Qu 3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

As my magazine is a niche magazine I believe someone who has previously worked in a publishing house or another field of media may publish the magazine independently. Once he/she has built up the magazine name they may then sell it on to a publishing house; this however was the downfall of "The Face" magazine, as not enough personal flair was given to it after the transition. My magazine is a magazine that would be slow to establish as it is not mainstream, but as with " The Face" it could become a cult within individualist groups. For this reason subscription distribution would be one of the main ways my magazine would be distributed as it means the regular "cult" readers wouldn't miss an edition. Subscription is also feasible as it is a monthly magazine so delivery costs would not be too high. Online distribution would be key to my magazine whilst it was establishing itself as then less shelf space and therefore less money is required. My magazine could also be distributed in specialist book and magazine stores of which many independent magazines acquire shelf space. These are more common in larger cities, even some chain book stores such as WH Smith have large stores with shelf space for niche magazines in which I could distribute my magazine. Another inexpensive option for distributing my magazine is to advertise my magazine in creative, independent cafes, pubs, shops and galleries through the use of postcards, handouts or a copy of the magazine itself. It could also be advertised or displayed in certain fashion stores due to it's fashion and photography focus. Owners of such businesses are often willing to allow this as the arty nature of my magazine raise their independent, sub-cultured image. All of this along with viral internet advertising should lead to subscriptions being boosted and therefore the name of my magazine spreading.

Distribution is key to a magazine's success as it attracts the target audience. The right sort of advertising and marketing in the right place raises awareness of the magazine and enables people to decide what is right for them. The magazine needs to be distributed in the right outlets for it's budget so it is displayed to it's target audience. To gain maximum shelf space magazine companies use distribution companies such as Marketforce (UK) ltd, this only applies to magazines which are likely to be instantly commercially successful.

Synergy
As my magazine would be independently published and not mainstream there would not be a huge amount of synergy such as t.v programmes or radio shows as the target audience would be too small. However it may have a sister website with extra information about featured bands and links to video clips or gig listings. This may help it become viral on the internet. There may also be small gigs in honour of the magazine as my target audience would often go to small gigs, especially if the line up included featured artists.