Evaluation - Question 3

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Within my research, I looked into different media institutions that distribute magazines.

 

I looked at IPC Media, which is the UK's leading consumer magazine and digital publisher. It has more than 60 iconic media brands, and it creates content for multiple platforms, across print, online, mobile etc. They engage with 26 million UK adults; almost two thirds of UK females and over 40% of UK males. Their brands include NME, Look and Now magazines, but this does not include an up-market music magazine like mine, which is why IPC Media would be a good institution to distribute my magazine as there is a gap in the market. Furthermore, IPC engages with more females than males which fits my target demographic (males and females aged 16-35, but more predominantly females). 

I also decided to research Bauer Media, which reaches over 19 million UK adults every week.They have more than 80 influential media brands including Heat, Kerrang, Grazia, and Q magazines, and their business is built on millions of personal relationships with engaged audiences. This is a larger institution than IPC, and produces over 300 magazines in over 15 countries, as well as TV, online and radio. Q magazine was one of the ones that I chose to research heavily as this has a similar target audience to my magazine, and a similar music genre; it is one of the more up-market, mature music magazines which mirrors mine. Therefore, it would not be effective for my magazine to be distributed my Bauer Media as it would be difficult to compete with Q. Bauer also distributes up-market and sophisticated fashion magazines such as Grazia, which could also be competition for my mature music magazine.

 

I also researched into whether Q or Rolling Stone magazines have apps available on iTunes because I think this would be a good feature of my magazine. Both these magazines do, and I think the age of my target demographic (16-35) would appreciate if my magazine had an available app, as people of this age group are likely to have iPhones or Apple products that my app could be downloaded onto. Q magazine's target demographic are interested in and knowledgeable about technology (as discussed in my previous target audience research), which suggests that similarly, my audience would like to use my magazine app also, as the two audiences can be closely compared.