Growth in the print magazine industry has slowed due to the increasing availability of publications on the internet. The past decade has seen an increasing trend towards reading news/articles online and companies are responding to this increased digital audience by providing their magazines available online as well as in print. However, magazine growth has outpaced other major media over the past 10 years and many brands are still loyal towards magazine advertising, as numerous research studies show that value magazine advertising the most compared to other media .

The Magazine – “Four Four Two”

I will be discussing a Gillette advertisement which was placed in the May 2009 issue of Four Four Two magazine. Four Four Two is a football (soccer) magazine launched in 1994 by Haymarket Media Group, a worldwide publishing company. The product positioning statement of Four Four Two is, “The Ultimate Football Magazine”, therefore they want the readers to perceive their magazine as the ‘complete package’ for any football fan. This is consistent with the magazine’s title, Four Four Two, which takes its name from the traditional football formation; considered the ‘standard’ in the sport.

Four Four Two’s sole focus is football, “the ultimate football magazine for the ultimate football fan ” and it has built itself into one of football’s most trusted brands through its high-quality interviews with the best players and coaches, providing in-depth knowledge into the worldwide sport. They create value through its high-profile interviews, respected columnists and contributors, and its worldwide coverage/analysis. With their ability to regularly have football superstars in the covers of each issue, with exclusive interviews, they are able to maintain their status as a premium magazine. For example, in the May 2009 issue, there are in-depth interviews with Kaka, Arshavin