- Bauer Media Group would be a suitable institution to distribute the magazine as it is a large European media company that manages over 600 magazines.
- Q Magazine could also distribute the magazine as it has a similar target audience of 17-40 and has been successful in distributing magazines like Q and Kerrang.
- Prometheus Global Media, which owns Billboard, could distribute the magazine as Billboard is a popular music magazine and Prometheus has experience in the music media space.
2. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and
why?
My magazine is a multi-genre, charts magazine called ‘Platform’
and has a target audience aged 18-35 that focuses on all types of
music, old and new, which are in the charts. Platform is not
controversial, it is a clean cut and pretty mainstream magazine.
My main inspiration was Billboard magazine, a popular, American
charts magazine that is distinguished as being among the oldest
trade magazines in the world and features some of the most
famous artists in the world.
As well as Q magazine despite it being an alternative music magazine, which was founded
in 1986. I was inspired by it because it has an review section, it uses a star-rating system
from one to five stars; the rating an album receives in Q is often added to print and
television advertising for the album in the UK and Ireland, proving the brand it considered
trustworthy and therefore successful.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and
why?
Bauer Media Group
Bauer Media Group is a European-based media company, headquartered in Hamburg,
Germany that manages a portfolio of more than 600 magazines, over 400 digital products
and 50 radio and TV stations around the world. The portfolio includes print shops, postal,
distribution and marketing services. Bauer Media Group has a workforce of approximately
11,000 employees in 17 countries.
Q magazine
Q started out as a music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. Originally it
was to be called Cue (named after the act of cueing a record to play). However the name
was changed so that it wouldn't be mistaken for a snooker magazine. The Q music brand
has expanded to Radio and Television, with Q Radio and Q TV being music entertainment
that specialises in indie, rock and alternative. Q also holds annual music awards in the UK,
known as Q Awards.
This magazine has a similar target audience to me, 17-40.
If I was going to choose an institution to distribute my magazine, this would be top of my list
because it is involved with successfully magazines like K and Kerrang, Q having a circulation
figure of 103,017.
4. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and
why?
Prometheus Global Media is a New York City-based B2B (business to business) media
company. On December 10, 2009, the Nielsen Company announced that it would sell its
Business Media division, which included brands such as Adweek, Billboard, and The
Hollywood Reporter, to a new company known as e5 Global Media; a joint venture between
Guggenheim Partners and Pluribus Capital Management—a company led by James
Finkelstein, Matthew Doull, and George Green.
Prometheus Global Media
Billboard
Billboard publishes a news website and weekly magazine that cover music, video and
home entertainment. Most of the articles are written by staff writers, while some are written
by industry experts. It covers news, gossip, opinion, and music reviews, but its most
influential creation is the Billboard charts. The charts track music sales, radio airtime and
other data about the most popular songs and albums. The Billboard Hot 100 chart of the
top-selling songs was introduced in 1955.
5. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and
why?
Budget
The budget for my magazine would be large. Due to the fact the magazine industry is so
competitive, you need the best, most well known and successful artists on the cover of a
magazine, so the people following them are keen to buy the magazine. Well known
celebrities are not cheap. For example, OK magazine paid Demi Moore $3 million to cover
her wedding and get exclusive pictures. Equally, People magazine paid Jennifer Lopez $6
million to have her twins on the cover.
I would be looking to feature artists like Adele, Ed Sheeran, Florence and the Machine and
Ellie Goulding ect. All these acts are expensive, plus I would need good equipment and
sets to shoot good photos to provide the best quality covers and features.
6. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and
why?
Advertising is also a big factor in being able to publish my magazine, Platform. Using an
established publishing company that is successful in publishing other well known magazines
would be very helpful.
Social media accounts and websites created for other magazines published by the same
publishing institution would help make the new magazine known. If the publishing company
had a big budget, the scale on which my magazine would be advertised would be greater
and could be shown in newspapers, other magazines, television breaks and billboards.
Although, if my magazine was being published by a company with a lower budget, firstly I
would create social media sites to make my magazine known like an Instagram account and
a twitter account. Secondly, I would create leaflets or samples that could be handed out.
7. Price & Location
My magazine is priced at £4.99 and this makes people aware that the magazine needs to
be supported by a large publishing institution. Billboard charges £6.91 per issue, but I
personally feel this is too expensive for my young audience, and I feel £4.99 is reasonable,
but enough to be the price of a high quality magazine with many exclusives.
The location of where the magazine would be sold anywhere possible, supermarkets and
online. In at time where the internet controls the world, and my target audience being
younger and therefore using their phones a lot, online is a good place to sell m magazine
as its easy for them to access. Billboard only sells online.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and
why?
