This document discusses the process for creating and distributing an indie/rock music magazine called "B-Side." It considers several potential media institutions that could publish and distribute the magazine, including Bauer Media (publishers of Kerrang!) and Sonic Publishing (publishers of Rocksound). Ultimately, Bauer Media is selected as they have a wide range of platforms to promote the magazine and strong reputation in the niche music media market. Distribution would involve both niche online advertising as well as mainstream retail shops like supermarkets and high street stores to reach a broad audience.

1. Qu3) - What kind of media
institution might distribute your
media product and why?

2. Production Process
When creating and distributing my magazine, the process consists of these main elements:
• Ideas: What product am I making? What genre will it be? Who are my audience? What’s it about/ what is the content?
• Research: Look into other magazines that fit your ideas, what are they doing? What makes them successful/ unsuccessful?
• Pre-production: Produce flat plans to design what your magazine will look like.
• Construction: Construct the product on an industrial size.
• Distribution: Distribute the product to my chosen audience (niche or mainstream?)

3. Publishing
My magazine’s target audience is indie kids/ rockers from aged 15 to
24. My audience is very similar to that of Rocksound, Kerrang!
Magazine and NME. Publishing companies such as IPC Media (who
publish NME,) Bauer Media (Kerrang!) and Sonic Publishing
(Rocksound.) I looked into IPC and Bauer when researching magazine
institutions and found that they tend to sell to more mainstream
shops – such as WHSmith, HMV and supermarkets, even though they
more niche audiences (rock music.) This is where mine would be
distributed too.

4. Who would distribute it?
• Bauer Media are a publishing company whose main music magazine is
Kerrang! This magazine is very similar to mine, in who it targets and what
its content is. As well as the magazine they also have a website, radio
station and host awards. This shows that they have great commitment to
their audience and know how to target the group – indie kids and rockers.
They pride themselves in a multi-platform approach to strengthen
themselves as a publishing group.
• I think Bauer Media would be a good publisher for my magazine because
of their wide range of approaches and the level of intimacy they have with
the audience.
• Although it may be risky to publish with a group who have a magazine so
similar to “B-Side,” they do publish over 230 different magazine – so the
competition wouldn’t be that close.
• Because Bauer media have such a strong reputation, I believe they would
publish my magazine to the highest standard possible.

5. • Another magazine that is similar to mine is “Rock sound” –
in fact, it’s probably more similar than Kerrang.
• Rock sound have a website publisher called “Sonic
Publishing,” who “offer advanced services to independent
websites wishing to join the group, giving them access to ad
sales, web design and development and other tools that
would otherwise be out of their reach, increasing traffic
and profitability.” (A quote from their website:
http://www.sonicpublishing.co.uk/ )
• I was impressed by this publishing group as they are very
dedicated to their customers. How well Rock Sound has
done as a magazine also impressed me as they do target a
very niche audience (the same audience as mine.)
• Rock Sound is a monthly magazine and website that
specialises in breaking new music before anyone else.
• However, because of Bauer Media’s versatility, I think they
would be more appropriate to mine.

6. Advertising my Product
• Well established products such as Kerrang! Advertise through TV advertising and their own radio station. They
also have many other advertising techniques such as posters, advertisement at gigs and festivals, social
networking (such as Facebook and Twitter,) and internet advertisements. This is an effective way of targeting
their audience as almost all of their target audience will use the internet (Facebook had 901 million monthly
active users at the end of March 2012,) and it is now one of the most popular forms of advertising.
• However, when looking into advertising – I found that internet advertisements were the least trusted by the
general public, so maybe another approach would be appropriate?
• I think some form of guerrilla advertising would be good for my magazine, especially initially. I could the video
sharing website “YouTube” for this. Although internet advertisements may not be the most trusted, a video
on YouTube wouldn’t necessarily have to be in the form of a general advert – it could be anything to become
viral and get millions of viewers.
• I think Facebook advertising would also be appropriate for my magazine as they appear on the side of the
webpage and are tailored to each individual’s specific “Likes” (interests.) This would be useful to target my
niche audience.

7. Distributing my product
• When distributing my product, it would make
more sense to distribute it to more mainstream
companies and audiences. I can target the niche
audience with online advertising and then by
selling them in supermarkets and high street
chains it’ll make it easily available – and also to
new customers who see it on the shelf.
• These mainstream companies include:
Tesco, Asdas, WHSmith, HMV, and maybe some
local newsagents.
• The mainstream distributers are also beneficial
as they offer subscription services – which would
mean customers can have the ordered to their
house or local shop without having to go out and
buy the new copy.
• Subscription services are now available
online, as well as purchasing. Nearly all of the
companies names have an online shop where
customers can order the items to be delivered to
their houses, adding another benefit.