Case study on Empire, Total Film & FlipSide

Empire, one of the biggest selling british film magazine had it's first issue in July 1989, it is published monthly by Bauer consumer Media. Bauer purchased Emap consumer Media in 2008 (Emap- publisher for the first magazine). This magazine can be bought in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Turkey, Russia and Portugal. It isn't just magazine, Empire actually organises the annual Empire Awards which are sponsored by Sony Ericsson, now Jameson sponsores these specific awards who started at 2009. The awards are voted by the readers of the magazine, the awards this year went to actors and films- Martin Freeman, Jennifer Lawrence, SkyFall, Hobbit- Unexpected journey, Daniel Radcliff for Empires Hero and many more.


These are a few examples on what is expected in the Empire Magazines:

Hunger Games

Monsters Inc

As you can see on the picture above, they have different and unique features- "Things we've learnt" that you wouldn't normally expect in a magazine have little, but key information about actors, films, directors and the process that they go through. Some times they have a timeline of the progress that a certain actor or director has done i the past and where they are now.

Quote from the current editor- Mark Dinning, on the success that Empire has had in the last 20 years:
"Empire is growing at an astonishing rate. We have just become the second biggest men’s magazine in the UK and we’re adding international editions all the time. Empire is an incredible opportunity. Our readers have film at their heart but they also have a large disposable income and an interest in a number of other products whether that is cars, phones, fragrances or holidays. These are people with broad horizons and deep pockets and I think that is what makes them really attractive to advertisers."
Common facts about Empire magazine:

• Empire is the WORLD’S LARGEST movie magazine

• Empire is the 2nd biggest UK men’s monthly magazine

• Dominates the UK film market with over 70% circulation share, outselling its nearest competitor by almost 100,000 copies

• Empire has over 57,000 subscribers

• 47% think that the Empire brand is better than all or most other magazine

• Price: £4.99

Distribution facts:

This explains the general factors and statistics that you get from Bauer industry, along with these other facts:

The Circulation- 160,067 (Jan-Jun'13)
Readership- 873,000 (Jul- Dec'12)

Website: empireonline.com
Magazine Address: 
Endeavour House, 189 Safterbury Avenue
London
WC2H 8JG

This UK based film magazine was launched in 1997 by Future Publishing. It publishes around 13 magazine a year (every four weeks). Total film features converge on latest films, information and news on the actors and directors, DVD releases, news on celebs, review, interviews that normally last a 6 page spread (it's main interview will be the one on the cover) and other general features that you could expect in a film magazine. You can either buy it in print or download the interactive iPad editions.

Due to these new interactive magazine versions Total film was recorded to be the highest digital circulation of 12, 280, which has jumped 51.5% this year alone. 
The magazines price: £3.50, proves cheaper than Empires which is £3.99, however Empire still remain the highest in the competition. 

Example of inside the magazine:

Mini Analysis:
As you can see it is similar and yet different when it comes to the double, instead of the border up top with facts and pictures coming out of the page, you just get a simple border line with coded information. You still get a side bar of small information, preferable about the film. The page layout however is different, instead of a medium still of the motion picture, you get a whole page spread, along with other mini clippings. Also the titles layout is completely different, it screams to the audience the position that it holds- "Order of Merit" and the title that the franchises fans have been waiting for, it almost brings an urgency in the process.

Distribution: 

The key facts that are to know about Total Film, are above, it shows on the price, the subscription price and around the other countries. Another fact that is not reported on the sheet is that this magazine grows popular around men, over 75% of the buyers are employed men around the ages of 17- 35 and it is read by 471,000 adults over all.

As explained in my analysis this magazine is not only for films, this magazine features gadgets, music, games, books and it is mainly directed for teenagers of the ages of 13- 17 of any gender. It was originally named Fanzize and was born in 1977, it was one of the first and longest american punk rock magazine selling. In 2000 it evolved from just a punk music magazine into the glossy FlipSide that features articles on the astonishing facts about worldly subjects and independent films.