MAGAZINES: GQ - AUDIENCE + INDUSTRY

Audience

1) How does the media kit introduction describe GQ?

- GQ is to be forward-looking, progressive and cutting-edge.

2) What does the media kit suggest about masculinity? 

- As masculinity evolves and men's fashion has moved to the centre of the global pop-culture conversation, GQ's authority has never been broader or stronger.

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

- 7.3M TOTAL REACH, 212K READERSHIP, 1.8M SOCIAL FOLLOWERS

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

-  GQ HEROES: ISSUE & EVENT, GQ HYPE, MEN OF THE YEAR, TENTPOLE VIDEO AND SOCIAL SERIES

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

- With viewers watching more than 10 million hours of content. In 2022, globally-renowned GQ franchises including Actually Me, 10 Essentials and Iconic Characters launch in the UK, joining local series like Action Replay to create our most dynamic

lineup of video, ever. That video programming will also hit all of British GQ’s social channels, where audiences have  grown more than 30% in the past year to top 2 million.

Media Magazine feature: GQ

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

- someone who will do a GQ cover to help their brand/image.

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

- since its targeted at men, it focuses on men's style and high-end watch brands.

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

-  the brand want to promote themselves around masculinity and high end luxury lifestyles.

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

- a weekly, online-only cover. Celebrities – and their agents/publicists, naturally want a GQ print cover, but with only so many on offer, previously the drop-off from not getting a print cover could be drastic.

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

- Extra revenue streams are vital to the magazine business these days it’s almost impossible to survive without them.

Industries

Condé Nast

1) Who was previously GQ editor for 22 years? 

- Dylan Jones

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

- Jones has distanced himself from the “lads’ mag” boom of the 1990s, saying it “denigrated our culture”, but he continued to argue that a successful magazine needs “a libido, whether you are French Vogue or Vanity Fair”.

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

- Jones, the most recognisable British departure from Condé Nast for a while, is not expected to be the last. The company says it will “continue to bring together our European business” and is “entering into a collective consultation process to evolve some of our teams, roles and capabilities.

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

- Last year Conde Nast merged the global editorial teams at several of its international magazine brands including GQ, Wired, Vogue and Conde Nast Traveller under a new digital-first strategy designed to produce less duplication of content

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

-Roger Lynch told the New York Times the digital-first changes meant Conde Nast was “no longer a magazine company,” 

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

- “Conde Nast, as much as anything else, is in the business of shaping and reflecting culture. Culture moves, and we have to move with it.

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

-The company is focusing on reaching those segments of its audience who do not watch traditional broadcast and cable networks. “Last year we announced the launch of the Condé Nast Influence Network, our alternative to traditional broadcast and cable networks,

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

-live Vogue fashion show, Met Gala and Vanity Fair’s Oscars Party

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

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

GQ website, video and social media content 

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

-typography and colour scheme

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

-it is catering to the audiences different interests by creating a variety of options to look from.

3) What does GQ's Instagram feed suggest about the GQ brand? Is this appealing to a similar audience to the print version of the magazine?

- their instagram feed shows diversity within the people they feature and images which appeal to the audience.

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

- i would say print due to it's complex design on the front of the magazines and that they produce quite often.

5) Evaluate the success of the GQ brand online. Does it successfully communicate with its target audience? Will the digital platforms eventually replace the print magazine completely?

- i would say that GQ has a successful brand online which successfully communicates with their audience as they gain a large audience.

The impact of digital media on the print magazines industry

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

- Sales of the top 100 actively purchased print titles in the UK – those that readers buy or subscribe to – fell by 42% from 23.8m to 13.9m between 2010 and 2017. Since the start of the internet era in 2000, the decline is 55% from 30.8m, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

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

-Google and Facebook account for 65% of the $6.5bn (£4.7bn) UK digital display ad market

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

- build a brand beyond the core print publication

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

-“Endorsement, accreditation and licensing are increasingly lucrative. DFS sell House Beautiful and Country Living [named after titles] range sofas. And the bestselling premium home gym at Argos is branded after our Men’s Health magazine.”

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

-using digital content and social media platforms like YouTube, facebook and Instagram.