1. AS Media Coursework: IPC Media Case Study
What types of magazines and target audiences has IPC been
associated with over the years?
During the early years of IPC from 1900-1950 it was associated with
magazines such as:
Woman’s Own, Woman’s Weekly and TV Guide, these magazines are
associated with the stereotypical housewife. Assuming that during this
period that they would be sat indoors cleaning and cooking therefore
magazines were produced broadcasting how to clean and cook and
present their home better. Therefore I believe during this period IPC
Media aimed their magazines at the stay at home mums and housewives.
But by 1960 IPC Media began to grab the attention of men by publishing
magazines such as:
By introducing these brands of magazine 60 years later they were able to
widen their variety of genres to suit not only women but men as well.
Including sport magazines such as ‘World Soccer’ would have been
extremely successful during this era due to the World Cup and the large
fan base that followed would help the brand sell in large quantities.
Therefore by the end of the 1990’s they had advertised to a large niche
market, men who liked sports also men who were interested in Airplanes
however they still had the magazines which caught the attention
2. housewives and keen cooks, mainly women.
By 2010 IPC Media are showcasing a wide variety of magazines for their
niche market. Still representing magazines like Woman’s Weekly, World
Soccer, Ideal Home and TV Guide they have now hit a new market all
together. My showing magazines such as Look, Pick Me Up and Nuts they
have hit a new audience to appeal and sell to.
Although Woman’s weekly is for the stereotypical housewife they have
now got Pick Me Up a trashy magazine full of real life stories and
competitions aimed at maybe the single woman or maybe even the older
generation as just a quick read. You now also have Look a fashion
magazine full of best buys and fashion tips also celebrity gossip for
teenagers and young adults, teenagers are a new generation for IPC
Media so advertise too. Now we also have Nuts magazine, before IPC has
advertised higher standard male magazines such as Airplane and Horse&
Hound and now they are advertising a trashier magazine like Nuts. This
will entice the generation of young male adults rather than maybe the
middle aged men who are interested in their sports and maybe even cars
rather than nude women.
Therefore throughout the years I have been able to tell from my research
on http://www.ipcmedia.com/about/companyhistory/ that IPC has
dedicated its time to meeting its niche markets needs. I believe that IPC’s
niche markets are men, women, housewives, young adults and teenagers.
Why might IPC be an appropriate publisher for a new music
magazine?
I believe that IPC would be an appropriate publisher for a new music
magazine because they currently hold all possible genres from sport to
fashion and home design to gossip therefore IPC already appeal to many
different age groups and interests that by publishing a new music
magazine they would easily be able to attract the attention of many
customers. Also because they have been a well known magazine company
for many years has so much coverage and because it is so well known
when a new music magazine would appear hundreds of people would be
made aware.
What sorts of genres of music/types of magazines might they be
likely to publish?
I think that IPC would be likely to publish only certain genres of music
magazine. One of these genres would be classical music, an example of
this would be BBC Music, I think that this magazine would be featured as
part of IPC because they already publish many upper class magazines
such as Woman’s Weekly and Horse & Hound therefore there would be an
audience for this genre.
Another genre which I believe IPC would be likely to publish would be Q
because it holds all the new artists also new pop artists ones which
feature in the weekly charts and who’s albums are downloaded and paid
for hourly. By publishing Look magazine and other fashion brands IPC
attract an audience of young adults/teenagers who listen regularly to that
3. genre of music and therefore with their frequent visits to IPC Media would
then get that particular genre of music magazine would become noticed
and sell just as well as any other magazine.
Why might alternative publishers like Bauer be appropriate?
Bauer Media is well known for their wide variety of modern young
magazines and radio channels. They show different types of media which
is aimed at young generation therefore I believe that as Bauer advertise
to this audience they would be able to publish the many genres of music
magazines as they have the particular niche needed. They could publish
so many popular genres of magazine that would sell immediately such as
Q and Rolling Stones.