GQ - Audience & Industries blog tasks

Audience

Look through the GQ Media Kit and answer the following questions: 

1) How does the media kit introduction describe GQ?

The media kit introduction describes GQ as having been excellent when it comes to journalism, photography and design. They described GQ as exploring progessrive new forces shaping culture as well as the idea that it helps audiences to exchange ideas and be inspired. 

2) What does the media kit suggest about masculinity?

The media kit suggests that masculinity is also a community where people get inspired by each other's style and ideas. This reinfroces the idea of new masculinity where men are seen as subverting the traditional male stereotypes of being dominant and independent. 

3) Pick out three statistics from the data on page 2 and explain what they suggest about the GQ audience.

-61% (ABC1)

-1.2K pounds (average annual spend on beauty)

-5.3m (digital uniques)

These suggests that GQ's audience is more likely on the middle class social class as it shows how most of the viewers are on the ABC1 group. These are also reinforce through the use of high-end brands that they promote in their magazine. Also, this suggests that GQ is also popular in the digital era as we see the statistics as well as the idea that even in a man's magazine we see them spend on beauty which links to unconventional male stereotypes.

4) Look at page 3 - brand highlights. What special editions do GQ run and what do these suggest about the GQ audience?

-GQ Heroes: Issues and Event 

-GQ Hype

-Tentpole Video and Social Series

These suggests that GQ audience could be someone who are inspired by creativity and innovators who could have personally identified themselves with the people who come to the event. This also shows how these are people who seem to be interested in the media as well as fashion due to the fact that these audiences consume content as they have "viewers watching more than 10 million hours of content."

5) Still on page 3, what does the video and social series section suggest about how magazine audiences are changing? 

Magazine audiences are changing as we see audiences shifting from magazine to online magazine as well as the focus on the internet and online consumption. This is because audiences are consuming hours of content which means that they are more likely to just focus on what they can easily access which is online which could suggest that there's a decrease in the audiences who reads physical magazine in this generation.

Media Magazine feature: GQ

Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the article on GQ (MM82 - page 12). Answer the following questions:

1) What are the elements that go into choosing a cover stars for GQ? 

The elements that go into choosing cover stars for GQ are that on their cover the person they should be using is someone who is famous either from a TV film or album at that time that could catch the audiences attention, and the idea that the person who they use on their cover is the reason why they would do the cover in the first place. 

2) How is the magazine constructed to serve the target audience? 

The magazine is constructed to serve the target audience by not producing texts that are focused on the youth or the elders. They have to think about the idea that readers want to read about them which the audiences could personally identify with but not something that represents them. Furthermore, they do this by producing their text in print and online, which allows a wider range of audiences. 

3) What does the article suggest about GQ's advertisers and sponsorships - and what in turn does this tell us about the GQ audience? 

They advertise and sponsor brands that want to promote themselves in the sphere on male, high-end, luxury lifestyle. This shows that GQ audience are probably aspirers and mainstreamers, where they would more likely be interested in luxury men style and mostly middle-class. 

4) What is GQ Hype - and how does it reflect the impact of digital media on traditional print media?

GQ Hype is a weekly, online-only cover, where it was launched as a middle-ground. With only one per week it still came with prestige, it was still a GQ cover, designed as one. It reflects the impact of digital media on traditional print media as it shows how even artists and actors would want to be part of the GQ, which is sometimes for fame. But this shows how these people would accept being part of the GQ magazine even if it's only available online. This could possibly because more people now use online and would more likely look at the digital media rather than the print media. 

 

5) Finally, what does the article say about additional revenue streams for print magazines like GQ?  

The article talks about how additional revenue streams are vital to the magazine. They talked about how they have to focus on areas where the brand is strongest and not areas that they are not associated with .

Industries

Your industries contexts are divided into three areas - Conde Nast, GQ's website and social media content and the impact of digital media on print industries.

Condé Nast

Read this Guardian news article on editorial changes at Condé Nast and answer the following questions: 

1) Who was previously GQ editor for 22 years? 

The GQ editor for 22 years was Dylan Jones.

2) What happened to the 'lads' mag' boom magazines such as Nuts, Maxim and Loaded? 

These magazines closed down or, in the case of Loaded, went online only after circulation falls. He had distanced himself to the 'lads' mag' boom as he said that it “denigrated our culture”

3) What changes have been taking place at Condé Nast in recent years and why? 

The changes that have been taking place at Conde Nast in recent years is that a lot of people who have worked in the company such as editors left. This could be because the company stated that they are “entering into a collective consultation process to evolve some of our teams, roles and capabilities”, suggesting that the company is trying to restructure the way they conduct products.

Read this Press Gazette article on Conde Nast. Answer the following questions:

1) What does the article suggest about Condé Nast's recent strategy? 

It suggests that they have merged the global editorial teams at several of its international magazine brands including GQ, Wired, Vogue and Conde Nast Traveller under a new digital-first strategy designed to produce less duplication of content. They are prioritising the expansion of video and digital content to boost online subscriptions and e-commerce. 

2) How does chief executive Roger Lynch describe Condé Nast and why? 

Roger Lynch described Conde Nast as no longer a magazine company as he said that more people are interacting with their website and social media than people who actually read their magazine. 

3) What does Adam Baidawi say about Condé Nast, GQ and culture? 

Adam Baidawi said that Conde Nast is in the business of shaping and reflecting culture and the idea that how culture moves, people have to also move with it. He also stated that he thought that GQ weren't in a position to shape and reflect culture around the world centred around print products.

Read this FIPP feature on Condé Nast diversifying into video and streaming content. Answer the following questions: 

1) How is Condé Nast moving away from traditional print products?

Conde Nast is moving away from traditional print products by focusing on their growth in streaming and shoppable series and reaching viewers via new programmes. They also had an annual NewFront presentation which took place online. This shows how they pretty much focused on online stuff and how to reach audiences who uses online and social media. 

2) What examples are provided of Condé Nast's video and streaming content?

Some examples are Conde Nast Influence Network "which is their alternative to traditional broadcast and cable networks which showcases unmatched ability to create video content that tesonates with consumers and drives the cultural conversation".

3) What does the end of the article suggest modern media audiences want? 
It suggests that the modern media audiences want to be able to shop their desired style from contents online, where they could just easily shop. This also suggests that audiences want to be participants not just passive viewers.

GQ website, video and social media content 

Visit the GQ website, Instagram and YouTube channel. Note that some of these may be blocked in school. Once you have looked over GQ's online content, answer the following questions:

1) What similarities do you notice between the website and the print edition of the magazine?

The similarities between print edition of the magazine and the website are the idea that they share the same editorial identity, focusing on mens lifestyle and fashion as well as luxury brands. 

2) Analyse the top menu of the GQ website (e.g. Fashion / Grooming / Culture). What do the menu items suggest about GQ's audience?

The menu items suggests that the GQ audience doesn’t just focus on fashions but they also focus on how they could look good by getting ideas from where they got their inspiration from as well as the idea that they take into consideration where audiences have come from which reinforces them being inclusive.

3) What does GQ's Instagram feed suggest about the GQ brand? Is this appealing to a similar audience to the print version of the magazine?

GQ’s instagram feed suggests that the GQ brand is all about unique style and content, high-end brand promotions and the use of star powers. It suggests that GQ does mainly focus on male lifestyle as well as different perspectives on fashion that could further allow them to gain wider audiences. Similarly, their print version of the magazine also has conventions of these representations. They also focus on luxury and fashion. 

4) In your opinion, is GQ's social media content designed to sell the print magazine or build a digital audience? Why?

I think GQ is a social media content designed to build a digital audiences because they focus on gaining audiences through the media by producing their digital platforms. They also said that they wanted audiences to be part of their production which is popular in social media platforms, where they have designed these as the same as social media which audiences are familiar with. Furthermore, their social media content doesn’t have the same conventions as the print magazines where they have shifted to a more mainstream format. 

5) Evaluate the success of the GQ brand online. Does it successfully communicate with its target audience? Will the digital platforms eventually replace the print magazine completely?

I think the success of the GQ brand online is successfully communicating with its target audience in the generation today as it shows them being able to reach that mainstream audience and the idea that GQ is popular for its print magazine about lifestyles for men, and of course audiences would want to see their brand online. Furthermore, I think that the digital platforms will eventually replace the print magazine as more people are being introduced and exposed to the social media concept as well as the idea that it is much quicker and easier to access.