ANALYSIS OF MY OWN 6TH FORM MAGAZINE COVERThe title of the magazine ‘ELITE’ gives the consumer the idea that the sixth form and its magazine is well-established and extremely successful, and with the primary consumer being students that are currently enrolled in the sixth form or a looking for a sixth form provides the reassurance and advertisement that, the sixth form is indeed, one of the best to study at. It also provides reassurance and advertisement for the secondary consumers, (parents of the students that are interested or are enrolled at the school), as they want the best possible education for their children.

The typography a sophisticated and academic air to it, giving off the impression that the sixth form is very professional.

The masthead consists of the title and the sub heading which is situated at the top in the centre. This follows the codes and conventions used by recognized magazines and therefore creates the image of professionalism. The subheading is the sixth form’s strapline which contributes towards the brand identity of the magazine.

The first cover line, (the splash) acts as anchorage text for the central image, informing the reader that she is an ex-student of the sixth form who is currently studying medicine at Cambridge University. And a student who attends the highest ranking university in the UK and moreover, studies what is homogenously believed to be one of the most difficult subjects, is extremely impressive and sought after by the target audience, who highly value academic success. ‘The story behind her success’ suggests that the feature will inform the consumer how she achieved getting into such a competitive university which is not only interesting for the consumer, but quite valuable information for them too. The word ‘meet’ acts personal engagement towards the consumer and makes them feel as if the sixth form are very welcoming and friendly, despite its prestigious image. This can be comforting for the prospective students who may feel intimidated by the sixth form.

The tag ‘Exclusive’, written in capital letters to highlight its importance, is a USP (unique selling point) which makes the magazine seem more exciting and ‘Elite’.

ANALYSIS OF MY OWN 6TH FORM MAGAZINE COVERThe second cover line is a direct mode of address which targets the consumer’s values; furthering their engagement with the magazine.

The third cover line uses alliteration that sounds catchy and as a result, engages the consumer. In addition, it also targets the primary consumers’ values and lifestyles by giving advice as to how to study successfully. Furthermore, the feature is in the opinion of other students who have much more experience when it comes to studying and therefore their opinion is much more respected and more likely to be regarded as accurate by the consumer.

The central image is of a student wearing the sixth form’s uniform and sitting with a very refined posture, strengthening the image of a sophisticated and professional sixth form. The student is directly looking at the consumer (she uses a direct mode of address) and therefore engages with the consumer. Even though the girl may just be wearing glasses due poor eyesight, people who wear glasses are generally associated intelligence. This coincides with the sixth form’s image and the consumers’ psychographic, making the sixth form more attractive to the consumer.

By having the cover lines located on the side of magazine, it follows the codes and conventions used by most magazines and therefore makes the sixth form look professional.  The anchorage text also informs the consumer as to what sixth form the magazine belongs to.

The logo also contributes towards the brand identity and represents the school. Again makes the magazine look more professional.

The barcode and price is located on the bottom right corner of the magazine following the codes and conventions of recognized magazines and therefore makes the magazine look professional and established.

ANALYSIS OF MY OWN 6TH FORM MAGAZINE MENU

My own feedback:

The main image is of the student in the main feature. Furthermore, its of the same student on the front of the cover however in a different setting and position. This follows the codes and conventions of established magazines and makes the magazine look more professional.The image also provides intertextuality as she is in a lab and is looking down a microscope; both of which are heavily related to medicine.A box out is also used for aesthetic purposes.

The majority of the features are topics that are relevant to the target audience’s psychographics and as a result, makes the magazine much more engaging and interesting for the consumer.The other features are of what the students have accomplished outside of academics, which portray a sixth form that value the growth and development of the students not just intellectually but personally too, which is important for both the primary and secondary consumers.

The menu’s typography also follows the format that is used in newspapers which creates an image of professionalism and sophistication.

All of the images on the bottom are related to the features.

Throughout the front cover and the contents page, a sophisticated house style is created by using a green black and white colour palette (which matches the sixth form’s uniform). It also uses the same font throughout the front cover and the contents page, and similar formatting regarding the title, the logo, and the green bar.

I didn’t include enough features and I forgot to add a page number at the bottom of the contents page which would of broken the codes and conventions of established made my magazine look unprofessional and the sixth form look inexperienced.