Create a proposal and pitch for a media product (P1, P2, M1 U3 & P2 U21)

Learning outcome 1 (U3): Be able to create a proposal with sample materials for an original media product to a client brief. 

Learning outcome 2 (U21): Be able to create a proposal and pitch for an original media product based on a given brief.

Purpose

Magazines are created for consumer satisfaction, their main purpose is to inform and entertain readers with interesting articles. Blumler and Katz were theorists who created the uses and gratification theory, this tells us that there are a number of reasons consumers turn to the media, the most dominant one for magazines is to inform and entertain. My magazine will strive to produce unique content to outdo the competition and keep customers well informed/loyal, the magazine will introduce a taste of escapism into our readers' lives. Another reason people are invested with the media is to enter an alternate reality for a period of time and our magazine will aim to supply this for them by producing interesting articles, Q&As, images, and exclusive interviews. 

Form, genre, and price 

My proposed magazine will take the form of both an online website and a physical print version. This allows for a more accessible magazine and will therefore be able to reach a wider range of customers within the North London area and beyond. I will offer customers a limited-time deal where they are able to sample the featured article, this will be free and entice customers to continue reading and buy the monthly subscription to enjoy more unique content. Subsequently, the monthly subscription will be £5 so my primary audience of 16-24-year-olds can better afford the issue. Additionally, the magazine will come out monthly and therefore I will offer an annual subscription where loyal customers are able to save money, this will cost £50 a year thus saving £10. In contrast, if they were to purchase an individual edition each month it would amount to £60 a year and therefore is more expensive. I would encourage customers to purchase the annual subscription however - due to age and lack of disposable income- it might be more realistic for them to purchase the magazine month to month. The print copy of the magazine will have a glossy finish as this is more appealing to my primary target audience and has a nicer texture to it. The online version will likely be more popular throughout the target audience due to the convenience for targeted clients, this will be further encouraged by the company as part of an environmental initiative to reduce paper wastage. Compellingly, the online version will include limited-time links to live events that customers will likely appreciate such as live streams of the VMA awards and other music industry events. This will entice customers to subscribe to the online version as this will be exclusive to the website, not the print version, and will consequently increase revenue. 

Pop is the genre my magazine will be focused around, this genre originated around the 1950s and was associated with youth-oriented music styles. Often the music found within the charts is pop music, the charts have great influence upon which music is considered popular, although pop typically has repeated verses and follows a basic writing structure. 

Target audience

Pop is a genre designed for mass appeal, it will take the most popular -hence the name- songs and artists from a variety of genres and bring them together to create the ultimate music category to be enjoyed by all. My proposed magazine will primarily target 16-24-year-old girls within the North London area, the music within the genre often has youthful themes, therefore, making it majorly popular amongst teenage girls. Interestingly pop is admired by this demographic, the repeated verses, catchy choruses, and variety of sub-genres can have an impression upon young people therefore they are likely to be frequent listeners and this can help to develop their music taste and discover what they like. Additionally, the secondary target audience for my magazine might be slightly older females aged 30-45 who may enjoy the genre and will want to discover more about the artists' lives and the origins of how the genre came to be. Primarily, white British females will enjoy a magazine concentrated on the behind-the-scenes stories of their favourite artists and songs, they can gain a sense of self-identification through this and further appreciate the pop culture through the articles we provide. Finally, due to the commercial music within this genre, it is likely to also be enjoyed by males ages 20-45, while they might not be concerned with diving deeper into the genre they could still benefit from entertaining themselves with our unique and exclusive articles.

Resources and personnel 

A magazine production company would need many things to make the production of the final magazine possible, this can often be expensive and therefore the magazine will need to work hard to break even and ultimately achieve a profit. Some resources needed might include; 

tripod- used to prop up the camera and keep it steady so photos don't come out blurry.
camera, lenses- used take photos to be used on the front cover and in articles, enticing and attracting new customers to the magazine. 
laptop, photoshop- this is for editing and uploading photographs as well as typing up and researching articles. Additionally, the online version of the magazine will be uploaded from computers.
props and clothing- allowing the models in photos to reach the standard expected and fit the magazine's aesthetic. 

All these resources will be used to accomplish the successful production of the final magazine product and will make manufacturing more efficient. In addition to this, personnel is also needed to achieve the final product as without them the resources would be useless. Useful personnel will include; 

models, photographers- so the magazine is able to provide relevant images for the magazine's content and front cover. 
writers- qualified individuals will write articles for the magazine to keep customers entertained.
editors- people will be hired to edit and publish articles, here they will need to ensure all content is up to the correct standard.

M1

Distribution and marketing methods 

The purpose of marketing is to gain consumer awareness, this can be achieved by knowing your target audience and marketing accordingly. My magazine will primarily market on social media due to our young audience, social media platforms like Instagram allow brands to advertise products on a large scale for low- or often free- prices. For example, I could post upcoming 'sneak peeks' to articles which will be featured in new magazines and therefore entice our customers to buy the next edition of the magazine. It will also make our customers more likely to follow our social media as they will want to get the information earlier. Additionally, marketing allows a brand to connect with its customers and build a better relationship with them - helping to improve its reputation. Moreover, a useful way to boost sales and reputation is to use synergy, this is where two brands work together in order to achieve a better product. 

Distribution is the action of sending a product somewhere to be consumed by the public. My magazine will feature local (North London) talent and thus will be distributed within local shops such as newsagents and supermarkets. Furthermore, due to my primarily young audience and clients' requirements the magazine will also be available online. This will open up a whole new demographic of people who can buy the magazine, technology is becoming increasingly more popular and we have become reliant upon it, a magazine online will be more convenient and therefore is likely to be the primary source of income for the magazine.

Content

Firstly, to attract customers my magazine will need to stand out both in terms of looks and content. The magazine is going to be sold in shops and newsagents around North London where there are many other enticing options, therefore my magazine will need to have an attractive front cover to lure in the customers. Furthermore, articles are the main focus and the reason a customer will buy the magazine thus proving its importance and the thought that will need to go into writing these articles to make them as entertaining as possible. Some ideas for interesting articles can include; celebrity interviews, Q&As, reviews, and 'how to' articles. Interviews with celebrities can be expensive but this allows the information to be exclusive and more entertaining for the reader, my target audience will love to read about their favourite celebrities' lives and interests - gaining a sense of identification from the article- within the magazine. Compellingly, review-based articles will allow readers to form opinions on the reviewed topic, this can be anything from a new album to a recent concert and allows our readers to gain all the knowledge necessary for this. Additionally, review based articles build the genres reputation as the news of a particularly positive or negative review travels fast, ultimately creating a 'buzz' for the genre as a whole. Another idea could be 'how to' articles, here readers can learn tips and tricks from music professionals on how to write songs, run record labels, and more, this could be a unique article that we could include in every edition to draw customers back in. All these content ideas will contribute to my magazine, the client brief suggests we need to entertain readers and I believe the content chosen will do this effectively. Furthermore, the content created will enable our magazine to fill the magazine and entice customers to purchase our magazine over competitors, increasing our overall sales. 

Moreover, each successful magazine needs a unique selling point to ensure survival and therefore I have thought of a great one that will help achieve success. Phones and technology have become increasingly popular within society and people are now becoming more reliant upon their devices due to their convenience. Accordingly, the world needs to adapt to this and therefore my magazine will be accessible online as well as having an option to scan QR codes that lead to interview recordings. Articles can often be full of information but people don't have the patience to always read them and therefore I have created a unique way they won't have to, by scanning a QR code this will take them to a recorded version of the article where the viewers can experience a more personal connection. I am confident this will help me to beat competitors and gain new clients.

Sample materials 

Title

I thought about the different connotations of pop music and how this would be perceived by my target audience, additionally, I thought about how a magazine that covers an entire genre might communicate this to its readers. Finally, I thought of the title 'pop planet' this name is catchy, easy to remember and suggests to the readers that my magazine will speak about everything in the world of pop. 

Fonts

awesome possum: This has a sans serif typeface, sans serif is associated with youthful and fun themes and therefore will appeal to my primary target audience of girls ages 16-24. Additionally, the use of a bubblegum pink has pop culture connotations and therefore will quickly inform potential customers of the magazine's genre. 

growing garden: Interestingly this has a script typeface, when a font aims to look like handwriting this will often appeal to a more feminine audience. Again a bright pink has been used as it is often is associated with pop music. If I choose this font I would likely adapt by moving it into a shape, for instance, a heart or circle shape will work well to make the title prominent and recognisable without overtaking the space on the page. Furthermore, the 'shape' will be strategically placed in the top left corner of the magazine, when magazines are displayed on shop floors they often overlap to save space, and therefore the top left corner might be the only part displayed. Therefore, I will place the title in a prominent space so it can be easily identified. 

shiny kids: The typeface used here is sans serif again, the soft edges and bold letters imply a childish and somewhat commercial theme that relates well to the genre. Furthermore, the subtle exclamation points within the font suggest an exciting mood for the font.

 

This is my final idea for a title font and format. I decided upon the 'growing garden' font as it was simple and will be easy to read both online and in print, making it the most suitable option for this magazine. Additionally, my target audience is likely to enjoy and relate to the feminine connotations of the script typeface and the circular shape further connotes the 'planet' idea.

Article ideas

Interviews with celebs: these will include Q&As with celebrities prominent in the pop industry. The interviews might include questions from social media comments so customers can feel heard and we can produce a magazine with only the information people want to hear.

Quizzes: Some magazines include a brief quiz, this allows readers to interact with the magazine. Some examples of quiz topics for a youth-driven audience might be; what singer you are, what haircut you would suit, and much more. These quizzes will give teens a fun activity to complete and perhaps learn a little about themselves and their friends. 

concert/album reviews: Writers can give honest and unbiased views about recent events within the pop world, here customers can read and catch up with relevant events which they might have missed out on.  

Gossip articles: Here readers can learn all about celebrities' lives and what they might be up to when they're not making music. While gossip can often be controversial, readers will immensely enjoy discovering their favourite artists' secrets and how they view the situation.  

Sketched layouts

Mood Board

This is my mood-board which displays the aesthetic my magazine is aiming for, the use of bright colours is common in pop and therefore I will be transferring this to my final product. Additionally, the younger audience of my magazine will possibly prefer more visual images to catch their eye and I will ensure to include many images.

Competition 

We heart pop: this is a major competitor as it shares the same target audience, this is a pre-existing magazine and therefore has a pre-existing loyal consumer base. This magazine has similar content to mine and therefore it'll be difficult to steal customers from them but I am confident our USP will send us over the top.

Top of the pops: Interestingly, this magazine is another competitor due to the content focusing on celebrities within the pop genre. However, this magazine is more gossip-driven and therefore will have different content from my magazine which might only feature gossip articles occasionally. 

Smash hits: Another competitor for the magazine I will be producing is Smash hits, this is a gossip-focused magazine and therefore might overlap with some articles in my magazine. Although, my magazine will ensure to get the most exclusive information to go above and beyond the competition.