VS MAGAZINE STUDY
KATIE HOPKINS
BRIEF THE MAGAZINE LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED OVER THE RECENT YEARS DUE TO LIFESTYLE BRANDS LIKE KINFOLK. KINFOLK IS A LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE THAT EXPLORES WAYS FOR READERS TO SIMPLIFY THEIR LIVES, CULTIVATE COMMUNITIES AND SPEND MORE TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. USING A SWOT ANALYSIS EVALUATE THE MAGAZINE AGAINST ONE OR MORE OF THE HEARST MAGAZINES, IDENTIFYING DIFFERENCES AND CONSIDER WHETHER THIS IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR UK AUDIENCES.
NATHAN WILLIAMS, HIS WIFE AND TWO FRIENDS CREATED KINFOLK IN 2011, THEIR FINAL YEAR OF COLLEGE. LOOKING FOR A MAGAZINE THAT DIDN'T SELL TO THE STEREOTYPICAL YOUNG AUDIENCE THEY CREATED A LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE TO FILL IN THIS GAP. AND SO, KINFOLK WAS BORN AND PROVIDES THE AUTHENTIC READING MATERIAL THEY WERE INTERESTED IN. WHETHER THAT BE TRAVEL, FOOD OR CONVERSATIONS WITH LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS, THEY CREATED A PUBLICATION THAT FINDS YOU "LEARNING ABOUT A PARTICULAR WAY OF LIFE AND PARTICIPATING IN IT AT THE SAME TIME" (EVA ROSA PARK, EDITOR OF CEREAL MAGAZINE).
AT 150 YEARS OLD, HARPER'S BAZAAR IS KNOWN FOR "BEAUTIFUL VISUALS, INTELLIGENT WRITING, AWARD-WINNING ART DIRECTION, WORLD CLASS PHOTOGRAPHY AND A CONSISTENTLY THOUGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING OF FASHION" (BAZAAR,2018). WHILST STILL REMAINING A FASHION MAGAZINE, FOCUSING ON STYLE, BAZAAR REACHES AN AUDIENCE THAT IS CULTURED, TRAVELLED AND PASSIONATE ABOUT DESIGN. ALONGSIDE OTHER HEARST TITLES IT STANDS PROUD IN NEWSSTANDS READILY AVAILABLE TO THE WORKING WOMAN NOT ONLY IN THE UK BUT WORLDWIDE.
NICHE MARKET CUSTOMERS ATTRACTED TO LIFESTYLE BRANDS
S
BRANCHED OUT TO BOOKSÂ HAVE A GALLERY SPACE DOESN'T PUBLISH INFORMATION ABOUT ITSELF IN ORDER TO STAY MYSTERIOUS
O
COULD MAKE IT AVAILABLE IN MORE STORES TO INCREASE CIRCULATION CREATE MORE ENGAGEMENT ON INSTAGRAM BY POSTING MORE REGULARLY THAN EVERY 3 DAYS
KINFOLK
W
NOT AVAILABLE TO BUY WIDELY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OTHER MAGAZINES ON MARKET
T
OTHER MAGAZINES INSPIRED BY KINFOLK MIGHT BECOME MORE READILY AVAILABLE AND PICKED UP IN THEIR PLACE PRICE COULD PUT PEOPLE OFF BUYING PAPER MAGAZINE MARKET SLOWLY DECREASING
HARPER'S BAZAAR
S
LARGER FOLLOWING BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR 150 YEARS AVAILABLE FROM NEWSSTANDS
O
KEEP PURSUING BAZAAR AT WORK FOR INSIGHTS INTO THE INDUSTRY AND THE WORKING WOMAN BY FOCUSING ON LIFESTYLE FEATURES THEY BROADEN THEIR AUDIENCE FROM JUST FASHIONÂ
W
WEBSITE FOCUSES MORE ON CELEB AND POPULAR CULTURE WHERE THE MAGAZINE HOLDS MORE EDITORIAL STYLE IMAGERY
OTHER SIMILAR FASHION MAGAZINES, NEED TO KEEP IN LINE WITH THEIR OWN BRAND TO STAY INDIVIDUAL DIGITAL MAY TAKE OVER PRINT, NEED TO KEEP DESIRABLE TO PICK UP A HARD COPY INSTEAD OF A DIGITAL
T
ADVERT FOR OWN MAGAZINE AND THOSE THAT FIT PERFECTLY WITH THE BRAND
LAYOUT ONLINE AD FOR PRINT SPECIAL, KINFOLK CUSTOMER WOULD WANT KEEPSAKE AND 'PLEASURE OF PAPER' ELEGANT TYPEFACE
KEY THEMES IN MENU
MINIMAL LAYOUT
EASY TO READ GRID WITH RECENT ARTICLES LISTED
LINK TO THEIR GALLERYOFFLINE MEDIA INFORMATION ABOUT THE MAGAZINE AND CREATIVES INVOLVED PERSONAL FOLLOWER BUTTONS FOR SOCIAL CHANNELS
LAYOUT ONLINE
LARGE LOGO HEADER WITH EDITORIAL SHOT, ONE OF FEW ON HOMEPAGE
DIFFERENT HOMEPAGES FOR DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
RUN DOWN OF RECENT ARTICLES, SHOWING MORE THEMES OF MAGAZINE
LARGE ADVERTÂ
KEY THEMES IN MENU
RECENT ARTICLE; MOST LIKELY CELEBRITY, TV OR POPULAR CULTURE TO ENGAGE THE READER WITH POPULAR KNOWLEDGE AND RECENT NEWS
BAZAAR AT WORK FOCUSES ON INDUSTRY ARTICLES AND PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE FIT FOR CUSTOMER FOLLOW LINK TO SOCIAL CHANNELS
LAYOUT OFFLINE PASTEL BACKGROUND
EDITORIAL STYLE IMAGE
HEAVY PAPER STOCK
SMALL TEXT DISPLAYING THE CONTENT OF THE ISSUE
CLEAN AND CLEAR
WHITE SPACE
LACK OF ADS
COLLOQUIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
IMAGE LED
PERSONAL ARTICLES
LAYOUT OFFLINE ELEGANT FONT FOR A PRESTIGIOUS MAGAZINE
GLOSSY THIN PAPER
LOGO, CHANGES COLOURS AND OVERLAY PER ISSUE
CONSIDERABLY MORE ADVERTSÂ
EDITORS LETTER; SYNONYMOUS TO FASHION MAGAZINES
LARGE TEXT TO INTICE THE READER ON KEY STORIES
CELEBRITY FEATURES
COLLAGE STYLE IMAGE LAYOUT
E-COMMERCE IMAGES WITH PRICES
SOCIAL MEDIA
ONE INSTAGRAM CHANNEL FOR WHOLE BRAND ART DIRECTED SHOTS LINK IN BIO TO NEWEST ISSUE NO BIO NEEDED AS PHOTOS SHOW BRAND IMAGE CAN UNDERSTAND THE BRAND AND MAGAZINE PERSONALITY ART LED IMAGERY
UK INSTAGRAM TO PERSONALISE TO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES MARKET INSTAGRAM STORIESMORE CELEBRITY NEWS BASED INFORMATION AND POPULAR CULTURE MOSTLY CELEBRITY/KEY NEWS/ARTICLE SHOTS LESS FOLLOWING THAN KINFOLK, COULD BE BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS FOR DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
KINFOLK MAY HAVE MORE FOLLOWERS ON PINTEREST, A KEY SOCIAL PLATFORM FOR INSPIRATIONAL IMAGERY, HOWEVER THEIR ENGAGEMENT WITH MONTHLY VIEWERS IS BELOW BAZAAR. FOLLOWING MAY BE LESS FOR BAZAAR DUE TO MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS SIMILARLY TO INSTAGRAM BUT WITH 4.2MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VIEWERS THEY MAY BE MORE ACTIVE. KINFOLK HAVE NOT USED THIS PLATFORM FOR 2 YEARS AS OPPOSED TO 17 WEEKS FOR BAZAAR. BOTH BRANDS SEEM TO HAVE STOPPED USING THIS PLATFORM, SUGGESTING PINTEREST ISN'T AS POPULAR FOR BRAND TO CONSUMER CONNECTION.
SIMILARITIES & DIFFERENCES
14.99 NICHE BOOKSTORES WHSMITH ANTHROPOLOGIE AMAZON
£
WHSMITH NEWSAGENTS AMAZON
4.70
< 32 C
IR
85,000
EDITIONS
5
C
U
LA
T
IO
N
110,294 (BAZAAR UK)
MONTHLY
QUARTERLY ART INTERIORS CITY GUIDES
SIMILAR THEMES BUT DIFFERENT WAYS TO ADDRESS THEM
THEMES IN BOTH CULTURE TRAVEL FOOD AND DRINK
CUSTOMERS 70% OF READERS WORK IN A CREATIVE PROFESSION
25-35 YEAR OLDS
COMMUNITY
TAKING TIME OUT
FIRST TO BUY THE BEST
AVERAGE AGE 42
REACH 883,000 STYLISH, HIGH NETWORTH INDIVIDUALS
1
TOTAL WELLBEING INTERESTED IN TREATING THEIR BODIES LIKE AN ECOSYSTEM AND FOCUSING ON PERSONAL NEEDS. (MINTEL)
2
CLEAN LIVERS CONSUMERS ADOPTING CLEAN-LIVING, MORE MINIMALIST LIFESTYLES, WHERE MODERATION AND INTEGRITY ARE KEY. (EUROMONITOR)
3
AUTHENTICITY CONSUMERS SAY THE BEST WAYS FOR BRANDS TO BE AUTHENTIC ARE TO COMMUNICATE OPENLY AND HONESTLY, ESTABLISH, SHARE AND STICK WITH THEIR VALUES AND HAVE A RELEVANT AND ENGAGING STORY TO TELL. (9 SPOKES)
CONSUMER TRENDS 18/19
 LIFESTYLE MAGAZINES OF INFLUENCE OH COMELY 41.4K FOLLOWING 2010
A CITY MADE BY PEOPLE 1.7K FOLLOWING 2016
ESQUIRE UK 211K FOLLOWING 1991
CEREAL 1.2K FOLLOWING 2013
ANOTHER ESCAPE 29.1K FOLLOWING 2013
WALLPAPER 1M FOLLOWING 1996
OAK 30.8K FOLLOWING 2014
WHY LIFESTYLE FEATURES ARE PIVOTAL TODAY SINCE THE RISE OF KINFOLK MAGAZINE AND THE NEED FOR EXPERIENCE OVER POSSESSIONS, LIFESTYLE FEATURES BECOME A VITAL PART OF THE MEDIA INDUSTRY TO KEEP CONSUMERS INTERESTED. WITH LESS DISPOSABLE INCOME AND NEW GENERATIONS VALUE SPENDING MONEY LESS THAN BEING WITH OTHERS, MAGAZINES NEED TO TUNE INTO THIS MOVEMENT TO KEEP ONLINE PUBLICATIONS ALIVE. KINFOLK IS A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF THIS AND CHANGED THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT A PUBLICATION. FROM THE HEAVY PAPER STOCK, TO THE IMAGERY TRIGGERING EMOTION AND CONNECTION, IT RELATES AND GIVES THE CONSUMER MORE THAN JUST PAGES OF TEXT. THE ACT OF READING AND THE PLEASURE TO THE EYE, CLEAR FONTS AND EFFORT TO TURN A PAGE, PROVIDE AN EXPERIENCE AND SOMETHING TO BE ADMIRED FROM A DISTANCE AS WELL AS READ IN DEPTH. WHILST MAGAZINES STRUGGLE TO STAY A DEMAND FOR READERS, RESORTING TO ONLINE MEDIA, LIFESTYLE FEATURES OFFER THE MATERIAL NEEDED TO GET THE READER INTERESTED ONCE MORE. HARPER'S BAZAAR (UK) OFFER MORE THAN JUST THE OUTSTANDING FASHION IT IS KNOWN FOR, WITH ADDED SUBSTANCE ON WOMEN IN INDUSTRY, CULTURE AND TRAVEL ARTICLES IT STAYS ON TOP OF KNOWING IT'S MARKET AND GIVING THE READER MORE THAN EXPECTED. A FASHION MAGAZINE IS THERE TO INDULGE AFTER, AND THE GLOSSY PAGES SPREADING FROM CITY GUIDES TO FOOD AND DRINK OFFER LIFESTYLE IN A NEW LUXURY SENSE.
BAZAAR MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME CUSTOMER AS KINFOLK BUT WITH SIMILAR KEY THEMES RUNNING THROUGH THE PUBLICATIONS, IT IS CLEAR THE BRAND VALUES CROSS PATHS IN SPENDING TIME WISELY AND ENJOYING THE SPACE AROUND YOU. SINCE CONSUMERS REQUIRE THE NEED FOR BRANDS TO TELL A STORY, LIFESTYLE CAN BE THE PERFECT WAY TO RELATE TO THEIR CONSUMER AND PROVIDE A WAY INTO THE MINIMAL OR LUXURY LIFESTYLE WITHOUT NEEDING A TRIP TO THE SHOPS. INSTEAD CONSUMPTION AND THE NEED TO PURCHASE TAKE A STEP TO THE SIDE, ALLOWING THE CLEAN-LIVING LIFESTYLE THEY ARE ASKING FOR TO BE OF GREATER INFLUENCE. BAZAAR MAY DIFFER FROM KINFOLK IN THIS SENSE AS THEIR CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS 'FIRST TO BUY THE BEST' AND KEEP UP TO DATE WITH STYLE, HOWEVER AS THIS IS ALL PART AND PARCEL OF THE BRAND'S STORY, IT FITS IN EVEN THOUGH MORE PARAPHERNALIA IS INVOLVED. WITH MORE TO OFFER, MAGAZINES TURN INTO BRANDS THAT FUEL OUR INSPIRATIONS AND THE WAY WE LIVE OUR DAILY LIVES. THE IMPORTANCE OF THEM KEEPING UP WITH OUR EVER CHANGING WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY AND NEWS, IS VITAL TO KEEP THEM COMING BACK TO THE GLOSSY MAGAZINE OR STUNNING COVER THEY USED TO GRAVITATE TOWARDS BEFORE THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. NOT ONLY DOES THAT MEAN PUBLICATIONS NEED TO STAY RELEVANT ONLINE, BUT REQUIRE MORE DESIRE ON PAPER FOR A CONSUMER TO SPEND THEIR MONEY, INVESTING IN NOT ONLY THE ISSUE BUT THE BRAND AND ITS IDENTITY.
SOURCES ILLUSTRATIONS BY ME: KINFOLK LOGO, BAZAAR LOGO, SOCIAL ICONS AND SMALL MAGAZINES (OAK, OH COMELY, CEREAL, A CITY MADE BY PEOPLE) OTHER IMAGES FROM SITES BELOW OR PINTEREST WEBSITES USED FOR RESEARCH: KINFOLK.COM HEARST.CO.UK/BRANDS/HARPERS-BAZAAR HARPERSBAZAAR.COM/UK PDXMONTHLY.COM/ARTICLES/2014/4/22/TEN-THINGS-YOUDIDNT-KNOW-ABOUT-KINFOLK-MAGAZINE-APRIL-2014 RACKED.COM/2016/3/14/11173148/KINFOLK-LIFESTYLEMAGAZINES HEARSTCOUK.WP.CDNDS.NET/TMP/WPRO1455618430437022/2016/ 02/15121705/HB_MEDIA-KIT_2016.PDF INSTAGRAM.COM/BAZAARUK INSTAGRAM.COM/KINFOLK PINTEREST.CO.UK/KINFOLKMAGAZINE PINTEREST.CO.UK/BAZAARUK MINTEL.COM/PRESS-CENTRE/SOCIAL-AND-LIFESTYLE/MINTELANNOUNCES-SIX-NEW-TRENDS-SHAPING-THE-GLOBAL-CONSUMERLANDSCAPE DEZEEN.COM/2016/03/02/KINFOLK-MAGAZINE-INTERVIEWFOUNDER-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF-NATHAN-WILLIAMS-INSTAGRAM/ MEDIUM.COM/@BLAKEMICHELLEM/NOWNERSHIP-NO-PROBLEMWHY-MILLENNIALS-VALUE-EXPERIENCES-OVER-OWNING-THINGS587707816B12 9SPOKES.COM/BLOG/10-CONSUMER-TRENDS-TODAY-AND-THREEFOR-2019-INFOGRAPHIC/ BLOG.EUROMONITOR.COM/EXPLORE-THE-TOP-10-GLOBALCONSUMER-TRENDS-FOR-2018/
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