Task 5 - B

Task 5 - B

The magazine which I am choosing to look at is Kerrang! Magazine, while doing task A, I got some pictures of new releases of Kerrang! Which show how they advertise themselves/bands/etc, 

When looking around in the supermarkets and how the magazines were laid out, I realised that many magazines have very similar layouts, with the MCU in the middle and the tittle at the top, etc. All magazines are produced by publishers. Publishers are the institution's which produce the magazine. For example, in the UK, there are four main distributors, who are EMAP, Natmag, Conde nast and IPC.  These publishers will control the editorial content in which is used in the magazine, this can also include the layout and design of the magazine. When they decide to control the content, they decide which elements they want  or think should visible on the front cover. 

How a magazine is made will depend on many different things, such as the type of magazine, the marketing of the magazine, the genre, audience, and such. When marketing, a magazine must have a unique selling point, this will allow the magazine to compete with other magazines in order for the magazine to be able to sell itself, for instance, if a band is making a new album, and this magazine is the first to interview, having this band on the front with that caption, would end up making that magazine sell more to that fanbase.

There are three main ways of distributing. The first method being Sale and Return. This is one of the most common and popular models of distribution. Sale or return is the system which is used by magazine and newspaper distributors with news-stand etc. If there are any copies in which are not sold, they are sent back to the distributor at no cost of the retailer. This has a benefit for the retailer as there is no risk of wastage involved as it is sent back, However, it is a very wasteful process which can be bad for the environment which can cause problems for the distributor and/or publisher. 

Another method of distribution is called Postal Subscription, in which Kerrang! Use. Regular readers of the magazine, particularly niche publications, have the option to subscribe to a specific magazine in which will be posted to them roughly every-time the magazine is published, as an example, kerrang! Comes out every Wednesday, so im guessing the magazine would arrive every Wednesday or later/earlier in the week for subscribers. These magazines, such as kerrang!, make all the revenue from advertising on social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and such; Links to Kerrang! Facebook, Twitter and website, which advertises Kerrang! Radio and TV. (insert twitter and facebook links) 

The last method i know of is Electronic Distribution, which is a very popular method used today, as technology is growing, this gives companies the power to advertise to millions at low costs. One way is through apps on smart phones, free apps which provide things such as radio, which is what Kerrang! Have. Kerrang! Also have a general app for news updates and more. (insert screenshots here), magazines such as kerrang have these apps as electronic reading etc is much more efficient in both time and money for readers, especially as kerrang! Have a low target audience age. E-zines are another way of electrically distributing, They are different from magazine websites, in that they are electronic versions of the magazine, with similar features such as pages that can be turned, adverts, page numbers, poster pages, and more. These E-zines will be delivered through email to those who subscribe or pay.