IPC media case study
IPC; also known as International Publishing Corporation, is the UK's leading consumer magazine and digital publishing house which has targeted and still targets a wide variety of audiences over the years. It contains a drop down of popular categories including, fashion and beauty, lifestyle woman and home, sport leisure, young men and music, teen and women, all of which targets the majority of the populations interests. Notorious magazines are associated with the IPC due to the categories they accompany for such as introducing the first 4 'Women's Weekly' introduced in November 1911. It played a big involvement in the women's magazines as they were hugely popular especially in the 1940s where it played a key role in the war time proving that women's magazines are the most demanded magazine genre, they have also been associated with 'Marie Clare' since 1988 proving they have had links with glossy magazines aimed at working class citizens.
IPC have been associated with a large variety of music magazines and during the 1950s there was an upsurge in the music scene heralding the arrival of 'New Musical Express' in 1952. NME set the ball rolling with its compilation of the first official UK record chart meaning the kickstart of music magazines began and IPC where one of the first publishers to sign on to a major music magazine showing that the company had a good eye to recognise good sellers. NME also became the first major music magazine to get its own internet site in which was designed to boost sale and recognition of the magazine as well as hopes of becoming Europe's most popular music website. With these ambitions IPC would be an appropriate publisher for a new music magazine as it is demonstrated that they know a lot about magazines especially in the music industry and what conventions they need to obtain to become successful. They would also be a well adapted publisher to house a new music magazine as they only publish one music magazine so therefore the audience who want to view a music magazine do not have much of a selection and might also not enjoy or want to read about the genre of music NME provides.
Due to there other selection of magazines targeting all ages and genders the type of music magazine that IPC might be likely to publish would be a popular music genre among everyone and also one that doesn't match that of NME as they could then provide more of a selection that everyone might be interested. Youth or middle age population seem to be the most targeted audience on the IPC website therefore there specifisised music type would be indie or pop as this is seen to be the most listened to and talked about across the majority of the main target audience. They will also want to publish a music magazine that has a different genre to NME as this is the only magazine on there they will want to provide a different music magazine that appeals to a different selection of audience and will gain more enjoyment from reading.
However alternative publishers such as Bauer might be appropriate as they house some of the most popular selling magazines which are mainly aimed at the middle aged women audience, apart from the BRAVO exception, so they could broaden their horizon and house a music magazine targeted to a different audience which could gain a popular rating. Furthermore due to Bauer publishing BRAVO; one of the largest youth magazines in Europe and also dominates the youth magazine market in Germany, it clearly shows there understanding of the youth of today and the new music magazine will most commonly be made to target that of the younger population. This also means the youth audience will be constantly looking at the Bauer website to look at BRAVO and will come across the new music magazine which should immediately intrigue them as both magazines want to satisfy the same age group and audience.
