About Me | Lucia Maigret

I collected a bunch of images of loads of different magazine covers across a wide range of genres. I noticed they have many similarities as well as differences which relate to the genre they are advertising. The target audience varies across the different magazines for example the 'Seventeen' cover is aimed at teens even though younger audiences will be attracted to it because they look up to them. In comparison to these, the gaming magazine is targeting a completely different audience which is most likely boys from a range of 14-18 years. All of these magazines however have one of the the biggest main similarities which is the headline which all present a bold text which specifically relates to the specific audience profile for their genre. All of these magazines have a key image as well as the model having direct address and looking right at the camera which to an audience member looks like they are looking directly at them. This is a technique used to form a connection between the reader and either the magazine or the model. However there is one magazine out of all the ones I have found that does not use direct address which is the gaming cover,but it instead has the model reloading a bow and arrow. This creates a realistic connection between the reader and the game as it makes it look like the game is in real life.

From this task I have learned that due to the specific audience profiles, you can easily recognise the target audience and identify what will be inside. From this research about audience profiles it has given me a better understanding of how they use these to create pages in a magazine related to the right target audience.

Magazine covers tend to highlight and indicate a lot about what will be included within the magazine however, double page spreads highlight things in further detail and tend to inform an audience member a lot more in depth about the specific topic.

One of the biggest similarities between these double page spreads are the main images as every cover, no matter what subject, has one key image. Some of them include whereas a few sub images on one of the sides as well as the main image. This is to add another dimension to what their taking about and show off any extra detail which helps support or understand the topic more. Generally in double page spreads they tend to quote a part of the interview to make it seem more personal to who they were interviewing or come across more reliable and be liveable towards an audience member. From the DPS on Taylor you can immediately identify who the target audience due to the style and colour of the font. You know this is aimed at a younger female audience member as the font is pink and swirly which is stereotypically linked with girls aged 13-16. You can also easily recognise what age range the magazine is aimed at due to the choice of content as there are some topics ruled too inappropriate for younger audiences and some things that youths wouldn't understand. You can also tend to guess what the target audience is by who the main image has as a model or what pose or body language they are presenting. Everything within these double page spreads should generally convince you of which target audience it is supposed to be as the creators of the magazine get an audience profile which means they have a target as to who they need to relate to. This is crucial so that they know exactly what to include and what to avoid.

Both of these magazine covers could generally be considered to be aimed at a female audience due to certain factors which will attract them. Both of these magazine covers have direct mode of address as booth models are looking straight at the camera. This is used to form a connection between the model and the audience and how it speaks and involves them. This is a useful technique used to influence an audience as it makes them feel more related to the subject. You can tell these are fashion magazines as they relate all their content to clothes and makeup and how to improve your body or figure. The sell line "the secret to sexy summer legs" from vogue attracts audiences who may be looking to improve their figure and who may not like their legs. This is similar to the sell line "baby faced forever" which will again attract viewers who will be looking to achieve better skin. This technique is used as they know that the people buying these magazines are people who look up to these models or aspire to look like them. The anchorage text "actor, activist, it girl" coveys her as someone you should look up to as she is not only pretty but smart. From the Allure magazine , the bold text saying "the hair issue" targets anyone looking to improve their hair styles of condition or even readers who love hair and beauty. The colour schemes for both of these magazines are quite similar as in they are very light pale looking background . This is used as a technique to draw more attention to the model as the background doesn't take any attention away from her. The Vogue magazine has a bold, gold masthead which goes more with the theme and the colours already on the cover whereas the Allure magazine has chosen to chose to use a bold pink masthead which stands out a lot more as it doesn't match anything else. In comparison to Vogue, the masthead sits behind her head and therefore doesn't take away that much attention from her as it its almost implying she is more important than the name, whereas Zendaya has the masthead in front of her. The quote "you have the power" suggests that it is aimed at an older audience as it links to women having more power sand more of a say in society which is considered more appropriate for an older audience topic. The Allure magazine states that Kylie Jenner has had "1,000 little jabs" which illuminates that this is definitely for an older audience as it is usually older women who change their appearance yo look younger. Both names Kylie and Zendaya from both magazines are very familiar, famous names which is one of the big reasons people will be attracted to this magazine as they may have already heard of them.

From this task I have learned that every detail on the front cover of a magazine is chosen very precisely and specifically for a certain reason. I have also realised that companies use the specific audience profiles to make sure the magazines engage and entice the right target audience.

Cara Delevingne1A in March 2013 Vogue UK

You can etablish that the both vogue magazines are aimed at women aged 16-24 as the target audience can eaily be discoverd through certain aspects of magazine covers, which in this case is the theme of fashiion. These sort of magazines tend to be assosiated with an older audience (16-24) as they can talk about more grown up topics that could be concidered innparopriate to a younger audience.

This magazine cover and double page spread of Cara Devlivine can easily be identified as a fashion magazine due to the constant link to fashion and your appearance for example "what a handbag says about you". This direct address connects with a reader and intrigues them to continue reading and and get tips and insights on new looks and things they are interested in. This cell line is futherly used as a communications element to try and attract consumers and relate to them. This also links with the model herself as when consumers are already familiar with them, they tend to be more likely to purchase the magazine as they feel connected to her.You can establish this is for older consumers by noticing the style of clothing that is being presented by the model which indicates that she is wealthy and the clothes are very expensive which would require an audience member to be a working member of society and earn their own money to be able to afford these types of clothes. As well as this, it can also be recognised as a magazine with an older target audience due to the choice of fonts and colour theme as for example younger teenage girls would be more attracted to a magazine that had more colourful content and buzz words. Not only this but an important factor that will stand out to younger audiences will be the actual model presented on the front cover as well as the sell lines relating to them and what they will be going through at that age.

For this reason the second magazine of vogue with the Ariana Grande edition may stand out to that younger profile audience targeted.

This can be presented through the colours used on the double page spread as these various techniques are chosen and used purposely by professionals who know what those younger audience members will be looking for. Although these two articles or front covers from magazines relate due to the actress and singer as presented as the main image, they contradict each other as they attract slightly different audience members. Even though they may attract some of the same audience members, there are certain age ranges for the target audience profiles which have been compiled especially for these specific editions.

The front cover of Ariana Grande has a sell line saying " Detox your wardrobe" which would be considered for an older audience as it involves watching what you are eating and going on diets which is something that younger viewers should not be worrying about as they are still going through puberty and are still young and innocent. The double page spread though does attract younger audiences, this can be recognised through the use of language such as "Get the inside scoop on teen ...Ariana Grande" Which uses slag like 'scoop' making it an informal text whereas older consumers would be attracted to more formal types of magazines for older viewers. This phrase also attracts younger audiences as it is very playful language sounding more fun and interesting for a younger audience member to read.

From this task I have learnt that all magazines make it very clear who the target audience is and who this magazine edition is aimed at. In this case it is clear that these fashion magazines have been chosen to be layed out in a way that would appeal to their specific audience profile.

There are many advantages and disadvantageous of both digital magazines and normal print magazines, this is because they are both very differently displayed editions of the same magazine and therefore they will be layed out differently and may be easier in certain ways specific to the way you own it either online or physically. Digital magazines can be way easier to get a hold of and therefore people will find it easier to find a specific edition, theme or brand. However, they tend not to sell very well because they can be found for free as they have been copyrighted on some sights which is a big disadvantage for online magazines and can decrease their popularity. As well as this you can assess print magazines anywhere but to assess the digital version you will need a WiFi connection when people tend to read magazines when they cant use their phone or the internet so this may prevent people from wanting to use them as they cant assess them. People tend to find digital ones annoying as there can be many annoying ads popping up and distracting them when the point of having a magazine is having a sense of escapism and distracting themselves from the outside world. It is also popular for people to read them on local transport services like on the bus so that they do not have to socialise with other and keep to themselves. This is a reason that it can be irritating using them as these ads don't let them escape in the way they want.

Institutions may choose to create digital magazines rather than print magazines as it may look better to the consumers as it is better for the environment and saves a lot of printing for the producers. It is also considered more popular and common to have a digital version instead as it is more old fashioned to have an original print of it. Another advantage of a digital version is that readers can pick and choose what they would like to read easier than on a print. On print magazines you would have to flick through and read from page to page and have to read through and see what your interested in, whereas on a digital magazine they can select what they want to read instead of buying the whole magazine. Digital magazines can be very easily assessed and purchased which influences people to use that version so they don't have to leave their house or space. There is more of a variety of different magazines online rather than in the store as it may be that you go out to purchase one but don't even find the one that fits your needs. Older readers can find it confusing using technology and therefore would prefer to use a printed out version as they are easy to use, this means that there will be a larger amount of the older generation using print outs rather than digital ones. Because ads around the website they read it from, this could be another reason to confuse older readers as they cannot concentrate on the actual magazines. The adverts can also sometimes move about and also move down the page when yous scroll which could add to the confusion and make them feel disorientated.

Digital versions can though help with the idea of escapism as they are focusing o something and draws your attention away from reality . Although, print magazines can create the same effect with a different technique as the print out can actually be held in front of the readers face so they almost block out reality and feel safe. Regular readers of print magazines will have to store them somewhere which can take up a lot of space when you pile them up whereas on a digital website they are all stored in one place on a device or multiple devices if thy are connected.

From this task I have learnt that digital and print magazines are both used regularly, however they both have pros and cons which may influence a reader to instead use the other version. I have also noticed that the digital versions tend to have a higher attraction to younger audiences and print magazines attract more older viewers due to several different reasons.

Digital magazines conventionally don't have a front cover like print magazines do but can just have one main image on the home page using different links to connect all the different sections. They have 8 main links 'Fashion, Beauty, Culture, Living, Runway, Vogueworld, Holiday' which is helpful as people can find exactl what they are looking for and wouldn't have to look through the whole magazine to find what they are looking for as they can just read through the subheadings.

For this reason, it can be concidered easier to use than a print magazine as you have headings to help filter all the content making it quicker as you know where to find what you are looking for.

These main links also follow you down the page as you scroll down as they stay on the top line of your screen. Although this can be annoying for some consumers, it can also be helpful as you don't have to scroll all the way back on the top of the page to read someting new. In this example they have Gigi Hadid as the model on the front page and as your scrolldown futher, this is how you get on to the next page like you would on a print magazine. I think that generally this magazine would be more likely purchased by middle aged women 20+ because of the type of clothing she is wearing indicating that poeple reading this magazine are very wealthy and therefore can afford these expesnive clothes displayed in the magazine. This is purposefully used by the intitution as a technique to attract women who can afford these types of clothes however, the makers of the magazines have another target audience which are usually younger from an age range of 16-24 as they look up to the models in this magazine. This is more unlikey though as these magazines are quite expensive starting at £6 to almost £10 meaning that that younger consumers may generally not be able to affrod it. In this digital amagzine is is generally easier for producers to find out about its consumers as they can gather a lot of infomation about a viewer while they are on their site but not only is it easier, but its cheaper to find out about who read their magazines and for how long rather than print magazines.

On this digital magazine of 'Allure' it again has no front page which is one of the main conventions of these types of formats. It would be unconventional for a digital magazine to have a front cover as it is a different layout and may confuse some viewers. Both of these magazines have search bars which is a very useful tool to help users find something specific. Compared to the vogue magazine, the Allure masthead is quite small and only shown in small bold writing in the corner, whereas vogue, although still written smaller than a print magazine would show it, has slightly bolder bigger writing. This stands out more to reader and is more effective for readers who find it more difficult to read and therefore more practical. You can see many pop up ads showing up around the photos on both highlighting that it is very common convention for digital magazines to have as well as some of them following you down the screen. Both of these websites are displayed in a very similar way even though they are both different brands of magazines. This suggests that that fashion magazines have very similar conventions which make them considered as a fashion magazine. Some of the words or phrases are in different colors which makes or slightly bolder than other meaning that usually they are links which take you to other sources which is displayed on both webistes. They do however have different sorts of main images to start of the page as one of them, the allure magazine, you can tell has been purposefully taken proffesionally during a modelling session whereas the vogue version has been taken by a photographer purposefully to catch her in her natural element walking around on her own.

This digital magazine presents its branded masthead in the left hand corner in bold black text. This is a very conventional detail that digital magazines include, including the position and size. The layout is generally quite simple and easy to read and not too cluttered which is good so that readers don't feel as if they are looking at too much or being distracted by too much detail. There is one main image in the middle of the screen on this website and it means that readers will have a lot of focus on it and there attention is stronger taken by the image due to little surroundings distracting them. The masthead presented on this digital version is a lot smaller than what would be shown on a print magazine in terms of scale. This is because on a print magazine there are a lot more distractions on the front cover as there is lots of text such as buzz words which stand out a lot. Therefore they will need to make the masthead bigger and bolder so that it is more recognizable and noticeable. The different techniques used on print magazines such as puff words, buzz words and sell lines are used to try and sell the magazine to you and let you know what sort of content is inside without giving it all away. On digital magazines they instead use headings at the top which are linked to different page it will direct you to once you have clicked on it. It means that they filter out all the content and divide it up into sections making it easier for consumers to quickly and easily find exactly what they are looking for. The 8 subheadings 'fashion, beauty, culture, living, runway, video, vogueworld and holiday' are used as guides which are conventionally along the top of the screen so that consumers can easily find them and read them. The pop up add on the right hand side of the page follows you down the page as your scroll down and displays that specific advert due to any information which was linked and taken from cookies. The content of the writing underneath the main image is to keep a readers engagement and interest. The very elitist audience is presented through the text "Since Art Basel Miami Beach started in 2002, it’s become much more than just a tropical outpost for the famed Swiss art fair." which is within the article under the main image of Winnie Harlow. The fact some words are underlined in this article helps readers find out more information about those certain aspects they are talking about and covering in this part of the article. This magazine contains very formal vocabulary implying that the target audience is older which is why the prices are bigger. There is an ongoing expectation throughout the content of the text portrayed that this magazines consumers are working females between 30-40 who are involved in the fashion industry and are either interested or work in fashion. It also highlights the very niche audience being targeted as they will have to be able to afford the luxuries vogue are offering.

This Marie Claire magazine is directly aimed at a more mature audience and for middle aged women. This can be taken from the romantic element which they have on the front cover which will most likely again relate to a more mature audience as this is when generally people start to find their partners and consider marriage and starting a family. Selena Gomez is the model on this front cover and as her name is in big, bold text, the creators of this magazine obviously want us to focus on her and recognise her. This is because she is a very big, well known singer and actress and therefore her fans will be more appealed to this magazine rather than others.

The direct address from the models direct eye contact to the camera is a very commonly used technique which photographers use in order to refer directly to the audience and almost form a connection between the model and the audience member. Direct address can also include how the text speaks to a consumer and how it influences them or makes them feel.

From this Vogue magazine I can immediately recognise that it is aimed at a more mature audience just by the way the model, who in this case is Cara Delevigne, is dressed and how she is positioned with her body language. The clothes she is wearing seem to look very expensive and unique, implying that the target audience are more middle aged women with plenty of disposable income and therefore aimed at a more niche audience who have this money to spend. The Bold text 'Chasing Cara' draws an audience member in as it implies that people look up to her and aspire to look like her and therefore will read closer articles related to her and how and where she gets her style from.

Cosmopolitan has a specific target audience which in this case is women from 16-30 which is indicated through several different methods such as the use of the female figure for the model who seem to be in her mid 20s. This is an important feature as it is one of the main things that stand out to an audience as she is of a similar age. This magazine, although displaying an slightly older female, still targets teenagers as there is a hugely younger audience who will read this and look up to the model as there is an always an aspect of wanting to be older than you are or in an adults case wanting to seem younger than you are. This highlights how there is a constant want from both the teen and middle aged demographic juxtaposing one another as they are in different stages of life but somehow want the same thing. The fact that the target audience is females aged 16-30 is further indicated through the use of the sell line "sex so hot" as it is very clearly too inappropriate for younger viewers but relevant to 16+ as this is the legal consent age.

The phrase "feel calm on crazy days" link to the idea of hormonal mood swings which often occurs in the teenage years as they are experiencing puberty however, this also links to older women experiencing mood swings because menstruation and even menopause.

The female model 'Zoey Deschanel' is widely recognised through a series of TV series and films such as 'new girl' which shes featured in which is a reason readers would chose this magazine through the recognition of who she is or the fact that she might be in a series you watch.

This magazines main focus is to make profit from selling these products as any product would have to do, therefore it is unusual that magazines make there profit mainly from the advertising and not selling the content within it. For print magazines they can easily recover data from how many they sell in store and how many need t be replaced due to there being more stock, whereas online digital magazines an have issues with collecting data as they can be copyrighted be able to access for free which meas they will be loosing out on majority of viewers who also read this magazine however without buying it.

Print magazines do have a specific target audience which they base on their knowledge of their consumer research just like an online magazine would, however digital magazines are more effective at tracking their readership as well as producing data and sharing that data with advertisers so that they recognise how effective and profitable it is for both parties.

You can notice from the articles they are a lot shorter than digital magazine articles because viewers would get bored looking at that much text and therefore it is broken up with images and therefore wouldn't work on an online platform.

On this online version of ELLE we can see various opportunities for advertisers through all the ads that are shown on the page. These ads are usually related to what they are reading about and therefore they come up with related ads so that they can temp the reader to buy their products. The target audience for this platform is most likely females from 20-30 as it is presented and written in a very formal way as if it it being targeted at niche audiences. It is also obviously a female audience which is recognised due to the masthead ELLE which translates to 'her' or 'she' which is another obvious detail that presents the targeted gender. They tend to have links such as pictures of different styles and clothes which when clicked on, direct you to a page to buy them directly which is very conventional and handy as they can buy something with the click of a button. It begins with the anchorage text " 9 key pieces you'll want from something Navy's latest Nordstrom collection" where we immediately recognise different persuasive techniques such as direct address which makes it feel personal and as if the magazine were talking to that specific reader. It is also a way of convincing them that they need to have the latest trends and clothes to look like these models and have their life or just a luxurious life in general. Its considered that online fashion articles create narrative for the reader giving them a feeling of a celebrity environment. They then use this to get consumers to the expensive clothes that these celebrities wear. This is when they use the links which transfer them straight on to a page where they can buy these clothes which is one powerful technique digital platforms use as they can make quick and easy transactions. Loads of the features appeal to the target like the channel advert which is a very expensive brand and therefore is more directed at niche audiences as they will be able to afford these products. The main images displayed at the top of the page tells us the reader is 20-30 as these items displayed are very formal looking clothes . This magazine has a subversive element as it presents images of clothes instead of a model or someone modelling these items of clothing which is usually what you would see at the top of a digital magazine page. There is an assumption that we as the reader already know who "Nordstrom" is reinforcing the fact that this magazine is aimed at a specific target audience as the producers know exactly who can afford these clothes. If this magazine was supposed to be aimed at a younger audience it would have used more slang words and phrases for example where it say in bold "9 key pieces" it would instead use a shorter more snappy word such as '9 bits' which would just appeal slightly more to a younger audience as it is that bit more informal. The magazine itself however ranges from around £2-$4, which contradicts with the target audiences as usually when a magazine is aimed at a niche audience the magazine itself would also be expensive as it is another sign that who ever is buying the magazine itself can afford to spend money on this magazines. The fact that there is no face on the model at the top of the page as one of the main images has been purposefully chosen by the producers as they are using this as a technique which makes the reader connect directly to the image and putting it in their own perspective as if the viewer is positioning themselves in that outfit. It presents several different images while you can click through like a slide shown on the front page which has loads of different clothes layed out and presented which you would associate with an online shopping website or page making it easier for consumers to buy these products.

In conclusion, digital magazines are a lot better at preforming their purpose which is selling fashion styles and clothes whereas print magazines are better at the advertising and selling the magazine themselves and targeting the right audience consumers and interesting the readers more due to the bold features which are more commonly on that version.