Research into similar products

From my last post, after deciding on openers to my article, I have found various websites that are going to be EXTREMELY helpful, in letting me know what sort of questions to feature in my article.

Firstly I found, Time Out Birmingham - http://www.timeout.com/birmingham/nightlife/spotlight-next-door#tab_panel_3

Which gave me a short summary of the club, and what it's about, which can add to my opening paragraph in the article. I was also impressed by the image of the DJ in the club. Something I can use in my article. 

Here is a screen shot of the page:

Also, I found The Huffington Post magazine at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zoe-wilder/an-interview-with-new-yor_b_4499665.html

This was EVEN MORE HELPFUL! It actually had an interview, who was with the owner of a club in NYC. Questions have been asked about a key event coming up a.k.a. New Years Eve, and I have understood that a key event is a good thing to base my article around! 

Nonetheless, here are some screen shots of the interview:

These questions are very helpful because my interview is going to be with someone who goes clubbing, and these are the kind of events they'll be looking forward to. I think I can base my article on what's going on on Broad Street on a specific date i.e. New Years Eve, or an Easter special.

Research and planning

Of course with any interview within an article, there is a short summary at the top.

I have been researching "articles about the best places to go in Birmingham", and found a link to the "Telegraph" website...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destination/147282/A-weekend-break-in...-Birmingham.html

I have found this website really helpful because it gives a fantastic opening paragraph about Bham...

Few would claim Birmingham is an easy place to love. Post-War, it became one of Britain’s most egregious examples of town planners’ mania for concrete. A series of ambitious makeovers since the 1980s may have breathed new economic life into the city centre, but its reputation at home remains stubbornly drab – and unfairly so.

Something of a cultural revolution has taken place in the city. It now has four Michelin star restaurants – “four more than Manchester”, as one local chef pointed out – and more than any English city outside London. There’s a world-class symphony orchestra and ballet, and new pride in its pivotal role in the world’s industrial heritage, most notably in the opening last month of a fascinating, quirky museum dedicated to a coffin fittings works (yes, really).

The reinvention is continuing as the once dire New Street Station emerges from a £750m revamp, clad in gleaming stainless steel and lined with glistening new outlets, including England’s largest John Lewis beyond Oxford Street. It will be finished next autumn, but for visitors this month there's the city’s excellent German Christmas market (until December 22) - the biggest outside Germany. Its popularity is one sign that affection for the city may be coming a little easier these days.

In my article, I will clearly not include all of this... It would be too much and the reader would die of boredom! But I think taking the key bits out and making it into a short, exciting opening, I can really appeal to the readers!

I.e.

"Few would claim Birmingham is an easy place to love. There's something of a cultural revolution that has taken place in the city. It now has four Michelin star restaurants – “four more than Manchester”, a world-class symphony orchestra and ballet, and new pride in its pivotal role in the world’s industrial heritage. The reinvention of the city is continuing as the quirky new New Street Station emerges and holds England’s largest John Lewis beyond Oxford Street. #Insight catches up with "Name" about where the best places to go in Brum are hiding..."

What makes this opener great is the fact it allows the reader to understand what Birmingham has to offer, and makes it seem so full of energy, and a brilliant place to live or visit. I'd like to give this aura of excitement off in my article.

Organisation / Planning

I have decided that for my magazine, I would benefit from doing a double page spread. I feel this is appropriate because I will be able to feature more content in my article to make it seem so much more exciting and interesting...

... Because of this, I will be finding an online advertisement, so I will no longer be planning to do a makeup advertisement like in my last post on 17/11/15.

For my double page spread, I will be interviewing a student from Birmingham, aiming to find out where the best restaurants and bars are, and how to make the most of their time in the city centre.

For this, I will be organising the questions today, about what I will ask in my interview...

... These will be featured in my next post.

In order to go ahead with my interview, I will have to research into the same kind of articles.I will also do this today.

Research into similar products

Now that I have changed my idea. I have began looking at different lipstick advertisements on Google Images.
I think a lipstick advertisement is a good idea as makeup is a big part of the lives of females, especially females in the age range I am featuring in my magazine 18-45.
It was helpful looking at these images:

I love the way 2/3 of these advertisements make direct more of address! I feel very engaged and welcomed by the advertisement. Their hair colours and skin tones really match the shade of lipstick they are wearing. I like the way the third model has the same colour nails as lipstick I think this looks great and creates a colour consistency. 

I also like the way that the lipstick has been positioned in the bottom right on the advertisements, this looks really effective and assures the reader that it is a lipstick advert. However, I also like the top advert because the model looks really chic and stylish! I'd like to give this impression out in my magazine. 

I like how each magazine uses a close up or medium close up of the models, really focusing on their facial expressions and especially their lips! I will use these ideas when constructing my advertisement.

Drafting and planning

I am also beginning to wonder if an American Diner is the best idea for my advertsiement, or whether a food advertisement will stand out to the readers at all.

I think the American Diner idea is quite tacky, and if I'm honest childish, people between 18 and 45, especially at the older end of the spectrum aren't going to be interested in milkshakes...

Therefore, I must adjust and adapt my ideas around my target audience.

Instead, I think that I may do a fashion advertisement. I.e, an advertisement of an accessory like sunglasses or lipstick or something that will appeal to the female readers in my magazine.

I will begin to think further into this idea.

ALSO:

After getting in touch with the pub Pop World in Birmingham, asking if it was possible to interview the manager, I had no luck! So, by keeping my options open, I have decided to interview one of my friends that are 18, about where are the hottest places to go in Brum!

I will take various pictures of this person and use them as the feature on my front page.

I am excited about my new ideas, I think they are more age appropriate and will fit in with my target audience better.

Research into similar products

I am having second thoughts on the layout of my front page. It almost looks like only a digital magazine, rather than a physical magazine you can go into a shop to buy.

Therefore, to change my ideas and to get a further level of inspiration, I typed into Google Images "regional magazines" and found three key magazine's that I may be able to use as my influence.

Firstly I found Charleston magazine:

I immediately thought this magazine could influence me as it is clearly a regional magazine that is based on a city. I like the different outbursts of colour evident in the picture that contrast with the darker colours at the bottom. I think that I should take a similar sort of image for my work. I also like how the masthead, is similar to mine on my initial drafts of my magazine, it's very centralised - and this is effective because it looks very prominent on the page. Also, in contrast to my drafts of my magazine, Charleston has COVER LINES! Something, I have found that I should include in my magazine, rather than a range of pictures on the front page. The typical conventions are all found on this front page - this is a magazine I can definitely use to form a template of and follow the ideas of the stories.

Then I found Time Out magazine London:

Now that I have found this magazine, I think that it can go some way to be the magazine that #Insight is wholly based on. I like the fact that the picture isn't of the place, but we immediately know it's a magazine about London from the masthead. As my main article within my magazine was to be an interview with the manager of Pop World, I think that it's going to be highly effective if I use an image of them, or someone that goes there on the front page. As having a main image and anchorage text could be very effective and draw the readers attention more than a picture of the city would. This has also made me really think about my target audience, so I think I will need to do another survey to try and find out how to construct my magazine in order to appeal to them. 

SO:

Now, for my magazine - I am going to use a person as the main image - along with anchorage text - the same big, bold masthead - a small cover line and a bar code. 

Most likely I will use the same colour scheme, but also bring in colours that work with my magazine and the picture I take!

Drafting and planning

I have been working on my American Diner advertisement.

This was my first draft:

And this is my second, improved draft:

You can immediately see that this is the improved version. Everything on the page looks like it has a better layout. This is evident because I have got rid of the other two pictures, simply keeping the milkshake, it looks much more simplistic and eye catching. Additionally, I have used a black outline on the title "American Diner And Bar", it looks more effective and stands out more, without the red piercing your eyes. Also, I didn't think the dark blue looked very effective, so I have got rid of that colour, (as I already have another shade of blue in the background) and incorporated the colour black instead. The black works better. I think I have been successful including the opening times in my magazine. By saying "open 24 hours", my target audience will get the "WOW" factor, and will really want to visit, not restricted by time. Also, an offer by saying "Students and families receive a whopping 20% off" will also attract their attention. The way I have used informal language makes my restaurant seem more welcoming, so students and families won't be intimidated by words like "whopping" and "authentic". I like the way I have used the checkered black and white images, this looks effective because this is usually what the floor in an American diner looks like. Nonetheless, I have included the most important factor, THE ADDRESS. However to improve I could add in, "find us on Selly Oak high street", and also add in the social networking logos to show that my restaurant can be found on other platforms. I am very pleased with this draft.