Evaluation Question 3

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? 

 For this question I am able to refer to the Product Placement section of my coursework, where I analysed what distributor I would like for my music magazine and where the magazine would be sold.

In my Product Placement section, I chose Bauer Media to distribute my magazine as they have a huge portfolio of successful magazines which gives Pulse a solid base to build upon, and also provides multiple opportunities for synergy with many other types of media like radio stations. Specifically, deals could be easily struck with popular stations like Kiss FM, who can help advertise Pulse magazine in return for advertisements in the magazine. However, I have also undertaken some research into alternative distributors who could also be used. One example that I looked at was IPC Media (Time Inc. UK) as they are a UK based distributor who also have popular music magazine NME in their portfolio.

However, their product range is dominated by upmarket and specialised magazines such as Homes and Gardens and Cycling Weekly. This makes it less of a suitable option as Pulse doesn’t really fit with the portfolio that much despite IPC Media having lots of experience in this country. Furthermore, I would want to have a fully functional website to help bridge the gap into the online world and Bauer Media has got a variety of magazines that utilise an online version of their content. 

Overall, I would still look to use Bauer Media as my distributor as they are the largest and highest powered publishing company for music magazines, and I think Pulse would be best supported as part of the Bauer portfolio.