Current cultural/politicaL environment
Magazines are having a more difficult time standing out/ they’re becoming one in a million.
Fashion magazine readers are now turning to the internet for their fashion needs.
JKAMN will have an online way for readers to directly buy what they want.
Trends and styles will be true to the US and reflect both winter and summer styles at once.
The interest in fashion magazines since 2005 to present day, has been dropping continuously as seen in this Google trend [i].
Additionally, what this trend shows is that Pakistan holds the most interest in fashion magazines while the United States is about middle ground when it comes to their interest in fashion magazines.
With this said, the decline in fashion magazines is not a result from one true problem, but rather the accumulation of many. The first problem fashion magazines are running into is the fact that they are just becoming one in a million.
In “Why are there so many fashion magazines,” [ii] it discusses the consequences of having so many similar fashion magazines. Maya Singer discusses the issue of actually buying a certain fashion magazine when they all seem the same, containing the same content, and showing the same fashion. Singer proposes the idea of a magazine having a niche. If a magazine can be easily distinguishable from the others then its more likely be read and.
Because it is important to have a certain style and focus in a fashion magazine, JKAMN magazine will stand out because it’s content is relatable and obtainable. JKAMN is a unique magazine in the sense that it highlights your everyday girl and guy. It’s easy to relate to the people and styles in this magazine because it’s what you’d see when you go to school, the mall, or even work.
The next problem fashion magazines are dealing with even more heavily now a day is the result of the Internet. Now that people are able to find fashion with the click of a button, the need to subscribe or go out and buy a magazine is declining.
In “Future of Fashion Magazines-A Changing Landscape,” [iii] it highlights the threat to fashion magazines, the Internet, and how “the internet is destroying the
business structures of the past faster than the structures of the future are being created.” The Internet has now allowed people to not only look at fashion but also become a part of it through sharing and creating their own style on outlets such as pinterest, instagram, twitter, tumblr, and even blogs. To accommodate this need to now be a part of fashion rather than just flipping through pages, JKAMN will have many opportunities for readers and subscribers to make their way in the magazine. In JKAMN their will be one to two contests for every issue to enable its readers to send in pictures on the website of their favorite styles, style inspirations, or beauty looks. This will allow them a chance at getting their name and/or picture in the magazine. As well as pictures, JKAMN will be posting questions in its issues asking its readers to either send in an embarrassing moment, a great day, or just a reason why they love this magazine to also give them a chance at making their way in this magazine. By adding these elements to JKAMN, it will be more of a collaborative magazine. Additionally, since most of its readers are primarily on the internet, JKAMN will be putting the prices of the styles in each issue on the website. There will be links next to each item which will send them directly to the site where they can buy the clothing. This will allow easier access to the latest styles and trends in the magazine, while also accommodating to the technological needs of the new generations.
Another issue that magazines suffer from is the fact that trends and styles are constantly changing. In “The New Speed of Fashion,” [iv] it pin points on the fact that even before the fall line is shown to the public via fashion magazines, the winter line is already being put together. With this constant and rapid change it’s hard for fashion magazines to keep up and especially those in the US, since most of the fashion trends happen more predominantly in other countries. In JKAMN, not only will the styles and trends be the ones in the US, but with each outfit, there will be a description describing how you can tweak your summer outfits to winter and vice versa.