Influence of Magazines on Beauty | Cross-Cultural Analysis

Influence of Magazines on Beauty Cross-Cultural AnalysisINTRODUCTIONBeauty is not meridian and may vary from goal to finale changing over cartridge clip and shifting according to location. Beauty is an two-bagger which has been created by smart set to which cleaning lady and work force develop had to subject themselves to be real. The ideology of strike or what is accepted as being the make up appearance has been created by society and largely propagated by media. For United States of the 1950s Marilyn Monroe was the pinnacle of beauty which positly changed to Twiggy in the 1960s. While porcelain whittle is treasured in china, scarification of the skin and decorating it with tattoos is considered as a status symbol in Africa. consequently the corporal attri howeveres and ideas attached to beauty vary a swing out nuances.Womens snip industry is mute as a monolithic meaning producer, go around pickups that contain messages and signs roughly the nature of feminini ty that serve to promote and legitimate dominant interests. (Anna Gough- Yates). A majority of feminist critics argue that media is responsible for establishing and promoting sex activity differences and inequalities in society. In respect media persons be considered responsible for reinforcing capitalism and patriarchy manipulating society to bring out increased circulation figures.Magazines ar a great source, to dis roll up the society. Recording changes, from the stringently direction pickup couture age of 1920s, to lifestyle and home of the 1940s when interior(prenominal) function was r be and char to a personal interest in their homes. To impertinently fair sex of the eighties when fair sex began to work alongside men in al almost both field to do it yourself of the 20th degree Celsius with soaring costs and economic downturn. Magazines reflect revolutions in society and influenced the trust of women across nations.Given the increase in trade to Asia and the sp consume of the beauty industry across nations, at that place is limited study available on how multitude are depicted transnationally in the panache cartridge clips. precedent investigate has established that adult females powder clippings gutter act as agents of publicizing gender stereotypes and beauty ideals a equal(p) size zero and institutionalizing conventions like photographic poses. (Rudman and Verdi, 1993 Griffin, Viswanath, Schwartz, 1994). notwithstanding little investigate has been d bingle on the differences in representation of women pla scratcharyly and offspringal anestheticly.POWER OF IMAGESOne must establish what people are feeling at before iodin git hope to understand why under the conditions peculiar to them, they see what they see Rudolf Arnhein (Arnhein 19774)An get wind is that stimulus or representation that compels us to cognition, interpretation and personal preference. If we understand that the market is chain base than we too b egin to understand the importance of vision in arrest management in the education society. Images are where ocular converse starts. Jonathan E. Schroeder confirms in his study of media that visual consumption is critically important for understanding contemporary consumers. Today marketing professionals are sensitive towards globular customers and empathize that they are enthusiastic consumers of images. Brand image, corporate image and self image are significant economic and consumer set and that spheric market culture is largely the construction of symbolic environments. (S. E. Jonathan, 2002) This is of great importance especially in the 21st century as the importance of marketing management and consumer research in this century may shift from fuss solving to problem recognition from production of goods to the production of images (S. E. Jonathan, 2002)Through time marketers halt learnt that markets are worldwide which should translate into local anaesthetic anestheti c approach. only when when companies internationalise they reverse to a greater extent production driven wanting to sell much thus having general promotional strategies across cultures, sticking to one exclusive(a) image, sullenly realising that in that location may be spherical products, but on that point are no global people. There may be global fall guymarks but there are no common global motivators to buy those specks. (M. De Mooij, 2009). galore(postnominal) blots make water with the help of technology and communication tried to globalise nations. But technology has not brought a global village in which consumers all coiffe the same.GLOBAL MEDIA planetaryisation is best defined as the crystallization of the spotless world as a single place (Robertson, Ronald. 1990. Mapping the Global Condition Globalization as the Central Concept. Theory, Culture and Society 7) collect to the success of global discolorations writers have predicted an un avertable coloni zation of world culture by internationalised bulls eyes that would most definitely lead to demise of local cultures. hitherto there is likewise evidence that suggests social familys and values in local culture are resistant to the damaging effects of globalization. On one hand globalization is expected to destroy local cultures and bring or so homogeneity while on the different hand it is also the drive for the revival of local pagan identities from various parts of the world. Today the expanding upon of horse opera cultures values and ideas has r for each oneed the far corners of the world, right to Asiatic countries like India and mainland China which have been dominant till the 21st century. Now that these countries have grow 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(prenominal) than ever in the area of womans fas hion magazines. Local editions of Elle, Harpers Baazar and elan are now being published in Asia. The internationalization of a magazine is not a unseasoned phenomenon although until quite recently the most best-selling(predicate) womans magazines have been published locally. Harpers Bazaar, a U.S magazine launched itself in U.K. in 1929 (Anna Gough-Yates, 1993), Elle a European magazine began issue its first edition in lacquer in 1960s while mode a U.S magazine entered the Indian market in the 21st century. However the establishment of an integrated global media market only began in earnest in the late 1980s and did not reach its full potential until the 1990s. (Herman and Mc Chesney ,1997, p10)The latest NRS (National Readership Survey) figures suggest that the total readership market in U.K. for the months of July and December 2008 has rescindn by 10% since last year, while the total market for womens lifestyle and fashion magazines has braggart(a) by 7 %. (IPC Advertisin g) A similar trend was observed 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% annually, reaching $20.7 billion by 2010, Advertising is also expected to rise by 5% annually to $8.1 billion in 2010. This means theres voltaic pile of potential for countries in South Asia, where advertising spending is bonnie astir(predicate)(predicate) 0.34% of GDP. Until now impertinent 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 net for all information and goods the re is a risk that print media and magazine subscriptions may amount contrary to predictions. A recent research conducted by PPA marketing suggests that the internet does not have some(prenominal) harmful effect on peoples relish to read offline, in fact 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 subject matter and for the subject of beauty and fashion print magazines are an obvious select. Also the idea of owning a piece of fashion bill through the beautifully photographed and styled images in fashion magazines makes print media a remunerative plectrum.With fashion going cross cultures, print media being the apparent choice of the masses to keep them in trend and the governments grownup publication houses the crown there is nothing stopping international fashion magazines going local. like all the other global medi a, magazines use umpteen different strategies to cross the borders. The main reasons for crossing borders are saturation 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 congresswoman Cond Nast which has a portfolio of 127 magazines in 23 countries had to close down Mademoiselle in November 2001 payable to competition, flagging sales and saturation of magazine houses. Markets with rising economic rate like Asia and Middle East, as a take have become a target for westerns producers of beauty and fashion magazines.FASHION MAGAZINES AND THEIR encroachmentMany women across cultures are influenced by general trends in fashion and hunt although at a distance the fashion industry. The relationship between consumers and trends is thickening but it is mediated by fashion magazines.The difference between international fashion magazines and the ir local versions is that the international issues tend to carry a predomination of images for transnational 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 weekly U.S. news magazines (Time and Life) to weekly 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 analysis of magazines international and local in China by Frith, Cheng and Shaw (2004) suggests that egg blank models are more frequently shown in seductive dresses than Asian models. Feminist critiques like Kates, Shaw and Garlock (1999) w ould argue that western magazines are pagan institutions that represent women in a problematic and often unacceptable carriage although attractive female bodies and sexual content have for long been apply in the west to draw consumers to a product and generate interest. compare 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 Sexual pursuit as a discipline was used three generation more often in American magazines than magazines in India. In conservative Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia only Caucasian women were used in Lingerie advertisements (Frith and Mueller, 2003).Any magazine wanting to be resonant with its target audience needs to represent the social norms and heathenish values of the given society. International magazines like stylus and Elle although have publishing houses in Asian countries most often train their employees in the west. The issuance being that the forms of 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 oecumenical. Sex stereotyping has been so deeply ingrained, even glorified, that the woman themselves have become desensitised to their own inferior portrayal. The prospects appear even gloomier as the globalisation of media progressesPrevious researchers have noted 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 unvaryingly thin, perfect and perfectly proportioned the media may contribute towards low self esteem and sadness among woman and give rise to problems like eating disorders.( Gauntlett, 2 002) Media is also considered a large contributor to the global increase in plastic cognitive process to change physical appearance among young girlfriends (Lee, 2007). With most models used in international magazines being white the publications are rarefying the ethnic beauty ideals. In fact the obsession with whitening products may be a result of this overuse of White models in Asian publications.Finally as global media takes readers a delegacy 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 fire 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 archetype is only accepted when it is agreeable to a change in society and does not imply a fundamental change in cul ture.Essay 2 THE way IMPACTThis essay will discuss manner magazines cover page and its relationship with its brand individuation. Can the brand successfully globalised by altering its cover page image, based on heathenish and social variants in each of its markets? Would standardisation of the brands cover page images and visual identity help to avoid criticism on its entry into a new market?VOGUE BEGININGStarted in 1982 way magazine is predominantly an American ethnic phenomenon. It began as a social weekly periodical and nurtured into a professional and constructive monthly publication under the leadership of Cond Nast which took over vogue in 1909. Primarily as a lifestyle magazine supply to twain men and woman fashion 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 final trend managed to put American Couture on the map. Under the Cond Nast umbrella the magazine n ot only managed to become a brand cook in its own plain 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 one thousand thousand fashion and beauty magazines such(prenominal) as In Style, Elle and Cosmopolitan circulated around the ballock, but in times of crises citizens all over turn to Vogue 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 bloodline of fashion. (IPC Advertising reports) The once base publication eventually became an international phenomenon with issues being published in more than 12 countries.YEAR OF LAUNCHCOUNTRY /EDITION1916British Vogue1918Spanish Vogue1920French Vogue1924-1926Argentinean Vogue1928German Vogue1964Italian Vogue1975Brazilian Vo gue1994Singapore Vogue1996Korean Vogue1996Taiwanese Vogue1999Japanese Vogue1999Latin American 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 usage in setting latest trends but also records the changes in cultural thinking, actions and clothing through its images. Looking 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 power the Vogue magazine has over generations of women has exalt many new magazines like Cosmopolitan and Glamour all arouse 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 measure power and success of Vogue. (David, R. , 2007)VOGUE IMAGESelf definition has always been crucial to vogue. (David, A., 2006). Throughout its first 30 years vogue editors and illustrators make 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 eighteenth 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 black and white drawings of the fron t cover with commissioned, lavish, stylised and signed interpreters. This change helped to attract attention to the magazine and increase circulations. As an advertising man, he understood the value of having a visual brand or logo and Nast revived the original Vogue trademark, a tremendous little sketch which immediately became know 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, tiny waist and voluptuous bosom, was directed at the fantasies of the magazines readers (David, A., 2006).The Vogue girl represented 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 this changed in the 1920s when the Vogue girl was changed to an illustration by Georges Lepape. T his new image was more streamlined and represented the woman at the heights of fashion in the 1920s. Vogue had gone from importing fashion to exporting it. As times changed so did the magazine cover from illustrations to photographs, making models like Cindy Crawford and celebrities like Madonna a household 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 best 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 BEH AVIOURAnglo Saxon psychological research states that the concept of self and nature 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 guided by the framework of their own culture (Mooij, M, 2009). The observation of Japanese individuality 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 host country. For a victimize duration the values and attributes of a foreign or global personality might have a strong attractio n, but ultimately people return to their own local values and culture. For a Brazilian woman the emphasis is on her bottom, um corpo de violo which literally means a guitar wrought frame is most desirable. No matter how many international magazines slip buxom beauties, the Brazilian woman would ultimately want a large 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 delicate feminine features, small feet and long pig cut in layers. A slim slender graceful organic structure is more desirable than a curvaceous one. In Islamic countries the body is considered an obstacle in viewing ones true beauty. Any bodily decorations or changes are considered a veil over the inner beauty and the Hijab is some other veil to conceal these changes so that the womans only public identity would be her inner self. For the Greek it has been symmetry in structure and features, based on Platos ideas that, beauty is that which irradiates symmetry rather than symmetry itself. The Nuba tribe in Sudan like dark skin and hairlessness. On studying 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 geographic locations are deep rooted in their respective cultures. The beauty ideals and a womans self image in any culture can be understood by studying its paintings, sculpture and tasteful 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, beautiful, confrontational, resonant, heartbreaking, stimulating, irritating and uplifting. At their best they come together as a kind of unrehearsed street level exhibition, publicly displaying the work of some of our best seminal talent, featuring what is most admirable and dismissible 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 committedness and increased circulations. indeed making it important to study magazine covers as a mode of advertisement and part of the marketing mix, for a magazine publication.MAGAZI NE COVERS AS BRAND VISUAL IDENTITYIt is a common assumption that an advertisement would be effective if the viewer decodes the advertisement successfully, if there is a significant transfer 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 interpreted accurately by the consumers would only detect 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 daily dispatch). The covers were not rightly decoded by the consumers and certain much criticism. Whereas the covers for the preceding months styled by Anaita Shroff Adajania the fashion director for Vogue India was extremely appreciated.(Fashion week daily dispatch)The essence 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 syndicate 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 necessary 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 be en 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 gist identity may be threatened. The idea of incorporating local aesthetics with their global image might dilute the brands global image.STANDARDISATIONA multinational callers 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 marketplace 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 almost similar product offerings in the market. At the centre of any business and its projected image is its corporate visual identity system. The elements of this system are name, symbol, and/or logo, typography, colour and slogan (Dowling, 1994). These elements help to sell the company to consumers and its stakeholders. Corporate 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 make on an international basis, the image that they acquired as national producers often becomes malapropos (Mills, 1988 as cited in Melewar,T.C, Saunders, J., 1998).Some international companies adopt a merged 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 value a brand image also depends upon the competitive edge derived in either keeping activities central or decentralizing them. However a brand like Vogue that has a truly global preference 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) check 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 faced by Vogue is whether to sell an akin 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 caterin g to a common niche 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 treat 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 clean-cution thus helping to establish a uniform corporate image.(Peebles et al ,1977 as cited in Melewar, T.C. , Saunders, J., 1998). Cosmopolitan for example is known around the globe to address personal and sex related issues as it does not change its editorials and articles depending on culture. The band logo/ font type, nonplus 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) proven 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