Treatment Handbook

Print Advertising Treatment/Proposal

Product name: Leaves

Client: The Northern Echo

Date: 18/11/13                                                 Project completion date:

Branding Objectives

What is the genre of your magazine? What are you informing your audience about? How will it branded? What are the connotations of your branding decisions? What are the connotations of the magazine’s name?

The genre of my magazine is one that is scarce in magazine production – literary. I chose this because it is a genre that revolves around my infatuation in literature and writing, and I know I will be able to create as much as possible because of my interest. I will be informing my audience about issues in writing such as what the right grammatical rules have been set in place for writers, or rather, if there actually are any, clearing up certain perplexities. I will also include reading recommendations and such alike. This will not only broaden my own knowledge, but that of the TA also. My magazine will branded as those in its competitive field such as ‘Writers’ Forum’ and ‘Writing Magazine’. Being branded as other very popular magazine brands will – of course – mean that my magazine may have trouble trying to gain approval of my audience, but may also be seen as something new and different, presenting my audience with variety in reading. The connotations of such branding decisions will create connotations of professionalism, as it will be a product being presented alongside other professional products. At the same time, however, other connotations such as weakness could arise because of how some of my audience my find that my magazine is trying to reach the level and standards of other professional magazines in this genre. Therefore, my audience could either find that my magazine is cheap and pitiful, or my audience find that my magazine is rather professional and that it provides them with variety in what they read. The connotations of my magazine’s name are mysterious, because many may not know exactly what the title is referring to, as ‘leaves’ is also another term for pages in a book. This mysterious connotation could therefore provoke some more sinister and ominous connotations because my audience don’t seem to know exactly what is being referred to by my name.

Audience communication objectives
Who is your audience? Identify: tribe, socioeconomics, age, gender split.	The tribe for my target audience will be in the ‘Leading Edge’ group. More specifically, they will be of the ‘Creatives’ group. This is because the ‘Creatives’ like to get involved in all kinds of creative activities. Of course, writing and literature falls under the umbrella of creativity, and so it does make sense that my audience will be of a creative nature. With such traits, my audience will likely be getting much involved in the creative world and taking a great appreciation in the arts. In terms of demographics, my audience will be in the C2, C1 & B categories – this is generally the middle classes and my audience will be able to afford the magazine because of the rate of income that places them in this category. This socioeconomic would also – stereotypically – have some appreciation of the arts as they are more likely to afford paying for theatre, many works of literature, and even art exhibitions. The age-range, though, reach from 18 – 40. This is because literature and writing doesn’t have an age-range, and is an art-form that can be done by virtually everyone. However, the reason I have selected this age group is because I know that my language usage will be suited more to people of an earlier age in life with such colloquialisms other such language techniques.  Statistics show that males dominate the literary world, and so that led me to primarily aiming my product at males, with a male to female ratio of 70:30. By doing this, I am aiming my product at an audience that more likely to read the contents within, increase my readership figures which is my primary aim. My secondary target audience is that of a younger set of readers – from early teens to late teens. I have chosen to do this because my product primarily focuses on the information and teaches that a new-beginning writer should know and disgest before starting a literary path. This would avoid any confusion when writing. One of my main incentives to base my product around this idea for my target audience was after an incident when a self-proclaimed writer updated their Facebook status, not being able to differentiate between the confusing ‘bear’ and ‘bare’ – this struck me as confusing. Therefore, I will be addressing my fresh audience with insight on what they should know about the technicalities of writing in my article.
Your unique selling point	My USP will most likely be my ‘reading recommendations’ section that I shall be including. This is because my audience will be able to come away from the magazine with a knowledge on what book would be best for them to read next. They will know that these recommendations came from the article-writer and also from sources on Amazon, for example. I am choosing to include Amazon in my recommendations because it would otherwise just be the writer making recommendations based on personal perceptions, however, with Amazon, my source would be a majority vote. In addition to this, my entire magazine itself would be a USP because there are few writing magazines on the market already, and so for my niche product to be a free product, there is nothing that could really be objected against.

Overview
Description of front cover and contents page Content. Imagery to be deployed: metaphorical, ideal, window to the future self	My front cover, while employing a rather simplistic feel, will have strong connotations and ideas behind the techniques and imagery I have planned. The most striking image on the page will be the mask that my model will bear on their face, while my model holds a quill in in his hand. This will be a metaphorical representation for how the art of writing hides behind a mask of rules that we – as writers – can’t seem to get around, no matter what angle we try to approach it. It also represents how writing has confusing rules and regulations that can’t ever be cleared up by a single person, as writing is idiosyncratic. The colour scheme will follow a teal/light blue/ gasoline green colour, simply because it’s a colour that is rarely used because it can either be considered too bright or too ugly, but I believe that if I can create a perfect balance with saturation and hue, then the colour will stand out as something very beautiful and very rare, increasing the chance of my audience finding my product attractive. The font of my masthead will be bold but thin. I have chosen to do this because it’s simple and doesn’t have any complex graphological characteristics that could render the font unreadable. I’ve created a space between each letter so that there is a sense of drama, as the masthead consumes the majority of the top of the page. The name gives my product a sense of drama because such a title has a slightly confusing meaning, where only those who know the context of the magazine and what the word actually means in this sense will understand. L E A V E S    The colour of the masthead will be of a green – light blue colour, along with some of my sell lines, while the background is the colour of a grey backdrop which shall be slightly darkened in order to amplify the blue. My model will be brought into light by a light-reflector and so he, too, will stand out against the grey with the blue. I shall also decrease the colour saturation level on the mask of my model in order to make that stand out too, since it will be one of the main focuses of my front cover. My sell-lines will include typewriter fonts and hand-written fonts such as: Wat are the write rules? Wat are the write rules? This is because I know that these type of are heavily associated with writing and literature and would perfectly fit the magazine’s genre. The fonts are also aesthetically attractive and are rare on many double page spreads.  The sell lines with include declaratives, exclamatives and interrogatives, as these are techniques that entice the reader and draw them in. This is because exclamatives show that there is something that absolutely needs to be said, and an interrogative involves the reader by asking them questions that only they can answer themselves by reading the magazine. I will also use ellipsis to show the reader that there is more to be seen than that which is on the front cover. There will also be tags to indicate any exclusive content that wouldn’t otherwise be found in other publications. These tags will have some special effects such as drop-shadows and 3D illusions. By doing this, I would be increasing the enticing aesthetics on the page. Not only this, but I will have an image of a model running down the centre. This model will be wearing a mask that will be a metaphor for how writing hides behind a mask of strange rules and regulations that cannot be imposed by a single person. The quill that my model will be wearing will represent writing in general. This metaphorical imagery will give my cover an ominous edge unless the reader knows the context behind the mask and the quill.
Double Page 1 Title, content and article type	The title for my first article is ‘wat are the write rules?’ This is a play on words with the dynamic verb ‘write’ and the adjective ‘right’ as these are homonyms and ‘write’ connects to the subject of my article. I personally though that this was very effective, especially since ‘wat’ has been spelled semi-phonetically. This will easily show the audience what the article consists of without them having to read the article which some audiences might find irritating. The content of the magazine will include an article that explains, in detail, the issues that grammar harbours and how to get our heads around them. This will include a mention of the differences between ‘affect’ and ‘effect’ and other problematic mysteries that are similar to this. However, to avoid boring the audience, I’ll try not to explain in too greater detail about some language defects with specialist language. The article type will, of course, be informative as it’s ensuring that the reader understands the more troubling aspects of language. However, it could also be seen as a human interest article because of the way in which language affects everybody and the article will include personal experiences with grammar. This multi-function article will be increasingly interesting to the audience as it gives them some genre variation. The image to text ratio will be 30:70, as there will be my model bound in rope, with the rope being a negative representation of language rules. My ‘Do rules have you bound?’ kicker acts as an interrogative that provokes questions that express my personal attitude to rules and how they can affect writers and controversy that around such rules. Even readers could read the article and learn not to be so prescriptive about authors.
Double Page 2 Title, content and article type	The title for my second article is ‘Reading Recommendations’. The repetition here renders the article memorable and, therefore, readers would remember where it was that they saw a recommendation of a book and would perhaps refer their friends to this article. That, then, would increase readership. The article type would be informative, technically, but at the same time, would be a round-up article as it’s a collection of recommendations from a number of sources. I have chosen to do this type of article because it, like my previous article, offers a variety to the readers. On the other hand, the article won’t actually be as protracted as my grammar article and this is for two reasons – I could easily fit my information into a concise piece of writing and also because I will include an easy-to-navigate list of what these recommendations are. The article is an accompaniment to the table and vice versa. In order to split the two, though, I will have an image of my model in the middle of the DPS holding numerous volumes of books. Although the image won’t be as symbolic as others, I will at least have an image of my model that fits alongside the content of my magazine aptly. The layout will be generally centralised, forming a controlled double page spread. On either side of the masthead will be my article slogan – “when a book is hard to find, give this article a mind”. The rhyme on the slogan offers the audience something that sounds fun to read and thus something that they will later remember. The title and slogan’s memorability means the article can be used as a means of reference, rendering it useful for a prolonged amount of time until a new book takes the position of first place.
Double page  3 Title, content and article type	My final DPS will be one that offers the writers guidance on the perfect pen for them to be using; hence the title – ‘The Pen’-house’. This is a play on words title that adds humour to the article because a pent-house is a section of a building, exclusive to those that have a right or ability to be there. Also, by merging ‘pen’ into ‘pent-house’, I am suggesting that this DPS is one that is exclusive to those of whom it truly matters, and they are clearly here to find the pen that is right for their writing. Much like my previous article, there will be a table to show which pens are more suitable. But – not only that – there will be a brief summary of the pens below the table to help clarify any decision making. There will be an article incorporated into the DPS too as another accompaniment, but alongside that article will be my model with a pen in hand, looking slightly bewildered and unsure about what to do with the afore-mentioned pen. The text will wrap around the image in order to present a more professional look to the DPS. The colour scheme for this article will be gold, purple and beige, connoting luxuriousness and the font selection will add to this effect - The Pen’-house  In the table will be small images of the pens that aim to show the reader how the pens physically appear.

Distribution objectives

Regional or national? Circulation: how many and why this number? Outlets and rationale: Pricing: premium, mid or free to view? Why? Print quality: Discuss print finishing, magazine size, paper quality. Number of pages. Advertising to content ratio

The distribution of my product will be local because my client only distributes to a northern region – hence the name ‘The Northern Echo’. Because this is local, I must ensure that my product contains no potentially offensive language as it will leave ‘The Northern Echo’ with a disreputable position. The daily circulation of ‘he Northern Echo’ is 44,062, and this is because the paper doesn’t just distribute in Darlington, but also in various other parts of the North East. Thus, my magazine must also be printed to around this number as my product will be a side-product to ‘The Northern Echo’. The pricing is mid because it’s fairly to purchase in print, and so therefore more and more people are beginning to view the stories online, where the paper is free-to-view. Thus, ‘The Northern Echo’ is at a loss, as revenues are starting to decrease. It’s because of this that I have decided to make my magazine a free-to-view but with many advertising opportunities so that I can I am not at a loss in the same way ‘The Northern Echo’ is. ******************************* I have 16 pages in my magazine and have a advertising to content ratio of approximately 65:35.

Visual Aesthetics
Story control Objectives	My first article will include a debate or an argument that I will be disputing myself, exploring different aspects on the opinion of whether or not grammar does have a set of rules that must be adhered to by all English speakers and writers. My second article will be a shorter article that discusses the reading recommendations that I have included in the overall DPS. My third is rather similar because it is also a shorter article as it is accompanied by a table that includes different types of pens, much the like 2nd DPS that has a list of books and an article on the side. The article length in terms of word count would be 1000 for my first article and 500 for my other two. This is because with a 1000 word limit, I have the opportunity to write a thorough article on how grammar can be deemed as a set of rules that never really have to be adhered to. The paragraphs will be of medium length, because many modern readers might much prefer to read an article that is concise and don’t hold too much unnecessary information. The 500 word limit for the other articles means that although there won’t be an extensive amount to be written, I can still create a brief accompaniment to the list and table in my other DPSs. The text to image ration differs on various DPSs, as my first DPS will have a text to image ratio of around 60:40, whereas my other two DPSs will have a ratio from and to around 50:50.    The message I am trying to convey is that writing and literature is very much idiosyncratic and should never be limited by anything, especially not by those who wrongfully place themselves in a high position of grammatical authority. The story’s unusual angle is that I will take my reader on an imaginative journey through grammar, incorporating them in the story to give them a better sense of inclusion. My intro style will use a rhetorical question, though I am currently undecided on which type of rhetorical question I shall use as there are many more categories of rhetorical questions that what we might at first think. I may also use alliteration in this question as it’s a effective way of hooking the reader.
Image content objectives	My first image (cover) has already been explained (see ‘Description of Front Cover and Contents Page). My next image, though, on my grammar DPS will involve my model being wound up in rope that symbolises grammar and it how can often leave people feeling frozen in their writing as they might not know what to do or where to go as a result of the confusing grammatical rules. My second DPS has a more literal image that gives the impression that there are many great reads out there and that although we may not be able to read them all - or even very many of them for that matter – we must never pass up on the opportunity to read or obtain a book, regardless of its reputation. My third image will be of my model holding a pen with a confused paralinguistic expression and this will correspond with my table of pens and brief article on the subject matter. The imagery on my first and last DPS will be active because of what’s happening in the image and what these poses may represent. However, the image in my second DPS will be more passive because it’s trying to convey a very simple message. There will also be images as preliminary pages, but these will pertain to the article type, e.g. a pen for the article on pens and books for the article on books. This simplistic feel will be calming for reader as it gives a greater sense of linearity and control. Images on DPSs 1 and 3 are non-ideal, as the reader would most likely prefer not to be in these situations – it’s a technique that almost acts as a wake-up call. As previously explained, my most metaphorical image will be the image on my cover, as my model will be holding a quill and he will therefore be a representation of writing in general. He will also be wearing Guy Fawkes mask that has connotations of deceit and irrationality. The mask, then, represents grammar and this will create an overall metaphor for how writing as a true art has been shrouded in a mask of complex regulations, thus corresponding with my main article. Therefore, not only my piece metaphorical, but is also symbolic of writing. Of course, I will comply with the rule of thirds and eye line control because I want my images to look professional and in order to do this, I will need to guive my images a look of professionalism through the use of the rule of thirds.   The quill will be held in my model’s hand down at his side where it can clearly be seen by the reader, and so the pose will be simply be a normal standing position, with hands at either side of my model’s body. The facial expression it not applicable here because the mask will be worn. This will have connotations of paralysis because of the way the straight posture creates a simplistic tone. This sense of paralysis then coincides with my idea that writing artistically has been ruined by and has been brought to a standstill because of rules that have grown more complicated over the years. This is so the reader can immediately see the severity of the effect that rules about writing are causing. This creates an effect of mystery and perhaps rouses a feeling of confusion. To once more reinforce the feeling of simplicity, my model will be wearing just a shirt and trousers for the photoshoot, as there is no real need to have any elaborately-crafted costume design, and so it makes more sense to just have a simple costume that won’t take away too much attention from the mask and the quill. Because I have chosen a male model, there will be an increased level of audience recognition because my TA is primarily male with a male to female ratio of 70:30. This is because the literary world is dominated by males, with more males writing novels worldwide. For my lighting, I will use narrow lighting that will then create a darker atmosphere, while I’m still focussing light on the primary focus (the mask). This would then create darker shadows in my image, adding to the sinister, mysterious connotations. By using a grey backdrop, I can create a contrast between the colours of the mask and the afore-mentioned grey. The grey will have sinister connotations, and while this seems unusual for a writing magazine, I am trying to express certain ideas about grammar.
Language Control Objectives	I order to create articles that are interesting and engaging, I will use 1st, 2nd and 3rd person narrative voice so that I will not only be mentioning past experience to illustrate my points, I can also include the audience with the 2nd person singular pronoun. Then with the 3rd person, I can refer to others. Limiting my narrative voice would be a failing in itself. My introduction will be an anecdote that talks about how I have seen grammatical errors before in English and even my own issues that I have before encountered with English. While I will be using advanced lexical items, that will not stop me from using colloquial language. I will use written prosodic features and markers of sympathetic circularity to create an informal register. Rather than using the everyday rhetorical techniques, I will be using more advanced techniques such as isocolon, enallage, epistrophe & hendiadys. All of which would demonstrate how powerful language can be if used by the right mind and – obviously – in the right way. Also, given the context of my article and genre, I will be using language that has more of an ‘adventurous’ semantic field. Thus, I may be using less emotive language, but I will use some powerful language descriptive language (e.g. ‘inconceivably colossal bear, with a claw so gargantuan that trees tremble. They tremble tremendously in worry of being taken by them.). On my first DPS, the text – image ratio will be 70:30 because I will be writing a larger article. On my other DPSs, I will have a text-image ratio of 50:50 because the article will be shorter, though have an accompaniment. I will use wordplay in the title of my third DPS with ‘The Pen’-house’.
Colour control objectives	For my DPSs, I will use two main colours, and so I am breaking the rule of thirds, but there is justification in doing this. For my first DPS I am using grey and teal. This is because the blue and the grey are colours that might be deemed as collocations and the grey also allows the blue to stand-out. I have this with my DPSs too because I will also be using purple and gold along with beige and green. The blue and grey will have a modern feel, when the green and beige will have more of an academic tone to the colours. The purple and gold are colours that have connotations of luxuriousness.
Typography objectives	For my font, I will be using typewriter fonts from dafont.com, along with handwriting fonts. The reason I have chosen to do this is because these fonts have connotations of academia. In fact, I want to move directly in the opposite direction of ‘Writers’ Forum’ because their fonts, their colour schemes, their imagery techniques all prevent the magazine from looking even remotely literary. Thus, I want my magazine to look and feel literary.
Layout objectives	With my first article, there will be 4 columns, then with my other two articles, I will have 2-3 columns that will revolve around that particular DPS subject. The columns break the body of text, but do not break the articles into section because I will do that while writing. In fact, it shouldn’t matter a large amount if I didn’t have columns because my readers should be used to reading large amounts of text anyway. The entry points to my DPSs will be with my images because I will create images that capture the eye enough for the audience to want to read about that which the image is related to. However, this will only be the secondary focal point, because it is only the side-kick of the article, The main focal point is the masthead because I will be interesting fonts that capture the eye of the reader. My fonts will also either be modern or literary, and so my audience should clearly take much interest in the DPSs. I will also pay some consideration to the possibility of 3D effects that could further intrigue my audience, though I must be careful not to use them to the extent where they become tiring. Diagonals with my images will reinforce the focal point because these break the control of the layout that my DPS has. Elements on my DPS that break the conventions of magazine control/layout will rope the reader into looking at that item of curiosity immediately. My header will be at the far left of my DPSs, all apart from one – my second. My second will have a centralised layout that would look uncontrolled if my masthead wasn’t also centred. It is on this DPS that the kicker/masthead accompaniment shall be italics because – again – it draws the reader’s attention. On my first article especially, key terminology shall be emboldened because I will then repeat the words in a breakout box at the right of the DPS with concise definitions of the words to avoid the uprisal of confusion. In my headlines, I will use interrogative sell-lines along with aposiopesis that indicate the break with ellipsis. This will undoubtedly force the reader to question what the rest of the sentence could be, though the only way for them to find out is by reading on. I will also use tricolon to further gain reader’s interest. This would also include rhyme and repetition.