This paper examines how the magazine industry targets Hispanic American readers through culturally specific appeals. Using a 2006 Syvonate survey commissioned by the Magazine Publishers of America and the Hispanic Magazine Coalition as context, the paper analyzes a TV Guide cover featuring Tejano singer Selena. It explores how the cover's visual choices, text, adjectives, and bilingual content work together to appeal to Hispanic consumers' cultural identity, emotional connections, and language preferences. The analysis demonstrates how editors use representation, language, and cultural literacy to attract a specific readership demographic.
Since the invention of the printing press, people have relied on newspapers and magazines to provide them with the information they need. In the present moment, there are so many ways to access that information that the magazine and newspaper subscription business has become highly competitive. Because of this, the magazine industry has adapted to ensure it appeals to its target audiences. In the case of Hispanic readers, magazine writers and editors try to persuade them to purchase a magazine by making direct appeals to their heritage and cultural identity.
In 2006, a market research company named Syvonate conducted a survey at the joint request of the Magazine Publishers of America and the Hispanic Magazine Coalition. The researchers surveyed more than 900 Hispanic consumers, asking them what kinds of advertisements most appealed to them and had the greatest effect, as well as what type of information delivery they most preferred. The results were quite interesting. Syvonate determined that the majority of Hispanic consumers preferred magazine articles over any other form of information delivery because they felt more emotionally and socially connected to the article format than to other media.
The image examined here is a cover of the popular American magazine TV Guide. The cover is dominated by a photograph of one of the most famous Latina singers: Selena. Her story is less well-known to the English-speaking population of the United States, although Selena did have a crossover hit and was the subject of a major motion picture starring Jennifer Lopez. A much larger percentage of Hispanic Americans, however, would recognize Selena, her music, and the tragic circumstances of her death. Having Selena on the cover of TV Guide makes an immediate appeal to the Hispanic population, informing Hispanic readers that something inside the magazine will involve their popular culture.
This particular image shows Selena smiling and happy, but she is not wearing the more sexualized outfits she was often seen wearing onstage. This choice removes potential objections from more conservative Hispanic households and psychologically separates the woman from the image of the sexualized performer. Instead, the cover appeals to the potential consumer by presenting her as a lovely young woman who was innocent and cut down in her prime.
The text on the cover reads "Selena's Story," with the subtitle in smaller print: "A new TV-movie explores the magical life and tragic death of the Tejano superstar." This text is carefully chosen and designed to appeal to Hispanic consumers. It promises to explore Selena's "magical" life and her "tragic" death. The use of these adjectives is intended to encourage an emotional response: if a reader agrees that Selena's voice was magical and her death tragic, they may be more inclined to pick up the magazine.
"Cover text uses emotive adjectives to target Hispanic readers"
"Spanish-language article offer signals cultural respect"
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