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Retro Glossy Review: Chik magazine

By Jenna Templeton of My Life As a Magazine

In the early 2000s Chik magazine was Australia’s "fastest growing teen magazine". While most Aussie teens were reading Girlfriend and Dolly, Chik had secret club status for independent-minded girls who reveled (or rebelled) in challenging the status quo. The mag was positive, motivational, funny and sporty: the Chik girl could land a tail-whip on her BMX bike, ace her science test and concoct her own face mask out of avocado. She also wasn't afraid to fly the Aussie bogan flag.


Still, she was the exception rather than the rule and lost out to her brand-savvy, trendy, popular-girl counterparts in 2006. Of the closure, Morrison Media operations manager Di Josipovic says, "The readership was strong, but sadly not enough Chik fans bought the magazine to keep the income and expenses doing a healthy tango. In the end it wasn’t sustainable."


Though someone is yet to publish a book titled 'How Chik Saved My Life', there are 39 members of the Facebook page RIP Chik Magazine and the comments in answer to Girl With A Satchel’s defunct glossy poll show there is still much fervor for Chik. Will it ever make a comeback? Not likely, says Di, but the spirit lives on in the hearts and mind of any girl who has shelved back-copies in her bedroom.

The Best Bits of Chik

- Chik was the ultimate ‘Aussie’ glossy bible, flying the flag for Australian talent. It uncovered and profiled bands such as The Veronicas and Sarah Blasko for the first time.


- Many loved Chik for its random 80s and 90s pop-culture references (see: ‘The Hoff’) and affection for society's marginalised: like "rangas" and nerds. It once asked, "What would Avril Lavigne and Derek’s kids look like if they decided to procreate?"


- "Gold & Old" featured in the "Combo" section. Some of the ‘Old’ included: procrastination, glow sticks, cigarette butt throwers, coffee breath, people who leave public toilets messy, bubbles under contact, people who say "it’s not me, it’s you", socialites and fame hungry people like Big Brother contestants. Gold: Yogo, rediscovering your winter wardrobe, when you find someone who quotes the same particular movie as you do and Tight-arse Tuesdays.


- Chik encouraged reader involvement with Chik Land, a look at what was happening in the Chik offices. It also included staff and contributor Q&As. "Lettuce" was Chik's reader letters and random ramblings page, later changing to "Rabble".


- Chik fashion focused on surfer and skate looks, alternative and sporty wear. It showcased Hello Kitty underwear, charm bracelets, metallic Havaianas and jiffies, cowboy boots, Emily the Strange flannies, hoodies, stripey knits, Daisy Duke jean shorts, Paul Frank Tees and watches.


- In "Dool's World", comedian Scott Dooley’s Agony Aunt column, reader boy troubles were solved framed by his twisted and entertaining view on the world. Scott now has a similar section in Girlfriend magazine.


- How-to pieces covered changing a tyre, making a beach bag, starting a rock band, knitting a poncho, tie-dyeing, and telling your hairdresser to back off!


- Chik focused on the entertainment scene a bit more then other teen glossies, regularly showcasing indie bands like Grinspoon, Evermore, Jack Johnson, Donavon Frankenreiter, Ben Harper, Joel Turner, Wolfmother, The Beautiful Girls, Cat Empire, and Eskimo Joe.


- "Adventures of Mr Grassy Head" is memorable. His regular column focused on his adventures like finding love and attending Homebake!

Best cover lines:
"Should actors stop trying to sing?"
"Why ‘grasscutting’ is just not on"
"Can you OD on the OC?"
"Extreme ‘makeunder’- why change is not always a good thing"
"Nerds are taking over the world"
"How to avoid joining Paris' trash gang"
"Mum can I have my mini-skirt back!"
"Please explain Emo"


Glossy Posse: Fergie, Natalie Portman, Jessica Alba, Natalie Imbruglia, Rachel McAdams, Pink, Ashley Simpson, The Veronicas, Kelly Clarkson, Katie Steele aka Little Birdy, Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johansson, Missy Higgins, Missy Elliot, Kelly Osbourne, Gwen Stefani
Glossy Bosses: editor Louisa Browett; Morrison Media
Glossy Stats: $5.99
Glossy Ads: Billabong, Emily the Strange, Purr, Kustom, French Kitty, Roxy, Rip Curl

Knowing that former editor Louise Bannister and creative director Lara Burke joined forces to bring us Frankie, I couldn’t help but ask Di if Frankie was in some way influenced by Chik? Is Frankie Chik's big sister, perhaps? “No! If they were, they definitely wouldn’t get along and would probably be pulling each other's hair out! Chik and Frankie are two very different magazines, serving two very different markets.”


Yours truly,
Jenna@ Girl with a Satchel
http://mylifeasamagazine.blogspot.com/

brodie
said...

GWAS Girl In Media - Amanda Nicholls (Editor, Total Girl)

Just like the teen celebrities her readers idolise, Total Girl editor Amanda Nicholls knows if you want to get the attention of tweens, you have to be across all media – from TV to online, books and the magazine itself, Nicholls is a walking, talking brand ambassador. Here she answers Jenna Templeton's questions about what it takes to run the TG show. Jenna: How did you get your start in magazines? Amanda: As soon as I graduated from university, I started applying for everything – sub-editor roles, feature writers, editorial assistants – even editor’s roles! I had no shame and certainly had nothing to lose. After working on a title called The Australian Acreage Review and completing my BComm at UWS, I got an invitation to interview for a Deputy Editor’s position on a tween girl’s mag called Girl Power, and I went for it. I remember staying up the night before my interview making DIY craft activities to show them in my first round. Honestly, I think that’s what won them over! I was there for about a year before I got promoted to editor. After three years at Next Media, I was lucky enough to score the role as deputy editor of Total Girl, and within a year I was promoted to editor. I’ve been here now for three years and still loving it! What does an average day as Total Girl editor involve for you? An average day would be liaising with my team to make sure we’re tracking well to meet our deadlines, checking their work, meeting with our advertising team, chatting with my Brand Manager about covermounts and marketing opportunities and lots of cups of tea. Also, I get a lot of emails from our readers and I try to respond to all of them – mostly they want to know how they can become a model or a magazine editor. They’re too cute! Who is the Total Girl reader? She’s fun, loves her besties, is passionate about making the world a better place for everyone to live in, she’s smart, tech savvy, creative and embraces everything it means to be a girl today. What sets Total Girl apart from other tween magazines on the stands? Total Girl is number one in its category and has been for the past eight years. As the market leader we are constantly setting trends that excite tween girls and we endeavour to always have exclusive opportunities for our readers that none of the other mags can offer. Most importantly, though, we take pride in creating a magazine that is considered a safe environment for young girls. Parents trust us and both readers and their parents know that we take our responsibility to communicate with tween girls extremely seriously. We go to lengths that other magazines don’t necessarily, to make sure Total Girl is always age appropriate. What’s popular now in the tween scene? Justin Bieber! Every second shout out on the Total Girl website is dedicated to Justin. Taylor Swift is also high on their radar this year. Do you think tween magazine sales would fall if covermounts were not included? It’s become the norm in our demographic – having said that, I do believe that the Total Girl brand has always been a very strong one, and a lot of our readers choose to read the magazine based on the content and also because they are brand loyal. What qualities do you need to be a successful editor? I think you have to have a good balance between being a creative minded person and a business minded person. Your goal is to produce a magazine that your readers will enjoy and you need to be able to put yourself into the mindset of your readers and think, ‘What do they want to get from the magazine?’ ‘What will excite them most in this issue?’. But then you also have to be the person who makes all the calls on budgets and advertising, and considering whether spending $10,000 here is going to deliver a good return on investment later. Most importantly, you have to have a real passion for what you’re creating. Tells us about Total Girl TV. Total Girl TV was a dream that I had in a strategy day a couple of years ago. At first we all had a giggle and thought, yeah, right. But when the giggling had subsided, we thought, well why not? We approached Boomerang with the concept of creating a branded girls-only block of cartoons and they loved the idea! We launched the block in September 2009 and after our first three-month trial and ratings success, we’ve agreed to extend the partnership into 2010. We’ve recently reworked the program to include viewer shout outs, Total Girl star signs during the commercial breaks and a couple of the TG team were cartoonified and appear throughout the block with lovely little comments – it’s very sweet! For us, it’s an amazing achievement to be able to extend our brand onto television, which is something that not many other magazines have been able to achieve. Tell us a bit about your new book Totally Stylin' Book 1: Style Files? Style Files is the first book in the Totally Stylin series and my first book as a published author! It’s about a young girl who discovers she has a talent for making magazines and goes on to make a very popular school publication called Style Files. You have to read it to find out what happens. How did publishing a book come about? Writing a children’s book has been on my to-do list for about five years! I couldn’t believe my luck when Allen and Unwin approached Total Girl to create a fiction series aimed at our readers. They actually already had an author for the project, but I convinced them that I could write a book, too. They extended the series from four books to six, and I’ve shared the series with Rebecca Lim, who is the other talented Totally Stylin author. So we have three books each. My second book is called Fashion Snaps and is due out in the July school holidays. I have to say, now that I’ve had a taste of what the fiction writing process is, I’m addicted! I definitely want to continue writing books in the future! Which magazines did you read as a tween/teen? I wish when I was a tween there was something like Total Girl, but we’re only eight years old this year, so my first magazine experience had to be with TV Hits and Smash Hits. I collected the lyrics and the posters covered my bedroom ceiling. Then my friend introduced me to Girlfriend and Dolly when I was 13. I started collecting every issue – not surprisingly, I became addicted to magazines. You’re an editor, TV presenter and a published author. Where do you find the time? That’s a good question! I wrote some of my first book on my honeymoon, when we were in transit, of course. My poor husband had to read Style Files on the flight from LA to New York. I’m sure he was riveted. I’m starting a Masters degree in July – I think that will be a fantastic challenge, so we’ll see how time-poor I am soon! Your top 5 blogs? Well, in no particular order… mamamia.com.au; 4 Inch Heels Only; Frangipani Princess – TG once got a cool piece on this teen blogger’s spot; As Seen In; and Girl With A Satchel, of course!

Total Girl is published by Pacific Magazines, circulates 55,140 copies per month (ABC Dec '09) and has 244,000 readers (YAS Dec '09).

Yours truly, Jenna @ Girl With a Satchel http://mylifeasamagazine.blogspot.com/

Mags: The bundle bunch

Guest Glossy Talk: Tales of bundle packs and sales strategies

Intrepid GWAS reporter Jenna Templeton takes to the newsagent to uncover what all the bundling business is about...

Walking into my local newsagency this week, I stumbled upon something curious indeed… the April issues of Cleo and Shop Til You Drop staring up at me, nestled together like BFFs in a lovely bundle pack for the cheap price of $10.95 (a saving $4 off the separate newsstand prices)! To what to we owe this meeting of pastel-hued mastheads beneath the plastic wrap?

Together with competitive pricing, which sees the cover price of weekly magazines like Grazia and NW fluctuate at least a couple of times a quarter to give sales an extra boost (ironic given their penchant for reporting on the fluctuating weights of celebrities), bundling would appear to have two advantages: shifting stock off the newsagent floor (meaning, more sales!) and also encouraging readers of one title to sample another for a cheaper price, in the hope that they will like it and come back to it next month. However, while there are advantages for the consumer and publisher, newsagents looking to present some kind of order in their stores aren't stoked on the idea.

"Pricing is confusing for newsagents and for shoppers," says Australian Newsagency blogger Mark Fletcher. "The bundle packs require newsagents to find extra space for the new products. They also train shoppers to not pay full price for products." Fletcher adds that he doesn’t believe bundling produces the sales uplift to warrant the additional space and other costs, though ACP seems to be happy with the results.

Two-for-one deals are common to ACP's online subscription site magshop, where complementary titles are pre-packaged for cost-conscious bargain hunters. For example, Good Health and Woman's Day have recently been bundled together for an annual sub of $110. The major misgiving, as subscribers will tell you, is not receiving the associated covermounts that help to drive sales in newsagents and supermarkets from month to month (often Coles and Woolworths run exclusive offers).

News Magazines' Notebook: is also often seen bundled together with back editions of Country Style and Gardening Australia, while entertainment mag Empire also regularly comes with back-issues. If value is what you're after, it pays to shop around in supermarkets, newsagents and online before making a purchase decision. But are such sales strategies giving the glossies a superficial short-term boost at the risk of diluting their brands with confusing co-associations and stale back-issues?

"Nick Chan, the CEO of Pacific Magazines, is on the record as saying that better magazines will sell more magazines," says Fletcher. "Not covermounts, not special price deals. It comes down to value."

With the market more competitive than ever thanks to financial pressures, especially amongst the weekly titles, savvy buyers may well be less likely to be loyal to their favourite mag, instead choosing to look for the best deal every time. Only the next audit results will tell if these newsstand strategies will have the desired effect on Australia's glossy empires!

Yours truly,

Jenna @ Girl With a Satchel

                        

Wednesday, 3 March 2010

Mags: I Want Candy!

Guest Glossy Review - I Want Candy! But which one? Newsflash: Gen-Y is spending A LOT of time online! Well, durr. But do you know how much? According to Nielsen's 2010 Internet & Technology Report, 16 to 29-year-old 'net users spend 22 hours a week scoping out sites. Twenty-two hours! That compares to the two hours Aussies spend each week reading magazines. Two hours! What are we doing online for 22 hours? Creating our own multi-channel brands! We're Photoshopping pictures to post on Facebook, blogging our dream lives, Twittering the minutiae of our daily lives, fashioning pages on Polyvore, researching holiday destinations, organising social get-togethers and uploading iPod playlists to play at them. The Millennial mantra? "I'm online, therefore I am. Check me out!" But while we may be caught up in the vanity of self-publishing, we still need someone to tell us what to think about, who talk about, what to wear, how to do our hair... and how to 'unfriend' someone tactfully. With female-friendly websites, ubiquitous celebrity goss sites and specialist beauty, fashion and dating blogs on the scene, not to mention the growing appeal of niche titles like Frankie, all eating into the attention spans of Gen-Y (and advertising budgets of brands wanting to reach them), what part do Cleo and Cosmopolitan – with their requisite phone app, email newsletter, blogs and Twitter account accessories – continue to play in the modern girl's media diet? Guest reviewer Jenna Templeton – a long-time glossy devotee – delved into two of ACP's pink confections, looking beyond their respective Barbie-girl covers, to find out what their (shrinking) readerships are gaining from sticking by the gloss... Two candy-coloured covers. Two blonde Hollywood covergirls. Both $7.40. And not a tempting covermount in sight. What a conundrum the March issues of Cleo and Cosmopolitan pose for the girlie glossy consumer. I didn’t know which pink to turn to first. At face value you might mistake them for being the same. But after minutes of deliberation, I decided to get them both. What was left for a glossy obsessive to do but make some comparative notes? Notes on Cleo: - Cleo's designer collaboration concept, this month showcasing Bec & Bridge, complements the mag's new fashion-heavy, style-agenda-setting focus, eating into RUSSH and style-blogger territory. Clothes obsessed girls will shelve this for keeps. Cleo also acts as a reference point for new blogger links. The Fashion Glossary pages are pure visual pleasure. There are 61 fashion pages this issue, outpacing celebrity interviews (16), health pages (15), beauty (16), health (12), career (7), relationships (7), entertainment (7), and life advice (9). Cleo is fashion central. - Editor Sarah Oakes and writer Nicole Elphick give us permission to indulge our inner tweens. Apparently liking "cutesy crap" is a subversive political act as much as it is fun: "Putting a positive value on the aesthetic of cute means you're forging your own value system outside of the 'sexy bad girl' or 'virginal good girl' options that often seem to dominate stereotypes of women," writes Elphick. Elphick delves into the issue, rounding out on a positive note, which pervades a lot of Cleo content. It's less cynical than other publications. - Tania Gomez explores why the girls in the Cleo office are crushing so hard on Alexa Chung in 'Why do we love her and not her?'. The reasons, validated by the interviewed experts? A legitimate claim to fame (you need to be doing something and doing it well, too, with some sense of purpose); we like celebrities to look and act just like us occasionally; there are boundaries between her public and private life. - We learn stuff about ourselves and get advice to make changes. Take the 'who will you be in 10 years?' quiz, then read the psychologist's advice; break a bad habit p116-117; stop comparing yourself p118-119; reassess your ambition-junkie values pp114-115; stop looking for happiness in the wrong places, p108-109; learn to appreciate your grandparents pp102-103; and get handy, credible health advice pp168-169. Sure, these types of stories might help us to identify issues we didn't know we had, and give us extra homework we could do without (should you keep a Twitter food log, start weight training, start calling him your boyfriend?), but what girl isn't on a life-long path to self-improvement? The jury's out on whether self-help articles cause more angst than relief. - Cleo milks the It Girl crowd like no other magazine: Dree Hemingway, Mia Wasikowska, Lily Collins, Coco Sumner, Lola Lennox, Leah Weller, Peaches Geldof, Cory Kennedy, Freja Beha Erichsen, Miranda Kerr, Leigh Lezark, Carey Mulligan, Pamela Love, Jessica Hart, Kristin Cavallari... you'll be left in no doubt about who's cool in Cleo's school of thought. Notes on Cosmo: - Cosmo goes beauty crazy this month with no fewer than 50 pages dedicated to the art of primping, plucking, buffing, priming, conditioning, toning, waxing, shaving, experimenting, concealing and faking it. Editor Bronwyn McCahon, who once covered the mag's beauty beat, says, "The thing with working in magazines is that you're constantly exposed to shiny, new fashion and beauty stuff. Coupled with the daily emails we receive dangling the latest celebrity style in front of us, it's really easy to get a bit carried away and experimental and before you know it, you're turning up to work looking like Lady Gaga." She talks about fashion regret (aka "What-the-#%!@" moments) and confesses to requesting a fringe like Suri Cruise's at the hairdresser's as well as sporting crimped hair circa 2002-2004, all in the aid of assuring us that even glamorous editor types get it wrong. Cosmo beauty ed Leigh Campbell has polled beauty editors from its stablemate titles, as well as Primped.com.au, for their best tips: learn how to "annihilate frizz", turn eye shadow into blush and what products they actually use. Cosmo likes to make you feel involved with the magazine's team: 'Our faves from the fashion cupboard' is a regular feature with snapshots of the girls at play. This partly glamourises, partly humanises the team. - Cosmo likes to put a perky spin on issues. Zoe Foster's dating column, 'The Beautiful Win-Win Awaiting the Broken-Hearted' tells us that there's a better man waiting once we've shed tears over the old one, so enjoy your singledom in the meantime; Cosmo makes saving look and sound positively sexy in 'Money: how to make it, save it and buy shoes'; first-time sex can be less miserable more "memorable' with the help of 'Sex with a new guy'; ending relationship ruts are a no-brainer with 'The Happily-Ever-After Recipe'; and frenemies, stress and pessimism are your new best friends in '3 Bad Things That Are Actually Good For You'. - But Cosmo keeps it real, too: in 'Famous Bodies' we learn just how hard models and celebrities work out, and what they eat, to keep their genetic giftedness in fine form (trainer Tracy Anderson is helpfully on hand to share her trouble-spot tips); an actress, model and netballer tell us how they keep in shape in 'My Body Behind the Scenes'; TV host Kerri-Anne Kennerly offers up words of wisdom in 'What I know about work, love & life' ("be courteous but be focused on what you want"; "you will be moulded as a person by the person you are with"; "stay away from bat wings... unless you're Beyonce with a wind machine"); Lucie Chambers asks what makes other women want to steal your guy; and 'sexless infidelity' holds us accountable for little secrets (shopping, smoking, seeing an ex) that land us in relationship trouble. Things get really real with 'The hidden danger of breakups', the story of Emily Silverstein's murder. - Cosmo wants you to have a great career (see: 'Hair that says "hire me!"' and 'The New Rules For Getting a Job... NOW!'), take an STI test, think before you get inked, get out of bed with bells on, have the perfect facial, wear a tee like a model, style yourself like Abbey Kershaw, adopt five new jackets you'll wear all year, achieve your dreams without sharing your goals with the world, share your passion for porn, find the hue that's right for you, set boundaries with your mother when you fly the coup, and know what it takes to make a baby (for when the time's right). So much to do! - Other projects this month include a 'Denim Workbook' which advises you can wear denim-on-denim if the washes are different; petite girls should stay away from roll-up jeans; girls without bums should go for fitted styles with pockets; curvy girls should stick to straight-cut; and coloured denim is a go for winter. More rules to follow than on a Girl Guide camp. - Cosmo isn't as obsessed with It Girls as Cleo, but it still likes its celebrities glamorous: Amanda Seyfried, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Swift, Blake Lively, January Jones, Leighton Meetser, Victoria Beckham, Jessica Alba, Cameron Diaz, Miranda Kerr, Teresa PalmerSibylla Deen and Kate Moss all make appearances, in addition to Nicole Richie, who's given Cosmo an exclusive interview to promote her Winter Kate range, House of Harlow, and talk about producing her new sitcom. - Cosmo is friendly with men, too: Hamish Blake continues to write his column (this month he's into sci-fi flicks) and TV chef Curtis Stone hosts the perfect dinner party. Some say you’re either a Cleo or Cosmo girl. I'm both. Like your two best friends, each brings something different to the table, despite their commonalities. When one can’t give you the answer, the other one will always be there for you. Cosmo is a little older, comfortably coupled up and not overly concerned with being "on trend" (she'd rather look hot), while Cleo prides herself on being a card-carrying Zeitgeist girl, unashamed about declaring her love of Alexa Chung or wearing her post-teen angst on her sleeve. But without them both, where would we learn which vibrator to choose, what a colonic irrigation involves or what guys are really thinking? There are some things Facebook just can't replace. Yours truly, Jenna @ Girl With a Satchel 

Guest Glossy Review

Amanda Seyfried (CLEO), Taylor Momsen (Teen Vogue) and Miley Cyrus may be darlings of the "slashie" (that's singer/actress) scene right now, but long before them came Hilary Duff. And, thanks to a couple of new projects, and a general reluctance to self-sabotage her career like some of her former-Disney-girl contemporaries, she's experiencing a bit of a renaissance right now. Jenna Templeton sees this as just another good reason to secure yourself a copy of March SHOP Til You Drop.

As I happily ate my ham, cheese, tomato and pesto toastie while simultaneously devouring the latest SHOP, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief….Hilary Duff is back! In the world of SHOP Til You Drop, at least, a new line for DKNY jeans (with campaign shot by The Sartorialist's Scott Schumann, no less) and a cameo role on Gossip Girl (playing a famous vampire franchise film star in search of a normal college experience... on the Upper East Side) is enough to get you a cover. But the same equation must apply at pop-culture magazine Nylon, which also recently gave her a cover... even if her two most recent films (War Inc. and Greta) went straight to DVD.

Duff lists her style icons as Brigitte Bardot and Rita Hayworth, because they exuded classiness and true style, while her new range, titled Femme for DKNY Jeans (a very adult update from her tween range, Stuff), includes pieces such as a cardigan that doubles as a scarf and jeans with two different sets of belt loops. She may not have the same fashion cred as the Olsens amongst the upper echelons of the McQueen-mourning fashion ranks, but Duff's still got the stuff that sells.

The Good Bits

- "How to dress this season": Alice Harrington gives us an advanced peek at the key pieces to look out for this autumn/winter. I was happy to see the French Connection retro '60s paisley embroidered frock priced at $249.95... an exact replica of a dress I purchased a few months ago at Valleygirl for a budget price of $24.95. I have only worn it a few times and every time I have received a compliment.

- "As seen on TV": SHOP's talented features editor Emma Markezic takes us behind the scenes of the TV shopping phenomenon that is TVSN, Australia's only 24-hour shopping channel and one of fashion’s biggest players (watch out, Net-a-Porter). With the likes of celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe, Molly Sims, Serena Williams, Patricia Field, Jennifer Lopez and Badgely Mischka plugging their new lines, Matkezic states, "What was once the glorified equivalent of a door-to-door salesman, TV shopping is making something of a sneaky comeback." A little worrying is this: "Repeat shoppers will tell you the presenters come to feel – believe it or not – more like friends" and "We sell products that change lives...". Markezic is cautiously enthusiastic: more observer of the Zeitgeist than participant in this trend.

- Since moving from Australia, former Dolly entertainment/photo editor Bec Couche has become the glossy go-to girl for reports out of NYC, sharing her adventures and knowledge with the likes of Yen, Cleo, Cosmopolitan and SHOP. This month, she takes SHOP readers on a shopping tour through Brooklyn.

- Beauty Editor Amy Starr steps into the Clinique lab, giving readers a detailed report on what the brand has done for skincare since its birth 40 years ago, as well as a glossy run-down on six beauty looks you need to know this season: contouring, working 80s shadow, obtaining cherry cheeks, ‘hot mess’ dark eyes, hot red lips and getting that natural nude look.

- SHOPmen is back, which made my fiancé equally as happy about my March purchase of SHOP, though we couldn’t help but laugh when we saw R-Patz on the cover. I would have preferred Sam Worthington, personally! SHOPmen includes Top Ten buys (digital comics, bow ties, Crown Lager); four ways to wear coloured chinos; tips on wearing multi-denim; a look inside PR Paul Maloney’s wardrobe; Adam Blakey's musings on how it feels to be the worst-dressed man in the room; and a boys' night fashion spread that includes model Gabe, who featured on Getaway's European campervan road trip special. The tables are turned this month in "Chicks Dig It", where the women (including GWAS "Chictionary" contributor Clare Press) decide what they would like to see their man (in this case, man-candy guest-editor Tyler Atkins) wearing.

The Not-So-Good (Oopsie!) Bits

- No Alice in Wonderland promotional movie ads, just a small OPI add for their Alice in Wonderland inspired collection. How did Marie Claire score the double-page movie promotion poster?

- Where has the beauty column gone (beauty ed. letter)? I became familiar with SHOP ed. Justine Cullen from her beauty column when she was beauty Ed. And it has been given the same wonderful treatment every month now by Amy Starr, so I was a bit disappointed not to see it in this months SHOP… Hmm, just double-checked the Feb issue and it's not in there either!

- Miranda Kerr is the glossy flavour of the month, what with her new skincare line and the David Jones parade but if I have to read one more time that she drinks noni juice, or that she uses olive oil on her hair (like every other model), I will scream.

Pretty Pages

- My issue came with a 33-page sample glossy of March Harper’s BAZAAR (great size for the handbag). We also get a sneak peek at the front cover of SHOP's 66pg 2010 Beauty Handbook (which looks a little like the Teen Vogue Hand Book) free with next month's copy of the magazine out March 8th… just in time for the next edition of Primped's David Jones beauty book!

- "Shirt Circuit": pages 118-126. The white shirt styled eight ways by Rebecca Caratti: with a slouchy blazer, leather leggings, a zip-front skirt, little shorts, suit or over-the-knee boots, this is one fashion items that never looks tired.

- The Accessories Guide opener is super-cute. Inside there are 2o pages of shoes, handbags and jewels… oh my! Some of these have made my ‘wish list’- see below. A glorified catalogue, you can pretty much do your autumn/winter pre-shop from these pages (and then tune into TVSN to buy them!).

- Glossies are probably one of the only mediums where ads can be beautiful and interesting. Take, for example, the new vibrant Napoleon Perdis Astro Girl range ad, Valleygirl's tropical hippie layout or Shilla’s angelic high-tea shot.

- The season's key looks, page 41. Featuring the Ginger & Smart rainbow butterfly shoulder dress that screams "modern-day Disney princess". SHOP showcases a range of Aussie designs from Lover, Marcs, Natasha, Cue, Peter Lang, Camilla & Marc, Zimmermann, Leona Edmiston and Lisa Ho.

- The whole "China Doll" fashion spread, inspired by the year of the tiger, shows that magazines can do exotic-looking location shoots at home! A sharp shouldered, yellow tiger embroidery Sretsis dress against a red Chinese lantern background; a burst of romantic purple and pink pastel candy-shop goodness; a black Romance Was Born dress embellished with gold flowers – the clothing is enough to transport us to Fantasy Land... not since Carrie Bradshaw has dressing up looked so fun.

- "Intimate Affair: In Bloom": A pretty and feminine lingerie spread featuring florals to blacks, patterned and sporty. Loving the Underwear of Sweden and the Zac Posen ruffled purple, orange and yellow number!

- "Star style: Whitney Port". I’m a fan of The City and a fan of Whitney and her style. This one page spread sums up her look: a bit tom boy, vintage and designer seamlessly thrown together.

- PR Jacqui Lewis gives SHOP a tour of her beach pad in 'My Space'. A fave and regular section, I always try and read the name of the books they have on their bookshelves!

March SHOP wish list:
- House of Harlow necklace, pg. 66
- Timmy Wood Eiffel tower bag, as seen in Sex & The City: The Movie, pg. 97
- One Teaspoon black shorts, pg. 121
- Bloch yellow ballet flats, pg.131
- Oroton bag and Make believe necklace, pg. 137
- Pandora plaited leather bracelets, pg.149
- Playing the Field book by Zoë Foster, pg.155
- Marc Jacobs Lola solid perfume ring, pg.180

Glossy posse: Hilary Duff, Vicki Lee, Jacqui Lewis, Miranda Kerr, Tyler Atkins, Paul Maloney, Kate Waterhouse, Maude Garrett..
Blosses: Justine Cullen; ACP Magazines
Glossy stats: March 2010; 242 pages; $7.60 with a sample of March Harper’s Bazaar.
Glossy ads: L’Oreal, Pandora, Valleygirl, Gucci, Clinique, Myer, Elizabeth Arden, Oroton, Marc Jacobs, TRESemme, Napoleon Perdis, OPI, CoverGirl, Ben Sherman, Honey & Beau, Chic a booti, MilkandHoney, Shilla, Guess…
Glossy rating: 5... I probably would have given the issue a 4 or 3 if Hilary Duff had not featured in it. Cover models do sell.

Yours truly,
Jenna @ Girl With a Satchel

Mags: In the tween satchel

Your visual segue into the world of Girl With a Satchel this week...This week's satchel has been packed by Jenna Templeton, who'll be giving you a look into the wonderful world of tween magazines. Like a free ticket to see the latest kids' flick, or sneaking a look at Saturday Disney, it'll give you respite from the all-too-serious world of grown-up gloss. Here's to a week of jumping in puddles, using multi-coloured pens, rocking out to Taylor Swift and asking, "What would Miley do?" when we get into a pickle.

Tuesday, 9 February 2010

Mags: In the tween satchel

Guest Glossy Report


How are tween magazines grooming future glossy consumers? What habits do they encourage? And how are they competing with online tween-geared sites like Junior Celebs, JustJaredJnr and Perez Hilton spawn CocoPerez, as well as U.S. tween monoliths like TeenHollywood.com and TeenVogue.com, let alone PS3 consoles?
These are the questions I find myself contemplating as I read through Jenna Templeton's update on Aussie tween titles. That, and how long before reigning Disney darling Demi Lovato winds up provocatively "unwrapped" on the cover of GQ or Maxim? Over to you, Jenna...


It was once said "never lose the connection to your inner-child, for in innocence you recreate the world anew without bitterness and resentment". With wide-eyed notion in mind, I recently walked the aisles of tween magazines to survey what the big publishers are producing for our impressionable youth.
Covermounts are not an option in the world of tween publishing: they are a staple; a part of the whole glossy package wrapped in clear plastic containing items such as goo, stationery, accessories and make-up. With mum’s permission, you can get a showbag full of goodies and a little surprise in the form of a colourful 5.75 x 8.25 bound bit of joy. The tweens wouldn't know a quick flick-through if it shot them in the eye like a BB gun.


Hence, it's the quality (or quantity) of the free gifts that are the first point of competition at the newsstand – not the masthead or the covergirl/boy or the price or that feature about Avatar on page 32. The kids will not be easily weaned off this concept as they progress, as publishers would like, through their demographically geared titles or start to mine the internet for replacements. It's no coincidence that K-Zone publisher Pacific Magazines introduced its online "K-Kash" concept last year, which enables young readers to enter codes, accumulate points and win prizes. It's like eBay without a bank account. Like gambling without the risk. Pass go and collect 200 K-Kash points!


Each glossy publishing powerhouse aims to reach the tween girl and tween boy market from ages 6-12. Pacific Magazines houses Total Girl and K-Zone; ACP Magazines Disney Adventures and Disney Girl; Next Media Girlpower, Little Angel and Mania; Nuclear Media & Publishing Krash; and Dmag from Australian Geographic & Smartypants Communications.


Total Girl features Demi Lovato on the February cover. Star of Camp Rock and Disney channel comedy Sonny With a Chance, Demi talks about becoming more girlie, working with Nick Jonas, Camp Rock 2, her new album, Here We Go Again, and working with John Mayer. Rather then be totally celebrity driven, Total Girl is more like a tween lifestyle mag, with educational and informative features about life in the ‘girl zone’, while at the same time bringing readers entertainment news, cool activities and advice. Themes and features include: back to school, the Coolest Girl on the Planet Campaign, now and then (how school has changed from when our mums and grandmas went to school), celebrity puzzles, cool schools (schools at sea, pony and magic school!), a DIY desk calendar and sango recipes.


The Good Bits
- Are you smarter then a 5th grader? Editor Amanda Nicholls (nee Taylor and former Girlpower editor) and Saturday Disney’s Shae Brewster go head to head against a 5th grader.
- Masterdoll: a regular feature in Total Girl. A stop-motion comic using Barbies that look like celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Rupert Grint, Ashley Tisdale and Katy Perry. Hilarious! Like a tween version of Robot Chicken.
Glossy Posse: Demi Lovato, Shae Brewster, Guy Sebastian, Dwayne Johnson (The Rock).
Blosses: Amanda Nicholls; Pacific Magazines
Glossy stats: February 2010; 100 pages; $5.95 with pencil case, Fanta Lip Smacker, Littlest Pet shop collector diary, calculator.
Glossy ads: NDS games, Officeworks, Little Fingers...


K-Zone gives kids the latest info on movies, gaming and gadgets, focusing on game and cartoon/anime characters Sonic, Mario, Ben 10 and Buzz Lightyear. Both the K-Zone and Total Girl websites offer a Flash sneak peek of their latest issues on their websites!


If Demi Lovato is the new Hilary Duff, Selena Gomez, who features on the latest Girlpower, must be the next Amanda Bynes (who now graces the likes of Cosmopolitan and Maxim)! These two, as well as Miley Cyrus and Ashley Tisdale, can often be seen on a regular basis doing the rounds on tween covers.


Girlpower features are really celebrity driven with a few educational pieces added to the mix. Each page reads a who’s who of popular tween celebs, including interviews (Taylor Swift, Short Stack) and shelling out of celebrity advice. A great glossy if you want a quick update on who’s popular among tween audiences.


The Good Bits
- Hot stuff page: check out the cool toy sushi train by Larkmade!
- Rob Pattinson’s favourite things: all generations want to get on his good side!
- What would Miley do? A feature on how to get out of sticky situations Miley style! This teen is certainly no stranger to a sticky predicament... does this hurt her role model credentials? Glossy Posse: Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Rob Pattinson, Nick Jonas, Short Stack, Lilly Allen, Miley Cyrus, Beyoncé, Hayden Panettiere, Stan Walker, DJ Havana etc.
Blosses: Amy Vagne; NextMedia
Glossy stats: February 2010; 99 pages; $5.50 with pink heart hair clips and 3 elastic headbands.
Glossy ads: Kids Central, Charm It, Foxtel/Austar, NDS and Wii games/accessories.


Mania aims to hit the boy tween market, going full throttle with its content of games, gadgets, action movies/stars, WWE, sport, cars, music, puzzles and science. Each page is packed with game and movie reviews and the latest trends and toys available on the market. But you don’t have to be a boy to love Mania; girl gamers will find value in updates on the happenings in gaming land without forking out the $13.95 that is required for other gaming magazines. Nintendo (NDS, Wii) own mostly ALL the advertising space in not just Mania but K-Zone, Total Girl and Girlpower, so there is no doubt why NDS is the highest selling console to date!


The Good Bits
- Mario play guide (Wii Hints) and all the other game reviews!
- Wacky USB sticks – puts the ‘yum’ into saving data!
- Ben 10 cut-out mask and watch (Omnitrix) - my nephew will love this!
Glossy Posse: Mario, Ben 10, Naked Brothers Band, Percy Jackson (movie character), Paramore...
Blosses: Daniel Findlay; NextMedia
Glossy stats: February 2010; 99 pages; $5.95 with brain goo toy and Mania lab plasma goo.
Glossy ads: Foxtel/Austar, Percy Jackson Movie, Cartoon Network, Sega etc.


Interestingly, Next Media's Girlpower and Mania websites have turned away from the usual website set-up with both glossies in favour of the user-friendly, personalised and low-maintenance blog format, including side panels featuring surveys and YouTube clips. Now tween readers can feel like a part of the team as they get their daily fix from the blogs.


Will blogs, gifts, teen stars, gaming, blockbuster movies, anime news and K-KA$H, with a side-serving of fun, adventure, discovery and science, be enough to maintain the attention of tweens in 2010, as corporates like Nine axe shows like The Shak, mum and dad continue to feel the pinch and the NDS reigns supreme in rumpus rooms? Only the next Roy Morgan youth readership results will tell.


Yours truly,
Jenna @ Girl With a Satchel

Girlfriend (Print)