Minority area residents are seeking an
alternative source for hot topics with a local flavor. They feel as if they are being overlooked by
the main media outlets, or when they are included outlets are not really covering
their topics of interest. African
Americans, Hispanic and Asians make up about 50 percent of the local population.
So, if they need a publication that caters to them – their segment is large
enough to support it.
There is an opportunity for an upscale
magazine, covering minorities, in the North Central Florida area. Gainesville
has an unmet need for a publication covering the topics of politics,
technology, medicine, entertainment and money matters with a local flavor. There
is also an unmet need from the business perspective; businesses want to reach
affluent members of the African American community in a manner that
demonstrates they are in partnership with them. The simple act of spending
money in a publication targeted to blacks and owned by blacks speaks volumes in
the African American community. I will
be selling advertising space in a magazine and then giving the magazine away to
members of the community. In some cases we may have a few subscription sales for
home delivery.
The following image offers ideas for a potential magazine cover on the topic of "Black Female Equestrians."
Hi Margaret,
ReplyDeleteI believe that magazines targeting demographic segments are excellent! I also believe there is a fit between your problem and the proposed solution. However, I have a couple of questions and suggestions. Will the proposed magazine target African Americans or minorities (you noted in your solution that there is a need for a magazine covering minorities) as a whole? If so, it will not address what I perceived to be a problem suggested by “Jane” (negative profiling and stereotypes of African Americans in the media). If the aim of the magazine is to minimize such stereotypes and profiling, then I believe it should be targeted at a wider mainstream audience and not niche market segments. My reason for this perspective is that African Americans live and understand these stereotypes. However, other segments of society do not see "the other side" of African Americans, hence, your proposed magazine could shed light on this side and could possibly minimize the stereotypes. Finally, how would you define local? Also, while the general population is diverse, as a whole, “local pockets” might not be and as such, might not be strong enough to make the magazine (subscriptions) financially feasible. Thanks!
Hello Margaret,
ReplyDeleteI would turn around you problem description and start talking specifically about problems of advertisers to reach African American population in this particular geographical location and your magazine with your particular target audience as solution. It is true that you need two markets for your business to operate but your business is going to exist only if advertisers pay. For this reason, I would consider advertisers your primary market and build your business plan around them. For example, if you want to define specifically your target audience for your magazine, it is a good question to ask your potential advertisers. What target audience they are looking for? What minorities they would like to see in your magazine audience? With what level of income, gender, age, lifestyle, etc. Yes, you are going in general after African American population but it is the advertisers who can tell you what segments they would like your journal to cover to pay you.
So, I would strongly suggest to consider your biggest problem not that minorities are feeling of being overlooked but that businesses are not able to reach them in this particular location.