Introduction to Advertising

(ADV-1000)

Week 2 – Print Media – Exercise #2

Advertising Investigation
Instructions: Work with a partner. (NOT alone, and NOT in groups of three or four). Choose one
of the magazines you brought to class. If neither of you have magazine come up and get one
from me.
Examine the magazine and answer the questions on this sheet. The answers to most of the
questions are in the magazine. Some questions will require online research. Bullet points are
acceptable where appropriate.
Make sure to put your full names below to get credit for your work! Submit your responses to
me on Blackboard as an attachment. The file format must be in PC Word or PDF. Title the
attachment ADV1000-E2-[Lastname1]-[Lastname2]
Rubric: The assignment is marked out of 10. ½ mark is deducted for an incorrect answer. Up to
1 mark will be deducted for poor formatting and up to one mark will be deducted for poor
grammar and spelling.
Deadline: End of class in week 2.
PARTNER 1:
PARTNER 2:
PARTNER 3:

1. State the name of your magazine, and the country it is published for. Flip through the
magazine and read some of the articles. Briefly describe the TYPES of articles this magazine
publishes.
2. Are those articles appealing to consumers, or to a certain type of business professional?
(It’s one or the other; never both.)

3. If your magazine is intended for consumers describe, in four or five bullet points or
sentences, the typical reader. Start your sentences with “This is the kind of person who….”
Don’t forget to mention what country they live in. Age and gender are not necessarily
important, what’s more important is for you to describe the person in terms of their lifestyle,
stage of life, occupation, hobbies/interests/activities, family situation, living situation, and
maybe household income (HHI). If your magazine is intended for business professionals,
describe them in terms of their professional, not personal, lives.

4. Find out what is meant by a magazine’s circulation. Try to find your magazine’s
circulation. Hint: look in the editorial information page (the small print) in the magazine first; if
you can’t find it there, see if you can find the information on the magazine’s website (look for
the “advertise here” link).

5. Calculate the percentage of ad pages in your magazine. (Show and explain the numbers,
don’t just give the final answer.)
6. What do you call the people who write the content of a magazine? (You all know this,
just think about it for a minute.)

7. What do you call the people who write and design the magazine’s advertising? (There
are two specific job titles; you’ll have to do research to find the answer.)

8. How can you tell which pages are advertising, and which are editorial? Try to come up
with a set of rules, as though you teaching someone who had never seen a magazine before
how to tell the difference.

9. List/briefly explain all the types of places you think this magazine is sold. In other words,
how do people get their hands on it? Be specific, and don’t forget to consider geography. Note:
I’m asking about the physical magazine, so don’t say “online.”

10. Find out, and explain, what is meant by a “four colour” ad and CYMK.

11. The price of magazine ads depends on where (i.e. which page) in the magazine the ad is
located. Which page in a magazine do you think is the most expensive? How much do does it
cost to buy an ad on that page one time, in one issue of your magazine? (Hint: you might be
able to find this information in the advertising information on your magazine’s website or
search the term “Media Kit” with the magazine’s name.)
12. Other than page placement, what other factors do you think determine the price of a
magazine ad?

13. Put it all together: Explain the relationship between a magazine’s readers, the country of
publication, the editorial content, and the advertising.

14. Does the magazine have an online version? Is it free or free with a print subscription? How
much is an online subscription?

15. How much does it cost to advertise in the online version of the magazine? List three digital ad
formats or packages the magazine offers and the price to advertise.