Question 1&2 Magazine Cover

Q.1:  How did your product use or challenge conventions and does it represent social groups or issues?

The cover page was definitely the trickiest stage. The ‘Mountain Edition’ was slightly larger compared to the masthead. At an early stage, the choice seemed to be quite subjective. The fact that it went against magazine covers in the norm and the covers analysed was intriguing. There should never be an ‘orthodox’ structure to a magazine cover. Besides this way, the cover distinguished itself and created a unique selling point. Or in simpler terms, its own identity. However the final outlook of the product was altered due to some feedback taken from a small sample. They claimed it’s exceptionally distracting and disorderly to have a smaller masthead and may bewilder the target audience. Upon hearing this, changes were made accordingly.

The target audience of the magazine has no specific age group but are likely to be 25+. It is for those who are capable of travelling from time to time. According to TradingEconomics.com, travelling locally in Pakistan are more leisure based rather than business based. That is about 27% of the travels are business based, while about 73% is leisure based. So naturally, the domestic population of Pakistan has a tremendous impact on hotel room rates and other things that can be linked to tourism such as tour guide fee and trekking equipment. This is why the magazine is so patriotically themed ‘Pakistan Pioneer’. Not to mention the white-green colour scheme chosen (the colors of the flag).

The content page is pretty basic; just one image included, two columns and a recurring color scheme (orange, black, green). The idea was to make it simple, professional-looking and not experiment to an excessive level. This is because again, the target population is not specified. Majority of Pakistan’s working population is over the age of 30 and are able to take vacations. If a consumer over 25 tries to obtain information about travelling and tourism, he or she may find the large fonts, various color schemes unappealing or unprofessional. The content should be clear and downright simple.

The cover page was constructed accordingly to answers taken from the questionnaire, the results were transformed into charts and then the cover page’s cover story, side story etc. were determined. The color of the font was pretty much subjective. Whichever looked best was selected. The background image that was used looked far more majestic than the other photos. The only problem was that finding a font and a font color that would blend in with the image. After several changes in font and what seemed like a lifetime later, ‘Franklin Gothic Heavy’ on a 167.82 size was selected.

The double-spread page had the same color scheme as the cover (black, blue, orange) so they don’t give off an ‘alien’ look. Of course as an interview subject, a tour guide fit the role best. Who else would know more about the shooting locations (where the images for the cover were taken) than the tour guide himself? Four images of different locations used in the bottom of the double spread that included restaurants, a marketplace and basically ‘images that are pretty to look at’. These images were however specifically chosen as they add variety to the overall look. Any more images would make the page less informative and catchy. A quote was placed next to the interview subject to attract attention. No analysis was done before making the double spread, just some basic detail was checked, such as how much space is required between the center of the page so the text isn’t distorted when printed. And also the overall size formats of the double spread. The rest of it, well, just went as creative and rogue as possible I suppose.

Q.2: What kind of media institution might distribute your product and why?

A publications house that mainly creates magazine issues revolving around a country’s own domestic beauty, events and stories rather than international. A magazine that encourages local travelling, culture and shows the target audience places within their grasp. International travelling can be quite expensive and airline services can be unstable, inadequate time schedules and other problems may be present such visa acceptance issues etc. Not many can afford to spend their holiday time dwindling with these troublesome complications.

Afar magazine is a travel publication focused on Experiential Travel based in the United States with little focus on other countries. This magazine was primarily selected as it chooses almost the same sequence, structure and simplicity of the magazine cover similar to my piece. Using just a few color schemes and text on the cover. Its content revolves around interviews with the local population, restaurants and majestic areas. It communicates with audiences using articles, side stories and eye catching photography to a certain extent. Afar hopes to attract new readers with its various contents including food, culture, music, lifestyles.

The main idea is to make one feel like a tourist in one’s own country. After all, every city, town, state or province has its own extraordinary living and differences. It tries to attract a target audience consisting of several demographics. For example, Romantic getaways for couples, water parks and thrilling amusement parks for families with young children and comfortable, mellow holidays for senior citizens. The reason why so many demographics are targeted is due to one simple idea. The idea that the magazine is for everybody and anybody. More specifically, anybody in the middle-upper class.

This way the magazine has more of a chance to be a successful as it is targeting those whom are able to travel. And the risks are also significantly eliminated. If the launch is auspicious and gets marketed well enough In other another term, word of mouth. Who can prove to the target audience of a good magazine better than the reader itself? Plugs are not usually used on the cover, which is a feature that they should consider adding more often. Yes, simple is good but too simple is costly and rather unappealing. Since they rely so highly on their cover to attract new readers, it should be relatively attractive. Emphasis on the background image and gripping stories is the key to a successful travel magazine. And also why they should consider distributing my product.