2. IPC Media (International Publishing Corporation) was founded in 1958, owned by Time Inc. (the
publishing company of Time Warner Inc.), and is one of the leading publications for consumer and
digital communication in the UK. It currently produces over 60 iconic media brands selling
approximately 350 copies each year reaching the UK’s top rate of leading publishers as 26 million UK
adults consumes their media. IPC Media reach out to at least two thirds of the women in the United
Kingdom as well as 42% of men who consume in magazines. However in digital communications they
reach out to roughly 25 million users globally every month. It creates contents for multiple
platforms, across print, online, mobile, tablets and events globally increasing their ratings and profits
dramatically. Their publishing divisions within the company include: IPC Connect, IPC Inspire, IPC
Southbank, IPC Advertising and IPC Marketforce. Their most popular music magazine IPC publish is
‘NME’, a mainstream magazine targeting people of young ages that enjoy the most popular and well
known Indie Rock music. This magazine was first published in 1952 and celebrated its 50th year in the
music industry last year. This magazine includes bands such as Florence and the Machine, Kings Of
Leon, Two Door Cinema Club and The Article Monkeys, this genre and style focuses out to the majority
of younger and newer generation age groups. The popular bands on the inside of the magazines are not
the only advertising to get NME noticed. IPC have promoted the company of NME to create
multiplatform levels by giving them their own radio station, ‘NME Radio’, website, ‘NME.com’, as well as
making them one of the headline sponsors for festivals and events such as the Reading and Leeds
Festivals. NME is the longest published music weekly magazine in the world, giving out the best
coverage in contemporary music today, including: awards winning features, latest releases, new bands
in the genre, live reviews and giving the readers always a chance to look through the 50 year heritage.
3. IPC Media have a wide variety of magazines that they produce;
some mainstream and some niche. For example there are ‘NME’
which concentrate on more of a mainstream target market as this
focuses on very popular music style which reaches out to a wide
range of different people. However there are magazines such as
‘Cycling’ and ‘Camper’ which are niche magazines; targeting a
particular type of person and their interests such as the sport of
cycling or camper vans.
IPC Media advertise their magazines through the use of posters in
local newsagents or supermarkets as well as some Television
advertise for example to magazine ‘Women’s Weekly’ and
‘Soaplife’.
4. Bauer Media is a privately owned multi-platform publisher in Europe, the
largest, covering publishing in UK, France, Portugal, Spain and Germany as
well as publishing in the US and Mexico. This publishing group was founded in
Hamburg in 1875 by Johann Bauer, this made four generations in the Bauer
family under the management. It is a large company producing 282 magazines
in 15 different countries, producing around 1.79 billion Euros every year. They
also produce a range of online, television and radio stations in their publishing
as well as magazines.
Magazines and Radio are recognised as being industry leaders this is because
around 12.4 million people listen to a Bauer media radio stations these
include the top four in London. This includes ‘Kiss’ as one which targets a
younger generation of people with popular dance music.
Their biggest magazines published include ‘Kerrang’ which is a niche magazine
targeting a more rocky edge type audience. Indie Rock also comes under this
genre of magazine making it a very well known publication.
5. Bauer Media are a very large company, they have a
variation of different magazines such as
music, style, gossip, lads, sports and home. Some
magazines such as ‘Q’ is a mainstream magazine the
music it concentrates on is pop/dance which is an
extremely popular genre with the newer generation
and younger people. However a magazine such as
‘Bike’ is a niche magazine only concentrating on
people with that particular hobby that they are
interested in.
In similarity with IPC Media, Bauer Media advertise
their magazines on the television or their radio
station, for example on the ‘Kerrang’ Radio Station
there is an advertisement that lets the target
audience know what else they could buy and what
else they would enjoy.
6. EMAP (East Midland Allied Press) focuses on business to business publishing. It was
founded in 1947 as Top Right Group which is a British Media company. Their Head
Quarters are based in London. They also focus on the organisation of business events and
conferences. It is now owned by Apax and Guardian Media Group. For each genre there is
a specific publication and each is different which contain specific content relating to an
industry such as nursing, retail and media. These different publications attract a variety of
different and wide audiences through magazines and online digital communications.
EMAP’s main music magazine is ‘Smash Hits’, this focuses on pop music which targets
young teenagers. The bands and musicians are very young with the magazine having a
more immature nature to the language. This magazine was published in the UK and ran
from 1978 to 2006 publishing bi-weekly. It targeted younger girls who love listening to
pop music, gossip and fashion, however was in competition with ‘Top of the Pops’.
7. EMAP magazines are very niche magazines, all the magazines
they publish and produce are targeted towards very specific
audiences which a particular interest or hobby. For example
Nursing, Films and Fashion. They all target a very different type
of person with a different interest.
EMAP do not advertise their magazines in a big way, they focus
on maybe a poster in the local news agents but they do not use
radio or television to communicate to the audience their
magazines.
8. Future PLC is a media group that is international. It was founded in
1985 with only one magazine and now they have expanded
dramatically with publications over the United Kingdom, United
States and Australia creating on average 200 specialist publications as
well as apps, websites and events.
The main groups they specialise in is: Technology, Entertainment &
Video Games, Sports & Auto, Creative and Music.
TechRader (technology) is the UK’s number 1 website as well as other
successful products such as Total
Film, BikeRadar, MusicRadar, ClassicRock, GamesRadar, Digital Camera
and Mollie Makes.
With all these publications Future PLC attracts over 50 millions digital
consumers which look at over 100 different digital editions online and
on tablet devices. 2.2 million magazines are sold every month through
Future PLC publishing house and these are exported to around 89
different countries all over the world. This makes Future PLC the
largest exporter and licenser of all magazine content in the UK.
9. Future PLC is like EMAP their variety of magazines are niche
which target people with very specific interests and hobbies
for example home making, gaming or heavy metal music.
These magazines all have a specific audience that are all
specific to that particular interest or hobby.
Future PLC however do advertise their magazines such as the
official ‘Xbox 360’ and ‘Metal Hammer’. These are advertised
on posters and sometimes on television such as with an Xbox
game the magazine may be advertised after.
10. My Magazine Institution
I think IPC Media would own my magazine as they are one of the main bigger
publishing industries and have had the biggest successes with magazines in
the music business. At first I thought Bauer Media however they already have
a magazine that would be similar to the genre and style of my magazine
creating a competition within the company. However on the other hand IPC
Media have not produced a magazine of the same genre and style as mine
they have still however had a look of experience when know how to publish
and promote a music magazine. They are a very well known and large
company therefore will be able to use that advantage to make my magazine
have the best success particularly when advertising through the media and
creating a multiplatform such as a radio station or sponsors for events.
11. Applying Uses and Gratifications Theory
To Magazine Production and Consumption
Institutions have taken the approach in the media
publishers to understand ‘what people do with media’
rather than ‘what media does to people’. Therefore each
institution has applied this to each magazine that they are
planning to publish or produce for example they learn
about the whole 100% of the audience and their needs
making the magazine fit perfectly. This makes the
audience interested in that specific magazine because the
institutions have put their audience first.
