In the process of answering the question of: 'How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?', I decided to also use Prezi once more due to its diverse range of presentation methods. However, as I wanted the presentation to be different, I audio recorded myself answering the question, but while also presenting the audience with the text, in order for me to be better understood.
As I did before, in my first Creative Critical Reflection Post, I will first present the bare text here (the final draft), and further on the finished recording:
INTERACTION WITH AUDIENCE and APPROACH
As we want the printed version of Sylk to perform as well as it can even during a time where the print industry is slowly falling, we decided to make people want the printed version rather than the online one in ways listed below, in the advertisement and promotion branch of this question.
As Sylk is a magazine which is meant to also perform online, we decided to create an Instagram account for it which would provide our audience with daily content, such as healthy meals, workouts, seasonal outfit ideas, trends and so on in order to keep them interested. The Instagram app now also offers users the ‘poll’ option on stories, which would make it easier for us to engage with our audience and ask quick questions regarding their preferences, in this way making them feel involved. Furthermore, on another level, the second step into making sure we remain relevant in the industry and into developing an even larger range of audience would be by having a SYLK app. The app would not only contain the print versions of the magazine in online form but our subscribers would also benefit from exclusive in-sights into the fashion world, which would only be available on the app. This will keep our audience active towards SYLK and create an effective connection between them and us. By creating opportunities such as the April Contest, our readers will also be able to feel appreciated and believed in, this making them feel more involved in the creative process, posing as a factor for which they will continue buying and reading the magazine.
Sylk will also always take into consideration our audience’s tips/concerns/ideas regarding content and will shape the magazine and topics based on their demand, as this is an important aspect of the interactive process with our audience - as after all - they are the ones to keep the magazine alive.
As Sylk is supposed to be meant for all women- as it emphasises a type of elegance which can be found at all ages - the inner one - but which still focuses in finding the youth in yourself, no matter the age, the articles reflect a deep understanding of our modern world as well as pose as guidance for women through tough times.
ADVERTISEMENT AND PROMOTION
As for the advertising - a lot of it will be done through our Instagram. As Instagram now benefits the user from sponsoring their post - in order to reach a high number of users - this is a paid form of advertising and will attract customers. We will have interesting banners which will present social issues and fashion articles in order for people to get a glimpse of what Sylk means, and further on (on the instagram page) a link redirecting our audience to the Sylk app or site.
Moreover, we will also advertise Sylk with banners on (for example) youtube or sponsor influencers such as beauty bloggers of all ages to present our product on social media.
We will promote and sell our product in several ways, of which (besides online) the most important and marketed way will be pop-up stores. Our vision towards this aspect is having pop-up stores that enhance the idea of exclusivity.
The pop-up stores will be located among the big cities of the world (examples: Hong Kong, Singapore, London, Paris, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles) and will be small, fitting no more than some thousand magazines. Moreover, as an addition to the actual magazines, our customers will also benefit from having the option to buy another single product issued by Sylk, such as slip dresses. We thought of slip dresses because they not only emphasize the idea of elegance, simplicity and luxury but they can also be worn by any woman. They will come in all sizes and the design will vary with each pop-up store, depending on the theme of it, as each of them will have a different theme. We believe that a pop-up store would be something done differently for a magazine and will reflect the modernization of product distribution, being a fresh approach in the marketing world regarding the print industry and maybe even a revival of it. Sylk will be able to be used as also a coffee table decoration once it is read, as the design of it is planned to be (now and in the future as well) timeless and chic, as for people to want to use it as an addition to their interior decor. People will most likely be interested in buying Sylk from a pop-up store as it will make them feel more exclusive and give our product a look of uniqueness.
As for online selling, Sylk will be sold online exclusively on our website in both online form and print form, as selling it in any other way would diminish its competitiveness and also its prestige that we want to create. At the beginning of each annual subscription, customers will receive a gift such as a tote bag, but the buying of each separate magazine will not offer the audience an extra gift. The price will also be slightly smaller with the purchase of a subscription, posing as an influence for people to buy one. Moreover, the price for the online version will be slightly cheaper and without any gift, but we will concentrate on making sure that the print version is not neglected through the ways listed above. The print version of the magazine will be built in such a way that it will also be able to be used as a coffee table book/ decorative piece. As we want our product to be timeless, we want it to therefore me distinctive from other magazines through its paper texture, thickness and size, in order for it to still be used after being read, and for our clients to buy it with other purposes in their head too, besides reading it - this being a way through which we will increase the number of sales. We will also use a price skimming strategy in order to help maintain Sylk’s look and make people understand the quality of our product.
Of course, all these measures will be strictly taken in order to attract our target audience, but as we progress with the magazine and the marketing conventions as well as demand changes with time, different ways of promotion might arise and be used in order for our product to not reach the decline stage of its life cycle- but this can be told only with time.
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