The front cover

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The Front Cover

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•What are the generic conventions of magazine covers? What do both these magazines do on the cover? Consider: Pictures - graphics - layout – content – use of colour – title – logo - words and phrases – font – institutional information – price – bar code

Generic Conventions

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Use these terms: • Masthead (Top of the Pops)• Banner (More gossip! More scandal!

More you!)• Headline (Lad overload)• Cover lines (Is Nicole anorexic…20

boyfriends…)• Secondary lead (50 beat your mate

bargains)• Feature article photo (the three men)• Menu strip (Plus! McFly. Jess

MCCartney…)

Also think about…• What does this cover do that makes it

unique?• What other kinds of magazine is this

magazine similar to?

Describe the front cover

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•Masthead:

•Banner:

•Headline

•Cover lines

•Secondary lead

•Feature article photo

•Menu strip

•Anything else?

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•Masthead:•Banner: •Headline •Cover lines •Secondary lead •Feature article photo •Menu strip •Anything else?

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• Now compare: think about at how each of these magazines uses the generic conventions: how does each magazine use the conventions slightly differently?

• What makes them both music magazines?

Generic Conventions

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Creating a brand image

• As well as using all the generic conventions, each magazine creates and maintains its own distinct look or image.

• This is important so that purchasers can recognise their favourite magazine and pick it out from the crowded shelves.

• Have a look at the covers of The Word, and then of mixmag – how does each magazine create a continuous identity from issue to issue?

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How a brand image is created and maintained?

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The target audience

Most music magazines aim at a narrowly defined niche audience (small specific group of people) rather than a big mass audience. Work out what the niche target audience is for each publication here.

Consider the demographics: • Gender : male or female• Age • Occupation • Economic status: how wealthy or poor the person (or their family) is • Region: which part of the country they live in

Also consider the psychographics – what kind of attitude to life will this person have?

• Survivors: like security and routine• Social climbers: like material wealth and status symbols• Care givers: believe in ‘caring and sharing’• Explorers: interested in personal growth and social change

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The target audience

From this cover -• Draw up a detailed demographic

profile (Gender, age, occupation, economic status, and region)

• and a psychographic profile (survivor, social climber, care-giver, explorer) profile of the target audience.

• For each of your decisions, find something about the cover that backs up you point.

• Imagine one specific person who would be the ideal reader. Add other details, such as their favourite food, favourite band, favourite TV programme, hobbies and interests, people they admire and so on.

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Using codes to describe media language

1. Colour codes – consider what colours the magazine cover has used. Mainly pinks and pastels? Fresh greens and yellows, or mainly blacks and reds? What do each of these colour groups suggest or connote? How does this relate to the image of the magazine, to the image of the band or musician, and to the image the audience has of itself?

2. Non-verbal codes – what are the typical facial expressions and gestures of the people on the cover? Why? What do these expressions and gestures symbolise? Are they warm, friendly, aggressive, frightening? Again, how does this relate to the image of the magazine, to the image of the band or musician, and to the image the audience has of itself?

3. Technical codes – how are the images lit? Put together? Cropped? Orientated? What font is used? What other aspects of design and layout are there? What kind of image do these codes create? How does this relate to the image of the magazine, to the image of the band or musician, and to the image the audience has of itself?

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Target Audience: using codes

Who do you think the audience for this magazine is? Consider the demographics and the psychographics and give reasons connected to this cover.

Look at the codes used on this

cover:

1. Colour codes (what and why?)

2. Non-verbal codes (what and why?)

3. Technical codes (what and why?)

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Target Audience: using codes

Who do you think the audience for this magazine is? Consider the demographics and the psychographics and give reasons connected to this cover.

Look at the codes used on this

cover:

1. Colour codes (what and why?)

2. Non-verbal codes (what and why?)

3. Technical codes (what and why?)

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Summary - You should understand:

•The generic conventions of magazine covers

•Some terminology to describe front covers

•How different magazines use the conventions to create a brand identity

•How to describe the target audience

•How to apply codes of media language

•How to relate codes to target audience

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The front cover