Mens Health Case Study
The case study I have chosen to analyse is the Men's Health Case Study. The dilemma being faced by Mr Kerton and the Men's Health production team is one of ensuring the success of the magazine in a relatively young, dynamic and exciting environment in which there are no barriers to entry and new competitors are able to enter. In this particular instance Mr. Kerton is somewhat concerned about the entry of Maxim magazine and the possible entry of Esquire magazine into the men's lifestyle magazine market.
Situational analysis
Men's health is international magazine started in America in 1988. Riding on the success of the magazine in America the magazine moved into the British, Australian, Latin American, German and Russian magazine markets. The magazine was launched in South Africa in mid 1997 at a point in time when it was deemed that the South African market was ready for such a magazine.
The South African male magazine market was ripe for a new, fresh and focused magazine catering specifically for men, as the girlie magazines that used to dominate the male magazine market in the country were in decline, leaving behind a gap for a male magazine. The decline in the girlie magazine market in South Africa was primarily due to the markets heavy reliance on sex, nudity, violence and controversy. Several copies of Scope had been banned and certain stockists had stopped stocking magazines such as Scope. In addition, the liberalisation of censorship laws and the trade situation with the country resulted in the return of previously banned magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse which further increase the competition between the girlie magazines, making the content more and more controversial. However even these magazines were not able to maintain sustainable circulation figures due to lobbying from community groups to remove pornographic material from magazines, and by 1998 Playboy, Penthouse and Scope had all stopped production. This left the scene ripe for a male
Situational analysis
Men's health is international magazine started in America in 1988. Riding on the success of the magazine in America the magazine moved into the British, Australian, Latin American, German and Russian magazine markets. The magazine was launched in South Africa in mid 1997 at a point in time when it was deemed that the South African market was ready for such a magazine.
The South African male magazine market was ripe for a new, fresh and focused magazine catering specifically for men, as the girlie magazines that used to dominate the male magazine market in the country were in decline, leaving behind a gap for a male magazine. The decline in the girlie magazine market in South Africa was primarily due to the markets heavy reliance on sex, nudity, violence and controversy. Several copies of Scope had been banned and certain stockists had stopped stocking magazines such as Scope. In addition, the liberalisation of censorship laws and the trade situation with the country resulted in the return of previously banned magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse which further increase the competition between the girlie magazines, making the content more and more controversial. However even these magazines were not able to maintain sustainable circulation figures due to lobbying from community groups to remove pornographic material from magazines, and by 1998 Playboy, Penthouse and Scope had all stopped production. This left the scene ripe for a male