magazine mind map

1. OCR Media Studies – A2 Level
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio
Magazine
Planning & Research
Generation of Ideas for Ancillary Product 1) –
Name: Keir Speirs
Candidate Number: 4131
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
TV Magazine Front Cover

2. History and circulation figures
‘What's on TV’ was founded in 1991. Before this, two TV magazines
were available: Radio Times for BBC listings and TV Times for ITV.
Ever since then they release a new issue every week. Which includes
all the latest gossip from soaps and reality TV, documentaries and
dramas are also covered. ‘What's on TV’ magazine is published by IPC
Media and Time Inc.
Source: http://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/19231794.pdf
From the
circulation figures I
have found out
that most copies
are sold in the UK.
However, some
copies are sold in
other countries.
Also the amount of
digital copies are a
lot less than hard
copies.
The above Front Cover
will be used as a source of
inspiration for my own
magazine.

3. Masthead Ideas
• Soap – This verbal code connotes that this magazine is about soap operas.
• Weekly Soap – This again connotes that the magazine is going to be issued weekly
and have the weeks most scandalous soap stories inside.
• That’s what I call soap! – This connotes to the reader that this magazine is all
about soap operas.
Main Headline – (Merland Rise)
• Merland Rise – I hope to use an ‘!’ at the end of the headline. This will make it
stand out to the reader and will intrigue them to want to read the magazine. I
hope my headline will be very bold with maybe a stroke effect around the
headline. This will make the headline stand out even more and make the reader
want to read the magazine. I hope to have each word on a separate line. Also I
want it to be the biggest text on the page so it will stand out and everyone will
know about the new soap ‘Merland Rise’.

4. Images
• For my main headline image I could use all the main characters or only a select few
that star in the soap. This will effectively ‘inform’ (Katz) the reader to know about
all the characters in the soap opera. For only the select few character it will
connotes to the reader that the first main story in the soap will be about these
characters.
• For my cover lines I will use images of characters from other soap operas. This
connotes to the audience that this magazine is about other soaps and not just
‘Merland Rise’.
Strapline
• For a strap line I could use ‘ALL THE STORIES! ALL THE GOSSIP EVERY WEEK’. This
will connote to the audience that my magazine has every story for all the soaps.
Also it lets the audience know that my magazine is issued weekly.
• The language used should be short and straight top the point. This makes it easier
for the audience to read and understand what is included in my magazine.

5. Price
• I hope to price my magazine for one of the cheapest on the market but still have
all the information about all the soaps. This will make the audience want to buy
my magazine more as it is cheapest but still has a lot of information ‘What’s on TV’
roughly price there magazine at 50p. Therefore I will price my magazine for about
40p-45p.
Puff Promotion
• For a puff promotion I could offer competitions and prizes. This will attract the
reader into buying the magazine and offer a potential USP over other rival
publications.
• Another idea for a puff promotion I could offer a free tour around the set and
meet the cast. This will attract readers to my magazine as they will want to by the
magazine to try and win the prize.

6. Synergy with Social Media
• The magazine they will have a ‘Facebook’ and ‘Twitter’ page. This is where the
magazine will post the latest gossip and clues building up to the next episode of a
soap in order to appease a passive, ‘social climber’ (Maslow) readership. This
connotes to the reader that they don’t have to buy the magazine as they can go on
their ‘Facebook’ or ‘Twitter’ page and read all the gossip OR broaden their
understanding with further exclusives not published in the magazine such as
interviews with the cast answering questions from viewers and photos of behind
the scene.

7. Conclusion
• Now I have planed my magazine front cover, I can now go out and purchase my
“magazine of inspiration”. With this I can see which conventions I can use from the
magazine and incorporate them in my own publication.
• I need to organise what characters I am going to use for my main images and cover
line images. This mean finding people who fit the characters from my soap operas.
I also need to find props, for example costume and make up. This will be relatively
easy as the characters can use their ordinary clothes so there is no need to buy any
new clothes. In terms of font styles I can go on ‘Da Font.com’ and download a
suitable font style that matches my magazine style.
• When it comes to creating my magazine front cover I will be using ‘Photoshop
CS5’. This is because it is easy to use and edit photos and text. Also I have had
previous experience with this software so I will know what I am doing.