The Big Issue: Industry Flashcards
Power & The Media - Curran & Seaton
• Dennis & The Big Issue represents a singular business partnership, financed and printed independently of any larger print publisher or news confgiomerate due to its unique nature and non-profit making distribution model.
- This independence from the larger dominating industries in the UK make it an ideal antidote to Curran a Seaton’s notion of power influencing control in the media when governed by conglomerates.
- Being independent does indeed somewhat inspire creativity, diversity, adventure and complete political autonomy within the editorial content of the magazine
• But it does still needs to adhere to the conventions of other similar current affairs & entertainment magazines to be noticed / a success.
Regulation - Sonia Livingstone & Peter Lunt
• The Big Issue is NOT a member of IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation).
- However, The Big Issue must adhere to the strict regulations of all publications created by them, including the editors code of conduct).
- Although there has been very little evidence of any editorial grievances in the past largely due to its philanthropic nature and the professional integrity / ethics of its experienced staff.
ADVERTISING IN BIG ISSUE:
• Magazines generate revenue primarily through sales of copies (print and digital) and through advertsing, which accounts for approximately one third of total revenues across the industry - and The Big Issue does need this income in order to offset the costs of production and the fairly cheap sale price (for a quality’ magazine such as this) of £2.50.
• Adverts marketing only the a whole range of products, Films, TV Shows, charities, concerts, etc. - a much more varied palette of adverts than featured in a more precisely defined magazine such as Vogue (either historical or contemporary).
• Because of the magazines VERY broad audience / readership, the focus of these adverts are very diverse. From expensive Blu Ray Box Sets and TV Shows requiring a Sky Subscription (an fairly expensive and “selfish’ use of funds which goes against its anti-materialism ethic to reserving a place for a Christmas meal at a local hostel for an unknown homeless person (very altruistic and generous, to the educational (training in child psychotherapy courses), there’s literally something for everyone.
• The Big Issue also reserves advertising space to self-promote events, competitions and its own charity arm of the organisation, to further promote and reaffirm the vitally important nature of its plight.
• There is more advertising within The Big Issue than ever before; 21 pages out of the 60 in the set text (that’s over a third of the total page count) are reserved for advertising or self promotion, leaving only 39 for editorial content alone.
BIG ISSUE’S BRAND IDENTITY:
For over 25 years The Big Issue has strived to dismantle poverty through creating opportunity, in the process becoming one of the most recognised and trusted UK brands.
• The name chosen correlates with the often controversial brand values and personality it means to further foster within its contents. It focuses on the social crisis and is highly engaging, direct and to the point, while often leaving space for Interpretation.
- Adding Magazine” to the brand name / masthead would give the title dear expectations to the customer BUT this is what it wants to avoid in many respects. The logo itself is simple and drect, whilst also being aggressive and highly recoonisable. It is easily noticed and wants to be provocaive.
• The Slogan of Helping People Help Themselves* encourages and differentiates from other social / charity organisations, adding value and significance whilst employing a feeling of contribution and significance.
• The Big Issue lists its manifesto on its content page using 5 bold headings and brief / simple descriptions underneath each one. These are unchanging and appear In EVERY issue, reflecting the ethos of The Big Issue Brand through and through
• They market themselves as Vendor-centric - their charity work is led by the hopes and aspirations of Big Issue Vendors, They see themselves es “fully inclusive in so much as social and financal indusion is at the heart of their phiosophy. They stress their “non-judgemental approach claiming to work with anyone who is prepared to engage with self help, regardless of their circumstances or background.
• The magazine also firmly believes that poverty is completely indiscriminate and features many homeless people from all walks of life and backgrounds to testify to this.
• The magazine believes in the right to citizenship for all - everyone matters regardless of colour of skin or country of origin.
• Prevention is seen as all important with an emphasis that we (the UK) need to understand the causes of poverty to better stop its continuance.
- The Interview with Prime Minister Theresa May in the 25th Anniversary issue - salutes The Big Issue and unveils a new homelessness funding package and a change of policy approach - bringing Conservative policy towards centre-ground ideological agenda and therefore doser to the left (the Big Issue’s preferred / usual political position.
• Some criticisms of The Big Issue brand image include that it is almost too flashy in its presentation of articles and information, thus detracting somewhat from its more serious. edgier guerrilla publishing roots
MOVE INTO DIGITAL MEDIA:
• The Big Issue created an easily navigable website (in the 2000s) that indudes five different content categories for viewers to explore., which then exhand top smaller subsections (e.g. Culture can be selected to take the user to Music, Books, Art, etc.).
- Option to visit The Online Big Issue shop to purchase branded items and other products created by the disadvantaged, and to subscribe to the magazine. All branded using The Big Issue house style to create consistency across all platforms.
• Vogue introduced a variety of social media pages (accessible via the icons on the website) in order to help with the cross promotion of their magazine (promoting stories and breaking news across all platforms), including the standard: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube.
• Zinio (which advertises itself as the world’s largest digital newsstand) is the exclusive digital distributor of the online digital print version of the magazine.
