Task 2 – Analysing magazine 2 BILLBOARD

About Billboard

Billboard is the world's most influential music media brand reaching key executives and tastemakers in and around the music business through Billboard Magazine, Billboard.biz, Billboard Conferences, Billboard Bulletin, and other targeted newsletters, and millions of music fans through Billboard.com and Billboard Events. The Billboard brand is built on its exclusive charts and unrivaled reporting on the latest news, issues and trends across all genres of music. Billboard receives hundreds of millions of brand impressions daily through many strategic relationships with major companies across various industries. These relationships leverage Billboard's brand recognition, proprietary chart data and information resources to develop products, live events and print, television, radio, digital and mobile platforms. In addition to North America, Billboard operates businesses in Brazil, Greece, Japan, Korea and Russia.

Billboard is owned by Prometheus Global Media, a diversified company with leading assets in the media and entertainment arenas, including: Music (Billboard and its related conferences and events, including The Billboard Latin Music Awards), Entertainment (The Hollywood Reporter, Backstage, ShowEast, Cineasia, and CineEurope); and Advertising & Marketing (Adweek, Adweek Conferences and The CLIO Awards).

Front cover

This issue of Billboard is very colourful, and the bold pink background definitely attracts the audience and particularly females as pink is a popular colour. The bright, flowery cover connotes that this magazines a upbeat, fashionable magazine compared to a rock magazine this is conveyed through the colours and bright.

The main image is the famous American artist Katy Perry, the medium long shot of the attractive artist draws your attention. The direct eye contact, makes the audience feel connected with her, and as she is successful, sexy and famous many women would desire to be her. This draws in the audience.

Billboard magazine have used many sell lines to attract the reader. They have done this by using other celebrates, therefore the reader is getting more for there money – finding out about Katy Perry as well as Taylor Swift, Eminem, Sting and Sheryl Crow.

The main cover line is the name of the main artist, who is featured as the main image on the front cover. Most magazine use this strategy to draw fans, and other readers to buy the magazine.

The sell line colours, the main colours used as black, yellow and white. The colour which fills D and A in the masthead are always the same colour in the Masthead of Billboard magazine. This is very effective as the colours match the masthead, sell lines and the artists outfits.

What surprises me is that there is no barcode, price or date issue on the front cover, therefore they must be on the back.

Contents page

The contents tittle, is at the top of page, so when the audience turns the page, they know what is based on the page.

The main image is a cut out of a attractive girl, dressed nicely however there Is no tag under the image to tell audience who the artist this, this shocks me however the editing is clever as it makes the audience want to read the magazine to find out who she is and what kind of music she performs.

Mini images, are shown to appeal to a wider audience, as each artist shown is from a different genre.

Headings – the magazine heading such as “UPFRONT” and “FEATURES” these are appealing as they are in capital letters, this makes the audience believe it is important information as capitals portray shouting.

Sub headings are also used to break up and the page and information. Short sentences are used to give the reader a taster of what is inside the article. As well as where the article is located in the magazine

The page numbers on the images make it lot easier for the audience to flick straight to page which the chosen artist is on.

Online information, exclusives and events are used as more information and also it portrays that the magazine is up to date with technology. Which would appeal to the younger audience.

Billboard is also a chart update magazine, using the rule of thirds, that are listed on the left hand side on the contents page, they are easy to read, and are separate from the contents page using different colours.

All of the colours link on the contents page, the black, blue and white is used to match the artists outfits, However on the left hand side where the chart update its, the colours are different to separate from the contents, making a visually difference.

The masthead is only small, in the No.1 section however still clear to the audience to convey the tittle and is there as a logo.

Double page spread

The main image takes up 90% of the page, the famous Miley Cyrus is a appealing American artist who has recently become big in the UK and worldwide. Many fans would enjoy reading a article on her. However is not a lot of information. The photograph makes draws in the audience with seductive pose, slight lip parting and eye contact which is forming a relationship with the audience.

“Girl, you’ll be a woman soon”Miley Cyrus has quoted this, she is connoting that you can grow up, and aspire to be like her. The quote is portraying that if you read this article then you can become a woman.

The artist’s latest single, advertising this makes the artist more recognizable to the audience and how she has transformed and become successful.

The colours used are dull and match Miley’s clothing. However “girl” is in the colour because its eye catching and the American slang, “girl” is informal and conveys that she is directly talking to us,