Media Audiences GapFill

The circulation of traditional print magazines has been in decline for the past 50 years or so and  mass marketfashionbimonthlyactivist publications have been declining in popularity since the 1950s. This has led to a rise in magazines targeting  consciousness-raisinggeneralimpassionedniche psychographic groups, e.g. science fiction fans, young women interested in high-end fashion. Some magazines are  specialisedcapitalistappropriatedheteronormative in the sense that they target a specific region or nation. Other magazines (e.g. Huck, Adbusters and Rolling Stone) are designed to have international appeal.

It is important to consider the factors which determine how a consumer engages with a particular magazine. One factor might be the  ethnicdemographicpsychographicpolitical group in which the consumer resides. For example, Tatler is an aspirational magazine with the central aim of providing its audience with the best advice in terms of fashion, accessorising, lifestyle and behavioural trends among the wealthy elite of Britain. A reader in the C2DE class bracket might see the magazine as a form of  familiarityescapisminteractionself-identification, whereas ABC1 readers might consider it an informative guide to ‘get in’ with Britain’s aristocracy. Another determining factor might be the  subcultural capitalideologycultural pointsverisimilitude of the reader, i.e. the social status a consumer has amassed based on their knowledge of a particular subtopic. For example, a consumer with an extensive knowledge of film might engage with Empire magazine in order to learn ‘behind-the-scenes’ info and compare their own opinions to those of professional reviews. Someone with a limited knowledge of film might read Empire simply for educational reasons, i.e. to have good films recommended to them.

In order for magazines to generate profit through  crowdfundingsubscription feespolitical campaigningadvertising, their producers need to have a clear idea of the demographic and psychographic groups their magazines are attracting. They can then offer  mind mapsbilling blocksmini-publicationsmedia kits to external companies detailing the breakdown of readership and circulation figures. Since 1956, the  The National Circulation EnquirerLeveson GroupIndependent Press Standards OrganisationNational Readership Survey has effectively conducted audience research for publishing companies and print advertisers across Britain. They generally collect their data by categorising audiences based on demographic variables, particularly  political allegiancesocio-economic statuseducational backgroundoccupation. This factor is particularly important as it provides insight into how much disposable income readers have to spend on products advertised in magazines.

The magazine industry now utilises social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to alert audiences whenever the latest edition of a publication is released. This form of marketing will often include direct links to the magazine’s official website as well as  GIFsnudgeshashtagsmemes which encourage audiences to participate in the promotion of the magazine. The producers of these magazines are able to analyse audience engagement over social media and obtain a greater understanding of their readership. Publications can also use media platforms beyond the Internet to promote their issues. These marketing techniques can range from television appearances by senior figures from the magazines to the formation of  diversifiedsynergeticintegratedharvested relationships with other popular brands. It is useful to analyse magazines in relation to George Gerbner’s  feministreceptioncultivationmedia effects theory. He contends that audiences will engage with media products that appeal specifically to their own opinions and views. When they continually engage with these media products, their views are refined and their self-made identities are reinforced.