Audiences and Institutions

Section B      Institutions and Audiences

Magazine Industry         Overview of the 6 areas of knowledge

1.the issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice

         Horizontal Integration

         Vertical Integration

         Conglomeration

2.the importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing;

         Convergence

Makes the distinction between different types of media and different media industries less clear. Blurring Boundaries.

         Synergy

Interconnected marketing and distribution of media products across a range of platforms and sectors.

A good example is the media synergy strategies developed by Hollywood studio executives in the past several decades, wherein various media products   are deployed to promote    one another. Hollywood’s liking for the sequelization of blockbuster movies is but one form of media synergy. Other important and profitable convergent forms include theme park rides, soundtracks, novel tie-ins, and video games.

3.the technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange;

Like all media forms, Web 2.0 technology has had a major impact on magazine publishing.

Consumption of on-line magazines   ‘ the e-zine’

Digital Publishing Technology

Example

Wallpaper*, the international design, fashion and lifestyle magazine, is launching a free iPhone application.

The app – a daily edit of wallpaper.com – will bring users the best from the worlds of art, fashion, travel, architecture and technology. As well as the latest stories, stunning picture galleries and short form video content, the app will include the lowdown on all the major design fairs, fashion shows and  exhibitions.

Ben Giles, wallpaper.com publisher, says: ““The Wallpaper* iPhone app gives our global audience another platform to enjoy our exceptional content. The app is a really exciting extension to the Wallpaper* brand.”

4.the significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences;

Monkey  is a free weekly men's magazine which is published by Dennis Publishing exclusively online and on mobile platforms.

Monkey is a digital magazine. It replicates a magazine format, but with video and audio content embedded within both editorial and advertising.

Each 48-page issue features a covergirl shoot and editorial covering cars, sport, humour, entertainment, gadgets, clothes and user-generated content aimed at 16 to 30-year-olds.

5.the issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or global institutions;

National Readership Survey NRS

We provide estimates of the readership of Britain’s major newspapers and consumer magazines, showing the size and nature of the audiences they achieve – the survey covers some 300 newspapers, newspaper supplements and magazines.

Our research methods are jointly agreed by publishers, advertising agencies and advertisers.

Audit Bureau of Circulation   ABC

We provide independent, third-party circulation audits of print circulation, readership and website activity. That data is disseminated into reports and made available in various formats. Accurate, credible reports are issued in comparable formats. Comparability is key.

An ABC audit is an in-depth examination of a publisher's records that assures buyers that a publication's circulation claims are accurate and verifiable.

We also maintain the world's foremost database of audited circulation and readership information. ABC's reports and services are essential for buyers and sellers of print advertising to make informed business decisions.

6.the ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour.

The magazines most adversely affected by web 2.0 appears to be those aimed at teenagers, presumably because this group is most likely to defect to Social Networking sites.

Another element in the decline of teenage magazines is the government legislation on junk food advertising.

Exemplar Questions

Discuss the issues raised by an institution’s need to target specific audiences within a media industry which you have studied.

How important is technological convergence for institutions and audiences within a media area which you have studied?

“Media production is dominated by global institutions, which sell their products and services to national audiences.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Homework  5/4/10

http://www.emap.com/about-us/history-of-emap  Read the information available from the EMAP website (home – about us – history of emap) or type in the above link. May be worth printing this out for one of our industry case studies.