Rookie Magazine Market Report | Chloe Hannah
Rookie Magazine is an online publication which focuses on subjects impacting adolescent girls lives and has regular contributions and articles written mainly by teenage girls as well as featuring guest contributors, created in 2011 by American fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson at 15 years of age. The subject matter ranges from pop culture, feminism and promoting designer’s recent collections to adolescent social issues. The website emits a distinct and recognisable aesthetic with a layout appealing to their target audience therefore catering for their common interests in a kitsch, eye catching design. Each month its content is divided into different editorial themes that drive the writing, photography and artwork published. “Rookie's content is divided into monthly "issues", each built around a theme. It updates five days a week, three times a day: roughly just after school, at dinnertime, and "when it’s really late and you should be writing a paper but are Facebook stalking instead." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rookie_(magazine) Three years prior to Rookies success, Tavis previous fashion blog ‘Style Rookie’ was popular on a global scale, gaining a social media presence and mass following on Twitter of 2,700 followers since launching. The blog was Gevinson’s platform for style blogging that lead her to move from fashion blogging onto social subjects, teamed with various content commonly featured as the array of curiosities girls in their teens have.
"Lately I've been looking to other places for creative outlet and for inspiration... Now i'm more intrigued by mixing fashion with the other stuff I've been enjoying" - Tavi Gevinson Discussions voicing Tavi’s advice in articles have influenced and engaged audiences visually and through writing continuously across Rookies posts. As the magazines location is online, its market position is based on the sales of its yearbooks, all which retail at $29.95. Rookie T-Shirt costing $20. Editor Tavi has stated that its purpose is not to ‘extract pocket money’ or ‘fit the mold’ fashion wise. In terms of popularity, the magazine is a moderately popular site and one of the most popular publications for the online mediums of its nature. It is one of the top competitors for similar magazines, its popularity is subsequently due to its unique selling point of openly discussing, educating and reassuring young girls about growing up. They also present areas of interest regarding fashion, pop culture music, photography and feminism. In the US the publication is 20,758th most visited site and 70,411th globally.
The brand has a range of unique characteristics, one of those being the exclusivity of releasing the first printed edition of the magazine, titled ‘Rookie Yearbook One’, published in 2012. Yearbooks result as a collective of articles, interviews, editorials, stickers and illustrations built up over the year. From the magazines first yearbook release, the project has been on going annually for four consecutive years and now will be the last edition of the series. The site is updated three times daily, five days a week ('After School Special,' 'Dinner Time' and 'Sweet Dreams'). The platform is not a “make-up, boys and high-heels place, but a more of a homemade, honest-feeling take on the daily lives of teenagers.” – Tavi http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2034528/ Tavi-Gevinson-From-fashion-blogger-Rookiemagazine-editor-chief.html This consistent output attracts an audience who regularly involve themselves in social media and spend their time accessing the internet, teen girls interact online in such a large way compared to all other age ranges which matches and caters to the target audience’s informative lifestyle desires. An innovative characteristic is the audience’s involvement in the process of building each issues publication content, a significant amount of Rookie’s content is submitted by teenage girls regularly contributing to its releases, this strategy creates a relationship between the audience and magazine proving important to updating its content as well as interacting with its audience. Its online availability reaches an international audience, 60% of the sites visitors are of US residence. Playlists are posted on Fridays, by fans submissions and editors categorised by title including a summer playlist, break up, Halloween etc. Relating and influencing reader’s music taste can connect the magazine and reader on a personal level through music.
STRENGTHS It is run by a teenage blogger, due to her age she has a better understanding of audiences concerns and interests being in that position herself. Visually pleasing with a strong appeal to their audience’s taste. Promotes body positivity for girls along with covering race, age, and class authenticity knocking down the social barriers and instead encouraging solidarity. Collaborative articles with celebrities of similar age range such as Willow Smith, Lorde and Emma Watson drives their website activity following this strategy of celebrity advertising. The site covers a broad range of issues, engaging their target market on a frequent basis. The updates daily mean there is always content available. The exclusivity of annual yearbooks creates a desire for the print, however having an online version of content filters towards their market by being online, transporting of their physical medium in the form of yearbooks is limited to the areas they ship to, having this content online makes it accessible to everyone no matter where they are therefore gaining more of a following. WEAKNESSES Yearbooks could be viewed as a weakness due to their annual release, high demand for physical products rather than just being an online presence is likely within their market. Being a niche brand comes with not being of interest to all, and meeting the consumer’s tastes will not appeal to everyone.
OPPORTUNITIES Selling to clothing and lifestyle stores is a great platform to expand your market and increase the publicity, image and reputation of the brand. Clothing stores with gift, home and lifestyle sections in store such as Urban Outfitters, Topshop, Forever 2, book shops and exhibition are all potential spaces to sell. Hosting several events in different cities across the US ranging from zine-making workshops, reading and signings to dance parties are actively promoting the brands philosophy. Event widespread across different countries in the future would reach out to global markets. Further collaborations with young celebrities with reach to a wider audience and increase attention and custom from social media coverage. THREATS Many publications aimed for this market contain similar themes, plays on the same aesthetics due to past success in attracting their target market in this approachable way, making competition fierce. Clothing stores with gift, home and lifestyle sections in store are affecting customer’s decision to purchase due to the array of products.
Visuals across the site are elements of designer’s new collections, beauty looks, photographer’s releases, artist’s artwork and videos and organizational pintables like calendars, stickers, banners, DIY clothing tutorials and style section. The tone set by the brand is an open minded understanding yet unapologetic atmosphere emitted combined with the use of informal language in all aspect of the site script, relating to its target market illiterately. The tone of voice comes across in the brands literature is a friendly and approachable asking rhetorical questions answering them providing helpful advice.
Rookie has a number of unique selling points which makes it so desirable hit within it’s market, it’s editor is a world most famous youth blogger attracting millions to the site from previous work under her name. What Rookie has that many money making magazines don’t have is principle and a desire to connect deeply with the market rather than make as much profit as possible. The brand specializes in image positivity and self worth, advice surrounding growing up, articles and subject matters around art forms as well as social worries, also promoting emerging artists and writers. Layout and artwork is an attractive trait the magazine emits with a girly yet expressive and quirky feel with many personal touches that include handwriting, stickers and banners that create its unique look. In terms of brand identity Rookie have created a niche aesthetic that has helped them achieve their signature style and name amongst the blogging world. Rookie targets a market of females in their teens, internet averages confirm most site activity is from females currently attending school/college browsing while working and at home.
Rookies strongest competitor is independent magazine ‘Ballad Of' due to corresponding audience, art/artists influence, discussions, fashion and photography editorials, yet way more visually heavy compared with Rookie teamed with a clean, nostalgic, minimal aesthetic. The publication is priced between £4, £5 and £10 depending on issue. ‘Ballad Of is a bi annual print magazine and online exhibition space that celebrates the best emerging artists. It’s a place to inspire and encourage collaboration and networking under the umbrella - if it’s interesting and beautiful, then it’s art and we’re interested. - http:// www.balladof.co.uk/ The publication is distributed widespread and through independent stockists in London including MAGMA, Harrods, Rough Trade, Tate Modern, Soho Original Books and Selfridges. They also have distributers in Leeds, Edinburgh, Berlin and Japan. Followed by Typical Girls magazine, a print celebrating feminism, issues in society. This magazine is based and founded in Brighton, England and the first issue Volume One was released October 22, 2015. Typical Girls is a small print, perfect bound publication that aims to create positive and diverse representations of women globally and in the media. The creators and editors of this publication confirm that it is closer to a book than a magazine although some readers would put it in the zine category, filled with stories and articles involving women from around the globe the magazine intends to reach out to a worldwide female audience. Its purpose is to create and emit positive representations of women and how they are viewed in the media and public eye. The magazine aims to bring together women with a variety of backgrounds to form a collective and create a sense of community. It differs from Rookies price point costing £5 per issue.
STRENGTHS Promoting brands popular among young women such as JuJu footwear and Lazy Oaf etc in editorial shoots working both magazine and brand to draw attention towards two separate collaborative sites. Interviews with artists/photographers, exhibition information, promoted mag alongside lingerie designs the founder also runs ‘walking up with venus’ WEAKNESSES Issues are released bi annually therefore there is a long gap between releases and the engagement of their audience could be lost within that time period, making it more likely that the audience will seek a more frequent platform elsewhere. OPPORTUNITIES Not being able to view content online could put off potential customers due to the unknown information that only the cover advertises. By having an online version anyone across a global scale can assess it therefore creating more custom and increased sales. THREATS Their threats are the related publications aimed at teenage girls, as they all cover reflecting subjects and are targeting the same market.
Overall, Rookie stands high in the market and is strong competition for any brands entering the same market. Its success comes from understanding the audience, advice columns, a wide variety of content and different subject areas. In my opinion the regularity of its post is key to its popularity among this age range and gives the brand an advantage compared with others who don’t update their content as much. Its presentation works as an advantage due to aiming to attract the teenage market. The editor’s revenue is generated mainly by advertising on the site as well as sponsors, with plans to advertise including collaborations for events, with more money going into the business, expanding on events is the route Rookie wish to do down. "I have created outlets for processing experiences I go through that skew more "adult," but I also think that the emotions of what I go through in New York aren't that different from the stuff that happened in high school" - Tavi Gevinson
IMAGE LIST & BIBLIOGRAPHY LETTER LOGO https://lucfdm.com/2016/02/10/home/ TAVI WEARING LOGO http://www.thefashionlaw.com/home/anotherretailer-is-targeting-tavi-gevinsons-rookie-mark ILLUSTRATIONS http://www.kellyabeln.com/ILLUSTRATION-1/ Rookie-Yearbook PLAYLIST http://rookiemag.tumblr.com/post/71379418492/ friday-playlist-wave-goodbye-tunes-that-say-a WWW BALLAD OF LAYOUT https://www.facebook.com/BalladOf/photos TUMBLR ARCHIVE http://rookiemag.tumblr.com/archive Anon, 2016. Ballad Of...Magazine (@BalladOf) on Twitter. [online] Twitter.com. Available from: https://twitter.com/balladof?lang=en-gb [Accessed 4 Sep. 2016]. Smith, R., 2015. Why a new wave of independent magazines are thriving. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/media/11478027/ Why-a-new-wave-of-independent-magazines-arethriving.html [Accessed 2 Sep. 2016]. Anon, 2016. Media Tweets by Rookie (@RookieMag) Twitter. [online] Twitter.com. Available from: https://twitter.com/RookieMag/media [Accessed 5 Sep. 2016]. Anon, 2016. Tavi Gevinson. [online] Wikipedia. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tavi_Gevinson#2008. E2.80.932011:_Style_Rookie [Accessed 2 Sep. 2016]. Anon, 2016. The Best Alternative Fashion Magazines | Highsnobiety. [online] Highsnobiety. Available from: http://www.highsnobiety.com/2016/02/17/bestalternative-fashion-magazines/ [Accessed 2 Sep. 2016].