Mens Health Magazine

1) How does the magazine introduce itself?

The magazine presents itself and it's image by initially informing the potential advertisers concerning how Men's Health is the greatest, selling men's way of life magazine in the UK and around the world, which right away picks up the enthusiasm of sponsors possibly needing to work with Men's Health. 

By picking up this underlying consideration it at that point dives into what the magazine highlights with notice of what the promoters might need to publicize with "design, watches and travel".

2) What does the introduction suggest about the representation of masculinity in Men's Health?

The introduction of the magazine provides readers an impression that masculinity is about "visually engaging health," which is what individuals in contemporary times aspire to as it has become a man's perfect picture, while at the same time appealing to the female gaze. The introduction also mentions how the magazine features "dietary characteristics" that continue to attract demographic aspirants.

3) How do the print statistics for Men's Health compare to GQ and Esquire?

The media pack relates to how the magazine is the best in the company by comparing itself with its nearest rivals, both GQ and EQ, well-respected Men's lifestyle magazines. We see that the Men's Health magazine circulates around 180 K, while its nearest competitor was GQ with 117 K, which makes Men's Health attractive to prospective advertisers as they want to advance. The Media pack also mentions the number of men who read Men's health compared to GQ and EQ while also referring to the social class of these readers with most being of the high class of ABC1 with most being AB men. This is a major influencer for the potential advertisers as they will be able to recognise that the readership Men's Health possesses will be more likely to purchase products from a magazine for a high price due to having a disposable income. 

4) What is the difference between circulation and readership?

circulation is how many copies are sent out to be distributed, and readership is the amount of readers a publication has.

5) What is the circulation of Men's Health in thousands? What about the readership for ABC1 men? AB men?
Men's Health readership of the ABC1-Men class is 64 percent, while the AB-Men are 32 percent, showing potential advertisers the potential money they can make by appealing to the audience that could buy advertised products.6) How do readers generally interact with the digital version of the magazine?

The magazine reader who doesn't read the print magazine reads the digital magazine via digital devices like their smartphones, tablets and desktops. People read the magazine primarily from their smartphones because, owing to its accessibility and portability, it is the most affordable tool.

7) How many people do Men's Health reach across social media platforms?

Men's Health reaches individuals across many social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, while the most accessible media platform is Facebook, which provides advertisers with a manner to use the platform to encourage other businesses to operate that will assist more individuals view advertisements and make advertisers want to advertise with Men's  health.

8) What is the audience profile for Men's Health readers? 

The audience profile of Men's Health consist of:
905K are Abc1, Aged 25-44
700k Have a degree
200K Earn over 50K

9) What is the Men's Health fashion philosophy? How much do Men's Health readers collectively spend on fashion?

Men's Health readers collectively spend £1.1 billion on fashion a year. This is more than 3 times higher than its competitors. 

10) What is the average watch collection value for the Men's Health audience? What do the statistics about watches suggest about the Men's Health audience demographics and psychographics?  

Men'sHealthreaders'averagewatchcollectionhasavalueof£4,123.ThisrepresentsthefactthatmostreadersareinthedemographicABC1asitsuggeststhatthereadersinthisdemographicwouldhavesufficientdisposableincometoindulgeinluxuriessuchaswatches.Italsoindicatesthatthereadersbelongtothepsychographicgroupofthesuccessor.

11) What percentage of Men's Health readers use moisturiser daily? What does this suggest about Men's Health readers' view of masculinity?

73% of Men's Health readers use moisturisers on a daily basis, this suggests that the viewership of Men's Health have a very passive view of masculinity as it revolves around hygiene and luxury which can show that the typical view of a macho man is not the desired target audience for Men's Heath.

12) What does the media pack suggest regarding the Men's Health audience for fitness and technology?

Men's Health readers spend £ 238 m a year on sportswear (including swimwear and trainers) and 72 K has a wearable device that would make fitness businesses like FitBit see Men's Health magazine as a useful advertising magazine.13) Men's Health luxe is a series of magazines distributed with Men's Health targeting a specific aspect of the Men's Health audience. What are these three brand extension magazines called and what do they cover?

Brand extensions include: 
Urban Active - This focuses on the sportswear but from a fashionable point of view. This magazine showcases the sportswear that will improve your performance, as well as look good.
Synchronised - This edition focuses on watches in order to reach out to those who pride themselves on adding to their high-value watch collections

14) What do the Men's Health luxe magazines suggest about the demographics and psychographics of the Men's Health audience?

This would be readers in the ABC1 population high segment as they see themselves to be of a greater standard and class and therefore the luxury brand will assist them feel in this group, assisting them in the population aspirations and enabling high-class advertisers to advertise on the luxury magazine.15) What additional brand extensions do Men's Health offer?

• Survival of the Fittest - an adventure race series that occurs in the UK, with 4 nationwide events and approximately 15,000 people.
• Different product ranges - including premium food products that meet the dietary requirements of those aiming to improve their health and well-being (e.g. low-calorie foods and protein shakes)

16) What are the global statistics for Men's Health?

• International editions: 37
• Countries published: 60
• Global circulation: 4.5 million
• Global readership: 26.7
• Websites: 25
• Uniques: 23.7 million
• Social Media Footprint: 19.3 million

17) What does the 2017 calendar editorial specials suggest about the Men's Health audience?

The 2017 calendar suggests that the target audience for Men's Health are extremely focused and interested in developing and improving their urban lifestyles. It also seems to be planning to focus on working on no-gym lifestyles and them being replaced by 30-day programmes which would increase membership renewal as readers would like to every month's routine.

18) What audience pleasures are offered by the magazine?

• Personal identification - being able to see your interests and personality reflected in the content of the articles.
• Surveillance - learning new things about lifestyle/healthy eating etc
• Self Identification- Readers will see their lifestyle int he magazine as the targeted audience will have stories that may revolve around them. 

19) What lifestyle and job would you expect the average Men's Health reader to have?

ABC1 - typically a high ranked, professional job (e.g. a manager etc).

20) Why do you think Men's Health has managed to remain profitable when many other magazines have struggled due to the rise of digital media?

I think Men's Health has been effective because of its direct advertising and its broad support of celebrity endorsements that make readers want to reach the celebrity body to potentially aspire to their lifestyle. Adding to direct advertising enables a successful advertising campaign to keep businesses interested in advertising with Men's Health.

Advertising assessment: Learner response

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

There are no theories applied. Your essay doesn't make sense, you make sweeping, generalised statements that are not backed up by analysis of media text. 

2) Read the whole mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Identify at least one potential point that you missed out on for each question in the assessment.

Facial expressions – female models’ open mouths suggest lust, desire. Male model makes

eye-contact with audience.

Man as the hunted, looked-at object; objectification of men (Gill – female gaze).

Costume barely visible for female models – flesh on display. Heavily made-up faces constructed/Photoshopped image. Links to Kilbourne’s analysis of women in advertising.

3) On a scale of 1-10 (1 = low, 10 = high), how much revision and preparation did you do for this assessment?

4.4/10 

4) Look at your answer and the mark scheme for Question 1. What aspect of technical film language (camerawork, mise-en-scene etc.) or advertising persuasive techniques do you need to revise to improve your response to this kind of question in future?

I need to work on my emotional appeal as I have not really shown what the picture conveys emotionally and how it can appeal to an audience emotionally. 

5) Look at your answer and the mark scheme for Question 2. What aspects of the cultural and historical context for the Score hair cream advert do you need to revise or develop in future?

• Aggressively heterosexual representation perhaps shows male insecurity in light of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967.
• Anchorage text in the Score advert reflects male insecurities in a changing world – repeated references to ‘men’ and ‘masculine’ in design, production and use of the product suggests an acknowledgement that hair cream was seen as a more female product in the 1960s.

6) Now look over your mark, teacher comments and the mark scheme for Question 3 - the 20 mark essay question on David Gauntlett and masculinity 'in crisis'. Write a completely new paragraph for this question based on the suggested theories/answers in the mark scheme. Make sure it is an extensive, detailed paragraph focused on the question and offering examples/textual analysis from the Advertising CSPs. 

ADVERTISING INDEX

1) Advertising: Introduction - narrative in advertising
2) Advertising: persuasive techniques
3) Advertising: the representation of women in advertising
4) Advertising: Score case study and wider reading
5) Advertising: Maybelline case study and wider reading
6) Advertising: Gauntlett - Media, Gender and Identity reading and questions

David Gauntlett: Media, Gender and Identity

David Gauntlett: Media, Gender and Identity

There is a huge amount we can take from Gauntlett's work across the mass media but these are three key ideas that we can apply to our Advertising and Marketing CSPs.

Idea 1: Identity is becoming more fluid 

David Gauntlett writes that there is a “decline of tradition”.

“The mass media is a force for change… The traditional view of a woman as a housewife or low-status worker has been kick-boxed out of the picture by the feisty, successful 'girl power' icons. Meanwhile the masculine ideals of absolute toughness, stubborn self-reliance and emotional silence have been shaken by a new emphasis on men's emotions, need for advice, and the problems of masculinity.”

Idea 2: There are generational differences

Gauntlett highlights the differences in views on identity between young and old – e.g. on homosexuality or masculinity.

“The mass media has become more liberal, and considerably more challenging to traditional standards… and this has been a reflection of changing attitudes, but also involves the media actively disseminating modern values.

Idea 3: Things change over time

Gauntlett talks positively about the media and audiences changing over time.

“Views of gender and sexuality, masculinity and femininity, identity and selfhood, are all in slow but steady processes of change and transformation.

“These things are not stationary. To discuss gender and media is to aim arguments at moving targets - which, again, is just as well.”

Gender, identity and advertising: blog task

Read this extract from Media, Gender and Identity by David Gauntlett. This is another university-level piece of academic writing so it will be challenging - but there are some fascinating ideas here regarding the changing representation of men and women in the media.

1) What examples does Gauntlett provide of the "decline of tradition"? How can we link our advertising CSPs (Score hair cream and Maybelline 'That Boss Life') to this idea?

"The traditional view of a woman as a housewife or low-status worker has been kick-boxed out of the picture by the feisty, successful 'girl power' icons."

This links to Maybelline because the main female in the advert is portrayed as the modern, girl power and subversive female.

"Meanwhile the masculine ideals of absolute toughness, stubborn self-reliance, and emotional silence have been shaken by a new emphasis on men's emotions, need for advice, and the problems of masculinity."

This links to Score cream advert because we can see the clear contrast as the male in score cream advert is idolised and put on a pedestal whereas now we see more emotional males with less idolisation.

2) How does Gauntlett suggest the media influences the way we construct our own identities?

Television programmes, pop songs, adverts, movies and the internet all also provide numerous kinds of 'guidance' - not necessarily in the obvious form of advice-giving, but in the myriad suggestions of ways of living which they imply.

3) How do the two CSPs reflect the generational differences that Gauntlett discusses? Is it a good thing that the media seems to promote modern liberal values?

4) Why might Manny and Shayla be a good example of the role models that Gauntlett discusses - and also demonstrate how those role models have changed in recent years?

Because both Manny and Shayla are excellent examples of people who subvert the traditional gender roles, showing gender fluidity. Role models have changed because they used to be more traditional e.g. A female role model would have been an actual model or a male role model would've been a football player.

5) Why does the Score hair cream advert provide such a good example of traditional masculinity? How can you link this to Gauntlett's discussion of whether masculinity is in crisis?

Because masculinity is what makes a male and males traditionally has be the more dominant gender as they feel the need to be worshipped by the opposite sex as shown in the score hair cream advert. This links to Gauntletts discussion because he mentions how women have become more assertive and in control which is the polar opposite of what is happening in the score hair cream advert. Females would be doing mainly the opposite now instead of worshipping the male they would be more independent.

6) Gauntlett consistently argues that masculinity is not in crisis. Can the Maybelline 'That Boss Life' advert be used as evidence of this?

No, the Maybelline advert cannot be used as evidence because it reveals the change in masculinity as the male portrayed in the advert shows feminine traits which is a complete contrast to masculinity, the advert promotes gender fluidity as the male is part-taking in female activities like putting on make-up.

7) Does advertising still reinforce the "conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man" that Gauntlett discusses? Offer examples for both sides of the argument from the wider advertising industry.

In a way, advertising does reinforce this ideology of a male, clearly displayed by the Lynx adverts, which display the male lead impressing the ladies by applying his fragrance and impressing these ladies, which reinforces the male stereotypes in adverts that using the product will get you more girls because that is most definitely what you want.

8) Gauntlett discusses the idea of 'girl power' and offers examples from music and film. Does advertising provide evidence to support the idea of 'girl power' or is the industry still reinforcing traditional representations of men and women?

Advertising does provide evidence for the idea of girl power still being alive due to many artists, idols and other social influencers who are empowering girls and women all over the world. An example is perfume adverts where the female lead seems to be in control of the male lead in making herself seem more desirable, also in not needing the said male.

9) Do you agree with Gauntlett's argument under 'Popular feminism, women and men' where he suggests that younger generations are not threatened by traditional gender roles and are comfortable with social changes? Does advertising (and our CSPs in particular) provide examples either reinforcing or challenging this idea that younger generations are more comfortable with changing gender roles?

I believe that as young people, we are more open-minded and accepting of new beliefs, as well as aren't threatened by traditional gender roles, the same way previous generations are, so much so that we could be at a point where we are seeing less and less misogyny in younger people in the news and the media in general.

10) How do the two advertising CSPs show the changing 'diversity of sexualities' that Gauntlett suggests?

The score hair cream advert doe not really display the diversity within genders due to the fact that they are displaying typical gender roles.
However, the Maybelline advert does display the diversity of sexualities as there is a male lead in what would normally be a females position, at least for that product, being a cosmetic product.

11) What examples from advertising does Gauntlett provide for the changing nature of gender in society (from the section on Judith Butler's Gender trouble)?

CK One fragrance 'for a man or a woman' - had reminded viewers of the similarity of genders. Other ads include such as ones for Impulse deodorant and Kronenbourg lager. 

12) How can the Maybelline 'That Boss Life' advert be applied to Judith Butler's work on 'gender trouble'? ("The binary division of 'male' and 'female' identities should be shattered, Butler suggested, and replaced with multiple forms of identity...")

This is through the stereotype that males should be involved in typically masculine things, therefore the fact that a make-up and cosmetics advert stars a man subverts stereotypes and gender roles that we have come to know over the years. 

13) How can our two advertising CSPs be used to argue that power has shifted from media institutions to audiences? (Clue: how did Manny and Shayler from the Maybelline advert first become famous?)

In the older advert, the score hair cream advert, published in '67, clearly displays power being in the hands of the institutions which are publishing these adverts,due to the fact that the people starring in it are likely to be from a modeling agency and have no care in the world for what they were representing or doing. Therefore for a contemporary advert to tar people who have that passion and interest in the field of the advert clearly displays how the power has shifted from institutions to audiences as both Manny and Shayler have over 3 million followers on Instagram, meaning that the audience of Maybelline has displayed a clear interest in thee people.

14) Why is advertising such a good example of the 'contradictory elements' that Gauntlett discusses with regards to the mass media? In other words, how does advertising continue to both reinforce and challenge gender stereotypes?

Advertising is a good example of the contradictory element due to the fact that is an example of non-binary gender, in being gender fluid, clearly being in our CSP in the Maybelline advert, as well as being quite binary in the score hair cream advert which has examples of gender roles for both gender during this period.

15) Finally, Gauntlett makes a clear case that things change and modern identities are increasingly fluid. How do our advertising CSPs demonstrate the changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality in society?
The Maybelline advert has a lot of gender fluid references as the main star is gay, meaning that Maybelline is clearly open to the idea of being LGBTQ, which displays respect and thoughtfulness from the brand to do so, displaying the fact that we may be moving to more accepting gender fluid society, which new attitudes towards being gay, lesbian etc.