Research: Distribution

Distribution -

The company Frontline was formed in June 1986. The company sells nearly 8 million copies of magazines a week through over 55,000 shops. Frontline are the biggest magazine distributor in the UK. Frontline offices are in central Peterborough. Frontline employs over 120 people. Frontline are a huge conglomerate company. They sell magazines in the smallest corner shops to the biggest supermarket stores. The company sells and distributes over 160 of its partner’s magazine titles, which include 54 out of 200 of the best selling titles in the UK.

Frontline distribute to huge shops such as Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s which ensure that magazines are displayed for customers to purchase. The huge company BBC take full responsibility for producing the magazine. These services are provided by a talented and experienced team which make sure they receive a lot of money for what they do. The team try to help reduce wasting materials and our carbon footprint.

Bauer publish magazines such as take a break, Bella, TV quiz and heat which could appeal to an older female audience, possibly mothers, older teens maybe even women in their 50’s,60’s for take a break. Frontline distribute Bauer to ensure that their magazines hit the shelves in the biggest supermarkets. Bauer publish take a break which is the number 1 selling women’s magazine as it sells over 1 million copies a week. This connotes that the publishing company is big due to selling successful, well known magazines. Bauer is the largest consumer magazine publishing company in the UK. Bauer has an interest in publishing magazines such as women’s weeklies, women’s interests and lifestyle, puzzles and games, TV listings, music and film and men’s lifestyle.

Kerrang are a huge business which have their own radio show, own TV channel, and their own magazine. The audience profile claims that the readers and views of kerrang are musically experienced and individually minded. Readers of kerrang are into rock music and are aged between 14 - 19.

The brand identity of the magazine 'vice' would not appeal to a mainstream audience because it isn't well known but it is actually a quite trendy magazine, it may be free but the producers of the magazine have chosen carefully who they’ll use to distribute it. The magazine may not be well known like 'Bella' but it is popular among the trendy teens and adults. The magazine is for more of a 'trendy' audience, the reader would go urban outfitters or other bizarre stores that a heat magazine reader wouldn’t go too. A heat reader would go to shops such as primark and new look. It seems a lot more up-market than 'heat' or 'Bella' which have huge distributors but it isn't as well known as them.

The distribution strategy is different because it doesn't sell loads of copies like mainstream magazines do; it is done in a cheaper way but could be more affective. The magazine is independent which means it doesn’t have a huge chain of people who publish; it's done in a much cheaper, simpler way but appeals greatly to the audience that read it. The audience for the magazine 'vice' could appear to be slightly bizarre but quite trendy.

Mainstream magazines go through a big process of publishing, distribution and the rest which can be very expensive where as independent magazines cannot afford to do this, that is why they look a lot cheaper than the magazines in the shops. Most of the time independent magazines don't even get sold in shops because they can't afford distributors, if an independent magazine cannot afford a distributor then the magazine stays as an online thing or gets given out for free like vice.

The mainstream magazines have to appeal to a set audience and make it into big shops such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s and with the independent magazine 'vice' you can find it online. Other independent magazines are found online and in small shops possible, but wouldn't be found in huge shopping markets like Tesco. Mainstream magazines tend to give out free gifts and posters where as in an independent magazine they don't. The magazine 'vice' has a different distribution strategy to mainstream magazines because; the people in the magazine aren't well known like the people in mainstream magazines.

My magazine profile audience will be older teens 15+ and younger adults in their early 20's. The audience for my magazine will be into heavy music and like piercings. My audience would attend the last year of high school, college or university, in their spare time they enjoy drinking, partying and listening to music. The distributor I will use for my magazine will be quite big but not huge, it will appear mainstream, it will be more independent, and my magazine will be in huge shops such as Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. I might use a distributor like frontline for my magazine because it is well known and ensures magazines get sold in big shops, like I want mine too.