Creative Critical Reflection Draft 2

2. How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

My product engages with its audience in many ways. One way my magazine engages with its audience is by using social media. For example, the Instagram page I created can be used to connect with the younger audience. I can also use social media to spread behind-the-scenes information, Instagram also allows for the readers to like posts and make comments, which might help to bring in feedback to improve the magazine as a whole. Another way my magazine engages with its audience is by sponsoring events. These events could be masters swim meets, age group swim meets, parties, banquets, etc. By sponsoring events, my magazine can support swimmers and advertise at the same time. Hopefully, the events will allow for more readers to want to support my magazine.
My product would also be distributed as a real media text in many ways. One way I can distribute my magazine is digitally, through a number of different platforms. Using different platforms allows for more people to access the magazine. I plan on making my magazine available on Apple iBooks, Google Play, Amazon Kindle, Nook, and other popular online bookstores in America. I also plan on publishing some articles to my website, which will help to distribute my product to those who cannot afford a full subscription. I can also distribute my magazine by using print distribution. One way I can do this is having everyone with a subscription receive each issue by mail. I also would like to partner with a publishing/distributing company that will help to get my magazine stocked on shelves at grocery stores and convenience stores, such as Publix and CVS.

Creative Critical Reflection Draft 1

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups?

My product uses many of the conventions in the sports magazine genre. One convention I used was the font of my magazine. Sports magazines typically use big, bold fonts. My magazine used fonts that are big and bold, especially on the cover and table of contents. Using these fonts are beneficial to my magazine because it makes the words easy to read and it allows it to fit in with the other sports magazines. Another convention my magazine used was the type of pictures. The pictures used in sports magazines are typically either action shots or pictures of an athlete posing with some type of sports gear. Both of these types of shots are utilized in my magazine. Another convention that was used in my magazine is branding. Typically, magazines of any genre will put their website or a social media account at the top or bottom of each page in the magazine. My magazine has my website at the top of each page.
My project represents the social group of swimmers. From personal experience, I am aware that many swimmers, including me, feel under-represented when it comes to anything sports-related. Swimming often gets little recognition, and many people do not understand it. I think my magazine would be most significant to someone who truly understands this sport.

Third Quarter Submission

Distribution Plan

Through my research of magazines with similar target audiences, I have a few ideas for the distribution of my magazine. The first idea I can use for my distribution plan is to make my magazine available digitally on multiple different platforms. I plan on using Apple iBooks, Google Play, Amazon Kindle, Nook, and other popular online bookstores in America. This will allow my magazine to be accessible to both iPhone and Android users, plus those who prefer to read on an eReader or a tablet. This will help my magazine to sell more subscriptions because it will be accessible to everyone. Another distribution technique I plan on using is publishing some articles to my website. This will allow the people who aren’t sure if they want to buy a subscription to see what the articles are like, and hopefully convince them that a subscription would be worth it. This would also be beneficial for people who can’t afford a full subscription, because it allows them to read some of the articles and share them, influencing more people to want to subscribe to get the full magazine.
I will also distribute my magazine through print. I will have my magazines delivered by mail to each household with a subscription. I would also partner with a bigger distribution company who would help get my magazine stocked on shelves at grocery and convenience stores, like Publix or CVS.