After much reflection upon my previous posting, I have decided to go along the route of making a fashion/style magazine. However, there are still some factors to consider before I begin the process of planning the contents of the magazine. First off, I have to figure out who my target audience is going to be. In other words; the gender, age group, and socioeconomic status of my readers. Most of the fashion/style magazines that I have come across through my research and personal experience have been directed toward an audience of women between about 25 to 45 years of age. Examples of magazines with this specific target audience would be
Cosmopolitan ,
InStyle , and
W. It is clear from the cover pages of these magazines that they focus heavily on celebrities to help their fashion and style tips gain credibility. It is not enough to say that something is fashionable, rather these magazines need to show proof to their audience that a certain way of dressing is popular at the moment. One difference between fashion magazines for younger and older age groups is the types of celebrities that they include in their issues. The magazines directed toward an older audience will tend to use older celebrities that the readers are more likely to relate to, whereas magazines for a younger audience will use more youthful celebrities for the same reason. The types of cover lines that each magazine features also vary. This difference is seen clearly through the covers of
Vogue and
Teen Vogue (pictured below).
Many features of the cover page are altered between these two magazines in order for it to be appealing to their respective target audiences. The first obvious change that I noticed was the font and color scheme. On the left, Vogue's cover lines are all in a thin font consisting of very defined edges and are either in red, white, or black. All of these characteristics add a feeling of sophistication and elegance to the look of the magazine. On the other hand, the font on the cover of Teen Vogue's magazine is larger and more curved. The color of the lettering is also more childish, using bright pinks and purples. All of these aspects make Teen Vogue seem more youthful and innocent, making it more visually appealing to a younger audience.
Not only is the physical appearance of the cover lines of the two magazines different, but so is the content and the wording. On the right, Teen Vogue utilizes language that they think younger people would typically use, such as "cool" and "crushing hard". Vogue's cover lines, on the other hand, are less flowery and more straightforward. Teen Vogue is mostly concerned with fashion, gossip, and relationships; whereas Vogue has a lager focus on political issues and other topics that typically interest adults more.
I found a great example of a topic that a magazine with an older audience would have on
Cosmopolitan's online magazine titled
"Grown Woman's Guide to Life". This is a section that is included and updated in each issue of their magazine. It includes tips on saving money and career choices. Likewise, I have found specific topics present in fashion magazines directed toward a younger audience that are not included in magazines for an older audience. An example would be in
Seventeen, where they have a portion of their magazine dedicated to anything to do with
prom. This includes advice on what dresses to wear and where to buy them.
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| Cosmopolitan's "Grown Woman's Guide to Life". |
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| An issue of Seventeen magazine dedicated to prom. |
Taking all of this knowledge I have gathered into account, I have decided that my magazine will be directed toward a younger audience of middle-class females between the ages of 13 and 20. Given that I am of that age range, I have a better understanding of what is of interest to others of that age and therefore am more confident in my ability to produce a successful magazine that meets the needs of that target audience.
I have already begun to ask some of my friends to be either on the cover page or somewhere else within my magazine, and so far they have all agreed. Now that I have an idea of what my magazine will consist of, I definitely feel less anxious and more excited to begin working on it.
Citations
Ford, Sabrina, Deanna Pai, Danielle Tullo, Brittany Burke, Sallie Krawcheck, Arielle Pardes, Elizabeth Bacharach, Judith Ohikuare, Marie Elizabeth Oliver, Sheryl Sandberg, Nancy Mann Jackson, Ali Drucker, Judith Ohikuare and Danielle Kam, Heeseung Kim, Michelle Ruiz, Chelsea Peng, Alexa Von Tobel, Jenna Marotta, Jo Piazza, Heather Wood Rudulph, Letisha Marrero, and Zoe Ruderman. "Grown Woman's Guide to Life." Cosmopolitan. Cosmopolitan, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2017.
Swantek, Braelyn Wood and Samantha, Laura Beck, Aurora Tower, Peter Wade, Alyssa Bailey, Sarah Weinberg, Katie O'Malley, Kayleigh Roberts, Candace Braun Davison, Kelsey Kloss, The Editors, Matt Miller, Estelle Tang, Rachel Torgerson, Mylan Torres, Danielle Tullo, Samantha Swantek, Gina Mei, Diana Bruk, Tess Koman, and Emma Dibdin. "Braelyn Wood and Samantha Swantek." Cosmopolitan. Cosmopolitan, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2017.
Images
Ford, Sabrina, Deanna Pai, Danielle Tullo, Brittany Burke, Sallie Krawcheck, Arielle Pardes, Elizabeth Bacharach, Judith Ohikuare, Marie Elizabeth Oliver,Sheryl Sandberg, Nancy Mann Jackson, Ali Drucker, Judith Ohikuare and Danielle Kam, Heeseung Kim, Michelle Ruiz, Chelsea Peng, Alexa Von Tobel, Jenna Marotta, Jo Piazza, Heather Wood Rudulph, Letisha Marrero, and Zoe Ruderman. "Sabrina Ford." Cosmopolitan. Cosmopolitan, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2017.
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