LO1: Proposal (response to feedback)

Magazine name: NO COMPLIE

Purpose: The magazine I am going to create will have a target audience 15 + year olds in Sheffield. The magazine will be called “NO COMPLIE” since this is a name of an advanced skate trick called “NO COMPLY”. The reason this title was not used was because the name has already been taken by a band. The name also connotes ideas of not conforming which is a trend which should attract teenagers, the target audience, who are generally stereotyped to have similar attitudes. This is emphasised further with comply’s spelling being changed, since the word “LIE” has now been incorporated, which visually connotes even more traits which belong to rebellious teens.

More specifically, the magazine will be targeted at people who use a skateboard or a BMX. This is because he magazine’s purpose is to entertain readers with visually thrilling images of Skateboard/BMX stunts. These images will be specifically designed/photographed to create spectacle in order for the magazine to contain visceral pleasures.

The magazine will also inform non-local readers about Sheffield and presenting Sheffield to have a great community and area for people pursuing extreme sport. The magazine will also educate readers in a peer to peer style, by teaching readers tips and techniques which will help them refine their abilities, in a way which makes the reader feel as if they are being spoken to by the type of personalities they like to surround themselves with in their social time.

Form: The magazine will be a local magazine, and will therefore feature local content. This includes photographs models who are local to Sheffield displaying their skateboard/BMX abilities in local areas. The magazine will also feature interviews with these people, in order for the inspire readers to pursue extreme sport further. The magazine should successfully appeal to both people from Sheffield, and people who are interested in visiting Sheffield, and hopefully encouraging them to visit Sheffield in real life.

Genre: The magazine’s genre will be an extreme sports magazine; and therefore give the reader an idea of the skate/BMX scene within Sheffield, and appeal specifically to that subculture.

Target Audience: The magazine’s target audience will be residents of Sheffield who use a skateboard or BMX. They will be aged 15-20 and should be interested in the extreme sports subculture within Sheffield. This is because teenagers are stereotypically attracted to the extreme lifestyle which extreme sports provides, this is because they are energetic thrill-seekers who enjoy spending time outside.

Imaginary Entity: Johnny Rider is a 17-year-old dude from Sheffield who’s been skating since he was 12. It is obvious that skating is his life, all his clothes are skater brands, all his video games are skater games and his social media consists of content which appeals to skaters. When there is a chance he skates to school to complete his A-Levels, although he dreams of becoming professional sponsored skater. His weekends consists skating all day as long as the weather permits it. If not he spends his time watching skating and BMX videos on YouTube. games. Sometimes for a change, he goes out on his BMX. His favourite music consists of Hip-Hop and Indie Rock, since he likes the upbeat/laid-back styles of each genre.

House style and visual style: It is important that throughout the magazine, synergy is created in order for the reader to clearly recognise the brand of “NO COMPLIE” that the magazine is tor create. This way the magazine is likely to sell more, since consumers like committing to brands, and almost enjoy having a brand becoming a part of their lives/personality. In order to create synergy, the magazine will use a specific house style which is similar to other skating magazines.

The main colour will be the colour black. This will be used for frames for which most text on the magazine will be placed on. This way no text on any page will go without being noticed, since the black will create a bold outline to every subject on a page. Black is also a very popular colour among teenagers, since it is often used as a fashion statement by emos since they believe they have been surrounded by darkness (this is because teenagers are generally pessimistic and moody).

The next main colour will be the colour red, since it appears shocking when contrasted with blackness and will grab the readers attention. It also creates blood like imagery which links to the accidents that can occur in extreme sport (hence the term extreme). The colour red also connotes a clear feeling of energy and enthusiasm which is needed to pursue such a sport, and will also give the magazine’s text an enthusiastic and peer-to-peer feeling.

The next colour that will be used will be yellow, since it also stands out against black well gives the magazine a more brighter/sunny feel to it since it is a colour used for sunlight in media products.

The final colour that will be commonly used is white, since it is a colour which readers can easily read, and is the colour which will stand out the most next to black since it is the opposite of black. This house style will be used on every page on the magazine.

Content: The magazine will contain four pages, this includes a front cover, a contents page and a double page spread. Since the magazine will be released quarterly, the magazine will have a different theme according the season the magazine is released in, the magazine I will be creating will be the “SUMMER EDITION” therefore it is important that the magazine’s content is summer themed, therefore all images will be taken on a sunny day.

Cover Page: The cover page’s main image, will contain a photograph of Isaac Green performing an a jump of a ramp. The shot will be taken whilst Isaac is in mid-air, with the sun beginning to set in the background, creating an action shot spectacle. The location of the image, will be in Quick Fit, a rural/popular skate location in Sheffield.

The picture will be taken using a fish eye lens in order for the stunt to appear more extreme and like a real skate magazine, a fast shutter speed in order to capture the image without the Isaac appearing blurred, and the ISO will be low since there will be plenty of light from the sun light entering the camera. The images aperture will also be very wide, in order to capture the recognisable/rural landscape of Sheffield.

For the males readers, the skater featured should be considered to be an ideal self, since amateur skaters will want to be able to perform the way the featured skater is, therefore persuading them to buy the magazine, hoping that it will improve their abilities. For females readers, the skater should appeal as an ideal partner, since if they are interested in skating, they would perhaps want a partner to be a skate too.

Because the sun is setting, the sky should appear very beautiful and create an appeal for going outside and skating in the summer. It is important that the skaters outfit clearly shows that he is a skater, therefore he should be wearing skater clothes such as “THRASHER” or “VANS”. His trousers should also be torn in order to fit suggest that Isaac has an extreme sports lifestyle. This links to McQuail’s theory (1972), that suggests that audiences form their personality based on their inspirations outfit. Therefore the target audience should aspire to dress like Isaac.

The pages masthead will be below the magazine’s slogan and will read “NO COMPLIE” in the colour red in Heroes Assemble font. The mast head will be the largest text on the page to connote the importance of the brand.

The cover page will be link to the double page spread, with a bold title reading “ISAAC GREEN in QUICK FIT”, therefore if they like the look of the title they are more likely to be inclined to buy the magazine in order to read the article.

The title’s font will be “Heroes Assemble” which is the font which will be used through out the entire magazine for titles in order to create synergy. The titles on the cover page will also include a plug which outlines a competition in which the reader could win a DeathWish skateboard, which is a competition designed specifically to appeal to a skating audience. Above the title, in bold writing there will be a slogan/description reading “SHEFF’s NO1 SKATE AND BMX MAGAZINE” in order to show the reader exactly what the magazine is in order to appeal to the target audience directly the emphasise on titles and will be directly placed on the size, therefore the title will be the largest followed by smaller text which contain less important details.

The cover page will also have contain another title graphic which links to the article on BMXing called “BMX AIR AT MILLHOUSES” which is another popular extreme sports location in Sheffield. The magazine will have a large cover line reading “SUMMER EDITION” in order to make it clear to the audience that the magazine’s theme is summer.

The image should promote Sheffield as a location for skating, and should also make it clear to the reader that the magazine’s genre is an extreme sports magazine. In order to make it clear that this is the magazine’s genre, it is important that the title also shows this, therefore the title’s font and colour scheme should connote ideas of danger, and being extreme. Therefore, the title’s colour will be a blood like red, and the title’s font, “heroes assembled” will be edited so that the title appears like it is moving at high speed by bending the letters all on one direction. This way the magazine appeals to the audience who BMX as well as the audience who skate since both sports involve moving at high speed.

Contents Page: The contents page feature images of Sheffield’s landscape during the sunset in order to have a clear background for the contents to fit in, at the bottom will be a group of skaters sitting together, to connote that extreme unites people, therefore advertising the sport, and making the reader want to read on.

The list of content should include the main article featuring Isaac Green, and the article with Jason Fried on the BMX, the contents page should also include more details on how to enter the competition mentioned on the cover page. The same mast head will be used again in the contents page, however will be not as large as it is on the cover page. The mast head will be surrounded by text so that the mast head reads “THIS SUMMER IN NO COMPLIE” so that it establishes the fact that the magazine is a summer edition in order for the magazine to be more successful at the time, the mast head will also be followed by a smaller title which reads “ISSUE #1” specifying that the magazine is the first of its kind, making the magazine seem more unique.

The contents page should also contain an editor’s note, from me, which should address the target audience in a peer-to-peer tone, and explain to them that the magazine is local to Sheffield and is there to help budding skateboard/BMX users improve. The contents page will also a title graphic reading THIS SUMMER’S TIP which is followed by a way in which skaters can improve their abilities.

The bottom of the cover page will contain the NO COMPLIE title again, however much smaller, followed by a page title. All content mentioned in this page will come with a page number for the reader to use.

Double Page Spread: The main article will link to the cover page, featuring a similar image, however one that was taken a moment after Isaac completed the stunt, making him appear even more mid-air. This way the cover page and double page spread link together in order, showing separate moments of the stunt. The Mast head will read ISAAC GREEN in QUICK FIT making it clear to the reader that the article is promoting both the local skater and the local location, and ultimately promoting Sheffield. The article will discuss Isaac’s inspirations and motivations for skating, and will also discuss why Sheffield is a great location for skating, how it has affected his lifestyle and how he has progressed over time at skating. This way the reader will feel as if he is personally getting to know Isaac as a person, and should also be inspiring the reader to want to skate more. The article will also contain a title reading ISAAC’S SKATING TIPS followed by many ways to improve as a skater.

The bottom of the cover page will contain the NO COMPLIE title again, however much smaller, followed by the title’s page.

Resources and Personnel:

In order to create this magazine I will need the following:

Hardware:

DSLR Canon 650d - this will be used to take the pictures for the magazine in a high quality format. 

Standard Lens - this will be used with the camera for images which require a standard image.

Fish-eye Lens - this will be used to take a distorted image, increasing the extreme nature of the skating images I will be taking, and will make the images look like the one's I have studied in real life examples.

8GB SD Card - this will be used to store the images taken on the camera.

iMac - this will be used to edit the photographs taken, as well as creating the actual magazine pages on.

Skateboard - required prop for the photo shoot, since I am creating a skateboarding magazine.

Software:

Adobe InDesign - industry standard software made to create magazine pages, especially useful for creating a contents page, and a double page spread.

Adobe PhotoShoot - industry standard software made to edit photographs, and can be used to create some pages/graphics/titles which will be used in the magazine. 

Internet - A required tool to back up files on, aswell as gathering other digital assets from sources which allow their content to be used for commercial means.

Personnel:

Isaac Green - model, suits target audience ideal-self/ideal-partner, can use a skateboard well, and is available for free, since the magazine is using a low budget.

Cameron Slack - model, can use a BMX.

Measurements:

BLEED – Height: 250mm, Width: 181mm.

TRIM – Height: 247mm, Width: 178mm.

SAFE – Height: 171mm, Width: 160mm.

Distribution and marketing methods: My magazine will be released quarterly because the magazine has quite a niche audience, and wouldn’t need to be released monthly. Each magazine per year will be themed according to the current season, ie a spring edition, a summer edition, an autumn edition and a winter season. I will leave free copies of the magazine in skate shops in Sheffield such as Slugger, because that is the exact type of shop the target audience will go in. I will also leave free copies in other shops in Sheffield that sell clothing which appeals to the target audience.

Marketing:
Marketing is important in order to ensure that the target audience are made aware of the product you are creating. This is done through promoting the product through methods such as posters/billboards, social media, websites and leaflets.

ABOVE THE LINE MARKETING (Methods which target a mass audience) :

Posters and billboards are effective because your promotion will be seen by a huge amount of members of the public, who will then tell other people about the product, and will create a spark of anticipation for the product, meaning that it will be received positively. A con to this method is that buying space for your posters and billboards is very expensive, and isn't likely to be affordable for a new independent magazine with a very small budget.

Websites and social media methods are effective for many reasons. The first reason is that it is free method of marketing, which is brilliant for a new independent magazine with a small budget. Marketing through the web is also very easy to make effective, since there are websites such as Wix which can allow very undeveloped web designers to create a professional looking website in a short amount of time. Social media is also a highly suitable platform, since the target audience are likely to share your advertisement on their profiles, meaning that your marketing is seen by more people, through free advertisement. The fact that the target audience are digital natives also means that social media will be a very successful marketing platform.

TV adverts would be good to use on channels which feature sports content, since the audience watching those shows are likely to be interested in a magazine about Skateboards and BMX since they are a form of extreme sports, however due to the magazines small budget, it isn't likely to be affordable, however a video advert could still be created and uploaded onto a Video On Demand platform such as YouTube and then shared on social media.

BELOW THE LINE MARKETING (Methods which target a niche audiences) :

Leaflets are a good way to target audiences as individuals, in order to engage them in a way which feels more personal meaning that they are likely to be more interested in the product. For example if you were to hand a leaflet out to an individual, it may generate a sense of exclusiveness, creating a happier and more interested audience. Leaflets are also a good way to advertise a magazine, since they are print products themselves, and can made in a very similar format to the magazine itself creating synergy with the product and the marketing. Leaflets can be left in shops which are likely to be found by the target audience, for example Slugger, Sheffield's main skate store would be a good option to use, since most Skaters in Sheffield are likely to visit Slugger (since Skaters in Sheffield are the target audience).

Once the magazine is created. Giving free copies of the magazine would be a successful way of marketing, since after receiving the first copy and enjoying it, the audience are more likely to buy the next issue of the magazine. Like leaflets Magazine's can also be handed out, or left in shops which the target audience are likely to visit (like Slugger).

Distribution:

Distribution is about how the product reaches the audience. It is important, because unless the audience receive the product, they are not likely to continue subscribing to the brand NO COMPLIE, meaning that the magazine will not generate any product. I have mentioned methods of distribution above, such as leaving the magazine in stores/places the target audience are likely to visit. Other methods include creating a Ezine, a magazine which can be accessed online, which is also likely to be successful, since the target audience are digital natives.

ADVERTISING RATES (How much a magazine charges when adverts are featured within the magazine) :

The reasons the prices may vary depend on how likely the advert is likely to be seen by the audience, for example a bigger advert is more likely to be noticed and engaged with than a smaller advert. These factors are all specified below.

-Size, a larger advert will cost more, and will be more effective.
-Region/type of magazine, a magazine which is printed more with a larger readership is likely to be a better platform for adverts, since it will be seen by more people, however will cost more.
-Quality of paper, a magazine with higher quality paper will create a more visually appealing advert, however will cost more.
-Frequency, a magazine which is released more frequently is more likely to cost when advertising than a magazine that is released less often (magazines can be released weekly/bi-weekly/monthly)
-The page number, an advert at the front of the magazine is likely to be more successful and expensive than a advert towards the end of the magazine.
-The graphic design, the adverts visual appeal will depend on the graphic designer, the price of the graphic design will depend on the quality/aesthetic of the advert.