GQ - Audience & Industries blog tasks

 Audience:

1) How does the media kit introduction describe GQ?

Being a member of GQ means being futuristic, progressive, and cutting edge as it is the pinnacle of men's fashion and style in Britain. GQ examines the potent and forward-thinking new forces influencing British culture, society, and business as it enters a new period of leadership and influence under Adam Baidawi. 

2) What does the media kit suggest about masculinity?

GQ's influence has never been greater as men's fashion has risen to the forefront of the worldwide pop-culture discussion and as masculinity changes.

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

Their internet media widens their range, reaching 5.3 million unique users. 

The number of magazines they print is 212K.

They have a wide audience in terms of internet popularity with 1.8M social followers.

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

The celebrities who are advancing culture are highlighted in GQ Hype, including the actors, musicians, athletes, designers, and inventors who are transforming the way we think, live, and experience. 

The Year's Men A genuinely worldwide audience was reached by the renowned British GQ Men of the Year Awards in 2021, as more than 3,200 news items generated over 9.8 billion views. 

Video and Social Series by TentpoleIn 2021, fans of British GQ's video series watched more than 10 million hours of programming, generating over 45 million views.

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

In 2021, fans of British GQ's video series watched more than 10 million hours of programming, generating over 45 million views. All of British GQ's social media channels, where audiences have increased by more than 30% in the last year to reach 2 million, will also feature that video programming.

Media Magazine feature: GQ:

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

The most satisfying and the most frustrating aspects of working on a glossy magazine are, respectively, choosing covers. In the UK, it's crucial to get the cover right because most GQ magazine sales are retail rather than subscription-based, so the cover has a significant impact on sales. A "hook" is a movie, TV show, record, etc. that they are advertising, which is why they did the cover in the first place.

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

GQ is fundamentally a men's fashion publication, therefore whether in print and online, it is constantly serving that purpose. GQ certainly wouldn't consider itself to be just this; at its finest, it's also an outstanding venue for superb profile writing, top-notch photography, and stunning design, in addition to award-winning longform features and astute culture writing.

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

In terms of advertisers, I believe the obvious response is companies looking to advertise in the area of high-end, premium male lifestyle. So, anything from the most cutting-edge sports cars to the finest tailoring. The names of these brands frequently have a long history, thus they don't change significantly from month to month or year to year. Sponsors are typically a little more flexible. These are frequently the companies that support GQ's live speaking event, GQ Heroes, or sponsor specific categories at the Men of the Year Awards, for example.

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

An online-only, weekly cover.  GQ Hype was introduced as the ideal compromise. Even though there was only one per week, it still carried status because it was still a GQ cover and was created to look like one. For this reason, it received more attention on Instagram and Twitter than other online-only articles.

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

These days, additional revenue sources are essential to the magazine industry; without them, it would be nearly impossible to survive. It involves identifying the key areas where the brand excels and concentrating on those. GQ also held yearly automobile awards, as well as food and drink awards, in addition to the Men of the Year honours, which drew on the magazine's unmatched celebrity relationships.

Industries:

1) Who was previously GQ editor for 22 years?

Dylan Jones

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

Through the 2000s, Lads' Mag circulation drastically decreased. Under pressure from advocacy organisations like Lose The Lads' Mags, merchants began to demand that publishers tone down or remove their front pages in the 2010s.

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

There were simply too many obstacles to be able to do so after numerous attempts to find a solution to enlarge and restructure the area to match our needs," the email stated. The seven-story structure was finished in 1958 and is owned by the Church of England. It houses the corporate offices of several businesses, including GQ and Tatler.

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

In an effort to reduce content duplication, Conde Nast last year consolidated the worldwide editorial teams at several of its foreign magazine brands, including GQ, Wired, Vogue, and Conde Nast Traveller.The company would invest around 25% of its earnings over the next four years in prioritising the expansion of video and digital content in order to increase online subscriptions and e-commerce. The reforms also included a new focus on digital income streams above print advertising revenue.

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

Conde Nast, he claimed, was "no longer a magazine company" as a result of the digital-first developments, adding that the company has "450 million social media followers" in addition to the 70 million people who read its publications each month.

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

Baidawi told Press Gazette: “Conde Nast, as much as anything else, is in the business of shaping and reflecting culture. Culture moves, and we have to move with it. “If you take GQ, for instance, I don’t think we were in a position to shape and reflect culture with 21 siloed businesses around the world centred around print products.” He added: “I think our previous model worked really well for a very, very long time. I also think it was very romanticised and that over years it became less and less sensical in a globalised world.” Baidawi went on: “I grew up with Conde Nast magazines. I’m the sucker who paid 22 Australian dollars to buy British GQ in Melbourne, Australia at the newsstand… I still think we’re making comfortably the best print magazines on Earth.” He said print subscriptions are “actually up” across the Conde Nast portfolio this year but that “print for us is just one focus. It’s one product in a portfolio that we’re really proud of”. 

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

Utilising the tremendous growth in streaming over the previous year, Condé Nast has announced 75 returning series and 50 new pilots across 17 brand platforms for 2021–2022. Its brands would prioritise shoppable television and attracting new viewers.

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

Audiences learned about Vanity Fair's entry into audio, GQ Sports' Super Bowl lineup for 2022, and Vogue's push into health during today's online NewFront event. 

3) What does the end of the article suggest modern media audiences want?

“Audiences want to be participants, not just passive viewers – and of course, they want content 100 per cent personalised for them,” said Chu. 

GQ website, video and social media content:

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

Both of them discuss the products directly, and it also promotes the key problems relating to men and fashion.

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

It emphasises the key characteristics that men value most in daily life.

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?

I think it mostly targets male viewers, particularly transgender men and people who identify as more masculine.

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

I believe it leans more towards the digital audience because nowadays social media has become a huge momentum into advocating any sort of information therefore by expanding their social media audience they are gaining insight and exposure from all angles.

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?

It effectively communicates with its target audience about the brands and things they stand for, which are primarily associated with more masculine-dominant goods. In a sense, because they are more accessible, digital platforms will someday entirely replace print magazines, although some readers may still prefer physical versions.

The impact of digital media on the print magazines industry:

1) What statistics are provided to demonstrate the decline in the print magazines industry between 2010 and 2017? What about the percentage decline from 2000?

Between 2010 and 2017, sales of the top 100 actively purchased print titles in the UK—those that readers purchase or subscribe to—fell by 42%, from 23.8 million to 13.9 million. The decrease from 30.8m since the dawn of the internet era in 2000 is 55%.

2) What percentage of ad revenue is taken by Google and Facebook?

Google and Facebook control 65% of the $6.5 billion (£4.7 billion) UK market for digital display ads. By absorbing approximately 90% of all new spend, they are also stifling efforts by magazine and newspaper publishers to increase their digital ad earnings.

3) What strategies can magazine publishers use to remain in business in the digital age?

Specialty publications that target highly specialised audiences with passions for things like shooting, model railroads, and horses are likely to always have print readers.

4) What examples from the Guardian article are provided to demonstrate how magazines are finding new revenue streams?

People, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated publisher Time Inc. recently sold its US division to rival Meredith for $1.8 billion; Epiris acquired the UK division. Immediate Media was sold to German publisher Hubert Burda, owner of Your Home and HomeStyle, last year for £270 million. Immediate Media publishes 60 titles, including Radio Times and Top Gear.

5) Now think of the work you've done on GQ. How is GQ diversifying beyond print?

Because it is concentrating on a variety of audiences and evolving its masculinity approach, transgender male audiences are becoming more valid in the media.