TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF

LEICSTYLE

FRONT COVER

House StyleThe house style of this front cover and throughout the magazine is similar with the primary colours used being blue, white, green and black. This supports the magazine target of being sophisticated and minimalist which reflects the aesthetic of the target audience due to the females being A-B income bracket and having disposable income to spend on luxurious items, making them materialistic. On the other hand, it could be said that the older end of my target audience may prefer a more traditional and affluent style of magazine. There are only three types of text font used which meets the conventions of a regional magazine, as well as the imagery matching the genre of the magazine being an image of a landmark within the region the magazine is written for.

Main Cover ImageThe main image on the front cover is an XLS of Old John which is a well known landmark in Leicestershire. Within the archway is a model doing a yoga pose which will target the aspirers of the magazines audience as they will see that they can learn a new skill like yoga and want to buy the magazine to know more. The XLS connotes how even though women will want to aspire to be like the yoga model, they have to work for the skill and it doesn’t just come to you easily. The image has connotations of power and solidity which are stereotypically masculine, however I have established a binary opposition with the feminine yoga pose which emphasises the females individuality.

MastheadThe masthead is off centre to the left and with its white stroke stands out from the cover lines. However, I think that the audience are not as worried about the title of the magazine, they are more interested in the image on the front which is why the image is more eye capturing than the title. The thinness of the font has connotations of not wanting to stand out too much or be ‘showy’ which links to the audience because they are a lot older and more understanding about the world around them, therefore they would not ‘brag’ about their disposable income.

Cover lines There are 4 cover lines on the magazine front cover which inform the reader of things that are included in the magazine which is a selling point as the audience will want to know what they are going to be reading about before purchasing it. The blues used have connotations of the audience being able to keep it cool when entertaining, like making cocktails for friends. Even though the main cover line is one article, I do have a separate article dedicated to yoga poses which relates appropriately to the content included.

PricingThe price is displayed below the bar code which informs the audience how much they will need to pay for the magazine. It costs £4 which is a reasonable price for a magazine that is targeting an A-B income bracket audience who have enough disposable income to buy a more expensive magazine which contains information that will interest them. It is also small and in the corner, not in a puff which connotes the fact that it is less of a consideration for the audience. Taglines The main tagline ‘Yoga Outdoors’ links itself to the main image which is an elevated landmark that looks over the region of Leicestershire. This has connotations of being the best, which links to the fact that due to being high income bracket, the audience are concerned about their position in their social circle and like being ‘at the top’.

CONTENTS PAGE

House StyleThe house style has been carried on onto the contents page with the emphasis on the blue, black and white. The same fonts have been used which connotes continuity throughout the magazine, as well as professionalism. Even though I am using the same fonts and colours, it is slightly lighter which connotes that the articles will bring a new equilibrium to the readers life, an example of this is giving them the ability and information to eat well.

Layout The layout of the contents page is simplistic and formal which will stereotypically attract the female audience as they like to have things in order. Due to the layout being like this, it is very easy to find what you are looking for quickly and every article with page number is correctly labelled, allowing them to navigate through the magazine. The layout is very feminine with the snowflakes and the blue which links with the primary audience, as well as the snowflakes having connotations of winter preparation, for example women getting ready for the Christmas season. This is a stereotypical reading because women are seen as the domesticated gender, which is what I was aiming for with the articles on cocktail making and winter bites. The blue house style also has connotations of coldness, however I did not primarily want this to be reflective due to the female audience being warm and loving.

The image of the front cover in the bottom right hand corner will again reiterate to the audience that this magazine is a regional magazine, and the gutter line explains to the readers a discount they can receive if they sign up to a subscription. This targets the female audience due to them having busy lives, they may not have time to go out and buy the magazine every month, so the fact that they can pay for it to be posted through their letter box once every month without them thinking about it is a massive incentive.

Sub Images The XLS of the yoga class gives the audience an indication of what the yoga classes are like with the studio that is mentioned in the magazine, as well as having connotations of aspiration because if they audience attend the yoga classes then they will end up feeling a lot healthier. Also the fact that you are able to see the whole of the body of each yoga student connotes power and dominancy women gain which is derived from Gauntlet's Empowered Female Theory. The image of the boutique targets the A-B income bracket due to it looking high end, with connotations of prestigious and materialism alongside it.

Having the ability to subscribe is important for a niche magazine like a regional one because there has been a fall in print circulation due to having the ability to access magazines online for free.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

Layout The layout of the double page spread is simplistic and formal which will stereotypically attract the female audience as they like to have things in order. Due to the layout being like this, it is very easy to find what you are looking for quickly and every article with page number is correctly labelled, allowing them to navigate through the magazine.

Main focal imageThe main image is spread along the two pages, however the rule of thirds has not been followed which is not conventional to a magazine, on the other hand, if the model was central then she would be in the binding of the magazine. The reader is able to see the yoga model and gain personal identity because if they took up a hobby like that at the yoga studio, they could end up looking like her.

Pull QuoteThe pull quote are an incentive to the article and has attracted the audience to read the article and decide whether they are interested in it or not. The one on the right hand page gives the audience an insight into how the instructor feels when doing yoga and the one in the centre of the article breaks up the vast amount of text. Pull quotes represent women and what is important to them, like empowerment or the way they look, which secondarily is a binary opposition of body vs. soul, they are more worried about how they look than what they feel.

Text The amount of text appeals to the A-B income bracket audience who are hedgehog thinkers, more sophisticated and enjoy reading information about their local community, as well as having time to try new things as they have more money.

House StyleThe house style is carried onto the double page spread with the same fonts, colours and imagery which connotes continuity and professionalism throughout the magazine. However, I do wish that I had broadened my choice of imagery and used an image of the yoga studio for the DPS because there is a large repeat of images of Old John.

Drop Caps The drop caps at the start of every paragraph is also conventional and suits the professional and sophisticated target audience.

I ended up editing a separate image I took of the sky into this image to make it brighter and not look like the gloomy autumn day that it was. By doing this it gives the image connotations of a new equilibrium and a simulacrum which makes the image become a media version of the landmark and making it look like it is always sunny there, a good marketing technique. I wish I had done this on my billboard and front page as well because those images are now portrayed duller.

BILLBOARD

PriceThe price in the puff in the right hand corner of the billboard reflects the magazine and the content included in the fact that this product is premium which links well to the target audience due to them having more disposable income.

Social Media References The social media logos attract the digital native audience, even though social media isn’t a big part of this magazine, they still have pages to promote the magazine and encourages the secondary audience to purchase the magazine. The largest group of users on Facebook at the moment is the over 55s which is right in the middle of my target audience. As well as this, due to my audience being more affluent, they are able to own converged devices that allow them to use Wed 2.0.

Masthead The masthead is aligned to the left of the billboard, with the tagline underneath which explains to the person who has seen this billboard what it is advertising. I chose not to give the masthead as much of a stroke as the front page masthead which gives it connotations of it being more part of the fabric of Leicestershire which is more necessary due to a product like a billboard needing to compete with its surroundings.

House Style Yet again, the house style is continued throughout the billboard with the blues, greens, blacks and whites being the primary colours used. The same font is used as well as the imagery which connotes the professionalism and sophistication the magazine is trying to portray, as well as the continuity throughout the whole magazine campaign. The silhouette of the yoga model creates personal identity and allows the reader to place themselves in the position of the model.

Shot Type This shot has a slightly low angle which has connotations of the female model being superior and having the feeling of being in control which is a stereotype of middle aged women, this is also portrayed through the fact that the female is central to the image and Old John is at the side.