What kind of institution might distribute your media product and why? (3/7)

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

There are four main distribution companies in the magazine industry. They are: IPC Media, Bauer Media, Condé Nast & Hearst (National Magazine Company).

IPC is one of the leading distributers with more than 60 iconic media brands such as Marie Claire and Ideal Home. ‘IPC creates content for multiple platforms, across print, online, mobile, tablets and events. We engage with 26 million UK adults - almost two thirds of UK women and over 40% of UK men.’ Due to its large consumer platform, IPC would be a good choice, however they also distribute the extremely popular NME magazine, which is also a music magazine, therefore they would not want to distribute my magazine as well. This is because they would be marketing two competing magazines towards a very similar market, and distribution companies do not usually like to create competition within their companies. This is why NME is the only music magazine that they distribute. However, it would be possible to convince the company to distribute my magazine as I could pick up on the fact that NME and my magazine, Base are targeted towards different markets as they are completely different genres.

Bauer Media is another company which states that they ‘reach over nineteen million UK adults every week’. However, like IPC, Bauer distributes other music magazines already. However they don’t just distribute one music magazine, but several very well known magazines such as Q and Kerrang! For that reason, I do not think that Bauer would be willing to distribute my magazine because even though they have lots of experience in distributing music magazines, I would want a company where my magazine was the only music magazine of its kind, therefore all of the marketing can be focused on my magazine alone.

Hearst Magazines UK is the largest digital publisher in the UK. They reach 1 in 6 UK adults and their portfolio comprises of 20 magazines, such as the well known ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Company and Harpers Bazaar. Most of the magazines that they distribute seem to be focused towards women and seem to be either lifestyle of fashion magazines. However, they are branching out to other genres such as Digital Spy and Country Living. I believe that Hearst (NMC) could be a very good distributer for my magazine as they do not have any other music magazines in their brand list, therefore may want to expand their brand range by distributing my urban music magazine. Also, the magazines that they already distribute are extremely successful and well known, which depicts their knowledge at getting a magazine’s name into the public’s knowledge, which could benefit my magazine.

Lastly, there is the world famous Condé Nast, which is probably best known for distributing Vogue magazine, one of the world’s leading fashion magazines, as well as GQ, Glamour and Easy Living. The company is renowned for distributing high-class, elite, glamorous magazines, and usually focus on the fashion and lifestyle genres; therefore I am unsure whether they would be willing to expand into the music magazine industry. Although, my magazine is also quite stylish and glamorous even though it is about music, therefore this might encourage Condé Nast to distribute it.

After considering all of the distribution companies, I would like Condé Nast to distribute my magazine because I think the name of the company itself and its reputation will boost the public knowledge of my magazine, and hopefully the marketing strategies that have boosted magazines such as GQ and Vogue will also make my magazine the best Urban music magazine in the industry. However, I think that Hearst may be more likely to want to distribute my magazine as they distribute digital spy and netdoctor.com magazines which portrays how they do not just stick to women’s and lifestyle magazines, therefore they may be more likely to want to distribute a music magazine than Condé Nast.

I assume that the distribution company would distribute my magazine by using new media and web 2.0, for example through social networking websites such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook in order to reach my target audience. They might also advertise the magazine in other magazines that they distribute by having an A4 advertisement poster within the magazine. Furthermore, by getting my magazine to sponsor events and through public relations, they would create a ‘buzz’ around my magazine, encouraging potential readers to buy it.