1. The Idea & Purpose
Grimed Out Magazine will be a North London based music magazine, solely focused on grime
music. The magazine will release both online and printed issues at the beginning of every
month all year round, providing both younger and older generations of grime fans exclusive
insight and updates to the North London grime scene, as well as recognising and promoting
local rising talents. The magazine aims to educate and reconnect fans with where and when
grime was first born, and inform readers of popular grime artist who are from/situated within
North London.
Moodboard
A collage of various elements that have strong correlations to grime music, as well as the culture
that comes alongside it. I have included artists, Dj’s, Grime groups and their group logo’s,
youtube accounts about grime, grime-specific record label logo’s, and music streaming
platforms/radio station logo’s that tend to feature and focus on the genre.
Sketches
I drew sketches of my first design ideas for the front cover and double page spread of my
magazine. In these sketched I have labelled all the individual features/elements that I want to be
included within and throughout my magazine. The purpose of creating these sketches, was to
give the client an initial idea of what the magazine would look like. This is useful as it enables the
client to ask me to add or remove any areas they do or do not like. This saves both time and
money as it prevents me wasting my time and creating a final version without the clients first
approval.
To help create my sketches, I researched the features (masthead, tagline,that a magazine
commonly has as well as looked at competitor magazines (such as Q Magazine, NME, I-D, etc)
G R I M E D O U T
M A G A Z I N E
2. The Name
The reason for selecting the name ‘Grimed Out’ for the magazine is because I want each issue to
give as much relevant information on grime culture and the industry as possible. I want
audiences to be ‘grimed out’, in other words, bombarded with a great amount of exclusive
information, news and other various content revolving the genre.
The Aim
The aim of Grimed Out Magazine is to become the most prominent and successful music
magazine within North London, and hopefully expand throughout the rest of London.
Our aim is to inform readers about upcoming grime music and artists, and showcase potential
stars and the new generations of artists.
In order to help achieve these aims, Grimed Out Magazine will have to be successfully marketed
at the target audience. One way in which this can be done is by conducting both primary and
secondary research on the age demographic. This will help us to better understand our target
audience and understand what appeals to them. This information can also help create a
successful marketing campaign and advertisement that is guaranteed to appeal and catch the
attention of the target audience.
Target Audience
Grimed Out Magazine will be aimed at ages 16-20 as grime music is most listened to by these
ages. The magazine will not favour a particular gender, religion or ethnicity/race — It will aim to
appeal to anyone living within North London and part of the age demographic.
The target audience will be taken into account when designing the magazines layout, fonts and
content, so that it most interests and attracts the demographic. The interests that I am referring
to include the type of content that will attract the target audience, as well as the appearance that
is most likely to appeal to them. For example, as Grimed Out Magazine is targeted at both
genders, the colour scheme should be gender neutral. This can be achieved by not including
colours that are stereotypically associated with a specific gender (e.g pink for girls).
When creating Grimed Out Magazine, I will have to consider the interests of the target audience,
other than grime music. For example, cultural aspects (such as clothing) that the target audience
3. may commonly like will be useful to gain knowledge about as they can be featured in Grimed
Out Magazine. To add, although the magazine focuses on grime music, those who listen to the
genre may also have common interests in other genres. For example, from my research I found
that individuals who listen to grime also like to listen to hip-hop and urban UK afro-beats (e.g
artists such as Yxng Bane and Not3s).
The Price
As Grimed Out Magazine is going to be targeted at teenagers/young adults, it will have to be
reasonably priced and not too expensive. This is because it will be common for members of the
target population to be in school/college/university, meaning they wont have full time jobs and
afford a high priced magazine. We want Grimed Out Magazine to be available to everyone
hence the reason we do not wish to price it high.
As Grimed Out magazine will be targeted at an age range who don't typically have full time
jobs, the general NRS social grade will be from C2 (manual workers with a level of skills) to E
(unemployed).
Although we don't want to sell a high priced magazine, we do want Grimed Out Magazine to
have a high quality glossy finish. In other words, we want the magazine to be sold for
exceptional value for money. The magazine will be sold at £3.99 per copy (both printed and
online) or an annual subscription of £24.99 (which is much cheaper than other magazines, such
as Q Magazine which costs £35 a year).
Content & Form
The magazine’s content will include feature articles about new and upcoming artists to the grime
scene, reviews of new music (albums, singles, etc) as well as live shows (e.g how well the artists
performed), exclusive interviews with grime artists and, guides to festivals and venues. The
magazine will be available as an online article and a print based version.
The justification of the content and form is that the content must be appealing to the target
audience, and I believe that by including range of exclusive features and various information
(such as guides to festivals, venues, albums, etc.) then readers will be more engaged and
interested. This is because it prevents Grimed Out Magazine’s content from being repetitive, and
shows that it provides readers with new types of content upon its release, each month.
The layout of the magazine will consist of a front cover page and contents pages. The front
cover will typically contain a large image of an artist, a concert, etc. Most issues will contain
feature articles that will be presented across double page spreads.
The theme of colours in Grimed Out Magazine will consist of grey, black and white, followed by
pops of colour to create an eye catching, dramatic effect. Reasons for the dark colours
contrasting on the bright, is to connote the raw and edgy aspect of grime, as well as the up-beat
and energetic side.
4. Examples of online magazines:
Examples of printed magazines, including double page spreads:
The Font
The magazines font throughout will have to cater for both younger and older readers within the
target population. As the overall target population is relatively young and between the ages of
16-20, the font will be simplistic and modern, in order to appeal to the age demographic.
Here are some fonts we have considered using throughout the magazine:
Andale Mono
Noteworthy
Superclarendon
Andale Mono - Due to this fonts simplistic design and spaced letters, it is easy to read/
understand and creates a clean, fresh appearance. These factors make this font fitting to Grimed
Out Magazine as it will be easy for the target audience to follow.
As Andale Mono has the most clean, simplistic design out of the fonts I have considered, I will
be using it for the body text throughout the magazine. Colourful and bolder variations of this
font will also be used as subheadings throughout the magazine. For example, I may decide to
5. use the font as a subheading by making it bold or medium and changing the colour of it. This
font will also be used on the cover lines of the magazine.
Noteworthy - This font’s script-like appearance looks as though it has been hand written. This
creates a casual and creative impression which accurately fits the magazines theme and content,
as it is an informal magazine. The hand written look of this font also creates a raw and
wholesome impression, which again, fits to Grimed Out Magazine’s urban and unique
appearance.
Superclarendon - Despite the magazine being modern, it will also keep to an authentic and
original appearance so that it connotes the authenticity of grime music. This font has a classic
and vintage-like appearance which can help to portray the magazines genuineness and
authenticity to grime music.
The masthead on Grimed Out Magazine will either be the logo itself or the font used within the
logo on its own. The font used is entitled “Spray.Me” and has the same appearance as graffiti.
We have chosen this to be the masthead as it stands out and creates an urban and edgy affect.
As the font is bold and strong, it will be used for various headlines/titles within the magazine, in
order to emphasise the content.
The font is shown below:
G R I M E D O U T M A G A Z I N E
Colour Scheme
As I want to keep Grimed Out Magazine as authentic as possible, a grey scale colour scheme will
be used throughout the magazine. This creates an edgy, raw and grungy feel to the magazine
which is typically the kind of connotations that the genre itself gives off. In comparison to the
grey scale theme, there will also be consistency with hints of bright colours. This will connote the
upbeat, energetic and creative aspect to grime music.
Shown below are some colour schemes created as ideas for the concept of Grimed Out
Magazine:
Resources & Personnel
The following equipment are the resources that will be needed for Grimed Out Magazine:
6. Software:
• Adobe photoshop — editing images for the magazine
• Microsoft Word — when writing up articles
• Photos on Apple — used when uploading images to edit
Hardware:
• DSLR digital camera & various camera lenses to create different pictures
• Tripod for the camera to stand upon — ensures images will not be blurry and will be levelled
correctly
• Computers for editing
• SD Card
Before purchasing/hiring equipment, it would be useful to see what we can borrow & already
have in order to save money and prevent going over budget.
The following listed below are the personnel factors that will have to be considered for the
magazine:
• Artists to interview & photograph — Can be cheaper to interview artists we already know
personally. The first article will include an interview with a Grime artist followed by pictures of
them.
• Photographer — Hiring a friend or family member to take photographs for the magazine will be
cheaper than hiring a professional. For the front cover and double page spread of the first
issue, images of the talent being interviewed will be used.
• Graphic designer & digital artist — Will be needed when creating the layout of the magazine
(both online and printed), as well as editing and refining images. Hiring graphic designers and
digital artists is expensive so to save money, it would be cheaper to hire friends/family or earn
how to use software such as photoshop myself.
• Editor — Will be required when touching up the magazine before printing, and making sure
there is not too much or too little content, or any errors throughout the magazine.
Distribution & Marketing
The magazine will be distributed both online and in store (the justification of this is that these
distribution methods are requirements on the client brief), and will be released monthly. We
want Grimed Out Magazine to be sold in newsagents as this is were people most commonly
tend to go to purchase a magazine. The magazine will also be sold within nightclubs and music
venues in the hope that it catches the eye of those walking in/out. The justification of this is that
these are common locations that the target audience tend to visit, meaning it is highly likely that
they will see the magazine.
By hiring famous advertising companies such as ‘Total Media’ to advertise Grimed Out
Magazine, awareness can be raised and help create a large following. Another way in which
7. Grimed Out Magazine can be marketed is by paying grime artists with a large following to pose
with a copy of our magazine on social media in order to promote it. In order to target our target
audience and ensure they know about the magazine, we could also have it advertised in corner
shops/newsagents as well as in universities, colleges and bars/nightclubs.
A free way in which we could promote Grimed Out Magazine could be by free distribution of
the first issue. This can help get readers interested and hopefully willing to purchase the next
issue of the magazine, as they get a taste of what Grimed Out Magazine is like.
Using social media as a marketing tool can also be incredibly effective as it is used frequently by
our target audience. Creating a social media site on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook
is both free and effective.
Marketing Plan
Summary:
The main goal for Grimed Out Magazine is to reach out to a wide range and variety of 16-20
year olds and become the most prominent and favoured magazine for grime insights within
North London
Target Customers:
The primary target audience is between ages 16-20 as this is the demographic that most
commonly listen to the genre, making Grimed Out Magazine most relevant to these ages.
Unique Selling Point:
A magazine that is specifically focused on grime music.
Pricing Strategy:
Low priced so that the demographic can afford it as the majority of the demographic are in
school/part-time education and are either not working or only have part time jobs resulting in
little to no income.
Unique Selling Point & Competition
Research has shown that there are currently no grime specific magazines within North London.
This means competition is both weak and low which increases Grimed Out Magazine’s chances
of being a successful music magazine.
As there are no grime music magazines in North London, this shows a gap in the market. This
means that the music magazine market in North London is lacking a grime based magazine,
making Grimed Out Magazine a great business opportunity.
Despite there not being any grime specific magazines, there are magazines that
frequently feature grime artists and attract Grimed Out Magazines age demographic. For
example I-D, Billboard, Q and NME magazine, have featured famous grime artists such as
Wiley, Dizzee Rascal and Stormzy.
Magazines such as Time Out London are also competitors as the focus specifically on
London, and the area that Grimed Out Magazine is focused on, North London.
8. For example, they provide guides to venues and music, which can be seen in the
screenshot below:
In order to ensure that Grimed Out Magazine can attract their target audience and be as
successful, if not more, than these competitors, I will include the elements from Time Out
London (such as their use of local guides) and elements of other competitors such as NME and I-
D that feature grime artists in their magazines. This will ensure that Grimed Out Magazine will
provide both a guide to grime music as well as exclusive content from musicians, which other
magazines have not yet done, creating an opportunity for Grimed Out Magazine, due to this gap
in the market.
Competitors:
9. S.W.O.T Analysis
Legal & Ethical Issues
Legal:
One legal issue that may arise when publishing Grimed Out Magazine, is the permission to use
content including an individual. For example, using information and quotes obtained from an
interview, using images of an individual, etc. If the reason and purpose for using ones content is
not clearly communicated, then the individual who is included in the content may decide to sue
Grimed Out for being mis-leading/not asking for the authority to use such content.
The best way in which this can be avoided is by creating permission & release forms. These will
enable the participant to see what, how and why their content is being used. This can prevent
confusion, and also create evidence that an individual has consented to allowing the magazine
to use the necessary content.
Another legal issue that may arise are copyright challenges. For example, if I was to use an
image that includes a logo belonging to another company, then I would have to blur or
photoshop it out, or get permission from the establishment in order to use it. If I do not get
permission to use a company’s content or logo, then I would be breaking the ‘UK Copyright,
Designs & Patents Act (1988)’. This could result in the company suing Grimed Out Magazine , or
the government fining Grimed Out.
Ethical:
Ethical issues that may arise from Grimed Out Magazine are stigmas that certain individuals may
hold over the genre of grime and its connotations. For example, despite a vast majority of grime
music containing explicit language, it would not be ethically correct to include this language
within Grime Out, as my target population is relatively young (teenagers/young adults).
Another ethical issue is ensuring that the magazine is not bias, and is aimed at all types of
people within the age demographic. In other words, the magazine cannot discriminate against
Strengths:
• Unique — No other magazine in North
London that only focuses on the genre of
grime music.
Weaknesses:
• Niche market — May not be popular enough
to sell and make a sustainable profit
Opportunities:
• Gap in the market — Fans of grime music are
yet to be catered for
Threats:
• Competitors — Prominent music magazines
base in London, such as Q Magazine
10. any genders, religions, ethnicities, etc. This can be avoided by creating marketing campaigns
designed to appeal to everyone within the age demographic.
Grimed Out Magazine will also have to ensure that it does not promote any negative
stereotypes or connotations related to grime music. For example, some people may believe that
grime music general is in relation to violence and crime, however, Grimed Out Magazine will
prevent the promotion of this by creating non bias reports on grime music, for example,
identifying new music of the month. Another way in which promotion of such topics can be
prevented is by including artists and songs that are not in relation to the stereotypes. For
example, grime artists such as Santan Dave and Stormzy create music with political views and
meaningful stories.
Finally, another ethical, and somewhat legal issue, is ‘libel’. This involves creating and publishing
false statements/information about a person or establishment that can harm their reputation.
This is not ethically correct as it is untruthful and misleading, and can result in an individuals
reputation being damaged for something that they have been falsely accused of. This can result
in the consequence of being sued by the individual who was a victim to the libel act.
