Institutions

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Since Pink is a very commercial magazine, something that is very popular within mainstream companies, I feel that the most successful institution for the magazine would be Bauer. It is the biggest company in Europe, and concentrates on privately publishing magazines, which was set up in 1953 with the launch of Angling Times, yet today it has published over 300 magazines in 15 countries. Bauer has contacts with companies such as WHSmith, which ultimately could give my magazine the best start to get into the market. I feel that this technique would seemingly be more successful than being self employed, like Clash, since it is very difficult to get recognized on the market this way, and with well known brands such as Bauer, the public may assume that the magazine will be

successful already.

This would not be the case with self employment, and would make it very difficult to become well known within retailers. Although Bauer may add advantages when getting known on the mainstream market, but since they have a large variety of companies and magazines to manage, a new smaller magazine may be pushed aside for bigger brands, causing it to be lost. In addition to this, any money that is made would not go directly to the editor of the magazine, but a percentage of this would have to go to Bauer, since they would be the source of receiving the income.

Since Bauer is a large company, it would be a ‘school boy error’ to be supported by their company if they already manage a similar magazine to Pink. Though, after researching, I am not aware of any magazines that offer the same qualities of that of Pink. Bauer manages Closer, a well known gossip and fashion magazine, something that Pink represents, therefore, my magazine could be managed as a teenager’s version of this. Taking this into consideration, it may give the initial editor of Pink less insight into what is put into the magazine itself, which could suggest it would lose its overall concept and original image.

This could be seen as both a negative and a positive, since it may be emotionally upsetting to see the hard work that had been put into the magazine just deteriorate, though, Bauer is a large company, and seemingly has a very good idea into what works and what doesn’t. This means that the magazine can be pushed to its full potential, and make as much money as possible.

A positive of being managed and published through Bauer, is that they can offer sister opportunities. The company already has acquired radio stations such as Kiss FM, something that could be features and linked within my magazine, since it includes mainstream and chart music, something that my magazine encourages. Bauer could therefore offer opportunities to interlink my magazine with radio and TV shows, since they are very popular within my target market of teenage, mainstream girls.