1. FW: Chicago Women’s Magazine
Marketing Plan 2015-2016
Developed by
Columbia College Chicago
Marketing Team 3:
Chelsea Dvorchak
Shujian Li
Colin Herzog
Yang Jiao

2. 2
Table of Contents
Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
About Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Market Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Magazine Industry Statistics . . . . . . . . . . 8
Market Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Market Demands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
PEST Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Competitive Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Chicago Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Make It Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
The Suburban Woman . . . . . . . . . . 18
Crain’s Chicago Business. . . . . . . . .19
Competitive Analysis Summary. . . . . . . 20
Audience Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Chicago Demographics. . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Survey Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Interview Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Current Assessment of FW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Business Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Marketing Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Personas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
SWOT Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Brand Development Strategy. . . . . . . . . . . 44
Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Keywords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Rationale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

3. 3
Slogans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Branding Positioning Statement . . . . . . 47
Branding Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Mood Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .49
Product Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Aesthetic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Functional Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Issue Topics and Themes for 2016. . . . . 54
Sales Development Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Pricing Strategy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Sales Promotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Media Strategy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Most Important Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Messages and Incentives . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Word of Mouth Tactic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
FW YouTube Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Branded Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . .. 65
Creative Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Media Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Return On Investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Measurement Strategy. . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Interview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

4. 4
Executive Summary
The opportunity is immense for FW to become a unique and highly regarded published
resource for the women of Chicago. After completing an analysis of the current market
and FW’s current place within that market, we have developed a range of ideas and
recommendations for the future direction of FW.
The primary goals of FW are to increase readership, brand loyalty and awareness and ad
revenue. This will be achieved through committing to a brand theme and developing a
distribution strategy for print and online content.
Although the magazine industry is increasingly converting to digital formats and print ad
revenue is declining, there is a trending demand among consumers for print material. In
addition, there is an expectation of social media and online content, in which FW has
much potential for developing creative means of reaching wider audiences.
As of now, FW gives the impression of only targeting upper-income professional women.
FW has much to be gained by targeting Chicago’s diverse female population including
different ethnic populations, age groups and women of varying familial situations. A
greater focus on current women’s political issues as well as Chicago’s rich history and
culture will add greater substance to the magazine and create a much-needed local
dialogue.
We propose that FW adopt a vintage theme, with an aesthetic and content inspired by
the 1920s-1940s. Increasing trends and interest in this style and culture are present,
especially in Chicago, a city rich in jazz, blues, dance and otherwise artistic culture.
Incorporating these aspects and including comparisons to history and historical figures will
connect readers to the spirit and times of their city and thus inspire involvement and
dialogue within local issues, culture and events.
In addition to committing to a theme, FW must develop a plan for distribution, expanding
the range of drop off locations throughout Chicago neighborhoods. Creating partnerships
with local businesses and offering incentives will increase exposure and readership.
Readership will also be increased and maintained by creating a thorough media plan. The
most important media outlets for FW to pursue are social media (including Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, FourSquare, Pinterest, Reddit and YouTube), print advertising and out of
home advertising. FW should promote the message that women have a voice in the
community, they can learn from the past and cultural engagement will allow for creative
progress and involvement in the city.
Total estimated cost for advertising in print, out of home and on the web is $9,000, $16,125
and $18,000 respectively, with a respective of ROI of 20.84, 9.88 and 1.77. Progress is
measured by tracking revenue, ROI and activity on social media such as likes, shares,
views, up-votes, etc.
FW’s success will depend on the ability to evaluate the available market in Chicago and
provide content through various means of media and distribution to attract, engage and
retain that market. The distinct history and active culture that lies within Chicago provides
a vast opportunity for FW to connect its readers with the past and present to move forward
into the future.

5. 5
About Us
Chelsea Dvorchak
Chelsea has lived in Chicago for over 7 years. She
rode horses until she found dancing in college at
Purdue, and now travels the country (and sometimes
the world) for swing dance events and competitions.
During her time in Chicago she has become
engrossed in the culture of the city, regularly going to
jazz clubs and venues to hear bands and dance with
other Chicago swing dancers. She has played her
viola in local community symphonies as well as in a
jazz band and a jug band. She loves living in Chicago because the city’s
deeply rooted cultural traditions allow for
opportunities for her to find new means of
expression, to be connected within her
community and to develop wonderful
relationships with the people she meets
along the way.
E-mail: chelsea.dvorchak@loop.colum.edu
Shujian Li
Shujian Li is an international student from China,
pursuing her Master of Arts Management degree at
Columbia College Chicago. She holds a BA in
Communication from the University of China. She likes
to study and work in a multi-cultural and diverse
environment. She enjoys
experiencing the cross-cultural
education in Chicago and
Beijing. In the future, she would
like to devote herself to work in
the TV & film production and
distribution field.
E-mail: shujian.Li@loop.colum.edu

6. 6
Colin Herzog
Colin is a graduate student in the Masters of Arts
Management program at Columbia College Chicago,
and will be graduating in May 2017. He also obtained
both an English and a Communications B.A. degree
from St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI. During that time,
Colin worked as the editor-in-chief of the campus’s
creative works publication, an editor of the student
newspaper, the service officer for the Alpha Tau
chapter of the International English Honors Society,
Sigma Tau Delta, and a writing center consultant. Currently, he is an editor
and writer for Re:Views Magazine.com and a Teacher’s Assistant at
Columbia College Chicago, and will be presenting
his work at the Sigma Tau annual convention this
coming March.
In his free time, Colin loves to read, critique
and discuss story telling techniques, practice guitar,
and spend time with his family. A fan of all medium
of story, he has a passion for anything from novels to
television shows to film to radio drama, and hopes
to one day be able to help creators make their work
the best it can be while reaching the audience it
deserves.
Email: Colin.herzog0@gmail.com
Yang Jiao
“It is a great experience for me to develop the
marketing strategy for FW Chicago magazine. I must
say thank you. As an International student, it is really a
challenge for me to work on the project. But with the
help and patience of my partners in the process we
were working, I made it. I learned so much- not only
English but also the culture here in Chicago. It is really a
great opportunity for me to make progress.”
Yang Jiao, 22, is an international graduate
student in the Business and Entrepreneurship Department at Columbia
College Chicago. She is working toward her ambitious
goal of one day to lead marketing development for
theaters for dramas.
Yang likes dramas and movies. In her spare time, she
enjoys traveling, reading and working out. Her motto is,
“be yourself.”
E-mail: Yang.jiao@loop.colum.edu

7. 7
Market Analysis

8. 8
Magazine Industry Statistics
Source: Statista.org
Over the past few years, the magazine industry has seen some decline,
particularly in single copy sales, which means less people were picking up
individual issues from sellers. Alternatively, despite claims that the print
industry is dead,
subscriptions have only
fallen by a percentage
between 2013 and 2014, a
trend that Pew Research
backs up, with the overall
industry and subscriptions
remaining consistent over
the past few years, so while
people are not buying
individual issues as much,
given that your distributed
issue is free, people may be
more inclined to pick it up.
Source: Pew Research

9. 9
Source: Pew Research
A significant part of what is keeping the industry consistent is that there is
still demand for the magazine product; it’s the preference for how it is
acquired that is changing, Digital sales and subscriptions over the past
four years have seen huge growth overall and what appears to be a
sizeable conversion rate from newsstand sales to subscribers, given that
generally, while individual issue newsstand digital sales go down, the
number of subscriptions consistently goes up, but there appear to be a
few notable exceptions, with 2014 seeing a substantial increase of
individual digital newsstand sales for Time, Rolling Stone, Wired, and New
York Magazine.

10. 10
Source: Statista.org
For the media and entertainment industry, digital advertising has become
an ever-increasing necessity and their budgets have increased
accordingly. Not only does this mean that potential advertisers may look
to FW:’s web traffic for more of an indicator of whether they want to
advertise, but it is an avenue of advertising that FW: can consider to
promote itself as well.

11. 11
Market Trends
 New Industry Trends
o New trends in the magazine industry are directed toward a
digital focus. Companies are developing more multimedia
content, adjusting web sites for mobile use and updating
online content regularly to remain current. Digital
subscriptions have grown in the last few years, up 560% since
2011.
o Magazines are cutting print circulation to avoid further
distribution costs; especially while ad revenue is being more
prioritized online. For example, in 2007 Time Magazine
deliberately reduced its circulation from 4.1 million to 3.4
million copies.
o Print ad space and revenue is declining. For example,
between 2002 and 2012, Time Magazine lost 49% of its ad
pages.
 New Industry Products
o Apps
o E-readers, tablets, phones
o Digital editions and online subscription
o Blogs and editorials online
o Supplemental videos (often viral bait)
Consumer Demands
 Less high art and condescension for the broad market
 List based formats
 Incorporation of humor, informal voice
 Visuals, video or image
 Utilization and incorporation of social media
 Apps

12. 12
PEST Analysis
Political
 Acquiring paper to print, given
its environmental usage of
resources
 Pressure to participate in the
discussion of racial relations in
Chicago, and the varied
experiences between women
of different ethnic or racial
backgrounds.
 Pressure to participate in the
discussion regarding women’s
health rights and legislation
 Pressure to participate in the
discussion of women’s roles in
the workplace regarding equal
pay, benefits, and corporate
culture.
 The possible removal of Net
Neutrality, which would greatly
elevate production costs,
advertising costs, and restricts
users’ access to their site.
Economic
 Entertainment industry is
currently one of the fastest
growing in the U.S. Coming
out of the recession.
Americans are more likely to
spend money on leisure
items, like entertainment
magazines.
 Current decline in magazine
advertising could affect
revenue, as advertising is
currently FW’s main source of
revenue.
 Media and entertainment
industry spending on digital
advertising is on a steady rise
(Grew from $5.15 billion to
$6.09 billion 2014 to 2015)
(statista.com)
 Magazine circulation is
declining (statista.com)
 The fact that the magazine is
free could make it easier to
gain readership
 Perceived middle class is
declining which will effect
how FW views its target
audience

13. 13
Social
 While the magazine is aiming
for more sophisticated content
and presentation, it may not
be as relevant to lower income
consumers
 Chicago’s large ethnic diversity
warrants attempting to include
content and appeal for many
different ethnic populations,
particularly Chicago’s Hispanic
population, which is the third
largest in the city.
 Only 34.2% of Chicagoans over
25 have a bachelors’ degree,
so FW may need to adjust their
target demographics in terms
of professional/educational
status
 Interest in physical magazines is
increasing, thanks to demand
from the millennial
demographic
 Increasing number of women
in workforce is changing
corporate culture, creating
more discussion of women’s
roles and rights in the
workforce regarding equal pay
issues, work/family life balance,
etc.
Technology
 Competing against
eReaders, tablets, and other
methods of digital magazine
distribution
 Businesses on the web are
increasingly utilizing video to
promote products and
content·
 Due the increasing
smartphone industry, it is
becoming common for
businesses to have apps that
help smartphone users have
a more convenient or
enhanced usage of their
product while increasing
consumer-product
interaction.
 As more gain access to the
Internet and utilize it as a tool
for communication, many
organizations use a strong
social media presence to
form relationships with their
consumers to gain
information and as a form of
advertising.

14. 14
Competitive Analysis
Chicago Magazine
 Product Specs:
o The 312: Vox, politics, business, real estate, the urbanist.
o Culture: high culture, pop culture, trend alert, tastemakers,
Chicago guide.
o Dining: dining out, the hot list, liquid, budget beat, in season,
best restaurants.
o Bonus in tablet edition:
 Go (list of the month’s recommended events)
 Dine (list of best restaurants, area establishments worth
visiting)
o Insert: Chicago home + garden, 4 times a year
 Message: Focused on healthcare, fashion, travel, entertainment, and
home design. Chicago local stories in every aspect.
 Brand story:
o Founded in 1975, an authoritative magazine introduces
Chicago’s life.
o Accepted National Magazine Award
o Special activities: Chicago’ annual signature events, built
unique partnerships with client
 Price: $5.99 an issue
 Strengths:
o Large circulation (150,000), and readerships (717,069).
o Local relevancy attracts customers, capturing the lifestyle
and spirits of the area.
o Products online: website, also developed an app and
available on Google play.
o Quite mutual social media strategy: unique web design
including the typography content arrangement, digital
advertisement, and videos.
o 91,952 followers on their Facebook page, much more than
FW’s 1,906 followers.
o Weaknesses:
o Includes typical info that can be found in any local
publication
o Not free

15. 15
Make It Better
o Product Specs:
o Topics:
■ Entertainment
■ Fine dining
■ Family life
■ Home (such as how to make your house more energy
efficient or green)
■ Local events
■ Eateries
■ Career
■ Money
■ Fundraising
■ Self-Improvement
o Available in both print and digital
o Offer gift and lifestyle guides, instructional classes
o Subscribe to the newsletter and $5 gets donated to a non-
profit
o Located in Winnetka, IL, and are primarily contacted via
email, their site, and social media
o Have Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and
Google +.
o Have counter of how much they have raised for non-profits
as of August 2015
o Aim to go national by December 2016
 Message:
o Aim to make your life and the lives of others better
o Heavy emphasis on nonprofit and paying forward good
fortunate/deeds
o Bring timely news, modern philanthropy, and helpful
connections to the residents of Chicago’s North Shore
 Brand Story:
o Founded by kind hearted, life-long philanthropist Sue Noyes,
who has consistently focused on improving the lives and
communities around her since she was a young girl. Over
the years, worked in DC, and has served on numerous
boards--including one alongside Barack Obama--and
created and raised funds for community and educational
projects, as well as several non-profits like Lyric Opera and
local family service centers, and over the years, met many
women equally passionate about philanthropy
o Their initial team video heavily emphasizes the numerous
other women involved.

16. 16
o Initial created Make It Better as a network for philanthropy-
minded women, and has since rapidly grown to a network
of about 13,000 people, and advertisers.
 Price:
o Digital and newsletter are free
o Free print subscriptions to people living in Bannockburn,
Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Evanston,
o Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth,
Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Lincolnwood,
Northbrook, Northfield, Park Ridge, Riverwoods, Wilmette
and Winnetka; also to Chicago ZIP codes 60610, 60611,
60614, 60615, 60637 and 60654.
o $7.95 per year for those living outside those areas
 Strengths:
o Convenient prices and offers
o Wide network of local partners
o Variety of content and subject-matter
o Active with video
o Most financial advice articles written by women financial
experts
o Smooth layout
o Its aesthetic captures the lifestyle aspect quite well, with
photos of women relaxing or helping each other, or of
scenic Chicago images
o Offers a guide to Chicago eating and social activities
o Offers list-based advice and informative articles
 Weaknesses:
o Very low representation of diversity
o Targets mostly married, older women with money who might
reenter the workforce
o Doesn’t take a stand regarding women’s societal issues
o Their images for articles written by outside experts often are
either big heads of the experts writing the article staring at
the camera
o The aesthetic doesn’t seem to embrace Chicago culture, as
the guide is primarily dedicated to northern, wealthier
Chicago neighborhoods
o Comes across as very traditional--which could be a positive,
given their audience, but it limits their direction and content,
and contradicts their efforts to appear accepting of lesbian
and gay relationships by, in their advice columns, using
“partner.”

17. 17
The Suburban Woman
 Product Specs:
o Health Care (weight management, shape keeping, tooth
care, orthopedic surgeon)
o Dining: recommendation
o Insert: Home & Garden
 Message:
o Focused on healthcare, beauty, dining, holidays,
entertainment, local businesses and coupons
 Brand Story:
o Founded and printed in 2003, it has become a large media
in Chicago that reaches almost 350,000 readers
 Price: free
 Strengths:
o Large number of vendors (over 4000 locations to distribute
o Long and loyal readership: most are 2-3 years
o The population reached is large (Northwestern population
695,451 and western population is 212,400)
 Weaknesses:
o The content is more related to health and beauty issues
o The target areas are limited to the suburbs

18. 18
Crain’s Chicago Business
 Product Specs:
o Weekly business newspaper in Chicago
o Print circulation: 53,313
o Readership: 219,693 per week
o Web site: Chicagobusiness.com
 Draws over 1 million unique visitors per month
 Over 2.2 million page views per month
o Topics:
 News
 Politics
 Opinion and Columnists
 Lifestyle and Dining
 Real Estate
 Special Reports
 This Week’s Crain’s (featured news)
 Events
 People On the Move (featured local business
people)
o On Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
o Digital and print editions
o Annual Book of Lists- Top Public Companies, Fast 50, etc.
o “The A List” feature: lists top news stories within the front-
page menu bar
o “Crain’s Morning 10”: A roundup of stories from around the
web that readers need to know first thing each day,
delivered Monday-Friday at 8 a.m.
o “Today’s Crain’s”: A roundup of important business news
that happens each day
o Free online account and paid subscription options
(Competitive Analysis, Crain’s, continued)
o Free e-newsletter
o iPad app and paid data packages available
 Message:
o The citizens of Chicago need a platform for accessing
important news. All topics and areas of interest should be
covered and laid out in an organized, easy-to-use format.
The information should be categorized, formatted and
delivered in various ways so that the user can choose how
they receive information and ensure that they prioritize the
information that is important to them.

19. 19
 Brand Story:
o Owned by Detroit-based Crain Communications, a privately
held publishing company with over 30 magazines. First issue
came out April 17, 1978. Came about as the Chicago Daily
News was folding. It had more of a contemporary look,
looking more like a book about the city than a financial
publication. It was meant to be a hybrid between city and
financial publication. Crain’s built its reputation on enterprise
reporting. After experiencing demise in their reputation by
reporting a story about Sears drastically cutting budgets and
reorganizing that Sears claimed was false, a Sears PR
employee leaked information to Crain’s that proved the
story was actually true, and Crain’s reputation was restored
and cemented. In more recent years, Crain’s added
sections such as more political news, Chicago sports
business news, dining reviews, exercise features and fashion
reports.
 Price:
o Digital (individual access): $59.99/year
o All Access (digital and print): $99/year
o Total Access (digital, print and lists): $599/year
 Strengths:
o Organized layout
o Quality, respected reporting
o Relevant Chicago news
o Wide range of topics- something for everyone
o Options available to cater to readers’ needs
 Weaknesses:
o Expensive
o Amount of information may be overwhelming and appear
to lack focus or direction.

20. 20
Competitive Analysis Summary
After analyzing FW’s main competitors, we have found that there is
adequate space for FW within the Chicago market for magazines. While
the competitors cover a wide range of topics, they include a great deal
of typical content that can be found in many other local publications.
None of them have the exact same target audience as FW. Make It Better
and the Suburban Woman are aimed toward upper income women
outside Chicago, and Chicago Magazine and Crain’s are aimed toward
more general audiences without focus or specific target markets.
Therefore creating content for women of all backgrounds and social
statuses with a specific focus on the city of Chicago is an unclaimed,
definitive market opportunity for FW.
There are some things at which these competitors excel that FW can
recognize and incorporate. They all have a well-developed online
presence, with established, well-visited web sites and well-developed
social media strategies. This has likely helped them become and remain
well-established brands with large, loyal readerships. They have also
developed wide-ranging distribution, working with local partners to
promote their respective brands, a strategy from which FW would greatly
benefit to expand their readership and presence within the community
and marketplace.

21. 21
Audience Analysis

22. 22
Chicago Demographics
Chicago Women’s Racial Demographics
Source: SuburbanStats.org
Women make up 1,387,526 of Chicago’s 2,695,598 population, and
outnumber the men by approximately 79,454. Among those 1,387,526
women, 607,547 are white, 484,754 are African American, and 379,447 are
Hispanic/Latina. Therefore, while FW has represented the white and
African American demographics, there is much to be gained by exploring
and appealing to the Hispanic/Latina population as well.

23. 23
Chicago women age groups
Source: SuburbanStats.Org
The median age for Chicagoans is 33. The 25-29 age group is the largest,
at 140,232, with 22-24 being the smallest. Therefore, a firmer target
audience to focus on is the 25-39 age group.

24. 24
Chicago Familial Status
Source: SuburbanStats.Org
By a large margin, married families appear to be the biggest
demographic; however, only half of them still have children under the
age of 18, which could affect FW’s content that is directed toward them.
While the statistics do not yet appear to include same-sex couples under
the female-led households category, the number of families that do not
have a husband is also noteworthy—and most of them have children
under 18 years old.

25. 25
Source: Lamars
Provided by Lamars, this map shows generally where the age ranges of
our target demographic are located. If most of FW:’s distribution locations
are centered in more the Loop and downtown area, then the age range
most of the potential readers will be women from 24-33, with some 40-43
and younger than 24 areas of concentration. FW: can then adjust its
content accordingly to meet these age demographics, or consider
expansion to areas where the 45 and older age demographics are, which
appears to be concentrated all in the northern part of the city.

26. 26
Survey Results
Almost 40% of those surveyed said that their primary method of getting
magazines is subscription, with the second highest being digital, both of
which FW: provides. Therefore, FW: may want to consider reducing their
for-free print runs, since single-issue magazine sales have been decreasing
and less than 15% of those interviewed said they get their magazines
through other distribution methods; however, FW:’s free price tag may
help give more incentive. Readers seem to want to commit and for it to
be convenient. Should they read the digital version, almost 80% of those
that answered use their smartphone, which suggest FW: should consider
the creation of an App to make itself both more convenient and also
more of a presence of their reader’s phones.

27. 27
Almost 80% of those surveyed stated that their main reason for reading
magazines is for relaxation and enjoyment, with 40% also saying they read
for information. FW: can use these motives when it comes to their social
media and magazine presentation style, as well as the magazine’s
content. Likewise, approximately 56% of those surveyed said that they
read a magazine 1-3 times a week. Based on that information, FW: can
begin to target specific, consistent release dates: if they are only going to
read it once a week, then FW: can make into part of their weekly ritual.
The digital version may get more consistent hits and FW: may be able to
get readers to incorporate it for the commute more than one day out of
the week.
Interview Feedback on FW: Main Points:
 The magazine comes across generic, and so doesn’t grab
attention
 It doesn’t seem to discuss topics or events of relevance to the
average Chicago woman and what they can afford to buy or
attend
 “Needs to be jazzier”

28. 28
Current
Assessment of
FW:

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Business Problem:
Engage and form relationships with readers through creative
means of communication and interactivity. Increase readership and
brand loyalty and therefore ad revenue.
Marketing Challenge
 Brand development: Commit on both the micro and macro level
to a stance or idea. Commitment to a plan and a theme will build
the brand and its visibility.
 Distribution plan: Develop a strategy for efficient and effective
print distribution and increase traffic for online content and media.
Goals
Short term goals (1 year)
 Increased readership and brand development
 Increased brand awareness
 Increased print and digital ad revenue
 Increased distribution locations and local partners
Long term goals (2-5 years)
 Increased brand loyalty
 Increase circulation to 50,000
 Build partnerships with local businesses and organizations for
distribution strategy

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Personas
Persona Profile 1: Upper Income, White Woman
Name: Jennifer Walters
Age: 35
Ethnicity/Race: White
Relationship Status: Married (26 when married)
Family Members: Husband, one child under 18 (8 years old)
Profession: Lawyer
Education: Juris Doctor (J.D.), from Columbia University, New York
Annual Income: $90,000
Hometown: Chicago
Likes: coffee, smartphone (iPhone 6), working out, yoga, jogging, walking,
watching Netflix, crime dramas, folk and 60s/70s rock music
Dislikes: fast food, reality television (but watches anyway), heavy metal
music and pot culture
Favorite types of products: simple style, high quality, efficient
Favorite Show: American Horror Story

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Favorite type of food: convenient but healthy, organic, eats salad but
loves pastries and, while prioritizing chicken for meat, isn’t afraid to sneak
a burger once after a particularly stressful week.
Favorite Brands:
 Formula Fitness Club
 MK, Ralph Lauren, Armani
 Less dangly jewelry, as she prefers diamond or pearl, and small
hoop earrings
Hobbies:
 Seeing movies or watching TV with her family
 Going out for a drink with her friends
 Following football and Chicago’s teams
 Going shopping with friends
 Reading her Kindle
Weekly Schedule:
 Works about 55 hours a week
 Gets maybe 1 hour of hobbies a day
Step-by-step of her average day:
 Wakes up at 5:15
 Checks emails, brief cardio/exercises, has shower, gets ready,
leaves around 6:45 am.
 8 a.m.-7p.m. work (writing, researching, phone calls, case prep,
meetings, etc)
 30-minute lunch break at 12 p.m.
 At 7 p.m. leaves for home--these 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. commutes
could be a great opportunity for FW to fit itself in their schedule,
possibly. They would definitely have to bring in humor though.
 Catches up with family (possibly on phone during commute)
 Checks emails
 Goes to bed
Her online habits:
 Checks her Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
 Gets news on CNN’s site
 Browses Amazon, NetFlix, YouTube
 Gets music from iTunes, partially due to phone, so she can listen to
it on her commute.

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Persona Profile 2: Middle Income, Asian Woman
Name: Jenny Wang
Age: 36
Ethnicity/Race: Asian Chinese woman
Relationship Status: Married (28 when she married)
Family Members: Husband, one child (8 years old)
Profession: Housewife now (worked as a human resource manager
before)
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Sichuan University, China
Annual Household Income: $60,000
Hometown: Chengdu, China
Likes: traveling, working out, cooking, classic music
Dislikes: luxurious and expensive products
Favorite types of products: Leisure style, comfortable, wonderful bargains
Favorite Show: Chinese TV series

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Favorite type of food: Chinese food, hot pot, cakes
Favorite Brands:
 Ralph Lauren, Coach, Clarks, DKNY
 Usually doesn’t wear make ups and jewelry
Hobbies:
 Going out for different kinds of events with other housewives
 Taking her child to the playground and museums
 Go shopping with friends
 Taking a road trips with family on weekends
Weekly Schedule:
 Usually five days a week at home
 Goes out 3-4 hours a day
 Accompanies her family on weekends
Step-by-step of her average day:
 Wakes up at 6:00
 6:00-7:00: brief exercise, running outdoors in spring and summer,
indoor yoga in winter.
 7:20-8:30: Preparing the breakfast for family, review news online,
check emails, takes care of the child
 Leaves around 8:30; drives child to primary school
 9:00-10:30: buys fresh food ingredients in market on the way home.
 10:30-3:30: has lunch, does housework
 4:00: picks up her child to join other after school class. Goes
shopping while waiting for her kid
 5:30-7:30: arrives home, cooks, has dinner with family
 8:00-11:30: spends time with family, spends time online, goes to bed
Her online habits:
 Checks her WeChat, searches information from Yelp and Priceline
 Focused on local activities and shop sales
 Gets news from TV and internet

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Persona Profile 3: Middle Income, African American
Name: Corina Martin
Age: 30
Ethnicity/Race: African American
Relationship Status: Married
Family Members: Husband
Profession: Analyst
Education: Master of Finance, DePaul University
Annual Income: $75,000
Hometown: Amherst, Massachusetts (moved to Chicago at 10 years old)
Likes: working out, coffee, Blues music
Dislikes: Fast food
Favorite types of products: technology, hair products
Favorite Show: I Love Lucy
Favorite type of food: Italian
Favorite Brand: LOFT, Fleuvog, Doc Martens, Thomas
Hobbies:
 Reading books (physical books and kindle)
 Watching TV and movies with husband or friends
 Listening to or playing music with husband or friends

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Online habits:
 Reads the news
 Watches videos (YouTube, Netflix)
 Shops (clothes, entertainment)
 Works or uses social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)
Reading habits:
 Reads magazines about 3 times per week
Why she reads magazines:
 Diverse voices and viewpoints
 Investing and saving issues
 Local business spotlights and profiles
Weekly schedule:
 Works 44 hours per week
 Spends one day on hobbies and one day relaxing with family or
friends

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Persona Profile 4: Middle Income White Woman
Name: Corinne Basie
Age: 45
Ethnicity: White
Occupation: Professor, head of art department
Education: MFA Rutgers University
Annual income: $70,000
Hometown: Red Bank, New Jersey
Has lived in Chicago 18 years. Used to live in New York City, but she likes
Chicago because it’s “like New York but easier.”
Relationship status: single
Likes: sculpture, jazz, dancing
Dislikes: traffic, local political corruption, naivete of young women today,
Favorite types of products: art supplies, vintage clothing
Favorite Show: The Time In Between
Favorite type of food: Greek
Favorite Brands: Athleta, anything vintage

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Hobbies:
 Sculpture
 Dance
 listening to jazz
 seeing live bands in local bars
 yoga
Weekly Schedule:
 Works 45-50 hours per week
 10 hours per week dancing
 10 hours per week for yoga
 5 hours per week at the gym weightlifting
Step-by-step of her average day:
 Wakes up 6 a.m., eats breakfast, checks e-mail
 Work
 Yoga class or gym
 Goes home to eat and change, then goes dancing to a band
Her online habits:
 Shopping
 keeps up with charities she supports (includes American Cancer
Society and Planned Parenthood)
 banking, bills,
 Netflix, YouTube, downloading music and movies, Skype
Reading habits: Books on philosophy, art criticism, writing criticism, feminist
literature, biographies, technical books (chemistry, ceramic science) and
novels (all from the library). Also reads e-books and audio books. Will visit
the library before turning to Amazon.
Why she does not read magazines: Corinne does not currently read
magazines. She reads many books and technical/industry books but is not
interested in magazines. Nothing grabs her attention, particularly women’s
magazines. They all look the same to her and are not relevant. The
content is all the same and very superficial, focused too much on finding
and pleasing men. They mostly talk about “fluff” culture not of interest or
substance to her.

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Persona Profile 5: Middle Income Hispanic Woman
Name: Carolina Rodriguez
Age: 36
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Occupation: Freelance videographer/editor
Education: MA in Digital Communication and Media Arts at DePaul
University
Annual income: $35,000
Hometown: Wilmette, Illinois
Has lived in Chicago for 12 years. Owns her own condo in the
Lakeview/Wrigleyville neighborhood.
Relationship status: single
Owns a 5-year-old dog name Winston, a Bichon/Poodle mix
Likes: Dancing, shopping, going out to bars or restaurants with friends
Dislikes: long winters, public transportation, high taxes
Favorite types of products: classy women’s clothing, shoes, video
equipment
Favorite Show: Game of Thrones
Favorite Music: jazz/swing, old blues, modern rock, pop, oldies
Favorite type of food: Sushi
Favorite Brands: Venus, Anthropologie, Modcloth

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Hobbies:
 swing dancing
 board games
 watching movies
 Cooking Army
 volleyball
Weekly Schedule:
 works between 40 and 55 hours per week
 swing dancing 3 hours per week
 volleyball 3 hours per week
 goes out to with friends 5 hours per week
Step-by-step of her average day:
 Wakes up 8 a.m.
 makes coffee
 walks Winston
 goes into her office/studio and checks e-mail, works on editing,
importing footage, meets with clients
 6 p.m. gets ready to go out for dinner with friends
 9 p.m. goes dancing
Her online habits:
 Facebook, E-mail
 online shopping (for clothes and video equipment)
 IMDB, Yahoo news
Reading habits: Novels (fiction and non-fiction), mystery/thrillers,
biographies/memoirs
Why she reads/does not read magazines:
Carolina almost never reads magazines. When she does, she reads them
in print in waiting rooms or at her parents’ house. She’ll usually pick up
People or Glamour. She used to read Cosmopolitan, but quit years ago
because it got to be all the same. She used to subscribe to TimeOut when
they had a print version, to find out what was going on in Chicago, but
now she rarely visits their site because she doesn’t think to. She usually only
visits the site when they post something interesting on Facebook. When it
came to her door, she already had it in her hands, and felt that she should
read it because she paid for it. It’s the same with the Venus catalog-
because it’s physically in her hands, she feels she can take 2 minutes to
browse- otherwise she wouldn’t think to go to their site to shop around.

40. 40
Persona Profile 6: Retired White Woman
Name: Mary Burgess
Age: 65
Ethnicity: White
Occupation: Retired flight attendant
Education: B.S. from North Texas University
Annual income sources: 401K, pension, social security, savings
Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas
Has lived in Chicago for 52 years. Owns her own house in the Logan
Square neighborhood, since 1972.
Relationship status: divorced
Has 3 sons and 2 grandchildren: a 16-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl
Likes: Photography, meeting nice people, travel
Dislikes: Fatty foods, cats, arrogance
Favorite types of products: Reading material, artistic pieces
Favorite Show: Boardwalk Empire
Favorite Music: classic rock, anything by Louis Armstrong
Favorite type of food: Greek and Thai
Favorite Brands: nothing specific, shops for deals and unique finds
Hobbies:
 Photography
 Gardening
 Travel
 writing
Weekly Schedule:
 15 hours per week on taking and developing photographs
 20 hours per week taking care of grandchildren
 5 hours per week walking/exercising
 varied times for attending art exhibits or concerts in the city
Step-by-step of her average day:
 Wakes up 9am, listens to NPR, drinks tea, reads her book

41. 41
 Tends to her garden
 Watches 2-year-old granddaughter noon-5
 Cooks a simple dinner
 Goes out to dinner with friends
 Reads at home, works on her writing
Her online habits:
 E-mail
 research for travel
 visits web sites for writing publications
Reading habits: Reads in the morning during breakfast, enjoys fiction
novels and the following magazines: the New Yorker, the Atlantic, the
New York Times, Texas Monthly, sometimes Vanity Fair
Why she reads/does not read magazines: She never reads women’s
magazines because to her they are just a lot of “fluff.” She would be
interested in content that involves real people.

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SWOT Analysis
STRENGTHS
 Wide range of topics
covered
 Consistent updates, both
with articles and social
media feeds
 Consistent use of social
media (Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, etc.)
 Stylish, professional layout
that effectively uses visual
images while avoiding large
chunks of text that still
manage to be thorough
 A growing diversity of
contributors
 Its quality presentation
combined with the “free”
price likely make the reader
feel like they are getting
both a deal and not being
condescended to
 Local relevancy
 Women are a huge target
market for advertisers
 Only Chicago women’s
magazine in the market
WEAKNESSES
· Distribution spots are
unspecified, vague and
haphazard (beyond Formula
Fitness Clubs)
· Print magazine revenue has
been declining due to digital
options
- Cover design is bland, not
attention-grabbing.
· Wide range of topics could
present a lack of focus. A theme
or brand is not yet clear.
· Gives the impression that target
audience is women with higher
incomes; excludes large
populations of women in
Chicago.
· ”Connections” section in the
back is wasted space. Design is
lacking (photos lumped together)
and there is no interest here for
the average Chicago woman.
· Plays it safe, content-wise and
appearance-wise
· Doesn’t utilize digital advertising
to tailor to and discover more
about their readership, so
advertising in both print and
digital is the same

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OPPORTUNITIES
· Print is becoming more popular.
Younger generations now more
likely to read something physically
in their hands rather than sorting
through overstimulation online.
· Add some focus on local
charitable/non-profit organizations,
particularly women-oriented
groups.
· Add a focus on ethnicities and
cultural events happening in the
city.
· Historical comparisons. Look at
women and culture 70-100 years
ago alongside women culture of
today. This shows a better
perspective on where to go
moving forward.
· Incorporate unique Chicago
culture, such as content regarding
jazz, blues, local artists and
musicians, improv comedy, etc.
· Include polls to incorporate
reader interactivity and
participation.
· Advertise the current profile
column and have a consistent
“small business or business person
of the week/month” spotlight
column on the site to help raise
awareness and get local business
women contributing.
· Include content and contributors
from diverse backgrounds
regarding income and profession.
· Include multimedia content, such
as downloadable playlists or web
cam video blog.
THREATS
 Relying on advertising as
sole stream of revenue,
which could lead to
sacrificing content for ad
space.
 Being left behind by digital
advertisers and losing a
potential long-term new
revenue source.
 Declining magazine sales
nation-wide
 Difficulties in producing a
print product in the digital
age
 Large number of new
magazines launched every
year, only a few survive
 Competitive women’s-
based content online

44. 44
Brand
Development
Strategy

45. 45
Theme:
- Vintage, 1920s – 1930s – 1940s aesthetic
and inspiration
- Looking at the lives and times of women of the past for inspiration in
moving forward
Key words:
 Classic
 Timeless
 Vintage
 Jazzy and Bluesy
 Culture
 Voice
 Dialogue
 Creative
 Artistic
 Local

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Rationale:
Instead of looking at a snapshot of today’s women and culture, we
can look at the bigger picture for better perspective. When we look at the
lives and the times of prominent women from decades ago, we can
gauge how far we’ve come, and how far we have yet to go, as women.
It’s nearly the twenties again, and the current trend of twenties and
general “vintage” styles will likely continue to grow as we approach the
2020s. Beyond style, there are numerous parallels to be drawn between
almost a hundred years ago and today. The 1920s were a pivotal time for
women in the U.S. They became more provocative, outspoken, daring,
and a huge target market for the boom in consumerism. They were
strengthening their voice in society, just as they continue to do today.
They gained the right to vote, began drinking and smoking in public, they
shed corsets and heavy dresses for clothes more suited for activity and
become more sexually liberated. The number of women in the workforce
increased by 25% and again between 1940 and 1945 from 27 to 37% due
to the World Wars. Jazz was the heartbeat of the country, heard pouring
out of clubs up and down the streets of New Orleans, New York and
Chicago. And people were dancing. They were defined by the culture of
their times.
Today women are continuing the struggle for their rights, primarily in
healthcare and in the workforce. By 2011 women made up just over half
of the workforce. More women are moving into jobs previously dominated
by men, such as chief executive and president level positions. Women’s
fashion has taken a step toward the vintage aesthetic, with dropped
waist dresses, silk materials, feathers, headbands and celebrities
popularizing vintage clothing. The heartbeat of Chicago continues to be
the culture that thrives within, and no other city in the U.S. today has the
amount of talent in hot jazz as Chicago. By studying the life and times of
the women who came before us alongside the women of today, we can
learn to better engage in the culture of our times and our city and gain
inspiration for shaping our world in years to come.
Taking this approach easily allows FW to appeal to women of any age in
Chicago, since it does not focus on any one age group. Using the
“vintage” and historical theme gives the magazine a classic quality,
appealing to older generations because they can likely relate and to
younger generations because “vintage” has become trendy in today’s
culture.

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Possible Slogans
 Learn your past, know your present, control your future
 Connecting women of the past, present and future.
 Connecting women to the past and present to create their future.
 Using past and present to move forward.
 Find your happy
Brand Positioning Statement
Reading FW: Magazine is like . . .
. . . experiencing the cultural ties between Chicago’s past, present,
and future all at once.
. . .walking into a Chicago jazz club in 1928 filled with the sounds,
voices, energy, and movement of the times.

48. 48
Brand Positioning Map
Message:
- All Chicago women have a voice and forum for dialogue regarding their social,
professional and personal lives within this culturally rich and diverse city.
- We can learn from the women and times that came before us for inspiration and ideas for
moving forward.
- Engaging women in the cultural energy of Chicago will enrich their lives and provide a
basis for creative progress and local identification and involvement.
Shapes:
Art Deco
styles:
angular,
sharp lines
Rituals:
- monthly
release
- consistent
social
media
updates
- read
during
commute
- regular
source for
info on
exploring
Chicago
Traditions:
- annual party
with live
performance,
bands and
dancing
- subscription
gifts
- spotlight local
artistic and
entrepreneurial
talent
Sight:
- deep
colors
- muted
tones
- black
and white
photos
-sketches
Sound:
- jazz
- blues
- voices
Taste:
- refined
- strong and
independent
- classy sexy
Symbols:
- logo
- jazz band
- Chicago
skyline

49. 49
Mood Board
The mood board conveys the aesthetic and content related to vintage style and
culture that we are proposing for FW. Some of the photos are modern day
photographs made to look as though they are from the 1920s-1940s. This shows
one way to visually bridge past and present. Artwork created in the vintage
aesthetic is also included, showing examples of the style images to be included in
FW. Pictures of musicians and dancers as well as an image from a local comedy
company show the types of local cultural content that can be featured in FW. We
have also included examples of vintage-style fonts that will greatly contribute to
the unique aesthetic of the magazine. The key words included throughout are
some of words we aim to be associated with reading a future issue of FW.

50. 50
Product
Development
Strategy

51. 51
Aesthetic:
FW will adopt a vintage-inspired aesthetic, drawing inspiration for
fonts, images and photographs from that of the 1920s and 30s up through
the 40s. This involves the following:
 Deep, muted tones and colors
 Some black and white photos
 Vintage-style fonts
 Artistic sketches inspired by 20s-40s artwork, Art Deco styles
 A classy tone
 Relating vintage and modern
Deep colors, drawing by an artist: Vintage fonts:
Classy and sexy, celebrating the beauty and sexuality of women:
Art Deco:

52. 52
Functional Design
 Change the title to “FWD:” - the “D” helps make the reference
to the email abbreviation more clear
 Collectible covers:
-2 per issue: 1 vintage-style photograph and 1 drawing by a
selected local artist of the same image
-Alternatively, have both drawn, with one being a more
vintage style sketch and the other being more modern, with
the people and text in the same poses
This could be an image of a prominent local woman, an
historical woman, or an historical place or business in
Chicago
 Centerfolds drawn by local artists
 Scannable images:
Images or a barcode in an article that can be scanned with
a smartphone. This will lead the reader to additional content
online, such as a video, audio file or social media content.

53. 53
Content
Ideas for ongoing content:
 Side-by-side profiles of prominent women, then and now. Compare
the struggles and successes of women in the 1920s-1940s with that
of women today, in order to evaluate the differences and
similarities of women’s opportunities then and now.
 Features on Chicago’s “hidden gems.” Profile local Chicago
businesses off the beaten path. Readers will know they can open
FW to find out about places and events they wouldn’t otherwise
hear about.
 Include articles focused on local and national political issues,
particularly those concerning women’s rights. Present both sides of
the issues, with input from respected local experts. This enables
dialogue and allows readers to stay informed and develop their
own voice in the community.

54. 54
Issue Topics and Themes for 2016
January: Feature local female entrepreneurs, then and now: stories of
women entrepreneurs from the past compared with the progress, strength
and opportunities of women today.
February: Focus on the role of women in relationships and family and how
it’s changed over the years.
March: Focus on women in entertainment, female artists
April: Feature Chicago jazz clubs, women in jazz, past and present
May: Feature women in the military/armed forces
June: Feature women in science and technology, past and present,
particularly local
July: Discuss women in politics. Examine women’s political struggles almost
a hundred years ago compared with struggles that continue or have
arisen today.
August: Back to school issue: feature women in academia, past and
present. Discuss topics relevant to mothers sending their children to
school.
September: Include features on niche/underground communities. This
opens readers’ eyes to local groups and cultures they might not have
known about. (For example, include an article about the local swing
dance community, the Chicago sculpture artist community, folk music
community, etc.)
October: Include breast cancer survivor stories, women leaders of the fight
against cancer, and how Chicago women are involved.
November: Feature women in local non-profit endeavors. Discuss the
history of the non-profit sector in Chicago and women’s role in the
development of Chicago organizations.
December: Holiday issue: discuss the year in review and the year ahead.
Feature a Chicago woman of the year.

55. 55
Sales
Development
Strategy

56. 56
Pricing Strategy:
 Remain free
 $20.00 for 1 year subscription (most other competitors charge
around $8 for a year subscription, but this way, it’s a nice, even
price that you can offer promotional discounts while still giving
yourself room to make a profit)
 $3.99 for print back issues
Distribution Strategy:
Distribute within downtown as well as most of Chicago’s
neighborhoods. Should reach at least two drop-off points per
neighborhood. Salons, women’s clothing stores, fitness clubs, cafes,
brunch places and women’s health centers are some of the types of
places FW would be well-received and visible.
Suggested distribution points by neighborhood:
Andersonville: Women and Children First bookstore, Taste of
Heaven Café, Kopi: A Traveler’s Café
Bridgeport: Bridgeport Fitness, Modern Wave Salon
Chinatown: Cora’s Closet (women’s clothing), Chinatown Women
Clinic
Edgewater: Indie Café, Women’s Business Development Center
Gold Coast: Sugar Magnolia (women’s clothing), Whispers Coffee
and Tea
Humboldt Park: Ladies Workout Express, Nellie’s (Puerto Rican
brunch)
Hyde Park: Comfort Me Boutique, Hair Design International
Lincoln Square: Chicago Women’s Health Center, Old Town School
of Folk Music
Ravenswood: Women’s Workout World, Hair By Antje Kastner
(vintage-inspired hair salon)
Sales Promotions:
 Offer alternative covers (one 1920s themed, one modern day)
 Include coupons for FW network of businesses
 Buy a year subscription and get 20% ticket to annual FW party
 Seasonal Discount: offer a 20% discount on an annual subscription
from November 26-December 23.

57. 57
Media Strategy

58. 58
Important Media for FW:
 Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram,
Pinterest, Redditt)
 These media engage the readers and provide a platform for
interactivity. They allow readers to have a voice and contribute
their own ideas and create inspiration and dialogue amongst
each other.
 It’s convenient. Readers can access the various forms of social
media from their phones, tablet and computers without having
to carry the magazine.
 Low cost
 Industry and consumer expectation
 Print (Magazine or Newspaper)
 More physical and therefore more intimate
 Fits with FW’s emphasis on the print version and brings integrity
to its image
 Emphasizes Chicago roots/audience, as it’s primarily Chicago
that sees the ads
 Younger people are returning to print
 Demonstrates faith in print ads to potential advertisers
 Out of Home (billboards/wallscapes, CTA ads, in-store
placement, posters, bathroom ads)
 Captive audience
 Reaches a wide range of people/audience when commuting
 Emphasizes local partners with in-store pick-up locations

59. 59
Media Messages
Message 1: All Chicago women have a voice and forum for dialogue
regarding their social, professional and personal lives
Media: Pandora/Spotify, Online news media
Also: YouTube
Message 2: We can learn from the women and times that came before us
for inspiration and ideas for moving forward.
Media: Magazines, Billboards, Bus stop and CTA ads: this message can be
easily described with single images
Also: Instagram
Message 3: Engaging women in the cultural energy of Chicago will enrich
their lives and provide a basis for creative progress and local identification
and involvement.
Media: Branded entertainment, Radio/Spotify and Pandora,
Also: FourSquare, Facebook, Twitter
Consumer Incentives
Incentive 1: Find within the magazine a coupon for discounts. For
example, free drinks at a bar/venue featuring a local band, coupon for a
hair salon, etc.
Medium: Out-of-Home ads (bathroom, billboard), print ads
Also: online banner ads, Spotify and Pandora
Incentive 2: Order a subscription within a short time frame, get a booklet
that includes poster versions of all 12 covers from the year (without the
logo and headlines)
Medium: bus stop/billboard ads, magazine ads
Also: social media
Incentive 3: Pick up the magazine and take a selfie with it in Chicago,
post it and hashtag HelloFW. Most creative wins a small prize and/or cash,
as well as a small printed feature in the next issue of the magazine.
Medium: Facebook and Twitter
Also: in the print magazine

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Word of Mouth:
There is a handful of ways to get people talking about FW. Creating
content that is funny, controversial, entertaining, exclusive, or some
combination the above can generate word of mouth activity. As
mentioned previously, neutral content does not motivate discussion or
conversation about issues. As an example, George Lucas and J. K.
Rowling are master of word of mouth: their every action and interview
flood social media and news coverage with comments and debates, and
thus sales increase due to new readers or viewers curious about the hype.
Controversy can be a useful tool, when handled well. Taking stand on an
issue or making a claim can make you stand out. For example, in the
case of a women’s magazine whose readers enjoy the work and finance
section, a claim could be made about why many women experience
more frequent career interruptions which hurts long term income, and
furthers income inequality. Taking a stance and backing it up will often
inspire a reaction (either in agreement or disagreement), which will then
be shared with others. This creates a dialogue among readers.
Additionally, offering exclusive event tickets or prizes to subscribers,
whether just because they subscribed or because they were randomly
drawn to attend one of FW:’s exclusive launch parties, will likely also get
people talking. They are privy to something that their friends are not,
which means that those friends will be informed about it, especially if the
subscriber has a very positive experience.
Humor is a great way to make the content entertaining and accessible,
especially if you want to educate your readers about more complicated
women’s issues such as income inequality, corporate culture and sexism,
and many others. The success of Buzzfeed, Cracked.com, and the
increasing popularity of news satire shows such as Last Week Tonight are
great examples.
A little sarcasm can go a long way, and also increase reader retention of
information. Depending on the humor style, this can extend to columnists
as well: much of what helps the aforementioned news show satires is the
personality and delivery of the host, and a similar approach comes with
online content, as seen in Nostalgia Critic, Zero Punctuation, and
Collegehumor’s spin off education show: Adam Ruins Everything. People
talk and reblog the clips and the shows because their information tends to
be funny, but also makes claims that the viewers can contest.

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Social Media
Instagram:
 Photos from past and present: Visually shows connection between
women of the past and women today. Can also include video and
text below. This will be easily absorbable pieces on content that
can interest and inspire readers to learn and read further.
 Local photographers submit photos to FW, who then post them
using their Instagram. Adds more interactivity and also spotlights
local artists and emphasizes FW’s local ties.
Facebook:
 Monthly “cultural challenge:” Pose a themed challenge to FW’s
readers to seek out a cultural experience/event outside their usual
realm of activity. Theme can be related to that month’s issue.
Readers can post text, photos and/or video of their experience on
Facebook to share with fellow readers. The post that receives the
most “likes” will receive a cash prize as well as a photo and brief
spotlight in the next issue.
 Complete “About” section. Include info and photos of FW staff.
Readers can get to know the people behind FW.
 Post memes, whether for humor or for insightful quotes. These can
be inspirational and related to issue topics. Inside jokes aimed at
locals can be a way to emphasize local ties and focus.
Twitter:
 Readers tweet about events they will be attending in Chicago to
share with other readers and encourage attendance.
 Gives readers a voice regarding what’s happening
and current in Chicago.
 FW will have quality control by having the option to
retweet and feature relevant posts
 Readers are able to comment on posts and offer their
voice regarding the events posted
 Engages FW readers with each other and with what’s
happening in the community.
 Readers tweet about historical finds
 Examples: interesting old photographs, biographies,
witty quotes from women of the past
 Creates small dialogue about their find Information,
media and art from the past can be difficult to find,
so this allows readers to highlight and share quality
and rare pieces of the past to bring them to light.
 Keep track of topics trending in Chicago and add input for
relevant topics. For example, they can see what issues people in

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Chicago are tweeting about and link relevant articles, events, etc.
to those already popular topics.
Reddit:
Known as “the front page of the Internet,” Reddit could prove to
be a valuable resource for FW. It can be used in the following ways:
 Create an FW sub-Reddit
 Can post comments, images, videos, and share
content. Can include links to outside articles to create
dialogue, create threads about less common
Chicago eateries, clubs, music, artists and unique
locations within the city
 Track what types of content your subscribers and
readers prefer with users up-votes and down-votes
 Choose a moderator, who is in charge of the page
and can handle problems amongst the users or
delete undesirable content.
 Builds an online community based on your theme,
which can create a network among the users.
 Keep posts concise.
 Be sure to avoid “spamming.” The Reddit community will react
accordingly to spamming, either by ignoring or down-voting.
 Utilize self-serve advertising system if you want to use Reddit solely
as a self-promotional tool
 “Ask Me Anything” feature
 Interviews where, within a certain time-frame,
followers can post questions and receive answers.
Timeframe is customizable.
 Readers can get in contact with FW columnists,
writers, and the women entrepreneurs or businesses
featured in the magazine
 Closes the gap between FW and your readers as they
can get to know the content creators more
personally. Therefore they will be more inclined to
engage and follow up with FW content elsewhere.
FourSquare:
 Create a brand page where users can “follow” them
 Include “tips” for users when they check in at certain locations. For
example, FW includes information on local restaurants in their Food
and Drink section, and could include their weekly
recommendations on their page.
 Generate lists of recommended places on FourSquare. When an
FW reader checks in at a restaurant featured in the magazine, FW
can offer tips on what to order

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 Partner with restaurants and offer “specials,” such as discounts. This
benefits the restaurant by drawing business and getting added
promotions via FW, and benefits FW by strengthening reader’s trust
and loyalty in the brand by using quality recommendations.
 Track where readers are “checking in” to stay current on what is
trending in Chicago amongst readers. This allows FW to have a
better understanding of the tastes of their readers and thus cater
the content accordingly.
YouTube Channel
FW’s YouTube channel will be a creative platform for the brand and
viewers to communicate interactively. Videos relevant to current issues
and various opinions would be posted on the YouTube channel. Readers
can gain knowledge and form opinions as a result of this content and
comment on the videos, creating a forum of dialogue for their own
opinions and responses. We created four options for video types: How-to
videos, Chicago videos, This Day, and branded entertainment.
 How-to: A series of guide/DIY videos
 Example topics: decorating, house maintenance,
cooking, make-up, investing, health issues
 Manifests the women’s spirit of independent and
quality lifestyle, which is advocated by FW.
 Chicago: Videos that include short interviews and/or tours at local
businesses
 Introduces local culture and engages with readers
 Examples: Chicago landmarks, urban underground
exploring, historical sites/businesses
 This Day: 2-3 minute anecdotal videos featuring “this day in
Chicago history.”
 Connects readers to history of the city
 Includes content that may be widely unknown, quirky,
funny
 Branded entertainment:
 Included on the YouTube channel indefinitely
 Series of branded entertainment videos with themes
of past and present will be featured to provide
interesting visuals for promoting and passing the word
about FW
 Biweekly or Monthly political issue: Each installment focuses on a
current political, financial, or societal issue to explain. It would likely
have two people (of high regard in Chicago, if possible; otherwise,
staff members) that represent both sides of a current issue and
discuss their opinion.

64. 64
 20-30 minutes
 Allows readers to gather information on current topics
by learning about the opinions of respected and
knowledgeable individuals in Chicago from both
sides of the issue.
 Keeps FW readers informed and allows them to better
formulate their own opinions, creating more
awareness and action within Chicago regarding
current political issues.
 Readers can comment and create meaningful
dialogue online
 Could become a podcast

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Branded Entertainment Treatment:
It opens with a woman walking down a street in Uptown in Chicago circa
1927. We see signs in lights up and down the street and industrial murals
and advertisements on the sides of brick buildings. Jazz music fades in, a
high-energy tune called “King Kong Stomp.” Everything is in black and
white with scratches to look like an old film. The woman has a bobbed
haircut and is dressed in work clothes- a simple short-sleeved dress with a
collar and buttons down the front, with a long coat tied around her,
simple, comfortable black shoes and an elegant 20s style hat. We see the
background around the same woman change to modern-day Chicago
in color, and her outfit changes to modern as well, with a vintage
influence. She wears a long red pencil skirt with a ruffled cream-colored
blouse tucked in, 30s- inspired heels that tie and the same hat, only now it
is red. It switches back to the woman in the 20s and we see her walk in to
work at a textile factory. It switches again to the modern woman, working
in an office, delivering a presentation in a board room about women’s
clothing.
We then see the first woman leaving work, and her outfit changes to a
long silk dress with fringe, strappy heels and a smaller, tight-fitting, fancier
hat. The image switches back and forth a couple times, between the 20s
woman walking in the dress and the modern woman walking (out of
work), her outfit switching to a 20s-inspired dress, but more revealing- the
straps are thin, the neckline is slightly lower and the skirt is about mid-thigh
length, with layers of fringe on the skirt. She has no hat but has finger
waves in her hair. Both wear long necklaces to just above their waist. We
see each woman meet a group of friends outside The Green Mill and walk
inside, where the jazz band is playing the tune.
While still switching between 20s and present-day, the woman in the 20s
pulls a flask from her garter under her dress (it is during Prohibition, after all)
while the modern woman drinks a fancy cocktail. She laughs with their
friends and begins dancing the Charleston to the band. Even shots of the
band are switching between 20s and present-day- their suits change style
but their haircuts remain the same- short on the sides, long on top with
plenty of hair grease to hold it in place. As the song builds to the end, the
woman also intensifies her dancing, kicking her feet, waving her arms and
smiling like it’s the happiest night of her life. The song ends on a sharp,
clean note, with the woman in an ending pose. As she cheers along with
the crowd, the image fades and text appears on the screen that reads:
“Find Your ‘Happy.’- FW.”
Possible examples: Pepsi “Pass” commercial, Heineken “A City Back in
Time” commercial

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Creative Strategy
Goal:
To increase readership and subscribers.
Audience:
Chicago women, between 25-55, that live either in the city or near
suburbs, and consistently travel to the city to work or party. Our focus is on
potential subscribers to the print edition, educated and professional
women.
Other focuses: politically active or opinionated, nostalgic, enjoyers of art
and music, history buffs
Message:
“The past repeats itself.” Using this theme to demonstrate the
importance of both historical context and its relevancy today, we would
take photos and statistics from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s and line them
alongside a recent example. This can show potential readers that women
still have yet to truly reach equality and therefore having their voice heard
is just as important now as it was when they were fighting for the right to
vote.
The comparison additionally demonstrates that the vintage culture is
finding its way back to the mainstream and is a testament to the fact that
Chicago’s cultural past is crucial to understanding its identity and its
present, as only then can readers steer its future. This is demonstrated by
the slogan “Learn Your Past, Know Your Present, Control Your Future.”

67. 67
Samples:
Unlike the other ad samples, this one blends together the modern and the
vintage eras, showing how close they can be, and it is more akin to the
proposed branded entertainment videos. It demonstrates that the past is
never truly gone and can be seen in how our lives are today. The past
made us who we are and, more importantly, it helps us realize who we
can be.
A more shocking statistic. While the ad could be done with a visual aid,
letting the numbers speak for themselves also has a minimalist elegance
and drama to it. It demonstrates that some of economic and societal
issues that we struggled with a hundred years ago either never really went
away or have come back again. Either way, it grabs people’s attention
and makes them more aware of just how “progress” has come, and will
inspire them to better prepare to avoid the same mistakes.

68. 68
This particular ad demonstrates the vintage popular culture is beginning to
make a comeback, thanks in part to films like 2013’s The Great Gatsby
and artists like Postmodern Jukebox distinguishing themselves from the rest
by taking modern popular songs and putting a more vintage or classical
spin on them. The popular culture travels in cycles, so what better way to
predict where it’s going then by demonstrating the parallels?
Much like the statistics image before, this one demonstrates that women
have been fighting for equal pay for almost a hundred years now, and
the fact that it’s still a problem only highlights the importance of our roots
and further proves just how deeply entrenched gender inequality still is,
compared to where it was a hundred years ago.

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Creative Strategy and Media Schedule
Social Media:
Social media is timely and relevant at all times. These media should
be used and updated frequently throughout the year to stay current with
readers and happenings in Chicago.
Facebook:
Monthly "Cultural Challenge": Post a challenge and choose a
featured post once a month. Otherwise, update daily, throughout the
year.
Twitter:
Tweet at least once a day. The information is easily absorbed, bite-
sized pieces of information that succinctly keeps the reader interested
and engaged. Should also tweet as selected Chicago events are
happening to present excitement and timeliness of community activities.
Instagram:
Post one photo and one video at least once a day. This gives the
reader interesting visuals to look forward to every day. It's something they
can check when they first get in to work, at lunch or on their commute
home to keep them entertained and connected to FW content.
Reddit:
Post at least twice a day. Reddit is a fast-paced, user-controlled
medium and FW will want to stay relevant and visible. Different posts will
earn varying degrees of user approval, so the more FW posts, the more
likely they are to display popular posts.

70. 70
FourSquare:
Post once a week to offer readers tips on local Chicago places
and businesses according to the week's schedule.
Print magazine:
 Beginning of the year: Subscriptions are bought and renewed and
the first issue of publications is more likely to be read.
 May: After tax season and right before summer. Readers will have
more time and possible spending money (after taxes) to go out in
Chicago, so they will seek resources to tell them where to go.
Readers will also seek information on summer activities, styles, food,
etc.
 August: Students and mothers are preparing for going back to
school and thus seeking information on styles and advice. Readers
are also preparing for the fall season.
 October and December: Readers are preparing for the holidays
and engaging more with publications for holiday information on
events, food, end-of-year-planning, etc.
Out of Home:
Out of home advertising timing is based on when consumers are
moving out and about more frequently. They are then more likely to see
the out of home ads and won't be too swallowed up in coats and scarves
to see them.
 March: Consumers are starting to come out with the ease in
temperatures as well as spring break travel.
 Summer: Consumers are out of the house and traveling most often.
 November and December: Consumers are out on the town with
friends and family and traveling during the holidays.
YouTube:
Each section will be updated once a week, except for the monthly
political issues which will be updated every month. This gives these unique
and interesting forms of information a steady frequency without
overloading the reader with content.

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Creative Strategy and Media Budget
Medium Ad Venue Monthly Cost Total Annual
Cost
Print
Make It
Better
$3,000.00* x 5 months $15,000.00
Out of
Home
Lamars $750.00 x 6 months $4,500.00
CTA $2,906.25** x 6 months $17,437.50
Web
Advertising
Amazon $1,000.00 x 4 months $4,000.00
Make It
Better
$1,500.00 x 4 months $6,000.00
Reddit $500.00 x 4 months $2,000.00
Total Cost $48,937.50
*Make It Better charges $1,500.00 for a 1/3 page ad; we
estimated that 2 ads were purchased.
**CTA charges $35 per ad for either the L-Train or the
buses, and an additional $3.75 installation fee. If 200 are
purchased, for the second batch of 100, FW: would only
have to pay the installation fees for each ad, thus saving
them $3,500.00. We estimated that 75 were purchased.
$35 ad fee + $3.75 installation fee = $38.75
$38.75 x 75 = $2,906.25
If FW: buys 200:
$3,875.00 + $375 for the second batch = $4,250

72. 72
Return on investment
Medium Cost Estimated Revenue ROI*
Print $15,000.00 $246,000.00** 15.4
Out of
Home
$21,937.50 $399,279.40 *** 17.02
Web
Advertising
$14,000.00 $15,960.00 **** 0.14
*ROI:
𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑢𝑒−𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑡
𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑡
**74.9% of Make It Better’s 82,000 subscribers respond to the ads in
the magazine, but we estimated 30% would resonate with and
follow up on an FW ad. Assuming that half of them purchase a
subscription:
12,300 potential subscribers x $20.00 annual fee = $246,000.00
***Lamar estimates that 20% of people who see a digital billboard
ad actually follow up on them, so we estimate that, over the course
of 4 months, 20,000 people see our ad. Based on Lamar’s numbers,
that would mean 4,000 people could follow up. Assume half of
those that follow up get a subscription:
2,000 subscribers x $20.00 annual fee = $40,000.00
Meanwhile, the CTA estimates that 1,796,397 people ride the loop
trains, so assume that, given our 50 ads, that 1/10 of them will see
our ads. This would be about 179,639.7 people.
Based on the 20% response of the billboards, we could get
35,927.94 people to follow up. Assuming that half of them by a
subscription:
17,963.97 people x $20.00 annual = $359,279.40.
Total Out of Home:
$40,000 + $359,279.40 = $399,279.40

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**** It’s estimated that .06% of people actually click on web ads.
Amazon gets 70 million people views a month. Now, we estimate
that 10% of them get to see your ad, due to how much we’re
paying, and that 700,000 of those views are from Chicago.
Therefore, based on the 0.06% estimate, 420 people will click.
If a third of them actually buy a subscription:
420 possible subscribers x $20.00 = $8,400.00
Reddit has 140,000,000 people a month; that includes international
viewers, so let’s estimate that .0012% are from Illinois. That would be
168,000 people, and, based on the 0.06% calculation, means 100.8
clicks.
100.8 potential subscribers x $20.00 = $2,016.00
Make It Better gets 1,400,000 views annually, so 462,000 for 4
months. The 0.0006 of them that will click is 277.2. Given that Make It
Better’s audience tends to purchased advertised products, we can
estimate that the potential revenue is:
277.2 subscribers x $20.00 = $5,544.00
Total Web Advertising:
$8,400.00 + $2,016.00 + $5,544.00 = $15,960.00

74. 74
Measurement Strategy
Two Ways to Measure:
1. Increased awareness of brand:
Facebook, YouTube Twitter, Instagram: increased likes, views, shares, and
follows; note correlations to when a post or link is made on FW’s social
media and whether site traffic increased shortly after.
Reddit: increased up-votes, posts and comments
Foursquare: Note the increase of followers of FW’s brand page, and keep
track of how many people check in at recommended locations.
2. Increased revenue
We will measure the ROI on sales compared to estimated numbers.
To note which ad campaign is attracting more new subscribers, we will
note the media strategy timeline and the number of new subscriptions
that are purchased during and the next week after the respective ad
medium’s usage.

75. 75
Conclusion
Our team was very glad for the opportunity to work on a plan to
help a local business grow and establish a presence and voice in the city.
We are confident that this collection of analyses and ideas will help FW
make strategic decisions to launch it in to a position of high regard within
the community, with strong brand loyalty and a unique and intelligent
position within the local dialogue. Including an historical aspect within the
focus of the content as well as digging deeper in to the rich and distinct
culture of Chicago will add to the publication’s character and
opportunity for insight. For only when we understand and connect with
our past can we understand and connect with our present and ultimately,
move forward confidently in to the future.

76. 76
Appendix

77. 77
Interviews
Jing Xiao
Age: 36
Education: University Undergraduate
Location: Uptown Chicago, Illinois
Occupation: Housewife
Interview Summary:
She is a 36- year- old Asian woman who lives in the Uptown neighborhood
of Chicago. When her husband changed jobs last year, their family moved to
Chicago to begin a new life here. After graduating from university, she worked in
human resources for more than ten years. She is now a housewife who
concentrates on taking care of her 7-year-old child and her husband. One of her
hobbies is shopping, so she would like to find coupons or sale information from the
magazine. Going to market and exercising are included in her daily schedule.
She thinks the grocery store and fitness center are good places to pick up a
magazine.
She always takes consideration on her child’s education. Every weekend
she takes him out to participate some activities or go to museums. She would be
interested in learning about any events held in Chicago, especially child- friendly
ones. The fashion style she prefers is casual and simple. Brands like Coach, DKNY,
and Clarks are her favorites.
Jieda Li
Age: 30
Education: University Graduate
Location: Evanston Chicago, Illinois
Occupation: Engineer
Interview Summary:
She is a 30-year-old Chinese woman who became a permanent resident in US.
Now she is pregnant and preparing to welcome her first baby in January. Working
as a female engineer, she bears a huge pressure and challenge in her career.
After accumulating industry experience over several years, she is now moving to
a management role and becoming an engineer leader. She always worked
overtime on workdays and on weekends, which means she would not have
much time to read a magazine.
She does like to read information about investing and business to better
manage her money. She and her husband are very busy. Her husband is a
professor at Northwestern University. Both of them rarely spend time on
entertainment outside the home- they would like to watch movies and listen to
music at home. The fashion style she prefers is professional in work and casual in
her spare time. She travels a lot for work and spends a great deal of time waiting
in airports and on planes, which is when she likes to read magazines.

78. 78
Ellen
Age: 30
Education: Doctorate in Language Studies
Occupation: College Professor
Ethnicity: Asian
Interview Summary:
She is an Asian female who immigrated to Chicago when she was a child.
She is a professor working at Columbia College Chicago who has an annual
middle income. She subscribes to magazines and reads them about 1-3 times per
week for diverse voices and viewpoints, social events, recipes and women’s
health issues. She thinks magazines are an important way of getting news and
advice for life.
For fun, she goes out with her family, friends and boyfriend about 2 or 3
times per week. She spends 6-9 hours on her hobbies per week.
Kari
Age: 50
Education: Master’s in Dance
Occupation: College Professor
Ethnicity: White
Interview Summary:
She married with two children and has lived in Chicago for more than 10 years.
She has a middle income. She spends 3-6 hours on her hobbies per week and
goes out with her family and friends 2-3 times per week. She subscribes to
magazines and reads them about 1-3 times per week, mainly for advice and
information about family, parenting, social events and news.
Lynn
Age: 45
Ethnicity: White
Occupation: Professor, head of art department
Education: MFA Rutgers University
Annual income: $70,000
Hometown: Red Bank, New Jersey
Has lived in Chicago 18 years. Used to live in New York City, but she likes
Chicago because it’s “like New York but easier.”
Relationship status: single
Professional:
Gets professional advice from industry trade publications such as Art
Forum, Art News, Sculpture Magazine, Ceramics Monthly.
Gets financial advice from her banker, accountant and her life coach.
Her field (visual art, sculpture, academia) is male-dominated. Women have less
than 20% representation at shows and in publications. They definitely “get a
smaller piece of the pie.” Across business and academia, women encounter the
glass ceiling. Women are being faced with the challenge of “having to do
everything-“ they are expected to balance work and family life, and that has
always been the case. According to Lynn, “nothing has changed.”
Leisure:

79. 79
Online activity: Shopping. Mostly on Amazon, Zappos, and Athleta. She
also keeps up with charities she supports, which include Planned Parenthood and
the American Cancer Society. She does everything online: banking, bills, Netflix,
YouTube, downloading music and movies, Skype, etc.
Reading material: Books on philosophy, art criticism, writing criticism,
feminist literature, biographies, technical books (chemistry, ceramic science) and
novels (all from the library). Also reads e-books and audio books. Will visit the
library before turning to Amazon.
Material to watch: Old tv shows on Netflix, Orange is the New Black,
Scandal, Gracie, vintage movies
Apps used: Kindle app, DropBox, Facebook, Audible (books on tape),
Lose It (weight loss), Oprah and Depak (mediation), Google Maps, airlines and
travel, NY subway, NY city museum, AmEx, Amazon, Jaw Bone (for speakers),
Stitcher, WNYC, Pandora, podcasts, Yelp, Fandango
Hobbies: Swing dance and jazz music (about 10 hours per week), yoga
(10 hours per week), the gym/weightlifting (5 hours per week)
Dancing and seeing live music is her favorite thing to do when going out.
Friends: Mostly female, though she knows a lot of men through dancing.
Most are self-employed creative types though she knows some business people
as well.
Music: Jazz is her favorite, particularly ‘20s and ‘30s jazz. Also listens to
some classical and pop music. Goes out at least twice a week to hear live music,
always jazz. Frequents the Green Mill, Honky Tonk BBQ and other jazz venues in
the city.
Fashion:
Lynn wears vintage and athletic clothes. She shops at many thrift stores
and pieces things together. To work she typically wears yoga pants with an Ann
Taylor blazer or black jeans with a t-shirt and boots. To go out socially, she usually
wears a dress and heels. She owns 17 pairs of boots, 25 high heels and 10 pairs of
sneakers. Mostly she wears sneakers and boots and doesn’t wear any heels over
2 ½ in. She wears makeup every day but wears more when she goes out socially.
Food and Drink:
Lynn drinks alcohol socially with friends, about twice a week. She’ll usually
buy one or two drinks when out to see a live band. She doesn’t drink heavily
because she’s too busy to suffer the consequences of drinking.
She mostly cooks food for herself and eats out about once a week or
twice a month. Her favorite food is bread and anything with carbs, though she
tries to limit that. When she does eat out, she likes to eat at local restaurants in her
neighborhood (Wicker Park), usually for breakfast. She typically spends between
$30 and $50 on a meal.
Love/Relationships/Dating:
Lynn is currently single. She has dated quite a bit in the past. She meets
her dates the old fashioned way, in bars. Her dating experience until now has
been that she dates mostly a**holes, so she’d like to find a man that is not that. In
her experience, men she has dated want a life that’s good like hers, without
doing the work to get there. She knows she can improve any man’s life; to her,
that’s the nature of being a woman. She wants a relationship that will improve her
life, not take up more time she has for it.
Lynn does not turn to magazines for dating advice; she doesn’t get dating
advice, she gives it. What she would like to see more of in women’s magazines
regarding dating and relationships is new paradigms- new ways to talk about it.
She’s tired of love stories.

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Magazines:
Lynn does not currently read magazines. She reads many books and
technical/industry books but is not interested in magazines. Nothing grabs her
attention, particularly women’s magazines. They all look the same to her and are
not relevant. The content is all the same and very superficial, focused too much
on finding and pleasing men. They mostly talk about “fluff” culture not of interest
or substance to her.
What she would like to see in a women’s magazine is more information on
cultural and artistic events in Chicago such as art and museum openings and jazz
events. Write-ups and listings on unique local places would be useful to her since
those are the places she chooses to seek out and support. She wants to see
stories about real people whom she can relate to.
What do you think of FW?
“I thought at first it was a bride’s magazine. It looks generic and doesn’t hold my
interest. The font theme throughout is almost illegible. I don’t feel like this content
is relevant to my lifestyle. It needs to be ‘jazzier’! It would be interesting to have
side-by-side profiles and content on women and topics from the past next to
present day.”
Women:
Lynn is mostly cynical regarding the status of women in society today. When
asked to describe the power of women in the world today compared to 50 year
ago, Lynn said that the status of women has not changed or even become
worse, since she believes there is more sexism and racism today. “Nothing has
changed since 1981,” she says. For example, the Republicans are attempting to
eradicate women’s right to control over their bodies. Thus, nothing has changed
since Roe v. Wade. In this way she feels as though this is a third-world country.
Hypothetical:
“If you were stuck on an island and could only bring 3 things, what would they be
and why?”
“I’d choose the island of Manhattan, and that would be all I’d have to
do.”
“If you were given $150,000, what would you do with it?”
“Give it to my mother’s investment banker who’s been making 10 % on
investments in this market!!!!!”
Sally
Age: 36
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Occupation: Freelance videographer/editor
Education: MA in Digital Communication and Media Arts at DePaul University
Annual income: $35,000
Hometown: Wilmette, Illinois
Has lived in Chicago for 12 years. Owns her own condo in the
Lakeview/Wrigleyville neighborhood.
Relationship status: single
Owns a 5-year-old dog name Winston, a Bichon/Poodle mix

81. 81
Professional:
Sally seeks professional advice through networking with her peers and
financial advice from her father, rather than reading publications for such
information. When she became an LLC, she sought the advice of a lawyer.
Being a woman in her field does not typically present issues but at times can be
frustrating. Sometimes women are not taken seriously. “A lot of people don’t
assume I’m the boss.” When she takes a male assistant along on a shoot, people
often approach him first with questions. “It’s annoying but I don’t get mad,” she
says. When she works on a production team, it can often turn in to a boy’s club,
like it was in graduate school. There is a certain rapport among the men that
doesn’t include her.
Leisure:
Online activity: Facebook, e-mail, online shopping are her main online
activities. She also uses IMDB and Yahoo news scroll frequently. Shops online for
video equipment and clothes.
Reading: Novels- fiction and non-fiction, mystery/thrillers,
biographies/memoirs
TV: Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Project Runway, The Mindy Project,
random shows on Netflix
Apps: Parking apps (SpotHero, etc.), apps for tickets and events, Pandora,
CTA tracker, star tracker
Hobbies: Swing dancing (3 hours/week), board gaming (3 hours/month),
volleyball (3 hours/week), Cooking Army
Music: jazz/swing, old blues, modern rock, pop, oldies
Sally mostly likes to go dancing when she goes out with friends. Her friends
are an even mix of business/artist types and male/female. She dances about
once a week at places like Fizz, the Green Mill, Alhambra Palace and
Summerdance in the summer. She dances to live jazz about twice a month, and
enjoys going to hear blues occasionally. She also enjoys the classical music in the
parks.
Fashion:
Shops online on ModCloth, receives the Venus catalog and occasionally
orders from it. Tries to avoid spending too much money in Anthropologie. Dresses
business casual if she’s on a shoot, otherwise when she goes out she has a classic
style: typically jeans, boots and a jacket. She owns 15 pairs of shoes, mostly flats,
heels are about 3 in. She only wears makeup when she goes out for work or social
activities, and uses it minimally.
Food and Drink:
Sally drinks about twice a week, socially at bars or parties. She likes cider,
sweet mix drinks and wine. She eats out about 2-3 times per week and cooks
once a week, and simply preparing her own food 3-4 times a week. Her favorite
foods are suchi, pasta, chicken and Thai. When she eats out, she usually spends
around $30 at sushi and Thai restaurants.
Love and Relationships:
Goes on dates about 2-3 times/month from Match.com.
What she looks for in a guy: a gentleman, not awkward, easy-going, open
to doing new things
So far her dating life has been a lot of hard and occasionally turns out to
be fun and satisfying. She wants to find a partner that is reliable. What she really
wants to know about dating now is: Are there any good single men her age
left??
Chicago:

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Sally has lived in Chicago for 12 years. She likes the restaurants, the
lake, the architecture, the dancing, and overall Midwest friendliness. She also
enjoys the fact that this is a dog town.
She dislikes the political corruption, high property and sales taxes, long
winters and dysfunctional public transportation.
What she would like to know more about in Chicago: Hidden gems in not-
so-obvious neighborhoods, such as restaurants and local shops in less-than-trendy
neighborhoods that aren’t talked about as much. She finds it fun to explore new
places in those neighborhoods.
Magazines:
Sally almost never reads magazines. When she does, she reads them in
print in waiting rooms or at her parents’ house. She’ll usually pick up People or
Glamour. She used to read Cosmopolitan, but quit years ago because it got to
be all the same. She used to subscribe to TimeOut when they had a print version,
to find out what was going on in Chicago, but now she rarely visits their site
because she doesn’t think to. She usually only visits the site when they post
something interesting on Facebook. When it came to her door, she already had it
in her hands, and felt that she should read it because she paid for it. It’s the same
with the Venus catalog—because it’s physically in her hands, she feels she can
take 2 minutes to browse; otherwise, she wouldn’t think to go to their site to shop
around.
Topics she likes to read about: celebrity gossip, politics, current election, debates
Her opinion of current women’s magazines is that they’re “classy trash,”
something mindless to pass the time. In the future she would like to see content
about local events that she can afford, such as social networking events. A lot of
what she sees now seem to be galas and fundraisers that are far out of her price
range. She is interested in learning about basic, casual networking events, like at
a bar, where she can hand out business cards.
What do you think of FW?
“It looks like a lot of other women’s magazines. I like to go to events and benefits
in the city, but the ones FW talks about seem way out of my price range, interests
and social circle. I’d like to see content about events and topics I can actually
afford and that are unique and interesting.”
Women:
Sally feels that today, the voice of women is stronger and their opinions
are taken more in to consideration. They’re not as much second class citizens as
a hundred years ago, but they’re still not taken as seriously as men. They’re not
seen as equals in the workplace. They also have an immense pressure that men
don’t have of being expected to balance work and family life, especially now
that more women are stepping in to the workforce in full time, high-ranking
positions. She’s not sure if this issue is being dealt with- some men are more
understanding than others, but the concept is still accepted in society. Personally,
in her field of editing, the gender roles are fairly balanced, but she would have to
challenge stereotypes more if she was a director or cinematographer.
Hypothetical:
If you were stuck on an island and could only bring 3 things, what would they be
and why?
“My dog (because I love him), a toothbrush, and a pot.”
If you were given $150,000, what would you do with it?
“I’d help fund a major motion picture with the agreement that I get to
edit it.”