Read Meet the Editor - Oh Comely in Media Magazine 65 (p26). Answer the following questions:
1) Summarise the ownership and production of Oh Comely - how did it start and who owns it?
Oh Comely was started by three friends at Oxford University who wanted to create the antidote to the women's magazines on the market. Photoshopped covers and features on diets saturated the women’s magazine market at the time. And the founders felt like they wanted to offer something much more than that: meaningful content, thoughtful stories, creative writing, and a safe space for honest discussion, arty photography and illustration. Iceberg Press owns Oh Comely, which is an independent publishing company set up by three friends who all worked together in a large magazine publishing company
2) What is the print circulation and how many subscribers do they have?
The print circulation of Oh Comely is around 10,000 copies and they have more than 3,000 subscribers
3) How does the editor Alice Snape characterise the typical Oh Comely reader?
The editor Alice Snape characterises the typical Oh Comely reader as 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. They like spending money and time on the things that matter to them – art, culture, music, theatre, clothes, jewellery, experiences, travel, home, craft/creative projects... Most don’t have children yet, but if they do, they’re not the kind of mothers who just want to read baby magazines
4) What are the key aspects of the magazine's design aesthetic discussed by the editor? How might this link to audience pleasures?
The key aspects of the magazine's design aesthetic discussed by the editor are that it reflects the words, it’s thoughtful, beautiful – the clean and minimal layout allows the words and pictures to shine. They also love natural portrait photos to accompany interviews too, capturing people – no matter how famous. No photoshopping or editing – they do not believe in airbrushing, and are surprised at how many magazines still do that
5) How does the magazine represent women in terms of its production team and editorial decisions?
In terms of its production team and editorial decisions, the magazine represents women in that the core small team is made up of four women and they also work with a number of female and male freelancers
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 introduces itself as 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
2) How do the print circulation/readership statistics for Oh Comely compare to Men's Health?
Oh Comely:
- Social Media Reach: 100,000
- Readers Per Issue: 25,000
- Average Age of reader: 27
- Sold through independents, WHSmith and international outlets
Men's Health Key Stats:
- Circulation (UK edition): 180,000
- Readership: Close to 1 million
- 905k are ABC1, aged 25-44
3) How is Oh Comely distributed to the audience?
Oh Comely is distributed to the audience through independents, WHSmith and international outlets
4) What do you think the target audience demographics for Oh Comely might be?
The likely target audience demographics for Oh Comely are those that are aged 18-35 women who are creative, intelligent, educated and politically aware
5) What psychographic groups might be attracted to Oh Comely?
The likely psychographic group likely to be attracted to Oh Comely are Reformers as they would appreciate both the style and values of the magazine
6) What social class classification would you expect most Oh Comely readers to be? Why?
The expected social class classification for most Oh Comely readers to be ABC1 as the magazine costs £5-£6 which is not considered cheap. Also, the editor mentioned that Oh Comely's readers were creative which could mean that the minimalistic style of the magazine is likely to appeal more to the upper-middle class due to its unique style
7) What level of education would you expect for most Oh Comely readers? Why?
The expected Oh Comely readership is likely to be university graduates due to the issues spoken about by the magazine. The relevance of the magazine is likely to be higher for university graduates or students because that is the stage of education that the editors are at so the content produced by them is more relatable to people in similar education levels
8) What audience pleasures are offered by Oh Comely?
By applying the Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory, we can say that Oh Comely offers a sense of personal identity due to the models being presented naturally without photoshop which allows readers to feel a sense of realism from them which allows them to relate to them. It could also be said that Oh Comely also offers surveillance due to the insight into stories that the mainstream media may have ignored as it is a niche magazine so readers are able to learn things outside of mainstream media
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?
The design and advertising content of Oh Comely supports this view because the magazine focuses on sharing the thought-provoking stories of women and whole pages are dedicated just to scenery rather than irrelevant content like advertisements
10) Why do you think Oh Comely was able to build a loyal audience of subscribers in the years before it closed down? Think about audience demand, rival magazines and the overall media landscape in the digital age.
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