02 STATEMENT OF INTENT

How do you intend to use the four areas of the media theoretical framework to communicate meaning and meet the requirements of your chosen brief? (approx. 400 words)

 

Statement of Intent - Magazine 

My brief is to produce a real-life story magazine for 16-25 year olds. My magazine does fit into Bauer's portfolio which I believe is beneficial as it will open them up to new audiences (younger) who like their style. I recognise that my audience would engage more with models their age and a mixed representation of social groups, which I will include, though the models won't be the main aspects. These social groups will also be quite stereotypical so my audience can identify better with them. Because this is a 'gossip' magazine, the main focus of the front covers will be the text (headlines) which will dominate the page, in large, bold fonts to catch readers' attention. The text will be colloquial to form a friend-like relationship with the reader. Although I found, when researching, that these magazines generally use bright and loud colours, I think my target audience would see this as more 'childish' and not respond well to it, so I will tone down the colours to make them warmer or pastel so it doesn’t look childish. My contents pages include 'win' and normal advertisements that my audiences would be interested in e.g. festivals and fashion. I also featured our merchandise as my focus groups expressed their interest in this. Issue 1 and 2 will be set out similarly (both contents and covers) because this is a new magazine so this will help my new readers 'get to know' the magazine. My focus group (see blog) suggested a more text heavy approach to the cover but to include familiar representations of teenagers and young adults that also offered a business-like but welcoming look to the reader. This would include well-dressed models on the cover, and similar images of the editors and magazine writing staff. This would help develop a personal relationship between the reader and the magazine. 

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Statement of Intent - Website

After doing research for my chosen magazines, I found some of them have a welcome paragraph/mission statement on the home page as an introduction for new readers, which I think my audience would respond to as this age group doesn’t generally read real life magazines and would be interested in an introduction. The website will use colloquial language (similarly to the magazine) to create a friendly relationship with the reader. I also found that the websites included the masthead on their websites which I will include because this will create and reinforce the idea of brand identity. Latest issues can sometimes be found on the homepage of these websites, which I will include in columns (as my researched magazines do) so my website will look quite simplistic. My navigation bar will include an 'article tab' (with drop-downs that match the subheadings on my contents page), a 'subscribe' tab and a 'tell us your story tab', making them easier to find and because these tabs have been advertised in my contents page. Despite my research not having a 'shop' tab, I've included one because that is seen in my contents. Advertising to relate to the content the magazine produces, e.g. more competitions and prizes to maintain engagement.​(206) 

 How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production? (approx. 100 words

To encourage my audience to refer to my magazines website after reading the magazine, I will have competitions advertised on the magazine to enter via the website (which they also have to subscribe to the magazine to enter to increase this convergence), 'tell us your story' advertised on the contents page, to encourage my audience to visit the website. The subscription needed to enter competitions will offer magazines delivered to your door weekly and other treats  (more incentive, especially as these treats aren't specified and therefore are a surprise), again advertised on the magazine but to sign up on the website (which can be accessed via a QR code on my contents to make this easier, also increasing existing media convergence). The same ads will be used on my contents and website to increase convergence. My website and contents pages both feature my team so it feels like they know them and to increase convergence​

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