Influence of Magazines on Beauty | Cross-Cultural Analysis

Influence of cartridge clip publishers on peach Cross-Cultural summaryINTRODUCTIONBeauty is not concrete and may modify from socialization to culture changing over time and shifting according to location. Beauty is an im grow which has been created by society to which char adult female and men have had to composition themselves to be real. The ideology of kayo or what is accepted as cosmos the right coming into court has been created by society and largely propagated by media. For joined States of the 1950s Marilyn Monroe was the spinning top of mantrap which soon agitated to Twiggy in the 1960s. date porcelain skin is valued in chinaw ar, scarification of the skin and decorating it with tattoos is sh atomic number 18d as a side symbol in Africa. Thus the physical attri notwithstandinges and fancys attached to salmon pink vary a muff cultures.Womens cartridge clip industry is chthonianstood as a monolithic pith producer, circulating mags that contain mes s grows and signs about the nature of femininity that hang to promote and legitimate dominant interests. (Anna Gough- Yates). A majority of feminist critics designate that media is responsible for(p) for establishing and promoting gender differences and inequalities in society. In respect media persons ar considered responsible for reinforcing capitalism and patriarchy manipulating society to attain change magnituded circulation figures. clippings argon a great source, to study the society. Recording changes, from the purely musical mode cartridge couture get along with of 1920s, to lifestyle and home of the 1940s when domestic help was r be and adult female to a personal interest in their homes. To New woman of the eighties when woman began to work alongside men in al around each field to do it yourself of the 20th century with soaring costs and scotchal down work on. Magazines reflect revolutions in society and influenced the opinion of women crossways nations.Given the increase in trade to Asia and the spread of the beauty industry across nations, on that saddle is limited study available on how heap ar ocularized world-widely in the fashion magazines. Previous research has established that womans magazines potbelly act as agents of publicizing gender stereotypes and beauty ideals bid size zero and institutionalizing conventions exchangeable photographic poses. (Rudman and Verdi, 1993 Griffin, Viswanath, Schwartz, 1994). up to now little research has been make on the differences in representation of women internation wholey and topical anesthetic anaestheticly.POWER OF IMAGESOne moldiness establish what people are looking at before wiz butt joint hope to understand why under the conditions peculiar to them, they converge what they see Rudolf Arnhein (Arnhein 19774)An experience is that stimulus or representation that compels us to cognition, interlingual rendition and personal preference. If we understand that the marke t place is work out based than we besides make to understand the importance of vision in understanding performment in the information society. Images are where ocular conversation starts. Jonathan E. Schroeder confirms in his study of media that opthalmic consumption is critically important for understanding contemporary consumers. now merchandising professionals are sensitive towards planetary customers and realise that they are en consequentlyiastic consumers of 2-baggers. label reach, corporeal image and self image are significant economic and consumer values and that world-wide market culture is largely the construction of exemplary environments. (S. E. Jonathan, 2002) This is of great importance in particular in the twenty- frontmost century as the importance of marketing management and consumer research in this century may shift from problem solving to problem recognition from merchandise of goods to the production of images (S. E. Jonathan, 2002)Through tim e marketers overhear learnt that markets are worldwide which should translate into local approach. barely when companies world-wideise they stick more production driven abstracted to sell more thus having communal promotional strategies across cultures, viscous to unmatchable single image, hardly realising that there may be spheric products, but there are no ball-shaped people. There may be world(prenominal) strike offs but there are no popular global motivators to deprave those denounces. (M. De Mooij, 2009). M some(prenominal) brands have with the help of technology and communication tried to globalise nations. But technology has not brought a global village in which consumers all behave the same.GLOBAL MEDIAGlobalisation is beat out defined as the crystallization of the entire demesne as a single place (Robertson, Ronald. 1990. Mapping the Global Condition Globalization as the Central Concept. Theory, Culture and Society 7)Due to the success of global brands writ ers have predicted an unavoidable colonization of world culture by internationalised brands that would most by all odds lead to demise of local cultures. However there is also order that suggests social relationships and values in local culture are liberal to the negative effects of globalization. On one hand globalisation is pass judgment to destroy local cultures and bring about homogeneity plot on the opposite hand it is also the reason for the revival of local ethnic identities from various parts of the world. Today the refinement of western cultures values and ideas has reached the outlying(prenominal) corners of the world, right to Asian countries like India and China which have been dominant trough the 21st century. Now that these countries have become important players in the world market, counter expansion of values and culture can also be seen.Over the past few decades there has been a rapid expansion of global brands in the media sector more than ever in the th eatre of operations of womans fashion magazines. Local editions of Elle, Harpers Baazar and course are now beingness promulgated in Asia. The internationalization of a magazine is not a sweet phenomenon although until quite freshly the most popular womans magazines have been promulgated locally. Harpers Bazaar, a U.S magazine launched itself in U.K. in 1929 (Anna Gough-Yates, 1993), Elle a European magazine began publication its first edition in Japan in 1960s part movement a U.S magazine entered the Indian market in the 21st century. However the establishment of an integrated global media market except began in earnest in the late 1980s and did not reach its practiced potential until the 1990s. (Herman and Mc Chesney ,1997, p10)The current NRS (National Readership Survey) figures suggest that the check readership market in U.K. for the calendar months of July and December 2008 has burn downn by 10% since last year, while the total market for womens lifestyle and fashion magazines has grown by 7 %. (IPC Advertising) A similar switch off was ob rund in USA where magazine subscription reached a ten year high in 2008 and with the total number of magazines published reaching 20,590 the total percentage of subscriptions also increased by 1.4% (MPA Magazine Publishers of America, ABC) Comparatively in Asia according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers the Asia/Pacific magazine market excluding Japan is projected to grow by 7.2% per annum, reaching $20.7 billion by 2010, Advertising is also expected to rise by 5% annually to $8.1 billion in 2010. This means theres plenty of potential for countries in southeast Asia, where advertising spending is just about 0.34% of GDP. Until now foreign brands were allowed only 26% ownership when venturing into Asian countries. But in 2005 most of the Asian countries levelled the field for non news publications allowing 100% foreign direct investment. (D. Ruth, 2007, Forbes)In an age looking towards the internet for all infor mation and goods there is a hazard that print media and magazine subscriptions may fall contrary to predictions. A recent research conducted by PPA marketing suggests that the internet does not have any harmful effect on peoples desire to read offline, in particular in some cases reading websites encourages them to read magazines. Out of 1500 adults between the age of 18- 34 surveyed online revealed that peoples expectations and goals from each medium depends on the character matter and for the subject of beauty and fashion print magazines are an obvious choice. Also the idea of owning a piece of fashion history through the beautifully photographed and styled images in fashion magazines makes print media a lucrative choice.With fashion going cross cultures, print media being the apparent choice of the masses to keep them in trend and the governments giving publication houses the clear there is nothing tenia international fashion magazines going local. kindred all the other glob al media, magazines use many different strategies to cross the borders. The main reasons for crossing borders are volume of home markets and to generate revenue by providing international consumer brands with advertising vehicles that reach into the expanding foreign markets(Dr. Katherine Frith, 2006,pg4-5). For example Cond Nast which has a portfolio of 127 magazines in 23 countries had to culture down Mademoiselle in November 2001 due to competition, flagging sales and saturation of magazine houses. Markets with rising economic rates like Asia and Middle East, as a case have become a target for westerns producers of beauty and fashion magazines.FASHION MAGAZINES AND THEIR IMPACTMany women across cultures are influenced by general trends in fashion and follow although at a place the fashion industry. The relationship between consumers and trends is complex but it is mediated by fashion magazines.The difference between international fashion magazines and their local versions is that the international issues tend to carry a predominance of images for multinational products. (Shaw, 1999). Such magazines are growing in popularity in Asia and this popularity has bought about a change in perspective regarding the depiction of woman and products in local magazines. Griffin, Viswanath, and Schwartz(1994) found in a study comparing images in hebdomadary U.S. news magazines (Time and Life) to hebdomadal Indian magazines (India Today and Illustrated weekly of India), that many of the western advertising principles and poses for women were being conveyed across nations. They confirmed that female models in India were taking on poses that related closely to gender portrayals of the advanced western nations. A recent digest of magazines international and local in China by Frith, Cheng and Shaw (2004) suggests that Caucasian models are more frequently shown in seductive overdresses than Asian models. Feminist critiques like Kates, Shaw and Garlock (1999) would argue that western magazines are ethnic institutions that represent women in a problematic and often unacceptable way although delineateive female bodies and versed content have for long been used in the west to see consumers to a product and generate interest. Comparing this to the representation of woman across cultures with reference to the few studies conducted on the topic Griffin, Viswanath and Schwartz (1994) concluded that the use of inner pursuit as a theme was used three generation more often in American magazines than magazines in India. In button-down Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia only Caucasian women were used in lingerie ads (Frith and Mueller, 2003).Any magazine wanting to be resonant with its target hearing needs to represent the social norms and ethnic values of the given society. global magazines like course and Elle although have publishing houses in Asian countries most often train their employees in the west. The result being that the forms o f representation and especially that of woman can take on a globalized look. As Kyung-Ja Lee,(2000, pg 86) has rightly said for thirty years, media have been taken to task for reproducing and reinforcing stereotyped images of woman. Yet unfair representation of woman in media still prevails worldwide. Sex stereotyping has been so deeply ingrained, even glorified, that the woman themselves have become desensitised to their own subscript portrayal. The prospects appear even gloomier as the globalisation of media progressesPrevious researchers have renowned that the images of models used in magazines have been extensively retouched to represent the ideal of beauty that is unattainable for all but a very few people.(Greer,1999). By showing models that are uniformly thin, flawless and perfectly proportioned the media may conduce towards low self esteem and unhappiness among woman and give rise to problems like eating disorders.( Gauntlett, 2002) Media is also considered a large contr ibutor to the global increase in plastic surgery to change physical appearance among young young ladys (Lee, 2007). With most models used in international magazines being color the publications are rarefying the ethnic beauty ideals. In fact the obsession with whiten products may be a result of this overuse of White models in Asian publications.Finally as global media takes readers away from local publications and changing Asian beauty ideals it is important to study the impact of international beauty ideal on local consumers. The Asian society has predominantly been a conservative society yet with the onset of westernisation this society is changing and adapting itself. But as Marieke de Mooij states, product usage or acceptance does not change overnight, as peoples behaviour is stable . A new idea or concept is only accepted when it is self-consistent to a change in society and does not imply a fundamental change in culture.Essay 2 THE dash IMPACTThis essay will contend st ylus magazines underwrite rogue and its relationship with its brand identity. Can the brand successfully globalised by altering its cover page image, based on cultural and social variants in each of its markets? Would normalisation of the brands cover page images and visual identity help to avoid criticism on its entryway into a new market?VOGUE BEGININGStarted in 1982 vogue magazine is predominantly an American cultural phenomenon. It began as a social weekly periodical and nurtured into a professional and confident monthly publication under the leadership of Cond Nast which took over dash in 1909. Primarily as a lifestyle magazine catering to both men and woman stylus has come a long way to be at the pinnacle as the fashion magazine for woman in vogue (David, A., 2006). In an age where french fashion was considered the ultimate flair managed to put American Couture on the map. Under the Cond Nast umbrella the magazine not only managed to become a brand name in its own cou ntry but also exported fashion ideas to the world.Today Cond Nast which has a portfolio of 127 magazines in 23 countries believes manner to be its cash cow. At present there are a million fashion and beauty magazines such as In Style, Elle and ecumenic circulated around the globe, but in times of crises citizens all over turn to stylus to confirm the latest fashion news. With readership and subscription levels of about 220,000 a month for the British Vogues, 133,000 a month for the French Vogue and American Vogue, at 1.2 million a month Vogue is the leading magazine in the backup of fashion. (IPC Advertising reports) The once small publication eventually became an international phenomenon with issues being published in more than 12 countries.YEAR OF put upCOUNTRY /EDITION1916British Vogue1918Spanish Vogue1920French Vogue1924-1926Argentinean Vogue1928German Vogue1964Italian Vogue1975Brazilian Vogue1994Singapore Vogue1996Korean Vogue1996Taiwanese Vogue1999Japanese Vogue1999Latin A merican Vogue2000Greek Vogue2005Chinese Vogue2007Indian VogueSince its birth the magazine has strived to serve the society by portraying an example of proper etiquette, beauty, composure and fashion. The magazine not only plays a role in setting latest trends but also records the changes in cultural thinking, actions and clothing through its images. feel at Vogue through the ages it can be clearly seen that it is also a documentation of the changing roles of woman, and the influences of cultural ideas and politics over time. The authority the Vogue magazine has over generations of women has inspired many new magazines like Cosmopolitan and Glamour all interested in its market share. In spite of this great quantity of magazines circulating around the globe, considering circulation figures and media impact no other publication has managed to accomplish the lasting power and success of Vogue. (David, R., 2007)VOGUE IMAGESelf definition has always been crucial to vogue. (David, A., 20 06). Throughout its first 30 years vogue editors and illustrators made use of the French meaning of vogue, defined in the first dictionary of the Acadmie Franaise (1694) as the impulsion or movement of a galley or other ship by the force of rowing. It was only in the 18th century that vogue and fashion were listed as synonyms (Fraud 17878).Since its first issue Vogue magazine has been personified as a youthful young woman. The magazines first cover presented itself in the disguise of a debutante, a young socialite. When Cond Nast bought the magazine in 1909 he brought it into line with other successful publishing ventures and in just over a decade, circulation went from 14,000 to 150,000 while advertising revenue soared from $76,111 to two million dollars (Robinson 1923 170). He modernised the magazine not just the content but also the cover. He replaced the bare and white drawings of the front cover with commissioned, lavish, stylised and signed illustrations. This change helped t o attract attention to the magazine and increase circulations. As an advertising man, he unsounded the value of having a visual brand or logo and Nast resuscitate the rakehellal Vogue trademark, a distinguished little sketch which straight off became known as the Vogue girl (David, A., 2006). This first Vogue girl was just an illustration clad in a fancy dress with the than fashionable leg-o-mutton sleeves. Her unnatural ivory white skin, snow white wig, niggling waist and voluptuous bosom, was directed at the fantasies of the magazines readers (David, A., 2006).The Vogue girl delineate the heritage of those Americans who wished to be different from the New World Americans and was constantly seen as wearing historical costumes and heirlooms. Than too the new world American woman aspired to look like her. all(prenominal) this changed in the 1920s when the Vogue girl was changed to an illustration by Georges Lepape. This new image was more streamlined and delineated the woman a t the heights of fashion in the 1920s. Vogue had deceased from importing fashion to exporting it. As times changed so did the magazine cover from illustrations to photographs, do models like Cindy Crawford and celebrities like Madonna a place name. This change in its image was a response to the internationalisation of the magazine.Today the vogue cover girls are the most glamorous, exotic, unusual and popular persons of the moment. The trend being more towards actresses than models dressed in the heights of fashion, styled by the exceed stylist and clicked by A-list photographers they are every girls aspiration and every boys fantasy. Like its cover girls the magazines is considered to be glamorous, glossy and trendy. (Alexandra Shulman, Vogue U.K. editor). Despite of having these factors common among them, the vogue covers are dissimilar in many aspects depending upon its country of publication.CULTURE AND CONSUMER demeanourAnglo Saxon psychological research states that the co ncept of self and personality are the basis of Western consumer behaviour. The words identity or personality have no fixed meaning in the Asian culture. A global brand needs to consider the cultural differences to truly succeed in the world field. A number of research experts and cultural studies suggest that a brand should think global, act local. This is based upon the theory that the way people think and perceive any brand or image is channelize by the framework of their own culture (Mooij, M, 2009). The observation of Japanese identity operator as a sign of westernisation of the country is a misconception of many global brands.For more than a decade international magazines have been accused of standardising a beauty ideal across the globe with disregard to the individual cultural and beauty ideals of the army country. For a short duration the values and attributes of a foreign or global personality might have a strong attraction, but ultimately people return to their own loca l values and culture. For a Brazilian woman the emphasis is on her bottom, um corpo de violo which literally means a guitar shaped body is most desirable. No matter how many international magazines showcase buxom beauties, the Brazilian woman would ultimately want a bigger bottom as the point of attraction is the sweet swing of the hips. The illustration of a desirable Japanese woman in The memoirs of a Gesha suggest, that the Japanese appreciate soft overdelicate feminine features, small feet and long hair cut in layers. A slim slender graceful body is more desirable than a curvaceous one. In Islamic countries the body is considered an obstacle in believe ones true beauty. Any bodily decorations or changes are considered a cloak over the inner beauty and the Hijab is another veil to conceal these changes so that the womans only public identity would be her inner self. For the Greek it has been consistency in complex body part and features, based on Platos ideas that, beauty is that which irradiates symmetry sort of than symmetry itself. The Nuba tribe in Sudan like dark skin and hairlessness. On examine traditional Indian paintings it can be concluded that the Indian ideals of beauty in a woman is voluptuousness, with the belly and hips being of prominence.( Ei, 2008) The image and identity associated with woman of different geographical locations are deep grow in their respective cultures. The beauty ideals and a womans self image in any culture can be understood by studying its paintings, sculpture and artistic representations. Today the artistic or idealistic representations of women are magazine covers, images and photo spreads. These covers are also considered a mode of advertisement for the magazine within that culture. As Steve Taylor has rightly put in his book 100 years of magazine covers it is hard to identify another cultural artefact which embodies an advertisement for itself in such a powerful way. Magazine covers can be breathtaking, be autiful, confrontational, resonant, heartbreaking, stimulating, irritating and uplifting. At their best they come together as a kind of spontaneous street level exhibition, publically displaying the work of some of our best creative talent, featuring what is most admirable and removable about the modern world, communicating the people and events that shape our culture.Apart from a mode of advertisement of todays culture a magazine cover plays a dual function of advertising the magazine brand itself. An impressive cover encourages people to flip through the magazine and buy it. (Alexandra Shulman, British Vogue editor). Getting the magazine cover right is not only ethically important but also financially important to the magazine in order to develop brand loyalty and increased circulations. Thus making it important to study magazine covers as a mode of advertisement and part of the marketing mix, for a magazine publication.MAGAZINE COVERS AS betray VISUAL IDENTITYIt is a common a ssumption that an advertisement would be effective if the viewer decodes the advertisement successfully, if there is a significant imparting of attributes. (Mooij, M., 2009). Thus while developing one idea for a global brand or one single motivator for different cultures, one should not assume that the responses would be alike too. An idea being taken accurately by the consumers would only happen if the senders and receivers share one culture. If they do not share the same cultural values it may result in misunderstandings and demeaning of brand value within that culture. For example consider the inaugural Vogue covers of India and China. The Indian Vogue cover was styled by the magazines British fashion director while the Chinese vogue was styled by French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld (China economic net and Fashion week routine dispatch). The covers were not rightly decoded by the consumers and sure much criticism. Whereas the covers for the preceding months styled by Anaita S hroff Adajania the fashion director for Vogue India was highly appreciated.(Fashion week daily dispatch)The force of a brand is that it is a name in the memory of consumers. It is a perceptual map of positive and negative associations, a symbolic language, and a network of associations. (Mooij, M.,2009). Vogue with its launch in many Asian countries received much negative associations with its local issues. The local Asian issues of Vogue are considered small ripples in the big pond of Fashion magazines (Armstrong ,L, 2009) and they could never manage to create the impact that American vogue or Italian Vogue have managed to create world over. Vogue India or Vogue China might be sold worldwide but it is not requirement that consumers in all countries consider them global brands. One theory suggests that a global brand is a brand that is strongly associated with its country of origin (Mooij, M., 2009) and for Vogue its been America. This can be considered positive if the country of origin has a stable global identity. With American values becoming ambiguous and Vogue bifurcating into multiple countries over time its core identity may be threatened. The idea of incorporating local aesthetics with their global image might curve the brands global image.STANDARDISATIONA multinational companys personality and identity are the biggest factors influencing consumer (Eales, 1990 as cited in Melewar,T.C, Saunders, J., 1998). Unrestricted global trade, a competitive grocery store and the fast technological developments have created a situation where consumers dont just buy the product they also buy the company that produces it. The brands character, its identity, its image and the confidence it inspires in them help in making the choice between two virtually similar product offerings in the market. At the centre of any logical argument and its projected image is its corporate visual identity system. The elements of this system are name, symbol, and/or logo, typograp hy, colour and slogan (Dowling, 1994). These elements help to sell the company to consumers and its stakeholders. merged identity programs have risen due to globalisation (Ind, 1992). The changing business tactics, geographical locations, variations in cultures and changing markets have all encouraged companies to change their corporate identity. As companies begin to operate on an international basis, the image that they acquired as national producers often becomes inappropriate (Mills, 1988 as cited in Melewar,T.C, Saunders, J., 1998). many international companies adopt a unified brand image in spite of government and consumer displeasure. The degree of de-standardisation of any company depends upon the strength of the host countries culture, government policies and target market. (Mooij, M., 2009). The decision to standardise a brand image also depends upon the competitive edge derived in either keeping activities cardinal or decentralizing them. However a brand like Vogue tha t has a truly global orientation needs to express consistent brand values wherever it chooses to compete. Thus making its worldwide image more recognisable for its homogeneity than not.A major component of a corporate identity is the corporate structure. (Strong, 1987) According to Ind (1992) there exist two corporate identities, one that is the organisational structure and the other that is the visual structure. The Visual structure is concerned with the branding of the product, and how it appears to the consumers. (Gray Smeltzer, 1985 as cited in Melewar, T.C., Saunders, J., 1998). The basic concern with the visual structure is the degree of centralisation and decentralisation.Thus the basic problem face by Vogue is whether to sell an identical product image to all its consumers or to make modifications as per the local differences. A global brand can be a mass brand satisfying a common product need in all the countries or it can be a brand catering to a common nook in all the countries. Vogue magazine has two options, being a global brand it could standardize the brand and the brand image across the globe so that the Indian woman reading the Indian Vogue would feel equal to the French or American woman reading their respective Vogues. The other option it has is to go local, differentiate between its offerings and underwrite each market as an individual and not a global product while standardising its visual image, giving the impression of a common brand.Researchers argue that standardisation of a brand helps the company to achieve a uniform image internationally which in turn increases sales.(Buzzell, 1968, Hovells Walters, 1972 as cited in Melewar, T.C., Saunders, J., 1998) . Others were of the opinion that standardisation makes consumers familiar with the product, its services, business diversities and competitive distinction thus helping to establish a uniform corporate image.(Peebles et al ,1977 as cited in Melewar, T.C., Saunders, J., 1998). Co smopolitan for example is known around the globe to train personal and sex related issues as it does not change its editorials and articles depending on culture. The band logo/ font type, position or style does not differ according to geographical locations. The brand has achieved a sense of standardisation by not having a distinct country name printed on its cover unlike Vogue.The research on global corporate visual identity systems by T.C. Melewar and John Saunders (1998) proved that firms with highly standardised corporate visual identity systems (CVIS) saw themselves reaping more reward from their CVIS than did those with low CVIS standardisation. All custom