Institution Research

Introduction: History of the magazine

Kerrang! Was first published on the 6th June 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper. The name Kerrang! Comes from the onomatopoetic word that derives from the sound of a power chord being made on an electric guitar. In the early 2000’s, Kerrang! Became the best-selling British newspaper.

Content of the magazine

FEEDBACK

NEWS

SWAG (PUFF)

LIVE REVIEWS

FEATURES

ALBUM REVIEWSGIG GUIDES

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

THE BAUER MEDIA GROUP

Bauer Media Group is a large European based media company which manages magazines, digital products, tv station and radio.

Bauer publishes Kerrang!, Bella, Take A Break and That’s Life!

Bauer Media has a 50% stake in Box Television, which is half owned by Channel 4. Channels include 4Music, Heat, Kerrang, Magic, Smash Hits and Kiss.

The typical reader profile

Kerrang!’s main audience ranges from the ages of 15-24. 54.7% of these people are male, whereas the other 45.3% are female.

Layout trademarks of the magazine

The masthead of Kerrang! Magazine is always portrayed as capital letters, with a smashed look effect, which supports the idea that this is a heavy music magazine.

At the top of the front cover, splash is always included, mainly in bright colours such as yellow and red.

The central image of Kerrang! Is of a well known music figure(s) relating to the genre of the magazine. Ie, Billy Joe, Dave Grohl, etc.