Kerrang Analysis
The fonts used are eye catching and intended too capture the attention of the reader and target audience, they are used too be different from other magazines on the stand, and also intended too be appealing and interesting too look at and also too read.
The size of type is a about 72 – 100, it is that big in order too catch the
Attention and eye of the reader, and also too stand out from other magazines
with smaller fonts.
The weight of type used is quite bold but not italic, the bold font is used too become eye catching, and also too further appeal too the reader as it stands out and is more attractive.
The colours used are quite stand-outish and designed too capture attention
with the colours and font and weight of type all in one which should capture
the readers attention.
The photo’s used are close up shots and shots designed too show only the face of the person to inform the reader who the people featured in the magazine are and too possibly interest the reader into buying the magazine out of interest in the photo’s relating too the people and stories enclosed.
The stars used are relevant only to the intended market as the people who do not recognise the stars are not the intended market, as they have no clue who the stars are.
It is a mixed gender front cover and magazine as it appeals too both sides of the gender, male and female, also it gives the contrast in male and female by being a mixed gender mag.
They are arranged to give you a highlight of what is included in this issue of this magazine, to show you the best sections of the magazine and highlight these in an approach to ensure that you purchase this magazine, after highlighting the best things included they give a small list of what else in the magazine after the feature articles and feature information.
The page elements are laid out in a sort of collage form, for instance the picture’s are laid out in a collage format with some overlapping the others and overlapping words, this gives the reader a chance to scan the front cover incase they find anyone that they’re interested in or interested in reading about them further or reading the magazine to find out what the information regarding that artist is.
The white space on the front cover of the magazine is used to promote that specific feature of the magazine which in this case is “50 sexiest people in rock” this is an eye catching sentence as it is an interesting read as well as an interest to read further and look at the picture’s included in the magazine.
As a whole colour is pretty simplistic and doesn’t really include any complexity, the colour is just plain black and white in this issue, this simplicity is one of the reasons why Kerrang is popular as many of their own readers dislike the whole barrage of colours you get with other magazine’s on a whole.
Your eye navigates the page from top to bottom scanning the pictures which are arranged in a collage format which is easier on the eyes to scan through the images on the front cover of the magazine, also as soon as you get to half way down the cover your caught by that big sentence saying “ 50 sexiest people in rock” which automatically makes you want to read into the magazine more and also the images make you want to read more because if you see a face that you recognise or like or are interested in and then you’ll be pushed to see what the magazine has to say about that following person.
The images on this front cover relate to the text as it says “50 sexiest people in rock as chose by you” and then it has the collage of images located around it so therefore they link as it’s giving you a preview of who will be included in this list of 50 as chosen by the readers.
The cover relates to the rest of the magazine by highlighting the main features of what will be included in this issue of the magazine therefore giving the reader a sample of what is inside beyond the front cover, beyond the front cover is more of what is shown on the cover itself.
The name of the magazine is onomatopoeic and is a reference to the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar or as well the sound made when a guitar is smashed. An onomatopoeic in simple terms is a word that imitates or suggests the source of the sound that it describes.
The connotations or the concepts and images associated with this word are that it is the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar or the sound made when a guitar is forcefully smashed.
The photo’s denote that they’re quite serious in their profession and remaining professional for that specific photo to create and reinforce their image, also the hairstyle suggests a rock front, image and also pose.
The connotations that photo’s have are that the image is a rock front as in conjunction with the hairstyle a rock front is created, the attitude is serious and also possesses a rock front, the behaviour can be determined as a rock behaviour were they do what they want when they want, the status can be determined as a rock god front were they are the elite and no one else is above them.
They use the myth that only a certain category of people can be described as sexy and that anyone out of that category can not be defined as the sexiest people in rock.
Kerrang was initially published by Geoff Barton as a onetime supplement in the Sounds newspaper, you cant tell this fact without researching the magazine before hand as the magazine has considerably changed since its first launch in 1981.
This media text makes it’s money by circulating the magazine through supermarkets, shops and other retail establishments and putting the issues of the magazine for sale in these establishments were the large number of Kerrang fans purchase this magazine and also through the other divisions of Kerrang such as their music channel, radio, awards and also the Kerrang Tour.
The interests of the reader are very important to Kerrang as the publications of the magazine are on what the reader wants to see most, for example in this issue the 50 sexiest people in rock, that is chosen specifically through the reader through a poll, Kerrang thrive on what the interests of the reader are in order to generate substantial sales.
The Kerrang magazine is also connected to other types of media such as Kerrang TV, Kerrang Radio, Kerrang Awards and also the famed Kerrang Tour which has major headlining acts each and every year.
The market place is quite substantial in terms of the different types of music magazine’s available to purchase, Kerrang has a lot of other competitors in this sector, but they are the market leaders due to the age of the magazine and also due to the other sectors they have in their empire and the other forms of media they have available at their disposal to publicise and endorse their magazine.
No institutions are in control over the content they publish but the British Standards Institution do regulate the content of the magazine just for standard purposes and to make sure that it is appropriate for the public.
Kerrang is quite independent as it is based on their own views in relation to what the reader wants to read and not want their own corporation want to publish in their magazine.
The changes taking place in this media are just changes that adapt to the current world and adapt periodically to ensure that they always meet the needs of the growing population of the readers and meet the different needs of the ever evolving reader, the original issue the first issue of Kerrang which was just one picture and words was suitable to that time as people were interested in just one picture and words, which was suited to that time, but now in the current time people are more interested in seeing a barrage or collage of pictures and seeing less words than what would of been used in 1981.
These changes are taking place to ensure that the magazine stay up to date and in time with current events and also to meet the needs of the evolving readers.
The values that Kerrang appear to support are the values of listening to what the reader wants and not what the corporation want, what the reader wishes is more important to Kerrang and this is one value that Kerrang appear to support.
The magazine appears to challenge the norm of what corporations include in their magazine for their best interests and not ideally what the readers would like to see included in their magazine, but Kerrang challenge this and include what the readers select and what the readers would like to hear about.
Other similar magazine that are direct competitors of Kerrang are NME, Q and Rolling Stone and also many other magazines.
The Kerrang title extends to their many other forms of media they produce such as Kerrang TV, Kerrang Radio and also the Kerrang Tour which has major headlining acts each year.
The main genre they represent is just plainly rock which they focus on which is why they have such a wide and big fan base as rock is a main genre which is associated with music on a whole.
The musical genre’s which are represented is everything other than rock as they put all their attention and focus on rock.
The stylistic features that identify the genre is that of tattoo’s and the different associated hair styles in the pictures to do with people of rock and also the way the layout is also that of rock.
The content typical of a rock genre is the double page spreads featuring solely one band and an interview with them.
The target audience of this magazine is that of a rock audience an audience solely interested in the rock culture and rock information, that is the only target audience as Kerrang does not aim to satisfy anyone else.
The magazine is targeted at them by using the information gathered by market research and meeting the needs of the rock reader by only covering articles and information that they want and nothing else.
That sentence highlights that they’ve whittled all the rock acts in the world and as chosen by the reader they’ve created a poll with the 50 sexiest rock acts in the world insinuating it’s a prestigious list to be a part of.
The people being represented in these photographs are the 50 sexiest people in rock and no one else.
The people that are missing are the people that are no substantial in the list of 50 sexiest people in rock.
It says that the sexual attraction towards men and women is heightened through this poll and that they’re mostly of a white ethnic background or origin.
The social status needed to be a part of this magazine shows that it’s only for people who are at the top of the rock game and are highly successful.
It shows that the music biz is highly competitive but Kerrang stick to what the reader wants and not what the corporation want.
