Appendix 5 – Bauer Media & IPC Media Script
There are two types of media companies a conglomerate and an independent. An conglomerate
company is made up of subsidiaries it is a much more bigger company which shows that it will have
more money, a bigger target audience and they will have their own brands such as IPC media and
Bauer media. An independent company work on their own so they work for themselves although
they have lots of mini companies for example Future Publishing as they have one of the most
highly-respected music portfolios in the world. They lead the market through print and digital
innovation as they target more musicians on a global scale. Media companies are funded through
advertising so all there profits are made through business advertsing their services to a specfic
audience.
Q1) Ipc and bauer media both own music magazines, Bauer Media own Kerrang, Mojo and Q and IPC
Media own NME and Uncut. Media is a big industry so there isn’t one media insitution which makes
music magazines as for example films and tv programmes are made up by different companies
however most companies that make mainstream music magazines are a part of a conglomerate
company.
Q2) The main sub genres for IPC media is focused rock and indie genres which cost between £2.40
and £4.80. They cater for more niche audiences so there magazine attracts more a specfic audience.
Bauer media are also focused on rock and indie genres which cost between £2.20 and £4.50. They
attract more audiences because there magazines are mainstream so they try to attract a bigger
audience.
Q3) Bauer media is a conglomerate company so there music magazines are mainstream as they are a
bigger company which suggests that the bigger the company is going to be the more people it will
attract therefore the more readers they will have leaving the company to gain more profit. IPC
media cater for more nichie audiences which suggests that there readership will be not as big
because of the genre, as there music magazine is targeted at more of smaller audience. Audience
targeting is key for any magazine because it enables you to find out which audience your music
magazines fits into. Targeted by media insitiutions based on demographic variables such as age,
gender, occupations, social class, hobbies, wealth and sexuality. So for bauer media the magazine Q
readership is more aimed at males as the gender ratio of women is 31.7% and for males its 68.3%
and the age range is 35.5% at 15 – 24. For IPC media the magazine ‘NME’ the audience is 66% male
and 34% female aged 15 – 34 and the median age is 24.
The bigger the readership the more the magazine can charge for advertising which means that the
more pages there are the more expensive.
Ien Aug – 1991 wrote a book called ‘Desperatly seeking the audience’ she discussed the manner in
which media insitutions view audiences as an ‘imaginary entity’ as a mass rather than a set of
individuals. They will however often have a typical audience member in mind when they produce
texts.
Q4) Demographic readership
Mojo
Mojo is the world’s largest uk music magazine, delivering a monthly dose of world class journalism
and iconic photography to an audience of extremely passionate music consumers. Mojo is a brand
which is obbsesed with music. Because of mojo’s level of authority it creates a huge trust with its
readers. The respect for the brand extends to its advertises and creates trust and access to a
traditionally difficult to reach crowd of mature, cash rich and hard influence men. The circulation
figures for mojo magazine are 79, 345 and the amount of times the magazine has been read which is
the readership is 220,000. The mojo magazine is 59.5% of the ABC 1 profile. The magazine gender
ratio of the Mojo readers are 29.9% to women and 73.1% male which suggests that this magazine is
prefered to be read my males as the age range is 45 to 54 at 28.8%
Circulation – the amount of copies that are sold.
79,345 (Jan-Jun '13)
Readership – the amount of times you have read a magazine.
220,000 (Jul-Dec '12)
59.5% of ABC1 profile.
Kerrang
Kerrang! Magazine is the world's largest weekly music magazine. They ensure that they are
constantly appealing to spectrum of readers, from the younger teenage readers who are more open
to different genres of rock music such as emo and thrash. Each issue includes a balance of bands so
that they ensure that they are providing a variety of their favourite bands as well as their desire to
be introduced to new music within our world. The Kerrang magazine is 51% of ABC profile 1. The
magazine gender ratio is 45.3% women to 54.7% male and the age range is 15 – 24 at 56.1% showing
that Kerrang magazine is targeted at yuppies which is young and upcoming professionals as this type
of age range have disposable income so they can spend their money on whatever they want.
Circulation – the amount of copies that are sold.
37,603 (Jan-Jun '13)
Readership – the amount of times you have read a magazine.
345,000 (July-Dec '12)
51% ABC 1 Profile
Uncut
Uncut is the home of great, timeless rock music, from Bob Dylan to Arcade Fire. It aspires to be the
monthly magazine of choice for knowledgeable music fans that typically grew up with the classic
rock of the sixties and seventies who continue to be excited by new music that connects them to the
records they have always loved. The uncut cover price is £4.80. The audience for this magazine is
ABC1 men aged 25 to 45 and the median age is 37.
Q5) These types of magazine companies use the process of synergy to sell the brand as they have
got subsidiaries within the type of music magazine so for each magazine you have got different
branches but they are all to do with music but just a different type of industry to go with the
magazine brand which makes the magazine expand for example for Bauer media you have got the
magazine ‘Q’ which not only has got the magazine but also has a website and radio station. This is a
cross media ownership as Kerrang magazine has got a TV channel and a radio station and Mojo has
got 4 music which creates more jobs and the company well known but more importantly it creates
more profit for the magazine.