GQ: Audience and Industry

 Audience

Look through the GQ Media Kit and answer the following questions: 

1) How does the media kit introduction describe GQ?

Forward looking, progressive and cutting edge.

2) What does the media kit suggest about masculinity? 

As masculinity evolves...GQ's authority has never been broader or stronger. 

3) Pick out three statistics from the data on page 2 and explain what they suggest about the GQ audience.

£7.7k on fashion. 61% ABC1. 7.3M reach.

4) Look at page 3 - brand highlights. What special editions do GQ run and what do these suggest about the GQ audience?

GQ heroes: gamechangers, creative radicals, deep thinkers, and cultural icons.

GQ hype: actors, musiscians, atheletes, designers, innovators. 

MOTY: awarding a male British icon.

5) Still on page 3, what does the video and social series section suggest about how magazine audiences are changing? 

They are consuming a lot of the video content with 45 million views in 2021.

Media Magazine feature: GQ

Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the article on GQ (MM82 - page 12). Answer the following questions:

1) What are the elements that go into choosing a cover stars for GQ? 

It needs to be the right person at the right time not just a famous celebrity they have to be interesting.

2) How is the magazine constructed to serve the target audience? 

 Great quality, good features, lots of culture.

3) What does the article suggest about GQ's advertisers and sponsorships - and what in turn does this tell us about the GQ audience? 

They want them to promote themselves in the sphere of male, high-end luxury lifestyle.

4) What is GQ Hype - and how does it reflect the impact of digital media on traditional print media?

The layout is different to the trad design and iot's more modern.

 

5) Finally, what does the article say about additional revenue streams for print magazines like GQ? 

 

It's crucial - but companies should only focus on their strengths.

Industries

Your industries contexts are divided into three areas - Conde Nast, GQ's website and social media content and the impact of digital media on print industries.

Condé Nast

Read this Guardian news article on editorial changes at Condé Nast and answer the following questions: 

1) Who was previously GQ editor for 22 years? 

Dylan Jones

2) What happened to the 'lads' mag' boom magazines such as Nuts, Maxim and Loaded? 

It "denigrated their culture".

3) What changes have been taking place at Condé Nast in recent years and why? 

UK Vogue’s first black editor Edward Enninful, recently promoted to European editorial director with control of the British, French, Italian, German and Spanish editions of the magazine.

Read this Press Gazette article on Conde Nast. Answer the following questions:

1) What does the article suggest about Condé Nast's recent strategy? 

Last year Conde Nast merged the global editorial teams at several of its international magazine brands.

2) How does chief executive Roger Lynch describe Condé Nast and why? 

 “no longer a magazine company,” saying it has “70 million people who read our magazines, but we have 300 something million that interact with our websites every month and 450 million that interact with us on social media”.

3) What does Adam Baidawi say about Condé Nast, GQ and culture? 

business of shaping and reflecting culture. Culture moves, and we have to move with it.

Read this FIPP feature on Condé Nast diversifying into video and streaming content. Answer the following questions: 

1) How is Condé Nast moving away from traditional print products?

They're capitalising on streaming.

2) What examples are provided of Condé Nast's video and streaming content?

Annual NewFront presentation today (4 May) 

3) What does the end of the article suggest modern media audiences want? 

Audiences want to be participants, not just passive viewers

GQ website, video and social media content 

Visit the GQ website, Instagram and YouTube channel. Note that some of these may be blocked in school. Once you have looked over GQ's online content, answer the following questions:

1) What similarities do you notice between the website and the print edition of the magazine?#

There is a clear visual identity, and colour palette.There is brand consistency, fashion, culture and lifestyle are present in both.

2) Analyse the top menu of the GQ website (e.g. Fashion / Grooming / Culture). What do the menu items suggest about GQ's audience?

• Style: Emphasizing fashion trends, designer profiles, and style guides.
• Culture: Covering topics like entertainment, art, and current events.
• Grooming: Focusing on personal care, skincare, and wellness.
• Wellness: Addressing mental health, fitness, and lifestyle.
• GQ Sports: Highlighting sports news and athlete profiles.

GQ's audience is affluent, fashion-conscious, and culturally engaged.

3) What does GQ's Instagram feed suggest about the GQ brand? Is this appealing to a similar audience to the print version of the magazine?

The content is curated to reflect the magazine's sophisticated and stylish aesthetic, appealing to both the traditional print audience and a younger, digital-savvy demographic. This approach indicates GQ's strategy to remain relevant across generations while maintaining its brand identity.

4) In your opinion, is GQ's social media content designed to sell the print magazine or build a digital audience? Why?

I think it's building a digital audience because they're trying to capitalise on views no that they realise social media is a successful avenue.

5) Evaluate the success of the GQ brand online. Does it successfully communicate with its target audience? Will the digital platforms eventually replace the print magazine completely?

GQ has successfully made its online platforms to communicate effectively with its target audience and grow its brand digitally. While digital platforms are likely to continue expanding their dominance, print will probably remain an important, if smaller, part of GQ’s brand identity.