Position Paper 4: Wild Card

 

Cosmopolitan and International Reach:

    After multiple ideas for my wild card paper I finally decided to look into the fashion magazine Cosmopolitan. First published in March of 1886 where the first edition was published in New York. The publication is published by New York based company Hearst Corporation. Cosmopolitan has a wide spread reach internationally having 64 international editions. Jessica Pels is the current editor-in-chief. Back when it was first published in 1886 it was considered a family magazine but then was later changed to a women's magazine. Their content has stayed pretty consistent since 2011 discussing relationships, sex, health, carriers, self-improvement, celebrities, fashion, horoscopes, and beauty. However, the most important thing in publications is having a wide spread following across the globe and Cosmo has done just this. In the 1950's and 60's fashion and cosmetics started to be a peak interest for women which boosted the magazines success as they could have access to the latest fashion trends. The major changes occurred under Helen Gurley Brown who promoted single women to go out and enjoy their sexuality. This was were the major flip that ultimately led to the continual success of Cosmo occurred. As I mentioned above Cosmopolitan has quickly become one of the most iconic magazine for women having 64 international editions, printed in more than 35 languages, exists across 110 countries, and has a global reach of over 100 million people. It is estimated that around 1 in 4 millennials will be reached globally. They also make a lot of money for the advertisements averaging around $373,405 for a full page in color back cover ad. The demographic for this magazine is women aged 18-34 years with 45% of their readers being single. 

Cosmopolitan Magazine in the United Kingdom focuses on of course fashion and makeup like the U.S. edition but also covers things relevant to their country like the royal family. The Queen of England and her husband Prince Philip just celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary. On the day of their anniversary the Queen revealed a secret message was inscribed on the inside of her wedding ring. "Revealing details on the Queen's wedding ring inscription, Seward writes 'She never takes it off and inside the ring is an inscription. No one knows what it says, other than the engraver, the Queen and her husband." Along with celebrity news their site features sections in fashion, love, beauty, and body. The UK site also features a recent news timeline for users to easily access trending stories and news. One of their hottest articles at the moment is comparing the Netflix Original the Crown's wardrobe to those of actual outfits worn by Princess Diana in real life. Many throughout the country were excited to see the looks put together and worn by actress Emma Corrin portraying a young Princess Diana in season 4. Cosmopolitan UK broke down the style aspects worn by the Princess in the 80's and 90's featuring styles like crayon brights, sharp shoulders, checked suites, and statement knitwear. After fans were shown side by side images of the originals compared to the recreations they were blown away. They recreated her wedding dress, gala dresses, casual outfits etc... each right on the money. Reporting on things important in their own countries customizes they experiences for readers. 

Their social media presence is quite impressive as well they have multiple accounts for different editions including ones that I mentioned above like the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, and Japan. Not to mention their 'Extra Curricular' section specifically designed for the college student demographic. Women can sign up for a wide variety of extra curricular classes by Cosmo Class Fall 2020. The most recently available class was 'How to Accept Rejection' sponsored by Plan B One-Step and Alencia Johnson teaching women how to move forward after a setback. Before signing up for these classes readers are given a previews of the teacher and their background leading up to the main issues covered in the class. Their breakdown of classes offered states "We've lined up a semester's worth of insight to give you everything campus life just...isn't right now. Sign up for new classes every week to get schooled by an exclusive team of just for you mentors - entrepreneurs, celebs, influencers, and editors - dropping real-world knowledge on everything from networking like a pro to building your personal brand."

Cosmopolitan has continually built there brand and truly have been conquering the world since since the first publication in 1886. Offering so many editions for countries around the globe along with a large array of languages separates them from their competition. Covering stories trending globally along with local information for reader to relate to will continue to bring in new readers and keep continual readers coming back for more. Not to mention their efforts to reach out to college age women and provide lessons that will help them in their future career sets them apart from their competitors. Overall their reach globally paired with their stories makes Cosmopolitan a must read for women around the world.