Prevention® Magazine

            The consumer magazine I chose was Prevention®. It is directed toward women in their late 20’s early 50’s. The target market is geared toward a healthy lifestyle and, like the title of the magazine, prevention of illnesses and promotion of one’s well being is important to this particular target market, not to mention beauty, weight-loss, and several other topics.

            I want to say that at least 50 percent, if not more, of the magazine’s pages are devoted to advertising versus the actual editorial content. I feel that clutter could be a problem in this particular magazine. As I was flipping through the pages, I swear I could see one, even two, ad(s) on every other page of the magazine. When I was looking for the actual content of the magazine, I couldn’t tell if it was the content or simply an ad on the page.

            The majority of the ads advertised cosmetics, wrinkle-free or removal products, dental hygiene, health and fitness products (like toothpaste, multivitamins, etc.), weight-loss products, pharmaceutical products, and even laundry products. I believe that the advertisers are attracted to this particular publication due to the popularity it has or may have with the target market the advertisers are trying to reach.

            If the editorial staff that creates the magazine is seen as knowledgeable and credible by the particular audience, as is the case, then the target audience is more likely to accept the advertisements and even see the ads as reliable products and services to purchase and use.

            Prevention® has several media vehicles. It is a print vehicle, with a magazine and newsletter in circulation. Prevention® is also broadcast vehicle, as it has two health channels that it airs on. And it even is an Internet vehicle where Prevention® reaches several hundred of its viewers from its Web site.