Background Details

• Music and entertainment magazine

• It is mainly features R&B and Hip Hop content

• Vibe’s distribution is mainly through their own website: www.vibe.com

• The magazine was successful due to its broader range of interests than its closest competitors The Source and XXL.

Ownership

• Founded by producer Quincy Jones in 1993, in partnership with Time Inc.

• After shutting down production in 2009. Vibe was bought by the private equity investment fundInterMedia Partners.

• Originally called Volume before it had been purchased by inter media partners.

• It has proved to be a success $1 billion total assetts.

• Vibe are likely to continue to be successful with such ownership.

Conventions

Mast-head

Puff

Puff

Main sell-line

Barcode

Strap-line

Sell-lines

VIBE today

• Issued every other month.

• Follows a standard magazine layout and conventions with full use of colour, images and text.

• Vibe has its own website.

• 1 year of subscription is $9.99 (£6.28)

Target Audience

• 18-34 years old.

• Fans of R&B and Hip Hop

• 51% male, 48% female

• Have a favourite artist that they look up to.

• Love dancing and listening to music with good beats.

• Loyal to their friends and they do not follow the crowd, they have their own imagination.

Content

• Fashion section – for men and women

• Interviews with artists – mainly of HipHop and Rap.

• Up and coming artists in the industry.

• Celebrity gossip – break-ups between artists in the industry and latest news.

• Exposed female artists – such as Beyonce and Fergie. Reflects on the representation of women in HipHop(sex objects).

Mode of address

• Casual, featuring informal words and phrases that the target audience may use or may relate to.

• Strong/sexual/criminal words used by a young fan of Rap/R&B/Hip Hop.

• Their language reflects on the success of artists and their importance.

Mode of address: examples

• “I'm still a virgin in your eyes”

• ‘Cocaine, Heroine, Prison, HIV – and the best love songs of the 80’s.’

• ‘the hottest spots for Hip Hop.’

• “aint no such thing as a secret snitch”

• Bowlin’ with the NBA’s

• ‘rap beef’

• ‘What are Eminem and Dre cookin’ up?’

• ‘ultimate sex survey’

• ‘swagger’

• ‘Keri Hilson has been a very bad girl’

Style and Appearance

• All magazines of vibe follow a similar style and appearance in every issue. Below are examples of way the contents headlines are presented in issues.

• This has the same appearance in every issue. Also, Vibe has a style which is consistent, where each front cover shows aggressive males and feisty females.