philosophical magazine pitch
TRANSCRIPT
Philosophical A magazine that specializes in the
unnatural and obscure world of
philosophy
Louis Hurst
My Brief
“You have been commissioned by the Northern Echo to produce a new magazine or newspaper product.
Your product can be done in any style or genre but it must be self financed through sales or advertising.
You must also produce your magazine for a specified audience segment within the 16 – 25 age group.”
How Do I Meet The Brief?
- Ensure that I come up with a unique concept that is generally underutilized in the UK magazine industry today
- Self financed through sales and advertising
- Ensure that there is the gap in the market in my chosen distributors publications
- Selected a socioeconomic group best suited to understanding and enjoying the genre
Primary Target Audience
• Socioeconomic group B
• Between 16 – 25 years old
• Males and females • Hipster/Nerd/Creatives tribe
• Fans of the topic and casual
readers alike
Secondary Target Audience
Northern Echo Readers
My Secondary audience is everyone else who reads the Northern Echo, a large proportion of its readers are adults but there are some young people out there who read it as well and as a result I will have to rule
out using things like taboo language, slang lexis, inappropriate content, suggestive themes or nudity when putting together my final product
Appealing To My Audience
• Stay away from technical jargon and references to complex theories to ease casual readers into the magazines content
• Use a concise style of writing
• Use both symbolic and visually appealing imagery
• Use a wider diversity of content, catering to all audiences
PCC Considerations
The PCC or Press Complaints Commission are a body which deals with various complaints from members of the public about magazine and newspaper content.
Overall there are 16 codes that the PPC sets that magazines and newspapers have to follow.
With this in mind I have made it my golden rule to follow all the rules of the press complaints commission in order to create a well done, non biased and reliable final product
Five Gold Rules
Give informed consent before questioning, getting information out of readers and asking them to pose as cover models
To avoid invading anyone's privacy or trespass, I will get consent from the land owner to ensure my photo shoots are done above board
I will not be biased in any way in order to demonstrate that I’m a reliable source of information and know my place in the genre and the industry
I need to ensure that all evidence gathered is completely confidential to ensure that no one is harassed or exploited
I must ensure that all information given is accurate
My USP
- My USP is the actual genre of magazine I’m going for, just by looking at my magazines cover and features potential buyers will learn almost straight away that the concept of the magazine is fresh, not overdone and something that has the potential to be quite an interesting read.
- Seeing as a philosophy magazine hasn’t found its way into the mainstream magazine market before some people may wonder if it has a place at all in the market. I would say yes, many of the magazines that have come before me only focus on more informative elements and the more traditional sides of philosophy.
Focus Group – Idea Brief
I wanted to see whether or not Philosophy was a broad enough concept to put into a successful magazine. So I created a focus group in
which we discussed a variety of different things from the magazine design the magazines overall concept. The feedback I got was rather
mixed however most people were in favour of the concept
“I think it’ll be a good idea, the genre
hasn’t really been touched upon
before”
“Personally I like it, but can you rally
enough attention to make it successful?”
“I like it, it’s a good idea and if its
done right it could do really well”
Contrasting colours
Simplistic imagery
Effective use of exclamatives
Simplistic text layout
Promotional material
Serif style fonts
Rhetorical Questions
Doesn’t focus on philosophy
solely (some psychology
elements)
Basic colour pallet
Offers information on new
aspiring philosophers
Basic Black and
white colour scheme
Basic, yet symbolic
imagery
Little text for the
meat of the article
A plaque design is
used to help the title
stand out more
Small introductory
paragraph
Serif fonts
Interesting layout
design
Symbolic Imagery Student Interview Section Text boxes leave plenty of room for in depth information Image of the mask is something not typically seen in any other magazine Visually appealing to look at
Both sides have an equal amount of space to explain themselves. Completely unbiased Interesting text box structure spices up the otherwise bland nature of text Bold and vibrant colours throughout Large, clear title Cover models positions resemble the debate side of the article
Bold and symbolic imagery Bold title The ethics and more informative sides of the subject are both covered Quote inserts from famous philosophers Article is very consistent and the way it is structured makes it easier to read
DPS 1 - Pros and Cons
Pros In depth information on all of the
theories
Suitable amount of imagery
Wide variety of fonts make the overall
DPS look seem more appealing
Interview sections add a different
perspective
Cons To much text, not much room for artistic decisions
Image placement doesn’t compliment text very well
Interview is too concise
The in depth nature of the article may be to much for casual
readers to absorb.
DPS 2 – Pros And Cons
Pros
The sparse nature of the DPS makes it look
slightly more simplistic and it doesn’t look like
there is too little text either
The quote inserts in my opinion help to break up
the text and as a result the article doesn’t come
across as a slog for more casual readers and
new comers
Large imagery that will immediately serve as
one of the DPS’ most interesting features, there
is still a whole page for text as well.
Cons Some readers may be put of as it isn’t written like a traditional top 10 list
Some, more passionate philosophy readers may feel like the article is as in
depth as it could be, specifically each theory isn’t given much explanation
No interview section
The Name
Directly Relates to the genre whilst also being memorable
Fresh and unique for the genre and the magazine industry in general
The simplistic nature of the title makes it seem slightly more off the cuff which goes against the trend of magazines using bold and loud titles, my magazine is
based on a more mature audience and my title should show that
Not to long or too short, its easy to absorb even for casual readers
Text Type :
Philosophical
Product Aims
I want to prove that the subject is important in peoples lives too, not just on the basis
of knowledge but also in developing a fresh new look at how we see the world
Allow younger and more casual readers develop an understanding of the subject specific terminology found within philosophy
Expose philosophy for the interesting subject it really is and bring it back into
mainstream appeal
Overall Product
Front Cover Contents Page Article 1 – Top Philosophical Theories Article 2 – Plato Vs Aristotle or The Clash of Greats Article 3 – Just War???
DPS 1 Details
• Discusses the more obscure and darker elements of philosophy
• Discusses some of the more traditional areas of the theories
• Includes a Q&A Interview section with another student, allowing for some subjective views
• Structured like a regular article, with paragraphs categorising the types of theories
DPS 2 Details
• Focuses around the iconic rivalry between Plato and Aristotle, allowing more exposure to the subjects traditional elements
• An unbiased approach makes this article fair and it doesn’t neglect subjective opinions in any way
• Focuses around one of their lesser known debate topics – Dualism and Materialism
DPS 3 Details
• Focuses around a more ethical and controversial area of discussion that is still a problem in the world today
• The various principles of just war are referred to, adding some educational value
• Structured much like a debate article – with the prime focus being about whether just war as a principle is effective.
Personnel Costs
Total Personnel Costs - £1,538
Basic Staff Required
Journalists Photographers
Researchers Models
Sub Editors Graphic Designer
Additional Staff Needs
Lighting Assistant Layout Artist
Costume Designer PP Photographers
Equipment Hire Costs
Total Equipment Costs - £245.00
Studio Hire Camera Hire
3hrs
Prop Hire 45 Mins
Make Up 2hrs
Revenue Plan
Amounts produced 8,000 at £2.99 = £23.920 + 781.44 = £24.701 (Predicted Sales Income)
Advertising Rates
Page X2 Half Page X2 Inside Cover Outside Back Cover
£781.44
“You have been commissioned by the Northern Echo to produce a new magazine or newspaper product.
Your product can be done in any style or genre but it must be self financed through sales or advertising.
You must also produce your magazine for a specified audience segment within the 16 – 25 age group.”
My Brief