progressed.
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