Introduction
Magazines are the best way to show how advertising affects the buying habits of people. Considered a niched marketing field, magazines advertisements are specifically targeted towards a particular buying population of society. This advertising is done in two ways.
The first way being the traditional advertising method, direct to the point ad placements openly suggesting you try or buy a product, and the indirect or viral method, which is done through the magazine covers and stories wherein products are either shown as part of a photo shoot of a celebrity feature, or as part of an article written in the magazine. Either way, both methods are guaranteed advertising revenue for the magazine and any particular product endorser virally featured in the magazine The most successful use of these 2 types of advertising can be best seen, in my own opinion, in the Sports Illustrated magazine pages.
A simple look at the magazine cover layout tells one that the creative staff of the magazine is trying to target a particular age or sports interest demographic from the get go. The colors used are in deep shades that men often identify with.
The glossy background color is first and foremost used to highlight and center the interest of the reader on the person on the cover of the magazine. No frills and posed pictures for this magazine. The pictures are capable of telling a thousand stories even before the reader scans a written word. That is the beauty of Sport’s Illustrated Magazine. Photos and creative advertising carry the interest of the reader from page to succeeding page.
Main body
Understandably, the best way to sell the magazine would be to constantly feature the best of the best in their fields as magazine covers. Why? The right magazine cover can spell the difference between historically high circulation levels and historically low sales. That is why the glossy magazine offers various male sports superstars on its cover. The likes of basketball legend Michael Jordan, boxing great Muhammad Ali, and golfing idol Jack Nicklaus have graced the covers at least 22 – 49 times each.
The magazine also tries to vary the magazine covers by featuring politicians such as Bill Clinton, and celebrities like Chris Rock in sports related cover features. Women celebrities are also well represented as they have features the likes of Shirley Maclaine in one of their 1964 covers, and who can forget the always sold our Sport’s Illustrated Swimsuit editions with the likes of Tyra Banks and other super-models on the cover? Magazine circulation and revenue’s for the swimsuit issues average about $35 million in advertising revenue for the magazine due to the perennially sold out sales of that particular issue.
Such revenue figures just goes to prove that thanks to the diligence and perseverance of the magazine staff, the magazine manages to stay relevant even in this day and age of electronic media. is because, the magazine strives to feature relevant stories, personalities, and advertising that caters to the interest of their wide demographic audience ranging from the ages of 20-40. In 2005, the magazine’s swimsuit issue managed to sell 107 advertising spots for the price of $35 million.
Not bad for a magazine that has been in circulation since 1954. More admirably, its circulation base within the United States is a solid 3 million readers every week. In terms of advertising exposure, this is one magazine you want your product to be seen in, regardless if you are just trying to sell Donald J. Trump golf clubs or Budwiser beer.
In the June 23, 2008 edition of the magazine, I observed that products ranging from the Nokia N6555 for relaxation (targeting the 20 something age bracket) and Personal Digital Assistant advertising for the Blackberry ( aimed at executives aged between 30-40) graced the pages in between sports stories and human interest stories. towards the end of my reading, I found that there were 2 advertisements that seemed to have caught my interest and held it.
Proof that these 2 particular ads succeed in capturing the demographic market it was intended for. One product, Miller Lite catered to a demographic ranging from young professionals in their 20’s to the ages of 35 and above as it positioned itself as a recall advertisement. One the other hand, Just for Men Touch of Gray catered to a higher age bracket, possibly within the ages of 45 and above who are concerned with their looks. Since these 2 particular advertisements caught my eye, I thought it best to delve deeper into an analysis of the ads and what possible markets it targets and how.
The first advertisement, was for the Miller Lite Beer, accompanied by the quote “Take Taste and Refreshment by the neck and twist its cap off.” Twist its cap off. That phrase made me think, “Twist what cap off?” Then I remembered the stories of my grandfather and father about how beer used to come in a resalable bottle. An ice cold bottle of beer with a twist cap. It made the drinking experience last much longer for them back then.
It brought back memories of watching my father chugging away on his bottled beer during my childhood. He would come home from a hard day at work, grab a chilled bottle of beer from the fridge, pop on the couch, turn on the game, then, do exactly that “Take taste and refreshment by the neck and twist the cap off.” Obviously, this ad tries to bring back those kinds of memories for some of the magazine readers or, for the new beer drinkers used to the flip can type of beer, offer a new way of experiencing beer drinking using the Miller Lite brand. Yuppie drinkers between the ages of 20-29 and mature drinkers starting from the age of 30 and above. Needless to say, I felt that the ad hit the nail square on the head this time.
Now we come to Just For Men Touch of Gray. Products such as these cater to men of a more mature age, usually within the age range of the early 40’s and above. The quote on the bottom of the page, “For the Generation that refuses to get old.” tell us clearly that the product is meant for a demographic of men who, although advancing in age, continue to live an active and young lifestyle.
However, by saying that the product is “The first Hair Treatment That Lets You Keep A Little Gray For A Great Look”, this indicates that the manufacturer recognizes that there is something about having a little gray hair that allows the man to command a certain degree of respect and desirability among younger women. Showing the actual box packaging also helped the ad target an advanced age demographic, possibly starting from the age of 50.
Conclusion
Therefore, with an ad revenue of over $35 million dollars for special issues and a circulation of 3 million readers every week, it would perhaps be somewhat safe to assume that the advertising targets and advertising revenue of the magazine are reached every week. Through creative use of photos, content, and product placements, a 50 plus year old magazine has managed to find a niche in the readership base of the 21st century and stayed relevant in the eyes of advertisers and the discriminating eye of the buying public.