The Gentlewoman: Audience and Industries blog tasks

 

1) Media Magazine feature: Pleasures of The Gentlewoman

Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the article on The Gentlewoman (MM84 - page 34). Answer the following questions:

1) What does the article suggest is different about the Gentlewoman compared to traditional women's magazines? 

 

The cover text usage is very minimal and only contains the title, subtitle and the persons name. The size of the photo is unconventional too as usually it takes up the whole space of the cover.

2) What representations are offered in the Gentlewoman?  

 

Representations of stereotype, race and performativity. The magazine focuses on choosing unique people and telling their story.

3) List the key statistics in the article on the average reader of the magazine. 

 

The average age of readers is 38, 61% of their readers are from the age of 28 to 46 (upper class) of which are in the A and B categories. The average income of a reader is roughly £87k.

4) What is The Gentlewoman Club? 

 

A community of men and women who come together and demand high quality print based off of their needs and their agendas. People can also get together and make more friends.

5) What theorists does it suggest we can apply to the Gentlewoman's club?

 

Gauntlets identiy theory of how we consume media to form out own identity and clay shirky's theory of audience.

6) What does the writer of article suggest they are getting out of their relationship with the magazine?

 

Readers get a glimpse into fashion, style, identity, clothing ect.

7) Who are the team behind the magazine?

 

The team is small and the two creaters are Gert Johnson and Jop van Bennekom. They are known for their unconventional takes/twists on print.

8) How does the Gentlewoman use their website and social media to promote the magazine? 

 

On their website they give readers their full magazines which entices them to purchase them and by promoting their own adverts. On social media also readers gain a connection with the magazine which in turn further promotes it.

9) What are the 'creative collaborations' in the magazine? How do they 'spill over into real life'?

 

 Creative collaborations are just a way for photographers and writers to market their own products and it is seamlessly woven into the magazine.

10) How does the article sum up the audience pleasures of the Gentlewoman? 

 

A key pleasure is the sense of nostalgia that readers get by enjoying the old medium of magazines in the modern world.

2) The Gentlewoman Media kit

Look through The Gentlewoman's Media Kit and answer the following questions:

1) How does the Media Kit introduce the magazine?

 

The first page reveals a range of covers with different celebrities that the company has collaborated with. It also reveals some history behind the magazine and it also has reviews from awarding bodies.

2) On the 'Digital' page, what different sections of the website are there and how do these offer opportunities for audience engagement and interaction? 

 

-The library section reveals all the women who have been on the past covers and some information about them

-The club offers chats and facts about the audiences and it allows readers to get to know eachother

-Collaborations which contain all the brands the the Gentlewomen have done business with

-The shop where subscriptions and products can be purchased.

3) What are the audience demographics for The Gentlewoman?

 

The median age is 32 and 85% of the audience are Females with the rest 15% being males. ABC1 rating is 76% and the average income is roughly £87225.

4) What is The Gentlewoman Club and what does it offer readers?

 

It is a community of readers where they can come together and talk/get to know eachother. This is also where they show their demands for their cultural agendas.

5) What Creative Collaborations

 

Its a way for messages to be communicated to the audience through partnerships with prestigous brands and/or the editors distinctive voice.

3) D&AD Award Winner feature

Read this short D&AD advertising agency award feature on The Gentlewoman. Answer the following questions:

1) How is the magazine described?

 

It is described as celebrating womens modern style and purpose by offering an intelligent perspective on fashion.

2) What does it say about the content and design of The Gentlewoman?

 

Through its unconventional use of font it is constantly evolving.

3) How are the readers described?

They are described as consumers and that the audience is intelligent with a thirst of cultural entertainment. The audience is also described as being multicultural and of many races/ethnicities.

4) Business of Fashion website feature 

Read this Business of Fashion feature on The Gentlewoman - the magazine that is also a club. If you don't want to sign up to the website (free) then you can access the text of the article on Google Drive here (you'll need your Greenford Google login). Answer the following questions: 

1) What events are listed as part of The Gentlewoman Club?

 

Members are able to shopping together or go to a styling session. In the article they went to a tour about Londons famous landmarks.

2) Why does it suggest the magazine has managed to 'cut through the clutter'?

 

The Gentlewoman offers an intelligent take on fashion culture.

3) How are Gentlewoman Club tickets given out? 

 

Members can sign up for free and are randomly selected by Penny Martin.

4) What does the article say about The Gentlewoman's relationship with its audience? 

 

The article reveals that the gentlewoman aims to educate their readers as it is a pleasure to inspire others.

5) Why are Club events valuable from a digital perspective? 

Due to the magazine being produced bi-annually the producers can engage with their audiences more closely which is valuable as it "strikes" their social media.

5) Website and social media research

1) Visit The Gentlewoman's website. How does it promote the magazine? 

The website offers all sorts of sections including shops and library sections which allow for the audience to be able to learn what they want. This further promotes the magazine as the audience becomes hungry for more information.

2) Visit the magazine page of the website. How much of the magazine is available to view online? Is this a smart marketing technique to sell print copies or is it giving content away for free? 

 

The entire magazine is available for free to see as this provides the incentive to purchase physical copies.

3) Look at The Gentlewoman's Twitter feed. What content from the magazine or Club events can you find on there? 

 

There are a lot of quotes from previous actors/cover models and also other pictures of celebrities, most of the products they have created can also be seen here as a form of promotion.

4) Go to The Gentlewoman's Instagram page. How does it encourage the audience to engage with the magazine? 

 

It shows an insight into what being part of the gentlewomans club entails which persuades the audience to sign up, tours are shown and pictures of celebrities are also shown.

5) What representations of fashion and gender can you find on their Instagram page? 

 

Their selection of models is wide and they select from any race and sexuality which shows their LGBTQ+ supportive mindset.