The Gentlewoman: Audience and Industries
The Gentlewoman: Audience and Industries
1) Media Magazine feature: Pleasures of The Gentlewoman
Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the article on The Gentlewoman (MM84 - page 34). Answer the following questions:
1) What does the article suggest is different about the Gentlewoman compared to traditional women's magazines?
Its minimalist covers are so completely different that it’s actually shocking. The only text is the title, subtitle and name of the person in the photograph, which is taken as a portrait and framed like a painting. It’s a bold statement that says this is more than just a magazine, this is art. In case it wasn’t different enough, the masthead is in lower case! Compared with Vogue, Elle or Cosmopolitan, the gentlewoman has no need to shout. Its fresh take on what a magazine should look like stands out enough – made you look, it seems to whisper. From its very specific choices around typography to its choices around colour and blank space, the gentlewoman oozes class in a different and much more, yes, modern way.
Representation in the gentlewoman is pleasingly wide ranging. The gentlewoman does a pretty good job of presenting a spectrum of womanhood (it may not surprise anyone to hear that the vast majority of its subjects are emphatically not men). This includes playing with ideas of gender performativity and stereotypes, such as the fashion feature on the smart summer suit (issue 25, pp.272- 287) – a masterclass in androgyny. Most of the non-advertising-related subjects are creatives of some kind – artists, musicians, fashionistas, writers, actors, dancers – but there are occasional oddities, subjects that you simply would not get in other women’s mags – an undertaker, a botanist, a Zambian rapper, a courtroom artist, a Moroccan mountaineer – that both elevate the gentlewoman to being more serious and give it a more down-to-earth feel than the ethereal airbrushed beauties we are usually bombarded with in women’s magazines.
3) List the key statistics in the article on the average reader of the magazine.
85 percent of the gentlewoman’s audience are women
61 percent of its readers are aged 28-46
47 per cent of The Gentlewoman’s readers are in the A or B categories of the NRS social grading system that the UK press uses to gather demographics.
Income of the gentlewoman’s average reader - £87k
2) What representations are offered in the Gentlewoman?
Representation in the gentlewoman is pleasingly wide ranging. The gentlewoman does a pretty good job of presenting a spectrum of womanhood (it may not surprise anyone to hear that the vast majority of its subjects are emphatically not men). This includes playing with ideas of gender performativity and stereotypes, such as the fashion feature on the smart summer suit (issue 25, pp.272- 287) – a masterclass in androgyny. Most of the non-advertising-related subjects are creatives of some kind – artists, musicians, fashionistas, writers, actors, dancers – but there are occasional oddities, subjects that you simply would not get in other women’s mags – an undertaker, a botanist, a Zambian rapper, a courtroom artist, a Moroccan mountaineer – that both elevate the gentlewoman to being more serious and give it a more down-to-earth feel than the ethereal airbrushed beauties we are usually bombarded with in women’s magazines.
3) List the key statistics in the article on the average reader of the magazine.
85 percent of the gentlewoman’s audience are women
61 percent of its readers are aged 28-46
47 per cent of The Gentlewoman’s readers are in the A or B categories of the NRS social grading system that the UK press uses to gather demographics.
Income of the gentlewoman’s average reader - £87k
4) What is The Gentlewoman Club?
An ‘international society’ of ‘sophisticated women and men who demand quality and originality from their agenda of cultural happenings’ (text taken from the website and Media Kit). The club is both a real, offline way to get to know others who share similar interests, a way of deepening brand loyalty among readers, and a cynical way to covertly market products to a highly affluent and motivated targeted audience who are made to feel special.5) What theorists does it suggest we can apply to the Gentlewoman's club?
David Gauntlett, Baudrillard
6) What does the writer of article suggest they are getting out of their relationship with the magazine?
It’s a physical magazine that only comes out twice a year (perfect for my information overwhelm). It’ll look great on my bookshelves. It provides me with a glimpse into the world of high fashion and celebrity and picks a few choice social trends to help me feel in the know. It meets some of my needs for cultural and media interaction and all it asks in return is the price of a cinema ticket and that I put up with some targeted marketing.7) Who are the team behind the magazine?
The team behind the gentlewoman is small but clearly influential. Creators Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom have come up with a number of subversive and unconventional publications. They are clearly savvy and use their websites as great adverts for their products, giving away just enough content to allow potential readers to enjoy full articles and get to know the brand, while being seductively minimalist enough to encourage you to buy the physical product.8) How does the Gentlewoman use their website and social media to promote the magazine?
Website - they use their websites as great adverts for their products, giving away just enough content to allow potential readers to enjoy full articles and get to know the brand, while being seductively minimalist enough to encourage you to buy the physical product. Social media - Running a small publication with a small team means that running costs can be kept low. Meanwhile the sheer number of luxury adverts tells you that the cost to the reader is not what’s really propping up the production. The gentlewoman’s liberal use of cross - platform social media helps deepen readers’ relationship with the brand, while being a largely free resource to the company.
9) What are the 'creative collaborations' in the magazine? How do they 'spill over into real life'?
Also known as ‘native advertising’, brands use the gentlewoman’s own writers and photographers to market their products to the gentlewoman’s audiences.The collaborations spill over into real life with special events for club members.
10) How does the article sum up the audience pleasures of the Gentlewoman?
2) The Gentlewoman Media kit
Look through The Gentlewoman's Media Kit and answer the following questions:
1) How does the Media Kit introduce the magazine?
Established in 2010, The Gentlewoman is widely recognised as the definitive style title for the modern woman. Intelligent, opinionated and entertaining, it has set a new standard in women’s magazines with its high-quality writing and fashion photography celebrating modern women of style and purpose.
The Gentlewoman is renowned for its innovative editorial and design, garnering critical acclaim and accolades to becoming one of the best-performing titles in its category and the leading women’s magazine on newsstands today.2) On the 'Digital' page, what different sections of the website are there and how do these offer opportunities for audience engagement and interaction?
The sections are: Library, club, magazine, collaborations, shop. The club section offers interviews with today’s most fascinating women of note. The Calling: a questionnaire for creative visionaries exploring their life’s work; subjects have included fashion designer Jil Sander, Paola Antonelli of MoMA and fabulous popstar Alison Goldfrapp.3) What are the audience demographics for The Gentlewoman?
Median age=32 years22%=18–27 years
61%=28–46 years
11%=47–55 years
6%= 56+ years
Female readers=85%
Male readers = 15%
ABC1 =76%
AB=47%
Average income= £87,255
4) What is The Gentlewoman Club and what does it offer readers?
The Gentlewoman Club is an international society of the magazine’s readers, which currently has up to 39,000 active members – sophisticated women and men who demand quality and originality from their agenda of cultural happenings. These loyal subscribers attend the Club’s get-together in substantial numbers, notified of which via the Club’s monthly newsletter and social media platforms.5) What Creative Collaborations
The Gentlewoman’s creative collaborations are an innovative way to communicate a unique brand message through the publication’s distinctive editorial voice. These bespoke partnerships offer diverse and engaging cross-platform solutions including photography, film, inserts, contract publishing and specially-curated events and digital projects.3) D&AD Award Winner feature
Read this short D&AD advertising agency award feature on The Gentlewoman. Answer the following questions:
1) How is the magazine described?
The Gentlewoman celebrates modern women of style and purpose, offering an intelligent perspective on fashion through ambitious journalism and photography. Speaking to its audience as readers, not consumers, the magazine showcases inspirational women through a distinctive combination of glamour, personality and warmth. From the same publishing house as celebrated magazine Fantastic Man, The Gentlewoman continues the house’s tradition for publishing innovation.2) What does it say about the content and design of The Gentlewoman?
The Gentlewoman brings together in its pages modern women of great renown and distinction such as Mhairi Black, Elena Ferrante, Zadie Smith, Sofia Coppola, Erin Brockovich and Nicola Sturgeon. Such women exemplify the editorial character of the magazine. The editorial design continues its evolution with the introduction of new typographical and layout elements, along with the magazine’s ongoing commitment to enhancing its photography by working with the leading names in the field.3) How are the readers described?
Confident, intelligent and stylish, our readers are from a broad range of ages and professions. Characterized by their thirst for cultural entertainment, we have an intimate relationship with readers through The Club (28,000 subscribers). Members are invited to a range of events - exhibitions & walking tours/B.Y.O vinyl sessions/running club - it’s a fantastic resource that strengthens the inclusive character of the brand.4) Business of Fashion website feature
Read this Business of Fashion feature on The Gentlewoman - the magazine that is also a club. If you don't want to sign up to the website (free) then you can access the text of the article on Google Drive here (you'll need your Greenford Google login). Answer the following questions:
1) What events are listed as part of The Gentlewoman Club?
So far, there's been a get-together at Pasticceria Marchesi in Milan, sponsored by Prada; a cards night at the Savile Club in London's Mayfair in partnership with Browns Fashion; a day trip to Durslade Farm for 50 people with Paul Smith; a Sonia Rykiel book club; a ghost-story walking tour supported by Sunspel; and a guided tour of Louis Vuitton's Es Devlin-designed exhibition at London's 180 The Strand. But perhaps the most ambitious events so far have been the club's architectural tours in London and Los Angeles, in partnership with Cos and led by Joe Kerr, a lecturer at Hereford College of Arts and former tutor of Martin's at the Royal College of Art.
2) Why does it suggest the magazine has managed to 'cut through the clutter'?
In a media landscape saturated with glossy magazines, The Gentlewoman has cut through the clutter with an intelligent take on fashion and culture aimed at smart and tasteful women much like Martin herself, who was previously a curator at the Women's Library and the National Media Museum, as well the first editor of Nick Knight's fashion website SHOWstudio and chair of fashion imagery at London College of Fashion.3) How are Gentlewoman Club tickets given out?
The Gentlewoman Club is free to those who sign up on the magazine’s website and are selected for a slot. Martin, who hosts each event, hand-picks the attendees much like one might curate the guest list for a dinner party.4) What does the article say about The Gentlewoman's relationship with its audience?
"The Gentlewoman has an extremely engaged readership that sees design as a lifestyle, just as we do,” says Atul Pathak, Cos' head of communications. "They passionately want to educate their readership and it is always a pleasure to be able to share the Cos inspirations with others."5) Why are Club events valuable from a digital perspective?
The events are also valuable as generators of digital content. "I’d love to say I planned it, but it was just sheer luck that the club began to generate online assets that the magazine can use to engage readers between its bi-annual issues."5) Website and social media research
1) Visit The Gentlewoman's website. How does it promote the magazine?
It instantly shows you the latest edition when you enter the website.2) Visit the magazine page of the website. How much of the magazine is available to view online? Is this a smart marketing technique to sell print copies or is it giving content away for free?
A lot of the magazine is available to view online, it is giving away content for free in my opinion.3) Look at The Gentlewoman's Twitter feed. What content from the magazine or Club events can you find on there?
There are pictures from the gentlewoman club special events such as a performance. There are also photos from their magazine.4) Go to The Gentlewoman's Instagram page. How does it encourage the audience to engage with the magazine?
It gives previews from the magazine.5) What representations of fashion and gender can you find on their Instagram page?
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