Mens Health Hearst Magazine fact file:
Audience Profile:
Mens Health reach males age ranged 25-44 of AB social demographic range. They reach more of this target audience than GQ and Esquire added together. The number one Hearst magazine for affluent 30 something men.
Readership Figures:
Total circulation 2007 240,315. Men's health readership 1 million 88% male. According to ABC figures for 12 years the readership figures of Men's Health has increased. GQ Circulation in 2007 59,800 and Esquire circulation in 2007 129,520. Men's health has higher circulation than both put together in relation to competition. 2002 Men's Health circulation figures 218,740.
Magazine Content:
Gives information to it's readers about how to improve yourself confidence as well as your health. Gives advice on how to lose weight as well as how to build muscle. Gives information and advice about peoples sex life. Runs competitions in order to gain readership as well as to promote itself in how its advice works for normal people.
Audience Gratifications:
Information- Informs its readers about how to improve your body, either through weight loss or through increased muscle tone.
Social Interaction- Through competitions and challenges people are able to get involved. E.g recent Men's Health Lucozade challenge. People posting photos and updates on blog forums of how they were getting on with the challenge.
Identification- Readers are able to identify with real people who have followed the workout regimes or advice given by Men's Health. Relatable to them making their goals achievable.
Uses of Digital technology:
Men's Health website- The website was relaunched in December 2006 and is now one of the largest and most popular websites for men in the UK. menshealth.co.uk
Blogs and Chat forums- Through challenges put forward by Men's Health as well as the workout regimes given and information given people are able to be part of a community and post their thoughts as well as their progress of taking part in these regimes.
Social Networks- Social networking linked to chat and blog forums allows discussion on workout regimes put forward by the magazine as well as advice given. Allows audience to get information about whats going to be in the next issue as well as discuss about celebrities who follow Men's Health e.g David Beckham Men's Health issue.
Brand communities:
Men's Health is able to create reader communities through blog and chat forums as well as social networking. This allows people to discuss about what challenges or diets or workout regime they are doing advising others and raising attention towards Men's Health magazine. These brand communities are linked into the ideology of Maslow hierarchy of needs as it gives people a sense of belonging in their community.
My review of the brand's success:
I believe that as a brand in appealing to it's audience it is a successful magazine brand. it gives its readership audience the gratifications it needs. This is backed up by its popularity through its readership figures as well as through its website pageviews. On its forums it discusses about its workouts as well as how to better yourself and your health. This is what the readers want of this magazine and therefore they are draw to it as it appeals to their needs.
