The male magazines: Market study

Résumé du document

Magazines such as FHM, Entrevue, Men's health, Max, are today widespread not only by their target public, i.e. youngsters and young adults, but also by the grown-ups in general. How is this possible, given that the whole lot was not even issued in 1997 in France? The story began in the UK in 1994 when the group IPC carried out a subtle survey on new lad's needs leading straight to a reappraisal of men magazines and to the releasing of ‘Loaded', the first men's magazine of the new generation. Exit Playboy or Newlook whose “sex pics first mantra” had outlived its usefulness. Thus the breakthrough of that new press family within such a short period stands out as a genuine marketing success which has perfectly tackled the shortcomings of the press for men. This one is actually a consequence of the evolution of men's image in the society which has directly created a virgin market but with an extraordinary potential. Men no longer want to be considered as voyeur, and just want to be cuddled by such a press family as women are. They craved for being the single topic of a magazine! This is why we can talk about a certain narcissistic press. Yet, is it right to grapple with the press market as any other market? Our researches and the common sense tend to disapprove of this. The press universe and particularly the press for males is indeed utterly specific about that, added to the traditional marketing variables, psychological and sociological variables have to be introduced. A tall order indeed!

Extraits

[...] Yet, is it rightful to grapple with the press market as any other market? Our researches and the common sense tend to disapprove so. The press universe and particularly men press is indeed utterly specific since that, added to the traditional marketing variables, psychological and sociological variables have to be introduced. A tall order indeed! The “product” we have chosen to study which stands for For Him Magazine- really epitomizes that new type of press in its content and its sales since it is the leading magazine in France except for Entrevue but which is a particular case. [...]

[...] The population questioned was also too homogeneous, there was nearly only men between the age of 19 and 24. Moreover our marketing group is constituted by 4 women and a single man, which is also a drawback for such a subject since men tend to lie and show off in front of women (according to them, nobody has bought a men magazine ) Concerning the recommendations, we would advise to men magazines to better differentiate themselves (it could be done with a more generalist magazine). [...]

[...] So EMAP has chosen to be present in places where people are the idlest and therefore the most susceptible of an impulsive purchase. EMAP hopes to bring about a first purchase that will on occasion lead to the reader's development of loyalty. The magazine FHM is also present in every “specialised which are the newsagents. EMAP hopes to conquer new readers there too, but it wants in the first place to answer loyal customers' expectations. Their purchase are regular, therefore the followed logic is that FHM must be present in the living and working places of its loyal readers. [...]

[...] We have led a test on 10 men magazines lied on a table (Max, Maximal, Men's health, Entrevue and FHM). Just one of them (FHM) had an original packaging with 2 supplement-gift of the men chosed FHM. When we pull off this funny packaging and the supplements, the choices were rigorously equal each)! But what struck us most is the genuine insincerity of men toward this product! There is actually a huge discrepancy between the expectations of men and their reproaches. [...]

[...] They seek a magazine with loads of various stuff without apparent unity but with a specific tone; I mean a purely male and casual tone. In general those men cultivate their image of dim-witted lad. Thus FHM has become very good in the tone of its magazine. They are the only men magazines with such a tone throughout the magazine and so loads of columns without apparent unity, actually building an original magazine. The numerous presents of FHM are also intended to these people. This segment represents the biggest part of the magazine (about 100 pages out of 180). [...]