Kerrang magazine analysis: Annotated front page

This is my Kerrang magazine annotated front page analysis, it talks of the text, fonts, language and pictures used within the front cover, as well as how it appeals to the targeted audiences.

This picture can be used in reference for my post regarding the front cover of the magazine and its analysis in more text and detail.

Below is the link to the aforementioned blog post.

http://ashleywelfarewgsbblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/blog-post_3885.html

Magazine research comparison

The first and most obvious comparison between the two magazines is the difference of the front cover; Metal Hammer has much less on the front cover than Kerrang, yet it contains a much higher quality picture in terms of colour and production quality, it also has a unique layout compared to Kerrang, with nothing other than the masthead, strap line and picture, whereas Kerrang has all the stereotypical features, such as article summaries, competitions and such.
Another difference between the magazines is their use of pictures in the front cover, as Metal Hammer uses an image containing extremist fashion and satanic symbols, and Kerrang uses politically correct imagery and normal fashion in theirs. The difference between the pictures is mainly because of the musical genre and cultures that they reference and speak of within the magazine, and the artists and bands associated with it.

The language used in the magazines is significantly different, within Metal Hammer, there is adult and mature linguistic ability to appeal to the older audience they have, whereas Kerrang contains malformed uses of the English language in an attempt to relate to their younger audience of readers, and uses obvious humour and common colloquial language in an appealing way.

Kerrang Magazine research: Content

Kerrang Magazine research: Front cover

1: The title “Kerrang” is onomatopoeic and is in reference to the sound in which an electric guitar is playing a power-chord, and is appropriate as power chords are commonly used in the style of music the magazine focuses on.
2: The title contrasts with the background colour of the photo featured so it is very visible, the typeface of the title is a stamp-like design with lines going through it, to imply that it is cracked to emphasise the fact that its name could be related to a loud noise, and the title being cracked is a result of the “Kerrang” going off. The title itself is behind the main picture, and parts are blocked by those who feature in the picture, so as to add emphasis to the picture, but still making the logo easily seen and recognised.
3: There is no strapline accompanying the title of the front cover.
4: The main image is of a popular band that is liked by many of the target audience because of their style of music, their clothing is that of current fashion, and is somewhat stereotypical and expected. Their body language is casual, and cool (although it’s obviously staged and fabricated just to appeal to the audience) they are all also looking towards the camera, and thus, the audience, which may attract some readers who are in adoration of the band, and helps catch their eyes and draw their attention.
5: There is another image of a boxing match involving one of the artists in the magazine which is an action shot, this action helps make the magazine seem more exciting or interesting, and helps promote the content of the magazine in a positive way.
6: The cover lines promote the content of the magazine and all of the varied amounts of articles and such which feature within it; there is a list of bands which feature within the magazine at the bottom, all of which popular and well known, there are quizzes and downloadable features promoted to the left side of the cover, and a competition at the top which could be appealing to many. Artist-based content is also promoted to the right hand side, and the main article is shown and advertised emphatically at the front.
7: The fonts used to advertise the features are bold and colourful, the general typeface of the magazine is bold and somewhat emphatic of itself, the colours help its own emphasis also. The general colour scheme of the text in the cover is blue and yellow, which do not clash with the photo, but aren’t the same colours as featured in the front cover’s main photo. Some texts are written at different angles even though they are in the same sentence, and these words have different font from the rest of the sentence they are in, as their typeface is that of a stamp (in a connection to festivals or performances, where stamps are put on the walls, and on people’s hands).
8: The language used is somewhat primitive, which is fine for the target audience, there are words used to emphasise and glamorise the magazine’s contents, and wordplay (although admittedly quite bad) is used in a humourous sense. The magazine is common to talk of band culture and is in constant reference to the kind of things that would be heard during live performances.
9: There are little unique features of the magazine cover, but its unique selling point is less about the layout of its cover and more about the kind of content that it promotes. The magazine uses similar language and presentation to other magazines, and the layout and pictures used are not unique in the sense of their placement and style, yet, this is what their audience is perceived to enjoy, so it is clearly a marketing aspect used throughout many magazines for a reason.
10: The cover is of a normal magazine size, and there aren’t any other particularly noticeable aspects of it that make it unique.

Kerrang Magazine research: General

1: Kerrang is produced by Bauer Consumer Media.

2: The target audience of Kerrang are students and teenagers, with a slightly larger male audience than female, the text also speaks to and appeals to an audience of this age, as it isn’t grammatically correct and speaks at a level believed to be spoken by teenagers.

3: The magazine costs £2.20 (appealing to their target audience because of its low and affordable price)

4: Kerrang is published monthly

5: Kerrang’s circulation figure is 52,272 (this is after a recent considerable drop however.

6: Charts about Kerrang’s trends (in terms of sales and reception) and titles covered are available on the NRS website.

7: The magazine has a low price but a high frequency of advertisements inside, therefore their revenue must be more advertisement based than through actual sales and subscriptions, their monthly income must be substantial as they are a popular magazine with many adverts inside.

Metal hammer Magazine research: Front page annotated picture

This is my front page analysis of the magazine "Metal Hammer". It talks about the different aspects of the front cover and how it uses them to appeal and address the audience, and how the texts and fonts work with the picture in creating a certain atmosphere.

This picture can be used in reference for my post regarding the front cover of the magazine and its analysis in more text and detail.

Below is the link to the aforementioned blog post.

http://ashleywelfarewgsbblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/1-title-is-called-metal-hammer-as-it.html

Metal hammer Magazine analysis: content

1: There are 130 pages in the magazine.

2: 20 pages are adverts (it Is worth considering most of them are band related merchandise)

3: The types of advertisements in the magazine are alcohol related, musical equipment, band merchandise and upcoming performances.

4: The articles and features of the magazine are review and interviews based, but often deviate to other subjects such as summaries of cults and religious extremist groups, and elaboration of activities that artists undertake. There are also sections for questions and answers, most of which are humour related.

5: There are 15 double page spreads throughout the magazine.

6: There are a few product reviews throughout the magazine, which could be misconstrued as advertisements, as they mention the product from a consumers view, and refer to it favourably.

7: The house style of the magazine is quite adult and mature, all the text is correctly punctuated and spelt, the language used is often profane and rude, and there are many references to adult culture within the text. The pictures and graphics usually don’t stray from a dark colour scheme, and often the pictures and graphics relate towards elements of satanic culture, a trend seen in bands supporting the genre style. There are also humourous elements to the text, often in the form of satire, but these are not necessarily identifiable by people who aren’t supporters of the music or magazine.

8: The house style appeals to the audience of mature or adult males who are fans of the metal genre and its sub-genres because of its dark and humourous content, it also appeals to them with how developed and descriptive the text is, and the way it speaks to them at an adult level, instead of a simple childish consumer.