Looking at individual aspects of the Big Issue

Target Audience:
- The target audience is neutral and mainly the general public
- The Magazine is likely to be aimed at a more cultured, educated audience
- 'THE ULTIMATE CONSUMERS WITH A CONSCIENCE!’

The Readership:
- They are interested in current affairs
- They are interested in the arts
- Stats show that the readership is more female, upper class and they are often students

Advertising:
- many charities choose to advertise in the magazine
- the advertisements usually consist of left wing, environmentally friendly products, I.e vitamins and pet insurance.

Distribution methods:
- The Vendors, usually homeless people sell the magazines on the streets
- They make a profit from this and it gives them a chance to earn an income.

funding:
- the big issue has its own investment company, accepting donations
- the big issue makes a small amount of money form sales
- the big issue makes a lot of money from advertisements
- It also gets a large funding from the national lottery

Profits:
- Is the most successful street magazines available
- Is a charity
- It has a USP, you have to use face to face interaction to get it, opposed to purchasing in a shop, charity meets business.

The owner:
- Gordan Roddick and john Bird founded the magazine
- John Bird was once homeless himself.

some interviews with the founders:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/how-we-met-john-bird-and-gordon-roddick-1598309.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/consumer_affairs/article7094049.ece

Analysing the front cover of The Big Issue

- Everything is very plain and simple, for example the title font is a plain, yet bold white font at the top left of the page. there is also a variation in font, this makes it look interesting.

- The slogan, 'A hand up, not a hand out' establishes the magazine's ideology it is also catchy and easy to remember.

- There is a corner strap used, it is a bold red and makes use of superlatives 'the secret to positivity'.

- A social Enterprises logo shows the magazine's associations.



- The colour scheme (green/red/white) Is attractive, but holds no significance, this shows the magazine doesn't follow typical codes and conventions.

- It uses very straight forward language, it quickly establishes the point.

- The image is a vendor taken from a below angle, this shows authority in the vendor, making him look proud and challenging the 'homeless' stereotype. This also helps the reader gain respect for him.