Moving forward into 2004, Vibe’s 11th year of publishing effective from their first issue (January), the VIBE rate base will be 850,000. This represents an

increase of more than 3% from the 2003 rate base of 825,000 and an increase of 750% or 750,000 copies from their launch in September 1993. This tremendous growth is being achieved through the following tactics,

newsstands, airport/terminal, promotions with high visibility, in-store promotions at music retails, trade advertising, targeted regional promotions,

promotions in all major book and video chain stores, college bookstore promotions and international promotions etc.

The VIBE subscriber base continues to grow, with an estimated increase of close to 5% in 2004. Approximately 15,000 new subscription orders every month from insert cards within the magazine, internet sources, two direct

mail campaigns etc.

The audience of men to women is 50/50. The median age of Vibe’s readers is 27 years old and the median HHI income is $40, 595. Vibe’s readers are

known to be multi-ethnicity, from black, white, Asian to Spanish and Latin Decent and more people

of colour over all. Vibe’s audience vitality 1997 – 2003 up 212% in audience since Vibe was first

measured.

The image of the Artist overlaps the name of the magazine, this might suggest that the man, the artist, is perhaps a well known representation of genre of the magazine.

Red is used all over majority of the magazine, eye catching and portrays various moods and feelings., and with this issue it is quite a lot of sexual connotation with the red standing for hot, sexy and the artist with his top off drenched in water.

Although anyone can immediately see the picture is for the female audience, sub-headings on the front cover are clearly for male readers i.e. ‘4 Ways to Rock a Suit’. This tells the readers it caters for everyone.

The topics mentioned on the cover of the magazine all relate with African American culture as the Artist on the cover.

Not only does the magazine address the music issues but sports... ‘In the NBA’ and Worldwide news ‘Haiti.’

A common convention of Vibe magazine is the simple one coloured background with a lens flare and photo of their main topic/Artist(s) of the issue; usually who’s hot in the charts right now. Different text sizes are used but fonts remain the same throughout the magazine, different colours are also used to highlight particular titles of the magazines. The colours used are also linked to the colours in trend that Artists might be wearing in the shoots featured in the magazine.

Q’s readership is 547,000.Their social group consists of 72% ABC1 readers who

have high disposable income.The target age is approximately 29 - Q’s audience is

known to be younger and more affluent than any other music monthly.

68% of the readers are male.Q’s solos readership is an impressive 69% – this means you can only reach these 378,000 people through using

Q.

Brand influence: Q’s specialist depth and

knowledge of the world of music helps make it a brandwith significant influence value. In a study vs. other

magazine brands, Q scored an impressively high score of 73%, higher than both GQ and Esquire

This is reinforced by the average Q reader’s propensityto play the role of an Influencer amongst their peers for everything from financial services to food and toiletries

The masthead is very simple just the letter Q–being the magazines recognisable symbol-in a bold white and red colour theme. Its bold effect stands behind the main image which blends in nicely as a whole image, because the masthead is bold and recognisable to its audience it can take risks like this.

The skyline is very bold as it is the main text on the whole front cover seen as there is no cover lines. It’s written in gold highlighting important text see it’s quite a royal colour.

Red is always a continuous theme throughout all the issues of the magazines. It’s a common convention and code. Any other colour used on the issue will be unrecognisable to the audience they’ve managed to build up.

The main image on this issue. It is a medium close up making it the main focus, as also all of the text has either been blended in or placed around the image. The band has been put into black and white making the front cover as a whole have a laid back approach, as it makes the band look calm. This is also good on keeping small focus on the text as they have been put in brighter colours. The lead man at the front is holding a trophy which is just a giant Q this is directly under the masthead Q which symbolises a mirrored effect, also it looks good by the colour differences on both Q’s.

I have found certain codes and conventions that Q use, creating a strong theme and identity for itself and making it recognisable.The use of colour is important here as the red masthead stands out and is very strong. The semiotics behind red often draw attention and it is recognised as a stimulant, red is sub-consciously perceived as exciting and energetic. It is also often linked with love and danger. Leading on from the use of red within the masthead, I have found that throughout each cover, elements of red have been used throughout. This again works creating an identity for Q Magazine. In terms of text, I have noticed that Q has used only a hand-full of various fonts which work well together. This small group of fonts again links to the concept of creating an identity, making it stand out and easily recognised. For their sub-headings they often use bold capital fonts and for the smaller text, more classical serif fonts giving connotations of sophistication. You often find the colours of these headings are white or red as they stand out against the backgrounds and work with the on-going colour palette. "The UK's Biggest Music Magazine" is on each normal issue and again links within the theme as it is repeatedly used on each monthly issue.

Again you can see the consistent colour theme of red/black/white continuing onto the contents page. There is a classic black and white picture of a man on the contents page which links to the font at the top of the page; the classical times new roman font. Red is used at the top which holds the Q title as it does on the front cover. Moreover, this contents page are quite different from other Q contents pages as pages numbers are included beside every description or image. The pictures have been placed in different angles creating a scrapbook-like effect, as though it has been stuck down. This gives connotations of a personal feel with the reader.

Q CONTENTS PAGE ANALYSIS

MAGAZINE INSTITUIONS• Bauer Media is a division of the Bauer Media Group, Europe’s largest privately owned

publishing Group. The Group is a worldwide media empire offering over 300 magazines in 15 countries, as well as online, TV and radio stations.

• Bauer Media joined the Bauer Media Group in January 2008 following acquisition of Emap plc’s consumer and specialist magazines, radio, TV, online and digital businesses. Collectively, the Group employs some 6,400 people.

• Bauer Media is a multi-platform UK-based media Group consisting of many companies collected around two main divisions – Magazines and Radio - widely recognised and rewarded as being industry innovators.

• Our business is built on influential media brands with millions of personal relationships with engaged readers and listeners. Our strategy is to connect audiences with excellent content through our broad multi-touch point brand platforms, wherever and whenever and however they want. Our wide portfolio of influential brands gives us advantages over pure play magazine or radio competitors.

• Our magazine heritage stretches back to 1953 with the launch of Angling Times and the acquisition in 1956 of Motor Cycle News, both still iconic brands within our portfolio.

• In 1994, the company bought a small magazine called For Him Magazine which is now the core of the best-selling international multi-platform brand FHM.

• In 1996, we acquired digital music TV channel The Box, as a route into the small screen business, which has grown into Box Television, a seven channel joint venture TV business with Channel 4.

• Today, Bauer Media spans over 80 influential brand names covering a diverse range of interests including heat – the must have weekly celebrity title, Parkers, MATCH!, CAR and Yours. For a full list our powerful brands, click here.

• Bauer Media is a sister company of H Bauer Publishing, publisher of the UK's biggest TV listings, Take a Break and Bella.

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY• With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music

Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Asylum, Atlantic, Cordless, East West, Elektra, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Rykodisc, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word, as well as Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music publishers, with a catalogue of more than one million copyrights worldwide.

• WMG comprises an array of businesses aimed at helping artists achieve long-term creative and financial success while providing consumers with the highest-quality music content available. WMG is engaged in the recorded music business (including artist services) and the music publishing business, and is a leading company in national and international repertoire that operates through numerous international affiliates and licensees in more than 50 countries.

• Our recorded music business includes our growing artist services business, which offers artist management, merchandising, touring, fan clubs, VIP ticketing, sponsorships and brand endorsements, and numerous third-party solutions that facilitate the sale of music-based content directly to consumers. Our artist services business works with WMG artists as well as artists not otherwise signed to WMG labels.

• Our primary music publishing business, Warner/Chappell Music, is one of the world's leading music publishers, with a catalogue of more than one million songs from more than 65,000 songwriters, and includes Non-Stop Music, a full service music production library company.

• In recent years, we've grown to become the world's third-largest recorded music business and third-largest music publishing business and, during a time of dramatic industry transition, have established ourselves as one of the music industry's most successful companies.

Throughout my research I have noticed that in Q magazine there is always a consistency of colours – red/black/white, however, with Vibe magazine colours are always depending on the main focus of the issue of the trending season colours to do with fashion.

A similarity between the two magazines is that they both have their main images at a medium close up placed on top of the masthead.

A difference between these two magazines is that on the front cover Q has always got so many sub-headings and quotes, however, with Vibe they have short punch lines regarding what’s including in the magazine. The reason why I think this is, is that Vibe magazine have a lot of their audience online so most of them are watching music videos and interviews to do with their latest music whereas Q magazine readers are on the run and the magazine is more accessible for them

Another difference between the two magazines is that Vibe will always have one, two, no more than 3 people on the front cover. Moreover, Q will always have a different number of people on the cover no matter the identity of the magazine.