magazine newstand tasks

After analysing on how the different genres of magazine are displayed one thing I found about that magazines like movies,music,fashion are always located in the centre of the shelf, depending on the types of shop certain magazine like kerang, mojo,Q, vogue etc are all placed at the top or either in the middle. As you can see in these images that the magazines are stacked on top of each other. As usual the most popular magazine  such as MOJO is at the front, so the whole cover is possible to see it , but behind this is another popular magazine Q since the masthead stands out. On the other hand less popular magazines are placed at the back as in not in centre, and they are in either bottom or down at the end.Meaning only the masthead and teasers are visible. But in this way it determines whether the reader  would pick the most known magazines or the less knowns one. One thing I've noticed here is that in this shop WHSMITH they sometime place the popular ones in the front but it's not that visible to see it, only the masthead. This stretches  the reader in order to see what's the new issue as well as again this proves that popular magazine like Q will always be picked. Furthermore the placement of a music magazine mainly most of the time depends on the main image of its front cover, if it's a female model for instance lady gaga, katy perry,one direction etc then certainly its target audience will defiantly pick up the magazine even if it's not a something new issue because majority of singers are so popular that people would always want to read about them.If magazine has a powerful cover with an attractive model than the magazine will defiantly be sold. Depending on type of seasons stores like summer magazine like pop music will be placed on the top but if it's autumn then it will be placed on the middle. Marketable magazines that are  always being brought has to also offer benefit to the audience to keep the audience in the hang for the nest issue. For example when I took out one of the magazine like

Rollingstone , it had free posters of famous noble musicians like Miley cyrus, free albums of some artists. If I was to buy the magazine then I would have brought it even if it wasn't my preferred  magazine but the free offers that are offered by the magazine would make me want to read about the magazine. Additionally, in these 2nd image you can see  that in the end that if you buy 2 magazine then there's a free CD. This is another technique where the reader gets more choice whether they should buy the popular ones or not.

Genres like classics, blues,electronic music,jazz,opera,reggae and country etc are placed in the middle of the shelf , along with the
 well knows magazines. Genres with Rock, hip pop,pop, R&B, alternative musics,Rock and so on are all displayed in the top or in the middle top depending on which magazine does good or bad sale, such as if a rock magazine did bad last terms they will place it in the top in order to make it more stand out for people to see it. Most of the same genres magazine aren't placed together , they are separated it all apart into different section.
When I was taking pictures of the magazines one thing that really catches my eye is that certain magazines has its own individual shelf like in for mojo magazine, its on the front but its more easy for the audience to take it out, because it's more into the front and easy to see what genre of magazine it is. It's almost like pulling you towards to come and look it since you can see "MOJO" and you feel like what's in there to read. Its draws your attention very effectively making you pick the magazine.

In terms of noticing about the front covers, mastheads or cover lines is that even though the front cover looks great, when you turn towards the contents page you don't feel like reading it because most of the time the contents page doesn't combines greatly with the front cover, it's like the front and the contents page tell you a different stories. FOR instance when I picked up the vibe magazines, what really made me what to read it further is because  of the contents page, it was properly a laid out giving me what the magazine is going to talk about. It was the stories that made me wanted to buy it but sadly the front cover wasn't that effective making me want to buy it. Thus even though the most popular magazine are placed on the top people might put it back because they don't see what's so new to read even if the front cover is amazing, it decreases the chance of picking it up again the magazine next time. Hence sometime when these decreases happen that magazine will be in the middle of the magazine either bottom or at the end.

Mastheads positions in the magazine changes depending on the story or the artist. If the artist is such as Robbie William then the masthead as you can see
will be placed behind the artist this is as he's the main focus of the magazine, as he covered the whole magazine. Robbie is liked by almost every different age audience : young people, older mea and women from 30s onwards . As a result if the artist is hugely famous and well known then it will be something new to read about since these artist have always new story. However next to Q magazine you can see rolling stone magazine: if you didn't who is this person you would never want to waste your money because if you are a pop genre buyer and you wanted to try a different magazine , you see this person you will automatically turn your eye into the less popular sections of magazines. As I said before if you put a handsome or attractive female star then their chance your magazine could be brought but at the same time it's what the story is about. People will pick it up but might put it back depending on what is the new story about them. Therefore a magazine has a lot of competition in making it successful. When I did my external research on what makes a successful magazine, your magazine must have a powerful story, a compelling image and  snappy stories that will make want to read more than the main cover story. It' mainly most of the time the front cove usually but at the same time the contents page. They must both match with it to keep the upbeat of the magazine because when I asked some people about whether the front cover or the contents page made them want to read or buy it: the feedback was similar with yes the front cover is more important yet still the content page should also combine it as if it should benefit the reader more.

This is the whole shelf , I couldn't take the whole other parts of it as the other sections were crowded. Another thing I've never realised is that 30+ people onwards read the other genres and from the morning to afternoon there would be more different genres magazine sold and brought. After school young people will start buying the pop or hip pop magazines. In the weekend there's more different target audiences. It still depends on time such as if its holiday time more people in the afternoon buy the popular ones.




In these images you can see that other genres of music are placed together you can only find them together not separated like the other well known magazines.

The popular magazine as I said before offer more benefit to its reader but  also the less popular ones like in a piano magazine there's a poster of how to learn the particular keys in the piano. But Majority of magazine don't offer because they only want to create the attention for the main cover with its main masthead  or artist. The magazine placings keep changing as which are doing well or less well. And shops like Whsmith or others try to also give a treat if they buy that particular magazine or more than one. In christmas or famous occiasons the down shelf magazine are placed in the bottom and better stories/new issues are shown in all the magazine as it's that particular time where people will buy the magazine more like summer holiday or in christmas.

The magazine distribution methods: 

1) Publishers: They are the institutions that make the magazine. there are many publishers but the 4 most are EMAP BAUER, NATMAG,CONDE NEST AND IPC. The publisher control the way in which the magazine will come out, its editorial content and the managing relationships with advertisements, who bring in about 40 to 100% of the revenue. Circulation figures help publishers to plan how many issues to produce and distribute.

Distribution networks

Each publisher uses a network of distributors, who manage the flow of magazines from the printer to the final newsstand, where the magazine is sold.  Magazines are taken in lorries to regional distributors, who then move these on to the shop / newsstand.  The main shops where magazines are sold are supermarkets or newsagents.

Sale or Return

Sale or Return is the system used by magazine and newspaper distributors with newsstands.  Any copies not sold, are returned to the distributor, with no cost to the retailer. This is a benefit to the retailer as there is no risk or wastage involved, but it is a very wasteful and environmentally damaging system for the publisher / distributor.

Freemiums- direct distribution

An increasingly popular method of distribution today is giving out free issues, or producing freemium magazines. These are typically given out at stations or other busy public locations. These magazines make all their revenue from advertising, so next time you read a freemium magazine, keep an eye out for the number of adverts.

Subscription- postal / electronic

Regular readers of magazines, particularly niche publications, may wish to subscribe to a number of issues, and have the magazine regularly posted to them, usually at a heavily discounted price.  This is easier for the audience, and ensures a regular core readership for the magazine.  Electronic distribution works in a similar way, except the magazine will be delivered to the customer’s inbox, Kindle Fire or iPad / tablet.

Ezines

Ezines are different from magazine websites, in that they are electronic versions of a magazine, with similar features such as pages that can be turned, adverts, page numbers. For music magazines, RWD is a good example. These ezines are usually free, and they will have electronic features such as video clips and hyperlinks that redirect the reader to another source.

Apps

Many mags now have smartphone or iPad apps with some or all of the content available in the hard copy of the magazine. These may be linked via a smart QR code on the front cover of a magazine.

Electronic brand extension

Most magazines now extend their brand with an online presence, for example on social networks Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.  They may also extend into gigs, and other events.

In this image all the some different genres of music are displayed and placed together. But they have more space and clearer to see but it's in the down section reducing the chance in terms of buying it.All the popular magazine have their own distribution like trends on twitter,fb or instragrams nowadays. Apps definatly as well as some music magazine like classic magazine have their own music station. So as a result even if people don't buy it from shops etc, there are still other ways in which the magazine make their own money or at least engage people into reading about their magazine. But one thing is true that if you have a better artist with a  better story that magazine will be brought more often  than the others.