LO4: Evaluation

For this unit, I had to create four pages of a new magazine (Front cover, Contents Page and DPS) aimed for a Sheffield based audience. I chose to make a local events magazine called Steel City Scene, which focused on events taken place across Sheffield. This is a quarterly magazine (released for each season) therefore, for this project I produced the Winter edition. Featuring a range of family-friendly events from Christmas markets to craft classes, I worked to ensure the magazine had a multitude of purposes. I wanted the magazine to inform, educate and entertain, by giving readers accurate information on local events and offering insight into Sheffield’s community and culture through engaging and appealing ways. I aimed the magazine primarily to parents with teenagers in the ABC1C2 socio-economic group. By including activities that both parents and teenagers would enjoy, I wanted the magazine to encourage families to spend more time together and strengthen relationships. I also wanted the Winter edition to feel inclusive to all cultural and religious backgrounds. I did this by not only focusing on Christmas but other events also taken place with no link to the holiday.

Content

Front Cover

The front cover of my magazine follows conventions of a local lifestyle and events magazine because it focuses on community and shared experiences. It was made to appeal to my target audience of parents with teenagers living in Sheffield, which directly meets my brief of producing a magazine for a Sheffield-Based audience. 

 

I changed the main cover image from the wireframe plan to enhance meaning. Initially, I planned to use a wide shot of a family however during production I framed the photograph to be a mid-shot. This made the cover feel more intimate and homely, allowing the audience to focus on our facial expressions and interactions. As planned, I used my own family, including myself, to create a realistic and relatable representation that would appeal to my target audience. Additionally, I ensured we were interacting together (Through body language of smiling and hands over shoulders) that highlighted a natural closeness and warmth. This allows parents to view them as ideal self (Carl Rogers). Additionally, By using a family rather than a celebrity nor model, the cover challenges traditional magazine representations whilst avoiding sexualised imagery. This challenges Mulvey’s Male Gaze (1975).

 

The masthead is another large feature on the page and follows magazine conventions. To ensure it creates instant brand recognition, I used a blue colour palette and winter iconography from the magazines house style to connote the seasonal theme. Unlike originally planned, there isn’t a slight overlap between the masthead and cover image. Instead, I ensured the snowflake graphic followed up the page to add depth in the design. These choices made the page engaging and eye-catching to readers. 

My coverlines and formatting have changed significantly from my original plan. In my final version, I used ‘Little shop of horrors’ with the supporting line ‘The creepy play comes to spook Sheffield’, placed next to ‘Panto Returns’ with the line ‘Snow White takes the lyceum stage’. These coverlines changed from my original: ‘‘Unmissable Annual Panto Returns’. I structured these with a larger main line and a smaller line underneath to give extra information. This structure aligns strongly with conventions of magazines, such as Vogue, who have lots of information to relay. I also changed the coverline ‘20+ events to choose from that are teenager friendly’ into a banner. This creates more visual interest, aligns with magazine codes and conventions stronger whilst allowing me to bring red stronger into the design. I also ensured to include ‘teenagers’ to make it distinctly clear the focus and aim of my magazine- to show teenager friendly events. Finally, as done prior with the other coverline, my main coverline was changed from ‘The Christmas Market is Back!’ into ‘Christmas market’ accompanied by ‘An unmissable Sheffield Staple’. These changes helped my colour scheme become stronger, and created a clear visual hierarchy between coverlines, main coverline and banner. By making them more distinct and clearer, the page became easier to navigate and helped important information (such as the event names) stand out quickly. This strongly reinforced that the magazine is extremely focused on local Sheffield events, allowing the content to feel relevant and appealing to my target audience. 

 

The front cover employs a hierarchy that guides the reader’s eye from the main image towards the masthead and then to the coverlines. This allows important information to be seen first. By using a clear layout, the cover is accessible to both parents and teenagers as it's simple to read. These design choices follow magazine conventions and encourage the reader to pick up and use the magazine, which supports the purpose of my magazine and meets the brief. 

Tools

Contents Page

The contents page follows the codes and conventions of a local lifestyle and events magazine by prioritising a simple layout that provided clarity. The word ‘Contents’ is shown as the largest most noticeable element, displayed in a bold sans serif font. This creates a clean appearance and made the page easy to identify for both the parents and teenagers in my target audience. 

 

I organised the information on the page into separate sections based on if it’s a ‘Christmas’ or purely ‘Winter’ event. This layout follows Uses and Gratifications theory (Bluhmer and Katz), as it lets readers to quickly connect to their personal identity, as they can identify efficiently events that match their own interests. It also provides surveillance on local events. This stayed the same as from my wireframe as it was an effective way to meet my brief and help Sheffield's diverse audience engage. 

 

Unlike I originally planned, there is no photo on the contents page. After researching further into content pages, such as Vogue’s November 1991 page, many of them seemed cluttered due to the prioritisation of photographs. Therefore, I wanted to challenge these conventions and included graphics (snowman and burbles) instead. This majorly improved the page. My information became prioritised without being overwhelming and due to the colour and design choices (Interesting border, snowflake background) visually engaging. 

 

Finally, I placed QR code at the bottom of the page to connect the printed magazine to its online version, showing technological convergence. This provides digitally literate parents and digital native teenagers access to additional content and events, which ensures the magazine is useful and up to date throughout the winter season. 

Tools

Double Page Spread

 

My DPS focuses on the Sheffield Christmas Market- linking to my cover lines. The design follows the conventions of a local lifestyle and events magazine as it balances imagery with informative text. The layout employs a clear structure, with images and body text that is separated into columns to ensure readability. The columns also work to not overwhelm the audience and make it appropriate for both teenagers and adults.  This follows my brief, as I presented Sheffield-based content in a professional and engaging way. 

 

The first image is a wide shot of the Alpine Bar with the market stalls in front, this established the location and scale of the event. This choice allowed the reader to gain a quick understanding of the atmosphere, which helps them visualise the experience and decide if they were interested. This is particularly effective for my family-focused audience, as parents can judge individually if this event is suitable, without committing time or money. There is a second image of a close-up person interacting with a customer, this shows the human and independent focus of the event. By contrasting the establishing shot, the image balances the overall spread and creates a personal experience. Additionally, the interaction creates warmth and social connection, reinforcing that the market is a community experience. This emotional element encourages readers to imagine themselves participation. Both images are extremely conventional for an event magazine’s DPS. 

I chose a clear and direct headline ‘Sheffield Christmas Market’ with a article split into separate columns with a drop capital. This followed the conventions of an event-based magazine headline and article- which links  to Patrick Phillips’ theory of genre and comfortable reassurance (1996), as the clear title, familiar layout and structured information meets the audiences’ expectations of an event DPS. By using such predictable conventions, the page is easy to navigate and reassuring, which helps parents trust the magazine and therefore use it. 

 

To further add this credibility, I used a pull quote from the Sheffield City Council–“The market celebrates Sheffield’s great independent traders, with over 80% based locally”. By using an official local source, the article is placed as trustworthy and well-researched, strengthening the magazines identity as being a reliable guide to Sheffield events scene. This also makes the market seem significant to the city’s community, encouraging people to attend it and see it as a worthwhile experience. 

 

Finally, the hierarchy of the DPS was purposely designed to prioritise navigation for my audience. Important information such as ‘Key dates’ is placed in a separate and clearly defined section. This lets readers immediately see if they can even attend the event. This is split by the images in the middle of the page to allow parents to quickly access essential details without reading the full article.  

Tools

Review 

Many of my ideas changed from my original proposal, the most significant on the front cover and contents. However, the overall purpose and focus of my magazine stayed consistent.  At the beginning, I wanted Steel City Scene to function as a Sheffield-based magazine that targets locals and helps to provide a connection to their teenagers through events. However, during production the visual style changed considerably. My house style developed from just using winter blues into a much more controlled seasonal palate that prioritised blue and red.  I limited this to four colours in total- two shades of blue and two shades of red. This was a strength of the final product because it allowed the magazine to reflect both the Winter season and more specific connotations of Christmas, making it more suitable for a local events magazine-meeting my brief. I also simplified many of my original design ideas, which was an important strength. Instead of overcrowding pages with too many visuals, I focused on clarity and making a clear hierarchy. This allowed the magazine to follow conventions of lifestyle and events more effectively, meeting my breif. 

The front cover changed the most from my original proposal. Although I kept the original intention of representing family life and the shared experience, I altered the framing of the image and the placement, text and layout of coverlines so that the page looked more purposeful. Changing the main image from being wide to mid was especially effective as it made a stronger focal point and made the cover feel more intimate and warmer. This supported the brief, as it positioned the magazine as a clearly Sheffield-based product for families. Changing the coverlines was a major improvement and strengthened magazine’s purpose. In my original wireframe I struggled with placing the text so that is cohesive with the other features, after much alteration I landed on a layout that greatly strengthened the impact of my coverlines. It met the brief effectively by presenting Sheffield-based event information in a clear and accessible way that is appropriate for my target audience. However, an area for improvement is that I could have pushed the local identity further. I could have included references to Sheffield in the design too, rather than just in the written content.

The contents page also changed significantly. My original proposal included more visual elements and relied greatly on imagery. However, during the production, I realised that this risked making the page look cluttered and reduced the clarity of information- which is the purpose of a contents page. As a result, I simplified the composition and prioritised text and graphics instead. This is a strength because it made the page easier to navigate, which is extremely important for a contents page whose purpose is to guide the reader. Replacing the photograph with seasonal illustrations and background features pushed the page to challenge genre conventions of a lifestyle and events magazine contents page, from the usual cluttered and somewhat overwhelming magazine style, into one more minimal and refined. Another strength of this choice was the graphics furthered the connotations towards Christmas, followed the seasons conventions and allowed users to identify strongly which list is for each season. Finally, I changed the colours and capitalisation of text to make certain parts stand out against others, meeting the brief effectively by presenting Sheffield-based event information in a clear way, accessible to my target audience. At the same time, one area for improvement is that the page may be slightly to minimal, which makes areas feel slightly too empty in places. Although the simplicity improves the pages clarity, a little more detail could have made the page feel more resolved.

The double page spread changed the least. From my original proposal, my aim was to provide more information on events and experiences in Sheffield. Because of this, the final spread stayed closer to my original plan, although I still refined the spacing and layout between text and image to align more closely with my house style.  This consistency of house style, from fonts to colours, is one of the strongest aspects of the final magazine as a whole, because the product feels unified rather than disconnected. My DPS meets the brief effectively by developing the Sheffield events in more detail, through my article and review sections, which maintains the informative purpose of the magazine. By following my original proposal, the magazine fits the genre as it combines images that are conventional for promoting events, (close-up of interaction between customer and vendor as well as an establishing shot), with informational articles, reflecting the structure of an events magazine. Another strength of the magazine is its pull quote which increases the credibility of the information, allowing my target audience to trust the information. However, one area for improvement is that the page could have included a more striking features to make it feel slightly more dynamic. Even with this in mind, it still works successfully within the magazine and contributes to a final magazine that is more professional and coherent then my original proposal plan. 

LO4: SUB-EDITING

 

After receiving feedback on my article, I can see several strengths and areas for improvements. A main strength is the informative mode of address, which communicates key information about the event. I also have employed an effective use of figures (such as the opening dates) in the opening paragraph that establishes context and engages the reader early on. 

 

However, the feedback has also highlighted areas for improvement. The article would benefit from a clear headline, with the potential of a pun, to increase reader interest. Additionally, I could replace the quote from Exposed magazine (as they are my competitor) to one from the Sheffield City Council or an attendant of the market. This would improve the statements credibility and not promote my competitor. Finally, to make my audience active, it has been highlighted that I could round off my article with a competition for readers. 

 

My next step is to focus on changing the articles quote to a more credible source, altering the ending to a competition (such as sending a photo of them eating their favourite snack to Steel City Scene's social media page) and adding a more engaging headline. These changes will improve the magazine's article and the audience’s interaction with the page. 

LO4: Client and focus group feedback

Using a survey I created on Microsoft teams, I collected feedback from teenagers (my secondary target audience). My questions were structured and focused to help me collect reliable and relveant feedback about design features and impressions. 

Overall, the responses to my final magazine were positive and suggested that my design appealed to this demographic. They said that the magazine was visually appealing, easy to read and well-balanced with its use of colour which suggests that my layout and house style were effective. Many of them recognised the winter and Christmas atmosphere, further this idea. Additionally, pages were described as 'cosy' and 'wintery' which demonstrates that my intended seasonal theme was communicated successfully. Feedback highlighting that the colours complemented the pictures further confirms that my design was cohesive. 

The responses to this question were positive. Many described the page as 'well balanced' and ‘visually interesting', this shows that my layout successfully achieved a balance between clarity and engagement. One respondent even specifically highlighted that the pages were 'visually interesting while still being readable' which directly supports my intention of creating a magazine that is both aesthetically appealing and informative. By no one describing the page as 'too busy', it’s clear that my use of spacing, imagery and typography was effective. This aligns with my design goal of making a well-structured and balanced layout that appeals to both of my target audiences. 

The feedback shows that the colour scheme is successful in communicating both winter and Christmas. Several people described the colours as effective and having a clear link to the seasons- particularity the blues connoting winter. Other people commented that the palate works in conveying a Christmas atmosphere, which suggests that the symbolism behind the colours was understood by my audience. However, one person stated that an additional of a more brownish red could strengthen the connection to a Christmas market. This highlights that although my colour scheme is effective overall, there is potential to enhance it further by adding some warmth to my red colours. Overall, the responses confirm that my colour choices align with my theme and maintains a cohesive house style. 

Overall, the responses showed that the images and graphics are successful in encouraging audience engagement. Everyone stated that the graphics and images make them want to read more, suggesting that the combination of imagery and graphics effectively attract attention and support the content. This shows that my constricted use of images helped create an engaging magazine design. However, one stated that the images on my DPS are slightly dim and could be brighter. This shows an important area for improvement and adjusting the brightness and contrast on photoshop could further enhance the visual impact.

The responses to my question clearly show that my magazines target audience is communicated. Most people identified that families and people living in the local Sheffield area is the intended target audience, with one also recognising the teenage demographic. Indicating that my design successfully conveys a family friendly identity, which aligns with my original aim of targeting families as the primary audience and teenagers as a secondary audience. The consistently across the responses shows that the visual style, imagery and content all signal who the magazine was for. 

The responses were positive and show that the magazine successfully represents Sheffield and its local events. Everyone agreed that the content reflected the city and its activities which suggests that my imagery, masthead and topics were effective and relevant. This shows that the magazine clearly communicates a sense of place and local identity. The agreement also shows that the focus on events was clear and meaningful. This aligns with my aim of creating a magazine that celebrates Sheffield’s events and community in an engaging way. 

LO4: Exporting final magazine pages

Photographs

Front Cover:

I exported my main cover image as a PNG because its the industry standard format for images and creates a high visual quality. Due to me needing to make numerous edits of this photograph (background changes), this format is also useful. 

DPS

PHOTO ONE:

 

I exported my photograph as a PNG because its the industry standard format for images and creates a high visual quality. It also makes it easy to place on other projects. 

PHOTO TWO:

I exported my photo as a PNG because its the industry standard for images and creates a high visual quality. 

Final Pages

Front Cover

I exported my front cover as a JPEG because its the industry-standard format and maintains a high visual qualitiy whilst being size effecient. I saved the file locally (to my desktop), then uploaded it to OneDrive to make sure it was backed up and easily accessible. 

Content Page

I exported my content page as a JPEG as its the industry-standard format and maintains a high visual qualitiy whilst being size effecient.  The file was saved locally (to my desktop), then uploaded it to OneDrive to make sure it was backed up and easily accessible.

DPS

I exported my DPS as a JPEG. This isthe industry-standard format and creates a high visual qualitiy image. I saved the file locally (to my desktop), then uploaded it to OneDrive to make sure it was backed up and easily accessible.

LO4: Final product

Front Cover 

Content Page

Double Page Spread

Lo4: Reveiw of Assets

Reveiw Of Assets

Photographs

Masthead

Graphics 

LO1: Proposal

Steel City Scene is a local event magazine that shows events for each season. I will be making a winter edition for this quarterly released magazine. 

Purpose

 

I am making a local events magazine that has multiple purposes, to inform, educate and entertain. The magazine will focus on family-friendly activities in Sheffield, from markets to craft classes and shows. The primary target audience of this magazine is parents with teenagers, in the ABC1C2 socio-economic group (PAMCO gradings). However, it will also ensure to be family friendly and appeal to teenagers, therefore reflect activities both groups would like to participate in. By engaging both groups' interests, I aim to encourage social interaction between the family and aid them in reconnecting.

 

The magazine will inform readers by providing reliable and accurate information about events happening across Sheffield. This will make readers aware of opportunities in Sheffield and make informed choices about how they want to spend their time. Additionally, the magazine will educate the audience by offering context about community spaces and Sheffield’s culture. This helps readers who are new to the cities to better understand the social and economic environment of Sheffield.  

 

I will be making a Winter edition. It will loosely connect to the Christmas period, with events that follow the festive season, such as the Christmas market, and ones that don’t at all, such as the panto. By not focusing exclusively on Christmas, the magazine is inclusive and accessible to all audiences from different cultural and religious backgrounds.The magazine will also entertain its audience, this is important as it ensures readability.  This will be done through engaging articles and a visually appealing design. The use of a professional and interesting but accessible tone will ensure that the content is suitable for a wide range of reading abilities and disabilities.

 

The overall combination of informative, educational and entertaining content will allow the magazine to target a wide audience and fulfil its purpose of encouraging an improved relationship between parents and teenagers. 

 

Form and Genre

 

My product is a local events magazine that follows the lifestyle and events genre. Rather than just listing events, it shows Sheffield as an active space where there are multiple activities that can bring your family together.

 

The magazine will focus on showing events and experiences that are relevant to its audience in the winter season. By doing this, it becomes a reliable guide to Sheffield’s social life and encourages readers to return for each seasonal issue (winter, spring, summer and autumn) for updates on events and content. As my magazine is for a certain group, maintain a regular readership is important. This is because repeated engagement will help strengthen the magazine’s identity and success. 

 

Content

 

Front Cover

The front cover wireframe of my magazine follows conventions of a local lifestyle and events magazine as it focuses on community and shared experiences. It is also designed to appeal to my target audience of parents with teenagers living in Sheffield, directly meeting my brief of producing a magazine for a Sheffield-Based audience. 

 

The main cover image is a dominant feature on the front cover. It has a family in a wide shot, which reflects everyday life and quickly communicates the genre and content of the magazine. By using a family rather than a celebrity nor model, the cover challenges traditional magazine representations whilst avoiding sexualised imagery. This challenges Mulvey’s Male Gaze (1975). Instead, it engages successfully with my audience by showing a realistic family, which allows parents to view them as ideal self (Carl Rogers). This establishes relatability and pushes the audience to engage with the magazine. 

 

The masthead is another large feature on the page and follows magazine conventions. To ensure it creates instant brand recognition it uses a blue colour palette and winter iconography from the magazines house style to connote the seasonal theme. There will be a slight overlap between the masthead and cover image which is a common convention of lifestyle magazines and creates depth in the design. This makes the page engaging and eye-catching to readers. 

 

The cover lines reference specific Sheffield events and locations reflecting conventional coverlines for event magazines. They are: ‘The Christmas Market is Back!’, ‘20+ events to choose from’ and ‘Unmissable Annual Panto Returns’. This is an effective feature because it highlights the magazines local focus and shows the value for money the events will be-letting my target audience connect to it fast. The use of bold numbers and different coloured key words help my audience navigate the page and attracts attention towards important information. This also encourages the audience to pick up and read the magazine. 

 

The front cover employs a hierarchy that guides the reader’s eye from the main image towards the masthead and then to the coverlines. This allows important information to be seen first. By using a clear layout, the cover is accessible to both parents and teenagers as its simple to read. These design choices follow magazine conventions and encourage the reader to pick up and use the magazine, which supports the purpose of my magazine and meets the brief. 

 

Content Page

 

The contents page wireframe follows the codes and conventions of a local lifestyle and events magazine by prioritising a simple layout that provides clarity. The word ‘Contents’ is shown as the largest most noticeable element, displayed in a bold sans serif font. This creates a clean appearance and makes the page easy to identify for both the parents and teenagers in my target audience. 

 

The information on the page is organised into separate sections based on if it’s a ‘Christmas’ or purely ‘Winter’ event. This layout follows Uses and Gratifications theory (Bluhmer and Katz), as it lets readers to quickly connect to their personal identity, as they can identify efficiently events that match their own interests. It also provides surveillance on local events. 

 

The photograph of the family in a wide shot will reinforce the magazines community focus and allow the audience to relate to the page. This relation to the nuclear family shown will create ideal self (Carl Rogers 1980) and follows conventions of a content page. It will also create consistency in images across the magazine and support the family genre. 

 

Finally, a QR code will be included to connect the printed magazine to its online content, showing technological convergence. This will provide digitally literate parents and digital native teenagers access to additional content and events, which ensures the magazine is useful and up to date throughout the winter season. 

 

Double Page Spread

 

My DPS focuses on the Sheffield Christmas Market- linking to my cover lines. The design follows the conventions of a local lifestyle and events magazine as it balances imagery with informative text. The layout employs a clear structure, with images and body text that is separated into columns to ensure readability. The columns also work to not overwhelm the audience and make it appropriate for both teenagers and adults.  This follows my brief, as I am presenting Sheffield-based content in a professional and engaging way. 

 

The first image is a wide shot of the market, this establishes the location and scale of the event. It allows the reader to gain a quick understanding of the atmosphere, which helps them visualise the experience and decide if they are interested. This is particularly effective for my family-focused audience, as parents can judge individually if this event is suitable, without committing time or money. There is a second image of a close-up person interacting with a customer, this shows the human and independent focus of the event. By contrasting the establishing shot, the image balances the overall spread and creates a personal experience. Additionally, the interaction creates warmth and social connection, reinforcing that the market is a community experience. This emotional element encourages readers to imagine themselves participation. Both images are extremely conventional for an event magazine’s DPS. 

 

The headline ‘Sheffield Christmas Market’ is clear and direct and will have an article split into separate collums with a drop capital. This follows conventions of an event-based magazine article and headline- linking to Patrick Phillips’ theory of genre and comfortable reassurance (1996), as the clear title, familiar layout and structured information meets the audiences’ expectations of an event DPS. By using such predictable conventions, the article is easy to navigate and reassuring, which helps parents trust the magazine and therefore use it. 

 

To further add this credibility, a pull quote from the Sheffield City Council will be included –“The market celebrates Sheffield’s great independent traders, with over 80% based locally” . By using an official local source, the article is placed as trustworthy and well-researched, strengthening the magazines identity as being a reliable guide to Sheffield events scene. This also makes the market seem significance to the city’s community, encouraging people to attend it and see it as a worthwhile experience. 

 

Finally, the hierarchy of the DPS is purposely designed to prioritise navigation for my audience. Important information such as ‘Key dates’ is placed in a separate and clearly defined section. This lets readers immediately see if they can even attend the event. This is split by the images in the middle of the page to allow parents to quickly access essential details without reading the full article.  

 

Resources and Personnel

 

To produce my magazine, I will be the photographer, editor and designer. This means I am responsible for planning the content, taking images and constructing the final layout of the magazine. To do these roles, I will use the digital software Photoshop to edit photographs, design page layouts and make a professional identity for the magazine. I will use online search tools during preproduction to further research events and organise my content. 

 

My models will be members of my own family and friends, with two parents (Hugh and Alyson Blunkett) and two children (Rowan Blunkett and Blake Mills). I selected them because they reflect the magazines target audience and represent a stereotypical family structure that viewers can relate to.  Using realistic models helps strengthen the magazines impact, as readers can connect with people who reflect their own experiences. 

 

For the production, I will use professional hardware. Including a canon DSLR camera that ensure high-quality images. This is important because it helps the magazine meet the professional conventions of a lifestyle and events magazine. This ensures the final product feels polished and credible. 

 

Marketing and Distribution

 

To promote my magazine, I will target parents with teenagers who live in Sheffield using local marketing methods. As the magazine is niche, mass advertising isn’t appropriate. Therefore, I will promote my magazine in local spaces and platforms that my target audience already engage with. 

Print posters will be shown in locations like the Birdhouse Tea Bar and Tamper Coffee. Whilst digital posters will be shown near venues like the Crucible Theatre and Sheffield City Hall. These locations are purposely chosen. They reflect the type of activities featured in the magazine- such as plays and local events- to cater towards my audience who are already interested in and partake in these activities. 

 

To target parents who are less aware of Sheffield’s event scene, I will also place advertisements in general spaces for people commuting. For example, digital posters will be placed at Sheffield Train Station to target people new to the city and searching for activities in the winter season. Billboards on main roads, such as Penistone Road, will target parents driving or walking by. Another way I will target them is through radio stations, such as BBC Radio Sheffield and Heart South Yorkshire. These radio station listeners reflect my target audience and promotes my magazine during everyday tasks- such as working doing chores or driving. This is an effective way to advertise. 

 

Finally, I will employ below-the-line advertising, through posts on Facebook. These platforms are commonly used by my target audience and will allow for regular updates and reminders to encourage repeated engagement with each seasonal issue.

 

The combination of all these marketing methods (print and audio) creates horizontal integration. I will ensure across all the platforms, my magazine is advertised in the same house style, colours and logo to create synergy. This consistency will also help build brand recognition. 

 

 

 

My magazine will be distributed locally. This will directly connect to families based in Sheffield with teenagers. Rather than mass distribution, done by brands like Vogue, my copies will be placed in local locations across Sheffield that my target audience often visits. This increases the likelihood of the magazine being picked up and read. 

 

The first place I will distribute my magazine is in cultural hubs, such as independent cafes. This is effective as independent cafes often serve adults and families in the ABC1 socio-economic group and provide relaxed environments where people would have the time to engage with the magazine. Therefore, copies will be available in places such as Chapter One Coffee, The Birdhouse Tea Bar and Hygge. 

 

The magazine will also be distributed in local libraries, including Hillsborough Library. These places are visited by adults who enjoy reading often and families looking for new content. Therefore, by placing magazines here it encourages readership and connects to an audience interested in engaging with magazines.  Copies will also be available at the Sheffield Train Station. This is an effective technique as it will connect to families who may be new to the city and are looking for local activities and events. 

 

The magazine will also be sold online through its own website- ‘Steel City Scene’. This will allow readers find and purchase the magazine easily if they saw it through the marketing. By employing horizontal integration in the distribution of my magazine, I am ensuring it is accessible. 

 

I will release it on a quarterly basis (as it is a seasonal product that focuses on events in winter, spring, summer and autumn) for £5.99. By being released every 3 months, this high price is reasonable and is feasible to my ABC1 socio economic audience. The frequency ensures that the content is relevant and realistic for a local magazine with a niche audience.   

 

Every issue will have a circulation of 4,000 copies across Sheffield. This is a feasible number for a locally distributed and focused magazine. I am expecting the readership to be higher than the circulation, with around 7,000 readers per issue. This is because copies might be shared across households, such as to teenagers or husbands. Additionally, this is due to it being placed is cafes where a magazine may be picked up and left by groups. 

The magazine will be produced in an A4 format. This is an appropriate size as the large format allows for the large amount of content included in my DPS’s. An A4 format also allows for a clear layout that can be read by multiple people at once whilst maintaining a professional appearance and transportable size.   

 

Specification 

 

Full Page	210mm x 297mm	£350
DPS	420mm x 297mm	£900
Half page vertical	105mm x 297mm	£190
Half page horizontal	210mm x 148mm	£200