1) Summarise the ownership and production of Oh Comely - how did it start and who owns it?
It started with three university friends and the thought that women were negatively portrayed in magazines.
2) What is the print circulation and how many subscribers do they have?
The print circulation per issue is 10,000 copies and they have 3000 subscribers.
3) How does the editor Alice Snape characterise the typical Oh Comely reader?
18-35-year-old creative, intelligent women who may or may not be settled into careers and are looking for inspiration from other women/interesting characters. Oh Comely readers are educated and politically aware and looking for a unique and thought-provoking look at the kind of lives they aspire to lead.
4) What are the key aspects of the magazine's design aesthetic discussed by the editor? How might this link to audience pleasures?
The magazine’s design reflects the words, it’s thoughtful, beautiful – the clean and minimal layout allows the words and pictures to shine. We work very closely with illustrators who create original works of art for our features - readers could see themselves reflected in the design.
5) How does the magazine represent women in terms of its production team and editorial decisions?
It's run by a fully female team
Now read the Oh Comely website page on advertising and audience to get a good idea of the demographics and psychographics for the Oh Comely target audience. Answer the following questions:
1) How does Oh Comely introduce itself ('what it's all about')?
Oh Comely is a powerful mix of words and pictures, stylishly presented and much loved by its readers. It provides an alternative to the ‘pile-it-high-sell-it-cheap’ aesthetic of mainstream magazines for young women, and this is why it has carved a loyal niche of fans. It is a breath of fresh air for a creative audience desperate to find something that speaks to them directly in an accessible, intelligent and interesting voice.
Its time has come.
the print circulation for Oh Comely is 10k whereas Men's Health is close to 120k. The readership for MH is nearly a million but for OC it's just 3k.
3) How is Oh Comely distributed to the audience?
It is distributed via WHSmith, independants and international retailers
4) What do you think the target audience demographics for Oh Comely might be? Some details are provided by the magazine (e.g. average age 27) and you can fill in further gaps using the Media Magazine interview with the editor.
A woman who is around the age of 27 and has strong views on female equality and who are very modern.
5) What psychographic groups might be attracted to Oh Comely? If you've forgotten this, revise psychographics here!
I think that the groups most attracted to OC would be Explorers, Succeeders, and Aspirers
6) What social class classification would you expect most Oh Comely readers to be? Why?
ABC1/AB would be the right one as they are more likely to form sophisticated opinions and would know a lot more about the misrepresentation of women in contemporary media.
7) What level of education would you expect for most Oh Comely readers? Why?
Oxford level or first degree (top-of-the-class students) because they are educated with the knowledge that women aren't given an equal say in magazines.
8) What audience pleasures are offered by Oh Comely?
Personal identity - Readers enjoy having their quirky, creative lifestyle and feminist viewpoint endorsed and reflected by the magazine.
Personal relationship - readers get to know the editorial team
surveillance - readers learn about niche events and stories
9) It has been suggested Oh Comely is a “magazine about people, their quirks and creativity rather than money and what it can buy”. How does the design and advertising content of Oh Comely support this view?
Oh Comely focuses itself on niche topics, releasing six issues annually. They make sure their readers get a different and very personal takeaway from their stories. They cover things that don't make a lot of profit but value the underdog/niche industry. (links to Hesmondhalgh cultural industries - commerce vs artistic value)
10) Why do you think Oh Comely has been able to build a loyal audience of subscribers in the years since it launched? Think about audience demand, rival magazines and the overall media landscape in the digital age.
The Oh Comely readers, of which there are roughly 25,000, are given personal introductions to the editorial team. This is to build a personal relationship between the readers and it make the readers feel very valued and feel they are a part of something.
Unlike rival magazines like Vogue, they explore niche stories, people and events, which focuses on educating and enlightening their rederbase rather than profit off their subscriptions. They have kept their head above the water through using the internet as a medium through which fourth-wave feminists can interact with the magazine's content.
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