Magazines: 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?

 Compared with Vogue, Elle or Cosmopolitan, the gentlewoman has no need to shout.

2) What representations are offered in the Gentlewoman?  

The representation in the gentlewoman is pleasingly wide ranging. the gentlewoman does a pretty good job of presenting a spectrum of womanhood. This includes playing with ideas of gender performativity and stereotypes,

such as the fashion feature on the smart summer suit.m

3) List the key statistics in the article on the average reader of the magazine. 

Higher end of the average income (£87k), age of readers are around 28-46 years old, mostly female, those who are into creative/ artsy aesthetic.

4) What is The Gentlewoman Club? 

‘international society’ of ‘sophisticated women and men who demand quality and originality from their agenda of

cultural happenings’  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?

Thoeries such as of Clay Shirkey, fandom theories by Henry Jenkins, and David Gauntlett’s ideas about how we, as media consumers, use media products to help create our identity. It could definitely be argued that by creating a club, the gentlewoman is able to tailor and construct a superglamorous and ultra-modern ‘reality’ for its readers – a simulation that would make Baudrillard perk up.

6) What does the writer of article suggest they are getting out of their relationship with the magazine?

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

7) Who are the team behind the magazine?

The team behind the gentlewoman is small but clearly influential

8) How does the Gentlewoman use their website and social media to promote the magazine? 

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'?

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? 

The gentlewoman is not for everyone. But this in turn gives it a sort of cult appeal – exclusivity, being in the know, enjoying the old medium of magazines in a modern way.

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.

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 Gentlewoman showcases accomplished, powerful and glamorous women through long-form profiles, chatty Q&As and candid portrait photography. These features are interleaved with the fabulous fashion stories and witty editorial for which The Gentlewoman is cherished by its substantial and thriving readership.

3) What are the audience demographics for The Gentlewoman?

If you look at the stats, 85 percent of the gentlewoman's audience are women, and 61 percent of its readers are aged 28-46.

4) What is The Gentlewoman Club and what does it offer readers?

lively chats with Club members and engaging interviews with today’s most fascinating women of note" as well as "get-togethers" and events such as "international architectural day tours", "a launch party", "a glamourous night of cards", "a Bring-Your-Own-Vinyl afternoon", "a literary soirée", "an evening celebrating Arts & Crafts furniture", "a special tour", and "Shop-keeping

5) What Creative Collaborations

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 is described as an intelligent, opinionated, and entertaining style title that celebrates modern women of style and purpose through ambitious journalism and photography. It speaks to its audience as readers rather than consumers, blending glamour, personality, and warmth to set a new standard on the newsstands.

2) What does it say about the content and design of The Gentlewoman?

The content features long-form profiles, chatty Q&As, and candid portraits of accomplished women, interleaved with fabulous fashion stories and witty editorial. The design continues to evolve with new typographical and layout elements, earning critical acclaim and awards for its innovative editorial design.

3) How are the readers described?

The readers are described as confident, independent, intelligent, and stylish women and men spanning a broad range of ages and professions. They share an intimate relationship with the brand and are uniquely characterized by their deep thirst for cultural entertainment, fashion, and social pursuits.

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?

The Gentlewoman Club holds events such as architectural tours, book clubs, cards nights, day trips, walking tours, exhibition visits, vinyl nights, and magic shows.

2) Why does it suggest the magazine has managed to 'cut through the clutter'?

The magazine has managed to "cut through the clutter" because it focuses on thoughtful fashion and culture, features interesting women instead of just models, and offers something different from other fashion magazines.

3) How are Gentlewoman Club tickets given out? 

Club tickets are free and are given to people who sign up on the website and are chosen by editor-in-chief Penny Martin.

4) What does the article say about The Gentlewoman's relationship with its audience? 

The article says The Gentlewoman has a strong relationship with its readers because it creates friendly events where people can meet each other and feel part of the magazine's communitiy 

5) Why are Club events valuable from a digital perspective? 

The events are valuable because they create photos and content for social media, helping the magazine stay connected with its readers between issues.

5) Website and social media research

1) Visit The Gentlewoman's website. How does it promote the magazine? 

Through collabs such as with Dior and Victorian Beckham which attracts attention and more viewers, as targeting their main audience of the fashion industry.

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? 

I believe it can be a smart marketing technique to sell print copies, because it gives a sneak peak of the content inside the magazine. However, it can be argued that it may be giving free content because it is half the size of the magazine, but this content can be online

3) Look at The Gentlewoman's Twitter feed. What content from the magazine or Club events can you find on there? 

They have no posts

4) Go to The Gentlewoman's Instagram page. How does it encourage the audience to engage with the magazine? 

It shows pages of their magazine, photoshoots and the lastest news

5) What representations of fashion and gender can you find on their Instagram page?