Future PLC Case Study

1.       Who are they?

·         Media company – publish more than 150 magazines

·   This includes genres of video games, technology, automotive, cycling, films, photography

·         ‘Biggest music making publisher in both the US and the UK’ – Future PLC 2011

2.       Are they British/ Euopean/ American?

·         All

3.       What other magazines do they produce?

·         Biggest titles – Xbox 360: The Official Magazine, Total Film, T3, Guitar World and Maximum PC

·         Magazines for games, technology, music, sport, cycling

4.       What other media texts do they produce?

·         Websites for their magazines

·   Attract 7 mil visitors via T3.com, maclife.com

5.       Do they produce products other than media texts?

·         Metal Hammer merchandise

·         The Heavy List – music app

·         Bikeradar.com – downloadable routes and largest reviews database

·         T3 Gadgets Awards

·         Podcasts

·         Videos

6.       How important is convergence for your institution?

·         Very – used existing convergences to further appeal to prosumers

·         Important in retaining advertising revenue to remain advanced enough to attract advertisers

·         Website example of conversion

·   Nearly 60,00 individual visitors since starting (future licensing.com)

·   Alexa’s web traffic

1.       White male

2.       No children

3.       Educated

4.       18-24

5.       Spend 2.7 minutes

·         Targets the right market

·   Website allows them to interact

1.       Voting polls – ‘Which game are you most looking forward to in 2012?’

·         Uses Gratification Theory (1974) – sense of contributing to a community,

·         educated and entertained with video exclusives and podcasts – Trivium – Directed to muza – people can add comments/ share the videos via Twitter and Facebook – stops prosumers from going to competitors – convergence provides best service for users

·         Convergence maintains interest in Metal Hammer brand

                                                                                                                                       i.      Web 2.0 – allows user generated content

·         CONVERGENCE COULD REPLACE THE PHYSICAL MAGAZINE ITSELF

·   Future PLC offers solutions for licensing their magazines across their portfolio to iPad and iPhone

7.       How do they market their magazine?

·         At their events – target the audience they wish to sell to – virally at the events – guerrilla marketing

·         Base everything the do on passionate enthusiasts called prosumers – ‘passion for their hobby makes them like professional consumers’

8.       Use of NMT

·         Metal Hammer’s The Heavy List app

·         Facebook and Twitter account

·         Forums – like minded people can discuss festivals/ readers reviews (UGC)

·         Synergy

·   Podcasts

·   Hammerfest – own festival

9.       How does the institution distribute their magazine?

·         Sold WHSmiths, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons – m/c

·         Lidl, Esso and BP – w/c

·   Target different social classes – more chance of people buying

10.   How do they make money?

·         Merchandise

·         Hammerfest tickets

·         Online advets – on the side of the page – similar to them

·         Costs £4.25 monthly – min of £51 per person per year

·   Xbox 360 Magazine - £5.99 monthly – min of £71.88 per person per year

11.   How important is the relationship between the advisers and the magazine institution?

·         Very – as if a brand is advertised well then people are more likely to buy from them

·         People trust magazine adverts more, so companies will want to be advertised

·         Gone up online from 22%-33% (Steve Spring, May 2011)

12.   Challenges of the magazine industry?

·         Increase use of online content could wipe out printed magazine completely

·         BUT – Metal Hammer’s circulation rose to ).1% in 2011 to just over 44,000 unlike NME who fell 14.3% to 29,020 (pressgazette.com)

·   Magazine doesn’t advertise online as much

·         ‘The shift creates both a threat (in terms of potentially reducing magazine revenues) and opportunities’ (Interim Report, May 2011)

·         Because their audience are prosumers, they are ‘more engaged, more loyal, more committed and more prepared to pay premium prices for premium products’

·   Niche market means they specifically cater to readers needs

1.       Forums allow them to do this

13.   Who’s their core buyer?

·         Male

·         20-34

·         Hardrock and heavy metal lovers

·         With education

·         No children

·   Alexa.co.uk

14.   Are they targeting a niche/ small or mass population?

·         Niche – subjected to Metal Hammer Lovers

15.   How do they target audiences?

·         Target one main audience – provide them with info from a specific background – metal/ heavy rock bands and artists

·         Website – competitions and news – meet and see favourite rock bands – pod casts and videos

·         Readers can get involved on the forums – share personal views – read by Metal Hammer Company

16.   What do they offer them in terms of products they offer/ produce?

·         CD-Rom’s, DVD’s –Full Studio album from Metal Titans Furyon

·         Brochures

·         Product samples

·         Small magazines – December issue – Nightwish

·         The Heavy List app – top tracks - £5 – serious lovers of the brand would get this

·         Podcasts

·         Exclusive videos

·         Subscriptions – free gift each month

·         Merchandise

·         Twitter, Facebook accounts – Twitter – ‘Who’s your defender?’

                                                                                                                                       i.      Polls –‘ Which game are you most looking forward to in 2012?’

·         Hammerfest

17.   What opportunities do the audience have and how might this satisfy mainstreamers/ succeeders, etc?

·         Competitions

·   Win gig tickets – Wednesday 13!

·   Meet and greet – A Pale Horse Named Death

·         Not really mainstreamers cup of tea – specific audience in mind

18.   Mode of address and how does it appeal to the target audience?

·         ‘Join the Crusade’ writing style – explitive ‘F*** you!’ – readers feel a sense of community within the magazine

·         Advets stress the anti-establishment ideologies with Attitude Clothing and HMV Metal – Ticket adverts

·         Coilloquial – decreases distance between writers and consumers – reader feels like they are friends

·   Encorages people to email anything into Ask Jurgen

1.       Makes them feel worthy

19.   How is the brand being positioned?

·         ‘ultimate Bible’ for every Hard Rock and Heavy Metal fan

·         A magazine that is passionate about the music and the lifestyle that comes with it

·         Unique – only focuses on a niche market, so caters specifically for their needs – POD/USP – creates brand loyalty

20.   What are the brand values?

·         Aim to be the ‘number one provider of content’ in their ‘specialist sectors’

·         To be able to give their readers everything and anything about heavy metal etc