LO2 : Proposal

Proposal for The Buzz magazine,

By Mia Fidment

The Buzz is a local magazine which focuses on local business and events in certain postcodes of Sheffield, on behalf of my client Sheffield Publishing House, the magazine will be a monthly reoccurring magazine.

PURPOSE

 For the BUZZ magazine I have designed it to have multiple purposes to increase the selling point, the magazine has the purposes of informing, entertainment and promotion.

The selling point will be increased due to the variety of perspectives and content which will cater to all purposes listed above.

For informing the audience, the magazine demonstrates the growing Sheffield economy and the smaller independent shops that cater to specific needs of the Sheffield audience in the area. I want the magazine to appear informative also on the different events and establishments that are in the Sheffield area, my magazine should include informative information about establishments and events that are upcoming so audience members can gain useful information from the magazine as well as entertaining the read. Unlike the category educate however inform wont force knowledge onto the reader and they can choose what to absorb from the articles, this being ensured due to the peer to peer address that the articles are written in.

Whilst informing the audience the magazine should have elements of promotion for the featured shops and restaurants, the magazine alike other local magazines thrives of the promotional adverts which allow the magazine overall to be free for the readers, this promotional aspect will allow the reader to gain information about Sheffield based services also however it’s from a paid perspective, this sometimes being seen as a negative aspect as the magazine is could appear too focused on making profit by filling the magazine with adverts however this promotional aspect is still informing the reader on the economy of Sheffield  alongside allowing niche and independent stores a platform to promote their businesses.

For entertainment purposes the magazine definitely achieves this purpose, due to the magazine promoting entertaining purposed business e.g coffee shops and restaurants this allows the reader to read an opinionated article about these establishments which then encourage the reader to experience the locations.

The articles themselves are entertaining due to the peer to peer mode of address written in, this allows the reader to feel included in a conversation and the informal aspect leads to humour normally used in the conversation.

GENRE & FORM

I am going to be making a local magazine based in the Sheffield area and even more nicher it will be based in the S8 area.

The idea of the magazine is to demonstrate ‘hidden gems’ of specific areas of Sheffield and this overall will hopefully build a solid audience who pick up the magazine every month on a reoccurring basis, this is what I am aiming to achieve due to the niche aspect of the magazines target audience and therefore I will need them to be reoccurring readers to ensure profit for the magazine

CONTENT

My magazine will include a front cover, contents page and double page spread, I will try to ensure that all pages follow codes and conventions of local magazines whilst in stages of planning and production.

Front Cover

For my front cover the first focal point which will catch the target audiences’ eye will be my main cover image, this image will be a medium close up shot of a woman drinking coffee.

I wanted to have a female on the front cover of the magazine to both attract men and women, men would be attracted due to the woman as she would be seen as an ideal partner (Carl Rogers, 1980), to women she would be seen as an ideal self. However, because the model is older than the conventional magazine model this will also attract younger readers and students because she could be seen as a comforting mother-like figure.

The model will be holding a cup of coffee, the iconography of the coffee cup will connote a relaxed atmosphere to the reader due to the associations with coffee shops and hot drinks, and however along with this connotation the model will start the promotion of the coffee shop featuring on the first double page.

The lighting in this image will be very naturally sourced due to the location of the photoshoot is in the coffee shop however they have big open windows that will allow a lot of natural light into the area, the lighting will be evenly distributed as I don’t want the connotations of a dark side or shadows to be assumed by the reader.

Unlike conventional pop magazines the model will be wearing a covering jumper which shows minimal skin, the model won’t have over emphasised sex appeal as I’m trying to create connotations of normal everyday locals who live in the area so the reader can have relatability with the model. This is very important due to the small scale of the magazine and therefore using star persona won’t be effective as I need the reader to imagine themselves in the coffee shop which will be easier if the model is relatable and isn’t photoshopped to have unrealistic proportions or is incredibly beautiful as it’s not a realistic for the reader.

The model will be photographed in a shallow depth of field to create connotations of her being the most important component in the image, it will bring emphasis to her emotions and the iconography.

After the main cover image the next biggest asset will be the masthead, the mast head will be placed on a lower level than the main cover image, this will lead to the small sentence underneath saying ‘Sheffield’s No.1 Local Guide’ getting partially covered and the models head may even overlap the masthead slightly, this convention is very commonly used in local magazine genre to create a 3 dimensional effect for the magazine front cover.

The masthead will take up the width of the magazine cover and will big to demonstrate its importance to the reader.

I have chosen a black colour for the masthead to contrast the main cover image and to emphasise a small bee line that will be drawn into the word ‘buzz’. Alike most of my coverlines the masthead will be in san serif to not obviously target any genders and to be clear and easy to read from a distance, the use of san serif font is very common in local magazines so using it will allow my magazine to follow codes and conventions.

Anchored onto the main cover image will be the coverline ‘Scolding hot exclusive with Create Coffee’, I have chosen a coverline that has a metaphorical link to the article, the scolding hot metaphor for the article will appear humorous and will demonstrate efficiently what type of business is being interviewed and the formality of the article, in this case the audience will connote its laidback and peer to peer mode of address. Alongside the writing I have also placed steam rising from the word hot, this graphic will further allow the reader to connote the article and what it will entail, this graphic also attracts and engages the audience due to its fun addition to the coverline.

The use of the word ‘exclusive’ is deliberate used to it convince the reader of the article’s rarity and almost secret like information, this enticing the audience to read a copy of the magazine.

I have used a san serif font for this coverline to not connote any specific genders and to match the mast head to create synergy throughout the page.

Alongside coverlines I have also added a sticker onto the cover of my magazine, I want this sticker to be a vibrant colour, maybe orange or red to catch the reader’s eye but also to bring emphasis to the sticker. The sticker will include the writing ‘Chance to win Sheffield city centre gift card’, I have specifically chosen for the prize to be a gift card due to its link to Sheffield and it being a positive impact on the economy in Sheffield city centre. In the sticker I have used both san serif and serif fonts, for the word ‘win’ I have used strong serif lettering to emphasis the word and to contrast it against the other lettering to make it eye-catching, I have left the rest of the words in the san serif font used in the other cover lines and masthead to once again create synergy and make sure all assets look cohesive.

The sticker itself will be an encouragement to pick up the magazine due to the reader being able to win something, this will increase readership.

This aspect of the magazine will engage the Sheffield reader as the incentive is based in a popular Sheffield area this therefore will allow the magazine to fit  the Sheffield publishing House brief as this asset on the front cover demonstrates how it targets specifically the Sheffield area.

I have also included a coverline on the upper left-hand side of the magazine, I have fitted the coverline, so it fits around the models head once again demonstrating the main cover image’s importance as no writing an cover the image.  The coverline will have the writing: ‘The top 5 businesses in S8’, the coverline alike the sticker will have contrasting fonts in the same coverline. I will have the letter ‘5’ in a bigger and serif font to catch the reader’s eye but also to make the reader think about the amount of entertaining information they could receive if they read the magazine, once again however the rest of the text will be in the normal coverline size and san serif font.

This coverline is going to be in black alike the masthead to once again create contrast to the image and to make it stand out to the reader due to its boldness.

I have included a banner also in the bottom righthand corner, this banner has been placed to allow the reader to see which specific shops and restaurants have been included. This is going to help convince the reader to pick up the magazine as they can have a quick preview of the content inside, this will be especially effective if the reader has visited or know the location of any of the shops, this is likely for most of my target audience  due to shops/restaurants  being located on a busy road leading in and out of Sheffield city centre, if the reader recognises any of the shops this will increase the readers interest as they can relate to some of the information, the banner will be in a vivid colour with white font inside this will attract the audience’s attention.

Contents Page

The first focal point of the contents page will be the heading, the heading will be in strong san serif font, the font will be used to create connotations with the audience of modernity, boldness and exclusivity.

The strong san serif font will be in a red colour, I want it to be in red because it isn’t a gender associated colour but it also is such a bold and eye-catching tone so the importance of the heading will be connoted by the reader, alongside this the heading colour will correspond with the red graphics alerting the reader of the page number relating to the images.

Straight underneath the heading will be a graphic, this graphic will be a chunky line in red also, I placed this graphic to act as an underline to the heading. once again, I am demonstrating its importance on the page but also to starting to create a layout and structure for the page.

The numbers on the page will be in a rage of fonts and sizes, the main numbers which will be more centred to the middle of the page and be in the biggest fonts will be in serif font, I have chosen for them to be in this traditional font to contrast the heading and create an eye-catching page for the reader, but also to reinforce the idea of the variety of people, cultures and ethnicities in the area that I am focusing on, I am trying to demonstrate this by using fonts and colours that will appeal and represent the community.

Alongside using serif numbers I am also going to be using san serif numbers however the set of san serif numbers will be in a much smaller font size and will contribute the larger proportion of information about page content, the numbers and letter will be in airfly font, the same font as the heading and will be black. I need these to be in black to contrast the vast amount of red on the page, once again black is not a gender related colour and is eyecatching due to its boldness.

I have placed 4 images on the page in total, I want images on my content page to entice the audience into looking at the relating page, I have chosen to have visual and written aspects on the page to make it visually appealing but also to follow codes and conventions of a contents page as no contents page is purely word based as this would overwhelm the reader.

The first image is a piece of cake, this image is placed to make the magazine appear almost hybrid between lifestyle and food, due to many of the places featuring in the magazine being establishments that specialise in serving food and drinks I think it’s appropriate that my magazine emphasis this, this is why I have included lots of pictures of food and drinks throughout.

The image will have a tag attached letting the reader know what page to find the relating article, this tag will be rectangular and include san serif writing to make it visible from a distance this is vital due to its small size and the importance of the information inside.

My second image is going to be a longshot of the owner of the Create Coffee, the longshot will be shot with him stood with open body language to connote the welcoming environment of the coffee shop, I want to have images of people on the front cover as well as inanimate objects to make it appear more emotional and relatable, Alan the model will be making direct eye contact with the camera to make a connection with the audience make them want to read more relating to the image.

My third image will be an image of a close-up record, I want vinyl records to be on the page due to Spinning Discs being a major shop in the area, I want the magazine to have other shops as well as restaurants to make it more diverse and have content that will appeal to a wider audience.

The close-up image will be in a deep depth of field to ensure that all of the grooves are emphasised, and the images appears interesting and visually appealing, after taking the image it will be edited in photoshop making sure contrast and brightness will be adjusted to create the most eye-catching image possible.

And finally, my fourth image will be an establishing shots of some of the shops featured in the magazine I want to include this to create an idea of relatability to the reader of where geographically the locations are as mentioned earlier this will entice many readers to carry on reading related articles if they can relate to the area or if they have seen or visited the shops as they feel a sense of relatability.

Double Page Spread #1

My first double page spread idea will feature the Create Coffee owner, Alan, I am going to have the main image covering the double page and acting as the background for the article, I will achieve this by taking the images with a wide lens. I plan to take the images of Alan in front of the Create Coffee’s art wall, the art wall is a space filled with art donated from local residents and artists and this element of creativity will demonstrate to the reader the reinforced idea of a positive community in which the coffee shop is located.

The image will be taken in natural lighting and the model will be making direct eye contact whilst smiling, this is important so the reader can see emotion and make a connection with the model. He will be dressed in casual/smart clothing but won’t have star persona, it’s important that Alan is seen very relatable and down to earth as the magazine will be read by local residents who want to see normal people and don’t care for photoshopped images and face tuned people who build a fake persona as it’s about a community and the niche readers will appreciate the truthfulness represented.

Alike the front cover I want to use iconography to reinforce the idea of the business side, I will have Alan holding produce from his shop e.g coffee, cake and this will demonstrate the shop as it will link the emotional side with the promotional aspect.

Placed directly in front of Alan in the bottom left hand corner will be a banner with a quote from the article, the banner will read ‘We are the new creative hub’, I chose to have this statement to entice the reader to read the full article to read the context of the statement. I have chosen the word ‘hub’ to once again entice the community aspect of the magazine, the idea of a hub is perfectly fitting to the magazine genre as it proposes to the reader that idea of friendship and family-like environment.

The banner will be in white with a contrasting font colour of black or navy I want this eye-catching statement to be one of the first assets noticed on the page due to the pull nature of the phrase.

The headline of this page reads ‘This is Create Coffee’ This has been placed to familiarise the reader with the name, I have used an inviting sentence as if introducing the reader with the featured shop, this I have done purposely to make the reader think the article is almost like an overheard conversation and to bring a very emotional aspect to a business as its treated as a metaphorical person.

I have placed the heading next to the model on the left-hand side however alike with the masthead on the front cover I have placed the heading on a lower layer than the model this meaning that a small fraction of Alans head will be covering the heading this once again connoting to the audience on how important the model is.

However, the heading does have equal importance to the model therefore I have placed the masthead at the top of the page this also connotes immediate importance as its seen at as a title for the page.

The font itself is split on certain words again e.g on ‘this is’ I have this writing in bold and striking san serif font, however to contrast this the actual name of the coffee shop ‘create coffee’ is in serif this allows the reader to connote an element of personalisation as I will chose a serif font that appears like hand writing this allowing the title to look as if the model, Alan has written it himself this once again creating a bond between the shop and the reader.

The colour of the heading will be either black or navy to contrast the white background of the article located straight beneath, I also want to have a dark heavy font to correspond with the other two ages that also had this colour scheme.

The article itself will be in the mode of address of peer to peer and will be written in a gonzo style, I have chosen to have this mode of address to ensure that the entertainment purpose of the magazine is present, but also to make the conversation not too heavy and factual to read and more light-hearted as if amongst friends.

I will ask open ended questions to ensure a lengthy article and these questions will be about the shop e.g ‘when’s your busiest days’ alongside questions about starting your own business and advice this allows readers to get a variety of information after reading the article and actually having an element of knowledge to take away from the body copy afterwards.

I also want to layout the article in small paragraphs focusing on certain points at a time this I want to structure as I don’t want to intimidate the reader by having massive chunks of writing. This also not being appealing to the reader as they can’t clearly see the contents of the magazine and making them less likely to pick a copy to take away.

There will be another banner placed next to the article reading ‘good coffee, as well as nice vegan options’ I want to place a pull like banner with the word vegan as I know that the certain community that I am focusing on have a high rate of vegan/vegetarians, this I know in particular due to 2 doors down from the Create Coffee shop there is a very successful vegan supermarket this allowing me to assume that advertising this dietary speciality will appeal to the readers of this local area in particular.

Double Page Spread #2

For my second double page idea I have changed out the image out Alan and have instead placed an image of the front cover model, Sue, however in the image she isn’t making eye contact and is however looking off in a diagonal direction as if looking out the window. This pose creates an idea of contemplation and thinking this will allow the reader to connote that the article includes thoughtful content, this being a positive element for the page as it will entice readers to carry on and read the article.

The image of the model however will be placed in the middle of the page to denote her importance, this layout of the model will structure the page as all other assets will be placed around her demonstrating that everything almost revolves around her.

Like the front cover she will be wearing a basic block coloured jumper this being to not create too much on the page and to make the main attention be on her facial expression.

The image will be taken with a portraiture lens and will be in a shallow depth of field to once again denote the importance about her as she will be the only element of the image in focus.

The article will be split into two halves on the page, the two columns of writing will be placed either side of the model’s image, this creating a sandwich-like layout.

The mode of address will be very similar to DP#1 therefore it will be in a peer to peer however will include more information about the behind the scenes of running an independent company and the article will be seen with a more informing purpose for the audience.

The heading will be similar to DP#1 however instead of having half of it in serif font it will all be in san serif this denoting a more formal aspect of the business, it will be seen as a more informative with more information on how to run a business in specific areas in comparison to the friendly interview on DP#1 which is based more on the company itself with a more entertaining purpose.

The heading will be placed above the main cover image to denote the same heading effect as is in DP#1.

The page will have plugs and coverlines however they will be taking out phrases of the article that represent the business element of the article these being phrases such as ‘you need a sense of the community before even thinking of business’ this depicting advice but also keeping in with the community sense that is a reoccurring theme throughout the magazine.

The plugs will be placed around the article to fill the page to ensure that the conventions of a magazine are kept, and the page looks busy but not to the point of it being distracting the reader.

TARGET AUDIENCE 

André is a 36-year man who lives in Meersbrook with his daughter and son, Jen and Ashton and wife Caitlin along with dog Elvis.

André is a web designer and works in Sheffield City Centre, he comes from an ABC1 background and has a steady income which allows him to spend a large sum of disposable income.

André hopes in the future to set up his own independent Jamaican food restaurant as his grandma taught him recipes from a young age, he wants to know information and tips on how to set up a successful independent shop in an economic time of corporate chains.

André wants to add to the cultural aspect of Meersbrook’s food scene but is very inexperienced with business aspects of running a restaurant.

Andre loves reading and is a huge fan of the local Sheffield magazine Exposed he likes the opinions and events covered and the element of Sheffield’s inner community.

Along with getting information about setting up businesses he also loves to read reviews and suggestions of new places to eat.

RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL

For creating the magazine, I will be acting as photographer, editor and graphic designer, for these jobs I will be using Photoshop and InDesign as software for online editing and creating the layout of the magazine, alongside software’s I also need models to photograph, for my magazine I have two main models; Sue and Alan. I have carefully chosen the models as they will be detrimental to appealing to the right target audience, I have chosen Sue as she will act as an ideal self/partner but also demonstrate the ideal reader that the magazine should attract seen as it’s a very community orientated magazine and she would fit into the target audience herself.

Alan also attracts the audience as he demonstrates the knowledge and advice portion of the magazine, he is a clear example of what many readers aspire to be in a business perspective therefore he also acts an ideal self for the reader.

For hardware I will be needing a DSLR camera and SD card, these elements are crucial to getting professional looking images and ensuring that the standard of the magazine is at its maximum.

Additional camera equipment that will be needed will be a tripod and a macro lens this will ensure that I can take my images with a shallow depth of field once again to ensure that the magazine conforms to the stereotypes and conventions of its genre.

MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION

For marketing and distributing The Buzz magazine I have found locations and methods to make sure my niche target audience is targeted.

For marketing I will use a variety of methods to create horizontal integration to ensure maximum coverage and awareness for the target audience. I will use below the line advertising on social media, because the magazine is a niche local magazine there is no point using above the line because it doesn’t need to be advertised to a mass audience because of it featuring local Sheffield areas. I will create an Instagram, twitter and Facebook account for the magazine and on this post updates, sneak peak of upcoming covers and images this will create build up for the release of the magazine each month, on these social media accounts we will be following other Sheffield business and organisations such as Tramlines festival, The Leadmil and Millennium Galleries.

Alongside this other marketing methods such as print will be used, for example I will advertise the magazine in posters and flyers, these will be placed in cultural hubs such as The Showroom and The leadmil because of these being places that my target audience meet and spend a lot of time there the advertising being on the walls and on stands will be viewed often by my target audience.

I will create synergy between my marketing methods, for example I will have the social media accounts and print products having the same house style colours and The Buzz logo in the top left hand corner because of this,  the idea of the brand will be repeatedly shown and therefore after seeing the colours and logo the target audience can immediately denote the company behind it.

Alongside visual marketing I will also use audio marketing this will be placed on local community radios such as Sheffield Live, this will be effective as my magazine is niche because of the community aspect therefore by placing adverts on the community radio my exact target audience will hear the promotion of the magazine.

The distribution aspect of the magazine will be as community based as the marketing, for example the free magazine will be distributed in a range of shops and business which are independent and know the Sheffield community.

Because the magazine is based at a 18-40 target audience, I will place the magazine in vintage clothing shops in Sheffield such as Cow, Vulgar and Ryan’s Vintage this will be done to target the younger target audience as vintage shops are known to be very popular however I will also place magazines in Millennium galleries and  the Showroom cinema, these two places are known for being cultural hubs and having a wide range of customers this will be perfect places for the magazine o be placed as people can pick up and read the magazine before movies or after they’ve visited exhibitions.

Alongside the previous locations I also want to dispense magazines to independent coffee shops alike Create Coffee, the featured shop in the magazine. These being locations such as Tampers, Steam yard and Marmadukes, all three of these locations are very successful coffeeshops and attract a huge proportion of my target audience, due to many of my audience being ABC1 they would often be in coffee shops due to their disposable income allowing them to have luxuries such as eating out in coffee shops.

The magazine would act as a great read whilst people are enjoying a relaxing lunch or coffee.

Alongside independent establishments listed above, I will also place my magazines on public transport such as trams and buses, the magazine will be placed on the yellow line tram to Meadowhall this will be a huge help for readership as all my target audience will take trams and public transport for ease of travel and visit Sheffield’s huge shopping centre often due to their disposable income.

The magazine will have a circulation of 5,000 magazines throughout the Sheffield district and will be released monthly this will be due to the nicheness of my magazine. The readership will be around 8,000 a month and this will be boosted due to the magazine being dispensed in coffee shops and the readership gained through copies left on transport and hubs.

My magazine will be just larger than an A5, this will be done to ensure that the magazine can be transported easily, and portability is easier than say if the magazine was A4, this will make it easier for people on transport and for people on the move.

Specification

Full page	183mm X 256mm	£300
DPS	358mm X 256mm	£800
Half page vertical	88mm X 236mm	£170
Half page horizontal	56mm X 172mm	£180