Online media

• Who originally published Attitude Magazine ?

  -Originally published by "Northern & Shell"

  -They used to publish a range of magazines and newspapers but they were quite tabloid and gossip-based.They also owned a few TV channels including Channel 5, and some adult TV channels and magazines.

  -Bit-by-bit, N&S started to suffer financially- starting to sell off their assets
• What type of content does Zoella create?

  Fashion and lifestyle videos
• How does Zoella present herself to her audience?

  As relatable and human through deliberate amateurish cinematography 'best friend narrative
• What is the key feature of Zoella's media language?

  Hyperreal construction of life, femininity, and identity
• What are some stereotypically feminine codes associated with Zoella's representation?

  Pastel pinks, fairy lights, flowing fabrics
• How does the menu bar on Zoella.co.uk reinforce stereotypical representations of women?

  -By including hyperlinks like 'BEAUTY', 'FOOD', 'STYLE'

  - This words link to key ideas of what women are meant to be.
• How does Zoella address her audience on Zoella.co.uk?

  Zoella adopts a friendly and welcoming mode of address to its white, working class, heterosexual female target audience.
• How does Zoella engage her audience on Zoella.co.uk?

  The audience is invited to participate with Zoella, for example in the pancake and picnic articles.
• In what ways can the audience interact directly with Zoella?

  Audiences can interact with Zoella through Youtube comments and public events.
• What critique may be made about Zoella's marketing strategy?

  Negotiated and oppositional readings may take exception to the capitalist nature of Zoella's marketing strategy, as seen in the '****zollea' commentator on the old version of her blog.
• How has Zoella's target audience evolved over time?

  - Since reinventing herself from Zoella to Zoe Sugg, Zoella has consciously targeted an older, yet still mainstream, working class female target audience.

  - This can be seen with her blog /website as it has changed from Zoella to Zoe Sugg and talking about sex toys!
• The social and cultural contexts that link to Zoella ?
• Zoella - economic factors ( how does Zoella make money)

  - She make money brand deals and sponsorships

  - adverts on yt videos

  - blog/ website
• Cultural industries - David Hesmondhalgh - Zoella


  -Zoella works independently in a small group. Ultimately her business endeavours are vertically integrated, with all forms of production and distribution under her control

  -Zoella additionally works synergistically with conglomerates, such as Hodder & Stoughton, who published her book 'cordially invited'.
• Regulation - Sonia Livingstone and Peter Lunt - Zoella


  -Self regulated, and occasionally has ran in to legal implications from her Instagram feed, after she was found guilty of promoting brands without announcing it was paid-for content
• How does Levi-Strauss theory link with ZOELLA

  - There is a clear binary opposite between Alfie and Zoey. She all ways has her make up done and look put together where as Alfie often looks scruffy just coming from the gym. Doesn't really care about his looks. (Zoella apartment video)
• How does postmodernism theory link with ZOELLA

  -Representation of pancakes in the pancake blog constructs a hyperreal representation of Zoella as a hegemonically perfect and flawless woman

  
  

  -The setting of the 'Zoella apartment ;, a showhome to promote her brand, is a perfect example of hyperreality. By constructing this perfect representation, Zoella reinforces her own representation as both an average girl, and a cut-throat entrepreneur
• Cultivation theory - George Gerbner - Zoella


  -Zoella's standard and stereotypical makeup reinforces certain hegemonic standards of female beauty, and the ideological exception that in order to be successful, a woman should wear makeup

  -The clothes in her blogs cultivate certain brands as being desirable, mainly fast fashion brands like ASOS, Primark and HM
• Countertype


  A positive stereotypes, usually created by reversing negative features within a stereotype
• How can star power be linked to ZOELLA ?

  The idea of star power is using a celebrity status to get an audience to interact with a product there in. This can be seen with her products lines eg make up (project with colour pop) , advert calendar, blog and merch.
• How does semiotics Barthes link to Zoella ?

  -The proairetic code created by the pizza thumbnail informs the target audience that the video will focus on pizza, a fast food popular with Zoella's young, female, working class target audience

  
  

  -Zoella's apartment tour video, the symbolic code of the mise en scene of her branded scented candles constructs a hyperreal representation of a home, and a giant advertisement for her brand
• Does ZOELLA uphold the idea of stereotypes?

  (theories of representation Hall )

  Yes:

  - she is the ideal woman for the media. (White skinny, blonde and blue eyes)

  - her videos show her taking on traditional female roles in the house. (Christmas video)

  -A heterosexual rep

  No :

  - has her own business and has build her brand shows she is very smart and not just a pretty face.

  -By being open about anxiety, appearing without makeup, and being relatable to her audience
• What is Dominant ideology?


  a set of cultural beliefs and practices that helps to maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests.
• Give an example of ZOELLA of showing a Gender Binary

  (theories of gender performativity)

  -In the video "Zoella apartment" they talk about Alfie going to the gym and working out as well as ZOELLA working on designing the new apartment.

  -This idea reinforces a simplified view of gender identity.

  -Zoella continually self-represents as a sexless, virginal hypperreal construct. This in turn influences and manipulates her young and impressionable target audience to follow certain hegemonically constructed expectations of women
• Who publishing Attitude now ? Are they independent or a conglomerate?

  -Stream Publishing bought Attitude from N&S

  -They're independent

  -They're quite small, they're based in Surrey and have less than 30 employees as of 2021.

  - They use vertical integration to keep it small. ( they do there own write,edit,design,print and distribute)
• Who own Steam Publishing ?

  -Owned called Darren Styles, currently the Managing Publisher for Steam Publishing.

  -He's gay and said he bought Attitude as he felt offering niche LGBTQ magazines was important as there were so few out there at the time.
• How does Attitude not being an conglomerate links with Curran & Seaton ?

  -Stream Publishing is independent this mean they still have the power to be creative and create what they want to.

  -This goes against Curran and Seaton theory.
• How does Attitude having global editions link to Hesmondhalgh theory ?

  -There are a variety of other global print editions for Attitude that all include their own websites-

  -For example, a Thai edition, Belgian, Netherlands, Vietnam, etc.

  -This reflects Hesmondhalgh's ideas about minimising risk by creating global editions of the magazine.

  -It was already an existing successful format so copied it to other countries.
• How much does attitude sell / view on there website ? (stats)

  The website attracts roughly 1.7 million users a month and has 1.2+ million followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

  -The digital copies sell over 11,000 copies a month. With the print magazine, they were earning a large chunk of revenue from advertising.
• Has does attitude make money from advertisements ?


  -So they have to offer brands advertising opportunities online too.

  -They sell banner adverts, sidebar adverts, companies can sensor sections of the website, they can take over a page, create advertorials that look like articles but are actually adverts.

  -They can run competitions and promos on the website, and they can even advertise via their social media pages.

  -A whole load of advertising opportunities that creates Steam Publishing more revenue.

  -Attitude online mainly exists to make money off of click through advertising, and, most of all, to promote the Attitude brand.
• How does attitude use the idea of "star power" to there benefit?

  -Attitude has a high focus on celebrities.

  -They benefits from star power as it pulls in the fans of that person to the Magazine. It also builds their brand identity and USP.

  For example, Attitude did an interview with Prince William, this was the first time a royal has done an interview with magazine
• How does Attitude help non British audience ? (In terms of LGBTQ communities)

  -In many countries it is illegal to be apart of LGBTQ communities, this means the print product of the magazine is not allowed to be sold.

  -However, the website can still be accessed, meaning readers in that country can still feel apart of a community. (Fan theory and Pick n Mix)

  -This demonstrates how online technology can be used to bypass traditional forms of regulation and censorship.
• How does Attitude show weariness for LGBTQ communities ? (Not just with the magazine)

  -Attitude has faced a lot of discrimination because of there content. To come back at this attitude has set their own ethics policy and they self-regulate.

  -They also have their own award show to spread a weariness of people who help the community.

  -They also have their own foundation which supports charities who help LGBTQ community. Attitude magazine foundation
• How does Attitude target a male audience?

  - A lot of the content online is quite factual and avoids deep emotional responses, which may target its primarily male audience (stereotypes men have not feeling)

  - Another Stereotype is a that men don't read as much as women this is why there articles easier to read with large images and a lot of white space, with the website is being simple.
• Attitude main target audience ?

  - Male 22-55 : a lot of focus on 90s pop culture ( brings a feeling of nostalgia )

  - Social media marketing is on Facebook hand twitter not Tik Tok and Snapchat.

  - Socio economic, ABC1 : Reasonably middle class with adverts from pricey brand. ( Gucci)

  - There is also a lack of stories about families and be child-free which could reflect the audiences.
• Demographics- Attitude.


  - Aspirers: focus on looking good, building muscle, etc.

  - Reformers: Lots of emphasis on political stories, issues with racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc. ( want to fix the world)

  -
• Who regulates Attitude ?

  Ofcom
• How does David Gaulett "pick n mix" theory link to Attitude?

  Attitude shows a large range of identity and representations. According to Gaulett audiences take pieces of the identity they see in media and reflect its in their own personality.

  By Attitude giving a space from LBGTQ reps it will link with there audience.
• What are some conventions of online magazine

  high image to text ratio, lede intro (includes who, what and where for the article), white space, teaser headlines, list article/articles in bullet points, emotive language, foreground adverting, wraparound advertising, sponsored content.