The Big Issue is a street newspaper published in eight countries that is written by journalists and sold by homeless individuals. Founded in 1991 in the UK, it now sells over 300,000 copies per week and provides income opportunities for homeless vendors. The magazine covers arts, entertainment, current affairs, and lifestyle topics. It has a small online presence but is focusing on growing its Twitter following. The Big Issue uses a distribution system of providing magazines to homeless vendors to sell for profit, helping them to reintegrate into society.

1. 1
THE
BIG
ISSUE
MAGAZINE
BRAND
AUDIT
REPORT
2013
By
Tabatha
Schmidhauser

2. 2
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
THE
BIG
ISSUE:
PRESENTATION
5
• Background
5
• The
Product
6
• Online
Presence
7
Facebook
Community
7
Twitter
engagement
7
The
Big
Issue
Website
7
• Distribution
and
Delivery
8
Distribution
System
8
The
Big
Issue
to
Vendors
Relation
Vendors
to
Consumers
Subscriptions
Delivery
places
8
The
Vendors
to
Customers
The
Big
Issue
to
Vendors
Vendors
8
Conditions
Meet
Traian
BRAND
PERSONALITY
9
• Brand
Name
9
The
name
9
The
Slogan
9
The
Logo
9
Advertising
Strategies
• Brand
Positioning
10
• Brand
Image
10
• Brand
adding
values
11
• Brand
Philosophy
11

3. 3
BRAND
IDENTITY
11
• Mission
11
Mission
statement
11
Delivery
Mission
11
• Objectives
11
• Wanted
position
12
• Brand
values
12
Social
/
People
12
Quality
12
Professionalism
12
• Consumer
Target
Analysis
13
Demographic
segmentation
13
Psychographic
segmentation
14
ENVIRONMENTAL
ANALYSIS
15
• Internal
Micro
Analysis
15
SWOT
Analysis
15
Adaptation
Strategy
• Internal
Macro
Analysis
16
Porter’s
Five
Forces
16
MCKINSEY
ANALYSIS
17
• External
Analysis
18
PESTLE
Analysis
18
• Consumer
Analysis
19
Readership
19
Testimonials
Survey
Perception
maps
21
Quality
/
Price
Accessibility
/
Informative
Customers
brand
Affinity
22
Customer
End-­‐Benefits
22
COMPETITIVE
BRAND
ANALYSIS
23
• Market
Analysis
23
Print
23

4. 4
Alternatives
24
• Competitors
Table
26
• Comparative
Strengths
27
RECOMMENDATIONS
27
• BUSINESS
TO
BUSINESS
27
Increase
advertising
space
sales
27
Tactics
27
• BUSINESS
TO
CUSTOMERS
28
Increase
magazine
sales
28
Tactics
28
• PROMOTIONAL
MIX
28
Advertising
29
Public
relations
29
• DIVERSIFICATION
39
Product
development
39
Market
development
SOURCES
30

5. 5
THE
BIG
ISSUE
PRESENTATION
“Helping
people
help
themselves”
Summary
The Big Issue is a street newspaper published in eight countries; it is written by
professional journalists and sold by homeless individuals. It was founded by John Bird
and Gordon Roddick in September 1991. The Big Issue is one of the UK’s leading social
businesses and exists to offer homeless people the opportunity to earn a legitimate
income, thereby helping them to reintegrate into mainstream society. It is also the
world’s most widely circulated street newspaper. To become a vendor, one must be
homeless or vulnerably housed or marginalized in some way. The Big Issue recognizes,
however, that for many people, being housed is only the first stage in getting off the
streets; therefore, The Big Issue Foundation exists to support vendors in gaining
control of their lives by tackling the various issues, which lead to homelessness. The
Big Issue has been described as one of the most successful street newspapers
worldwide, selling over 300,000 copies a week and listed as the third-favorite
newspaper of young British people (age 15 to 24) in 2001.There are 5 localized editions
of the magazine sold throughout the United Kingdom and vendors buy The Big Issue
for 85p and sell it for.
BACKGROUND
Company:
The
Big
Issue
Company
Founders:
John
Bird
and
Gordon
Roddick
Type:
Fortnightly
independent
magazine,
non
for
profit
social
enterprise
Industry:
Entertainment
Founded
in
September
1991
Headquarters:
London,
UK
Area
served:
UK,
Australia,
Japan,
South
Korea,
Namibia,
Kenya,
Taiwan,
Malawi
Editor
in
Chief:
John
Bird
Publisher:
John
Hunt
Frequency:
Weekly
Category:
Street
Newspaper
Circulation:
125,000
(2001)
Price:
£2.50
Number
of
employees
(2011):
worked
with
over
10,000
vendors
since
1995.
Competitors:
The
guardian,
telegraphs,
evening
standards,
Independent,
Making
Change
(California),
street
news,
real
change,
The
Economist
Target
Group:
“a
culturally
engaged,
socially
aware
audience
–
the
ultimate
consumers
with
a
conscience”.
Source
of
Income:
Sales
Magazine
and
Advertising:
Re-­‐invested
in
the
company
or
donated
to
The
Big
Issue
Foundation.
Additional
information:
An
award-­‐
winning
entertainment
and
current
affairs
magazine,
the
magazine
covers
arts,
entertainment,
current
affairs,
lifestyle,
news
and
opinion.

6. 6
THE
PRODUCT
•
A4
stapled
48pp
•
£2.50
cover
price
•
Visible
Brand
title
•
Every
week
in
every
major
town
and
city
•
Sold
only
in
the
street
•
High
visibility
•
Offer
book,
film,
TV
reviews,
entertainments,
financial,
testimonies
and
personal
life
stories.

7. 7
ONLINE
PRESENCE
FACEBOOK
COMMUNITY:
Likes:
8,047
(Low
presence)
Content:
Company
presentation,
basic
information
no
magazine
content
related
TWITTER
ENGAGEMENT:
Tweets:
5,484
(Mostly
promoting
and
advertising
the
brand
and
magazine
features)
Following:
239
Followers:
12,573
(Increasing
number
of
followers)
THE
BIG
ISSUE
WEBSITE:
Parented
by
The
Big
Issue
Foundation
website:
Charitable
association
Company
Information:
Vendors,
mission,
subscription…
Magazine:
Reviews,
Articles,
events

8. 8
DISTRIBUTION
AND
DELIVERY
DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEM:
The
Big
Issue
to
Vendors
Relation:
New
Vendors:
They
get
the
first
10
magazines
for
free.
After
having
sold
these
they
have
to
buy
the
magazine
from
the
company
at
a
price
of
£1.25
Training
support
to
all
new
vendors
Vendors
to
Consumers:
Based
on
a
street
selling
approach:
Vendors
sell
the
magazine
to
people
in
the
street,
no
defined
customers,
more
people
the
better.
Customers
buy
the
magazine
for
£2.50
and
the
vendors
have
a
margin
of
£1.25.
Subscriptions:
Customers
have
the
possibility
to
subscribe
to
the
magazine
if
they
wish.
For
£155,
the
client
will
receive
a
new
edition
of
the
Magazine
every
fortnight
for
12
months.
Monthly
subscription
is
also
an
option
at
$12.40.
Furthermore
according
to
their
statement,
the
money
collected
will
also
help
to
employ
homeless,
marginalized
and
disadvantaged
women.
DELIVERY
PLACES:
The
Big
Issue
to
Vendors:
There
are
63
distribution
points
nationwide
and
pitches
available
across
the
UK.
Process:
Contact
the
nearest
office
in
person
or
by
telephone
and
staff
will
be
able
to
advise
you
on
how
to
get
started.
The
Vendors
to
Customers
The
Big
Issue
magazine
can
be
bought
pretty
much
everywhere
Best
known
spots:
Tube
stations,
main
streets,
crowded
places,
entrance
of
grocery
shops…
THE
VENDORS
Big
Issue
vendors
are
mostly
men
(varying
80
-­‐90%).
A
recent
survey
of
vendors
indicates
that
the
most
common
immediate
precipitating
cause
of
homelessness
is
relationship
breakdown.
The
vendors
range
between
the
age
of
18
–
46
plus,
with
the
main
group
falling
into
the
26
–
35
age
bracket.
Across
the
UK
there
are
about
6000
registered
vendors
and
a
further
1000
in
Ireland.
There
are
approximately
250,000
issues
sold
across
the
British
Isles
each
week.
Conditions
to
become
a
vendor
If
you
are:
• Homeless
or
rough
sleeping
• In
temporary
accommodation
• In
danger
of
losing
a
home

9. 9
• Unemployed
and
facing
financial
crisis
Meet
Traian
Name:
Traian
Age:
26
Nationality:
Romanian
Traian
is
homeless
and
started
selling
The
Big
Issue
Magazine
quite
recently.
I
met
him
a
Saturday
at
13pm
next
to
the
entrance
of
Sainsbury
in
Camden
town.
He
comes
often
and
normally
all
day
long
from
10am
to
5pm
depending
on
the
sales.
On
busy
and
beautiful
day,
Traian
manages
to
sell
about
10
magazines
per
day,
however
it
happened
that
she
could
not
sell
any
in
a
day
(on
average
its
6-­‐7
per
day
and
more
at
the
beginning
of
the
week).
He
ended
up
in
the
street
because
of
drug
abuse.
He
lost
his
previous
job
as
a
cashier
in
a
small
boutique,
could
not
find
another
one
and
ended
up
in
the
street
at
the
cost
of
living
was
too
high
to
support
a
shelter,
electricity,
food…
He
told
me
that
The
Big
Issue
Magazine
is
his
only
hope
to
reconstruct
a
life.
He
finally
feels
that
he
matters
and
he
is
now
able
to
buy
food
and
clothes.
BRAND
PERSONALITY
BRAND
NAME
THE
BIG
ISSUE:
The
name
chosen
is
correlating
with
the
brand
values
and
personality.
Focus
on
the
social
crisis
and
is
highly
engaging.
Direct
and
to
the
point,
while
leaving
space
for
interpretation.
Adding
“magazine”,
the
brand
name
would
give
clear
expectations
to
the
customers.
SLOGAN:
“Helping
people
help
themselves”
Encouraging
and
differentiated
from
other
social
/
charity
organizations
Add
value
and
significance,
feeling
of
contribution
and
progress.
LOGO:

10. 10
Simple
and
direct
to
the
point,
while
being
“aggressive”
and
highly
recognizable.
Easily
noticed
and
wants
to
be
provocative.
Advertising
Strategy:
• M&C
Saatchi
with
The
Big
Issue
Vendors
• Street
advertisement
through
vendors
• Press
releases
BRAND
POSITIONING
The
Big
Issue
position
themselves
as
being
the
channel
of
social
help.
They
want
to
be
seen
as
a
charitable
company,
which
provide
customers
with
valuable
information
and
content
through
their
magazine,
while
helping
the
society
through
a
self-­‐help
system.
The
want
to
be
the
best-­‐known
company,
which
manages
to
mix
business
with
ethical
techniques
and
actions.
Furthermore
their
aim
is
to
be
re-­‐cognized
and
directly
associated
with
the
“one
of
the
solution”
to
homelessness.
BRAND
IMAGE
From
Paul
McNamee,
Big
Issue
Editor
“Irreverent,
challenging,
chest-­‐out,
campaigning,
frequently
uplifting
and
fearless.
We
will
ask
tough
questions
of
authority
and
challenge
the
status
quo.
We
are
in
the
community,
of
the
community,
up
from
the
streets,
and
unlike
anybody
else.
We
are
The
Big
Issue.’”
-­‐ The
Big
Issue
wants
to
be
seen
as
a
non-­‐for
profit
organization
very
concerned
about
social
issues
and
specifically
homelessness.
-­‐ Secondly
they
want
to
be
seen
as
a
professional,
interesting
and
impressive
information
provider.
BRAND
ADDING
VALUE
WHAT
MAKES
THE
BIG
ISSUE
SPECIAL?
Lot
of
people
assumes
that
The
Big
Issue
is
written
and
produced
by
homeless
people.
However,
their
first
priority
is
to
ensure
selling
a
qualitative
product.
Therefore,
all
the
editorial
staffs
are
trained,
professional
journalists.
The
magazine
includes
two
pages
called
Streetlights,
which
are
dedicated
exclusively
to
poems
and
articles
by
homeless
people.
The
Big
Issue
differentiates
itself
by
offering
a
voice
in
the
media
to
homeless
people.

11. 11
BRAND
PHILOSOPHY
The
Big
Issue
‘s
philosophy
is
based
on
a
system
of
self-­‐help.
That
is
to
say,
they
offer
a
sustainable
approach,
which
is
not
directly
based
on
charity
or
handouts,
but
rather
is
the
result
of
vendors
work
with
the
tools
of
The
Big
Issue.
The
benefice
of
this
job
from
vendors’
point
of
view
is
to
be
able
to
start
over,
to
be
given
a
chance.
However
according
to
a
recent
survey,
the
biggest
benefit
from
selling
those
magazine
was
to
be
constantly
in
contact
with
the
public
and
be
able
to
re-­‐gain
confidence
and
build
a
life
around
social
interaction.
BRAND
IDENTITY
MISSION
MISSION
STATEMENT
“Our
mission
is
to
connect
vendors
with
the
vital
support
and
solutions
that
enable
them
to
rebuild
their
lives;
to
find
their
own
path
in
their
personal
journey
away
from
homelessness.”
DELIVERY
MISSION
‘Vendor-­‐centric’
–
our
work
is
led
by
the
hopes
and
aspirations
of
Big
Issue
vendors
‘Inclusive’
–
social
and
financial
inclusion
is
at
the
heart
of
our
philosophy
‘Non-­‐judgmental’
–
we
work
with
anyone
who
is
prepared
to
engage
with
self-­‐help.
OBJECTIVES
The
objective
of
The
Big
Issue
Foundation
is
to
connect
vendors
with
the
social
environment.
They
will
offer
a
vital
support
and
solutions
that
enable
them
to
rebuild
their
lives
and
journey
away
from
homelessness.
The
company
works
exclusively
with
Big
Issue
vendors.
The
vendors
are
homeless
individuals,
vulnerably
housed
or
at
risk
of
homelessness
because
of
significant
issues
such
as
unemployment
or
a
financial
crisis.
The
company’s
objective,
by
the
mean
of
“magazine
trading”,
is
to
help
these
people
and
change
consumers’
about
social
issues.
The
Big
Issue
Company
also
aims
to
promote
itself
as
a
model
of
how
a
social
business,
as
opposed
to
a
charity,
can
be
a
solution
to
homelessness
and
social
exclusion.
WANTED
POSITION
The
Big
Issue
Magazine
as
being
part
of
The
Big
Issue
Foundation
wants
to
ensure
that
in
the
next
three
years,
every
vendor
has:
-­‐
Somewhere
meaningful
to
call
home
-­‐
Access
to
a
doctor
and
equality
of
access
to
health
care
opportunities

12. 12
-­‐
The
essential
support
that
is
needed
to
overcome
addictions
-­‐
Direct
help
with
their
sales
skills
to
maximize
their
independent
earnings
-­‐
The
crucial
personal
identification
that
opens
so
many
doors
-­‐
Access
to
additional
financial
support
and
secure
saving
opportunities
-­‐
The
opportunity
to
re-­‐connect
with
family
members
and
loved
ones.
VALUES
SOCIAL
/
PEOPLE:
As
we
can
see
from
their
methods
and
mission,
they
are
very
much
directed
toward
people.
They
are
positioned
as
a
non-­‐for
profit
organization
that
wishes
to
help
resolves
social
issues
like
homelessness.
Their
sustainable
distribution
system
offers
the
opportunity
for
homeless
to
start
over
(self-­‐help)
and
proves
that
the
brand
cares
more
about
individuals
that
anything
else.
QUALITY:
Nevertheless,
the
company
is
selling
magazine
and
they
ensure
their
product
is
of
quality.
Their
goal
is
not
to
fool
customers
with
only
the
social
benefit
of
buying
the
magazine
but
also
to
get
good
and
qualitative
information.
PROFESSIONALISM:
In
order
to
provide
customers
with
qualitative
content,
the
place
themselves
as
professionals.
They
are
stating
their
article
have
been
written
by
professionals,
therefore
of
good
quality,
their
staff
is
professional
as
well
as
the
vendors.
=
As
a
result,
their
values
are
SOCIAL
reflected
through
social
help,
QUALITY,
reflected
through
their
magazines
and
PROFESIONALISM
reflected
through
their
content,
articles
and
reviews.
CONSUMER
TARGET
ANALYSIS
Better
understand
and
identify
our
consumer’s
need
In
order
to
create:
• Strong
brand
name
• Greater
market
share
• Cross
selling
solutions
The
Big
Issue
describes
their
audience
as
being
“a
culturally
engaged,
socially
aware
audience
-­‐
the
ultimate
consumers
with
a
conscience”.
Unlike
many
other
magazines
they
assume
their
audience
are
socially
aware
and
are
interested
in
how
ethical
things
are.
The
information
on
their
website
about
their
readership
says
that
84%
of
their
audience

13. 13
believe
its
important
for
a
company
to
act
ethically.
As
opposed
to
usual
celebrity
gossip
magazines,
the
audience
for
The
Big
Issue
is
generally
already
settled
in
their
careers
whereas
gossip
readers
are
aspirers
just
starting
out.
The
Big
Issue
argued
that
their
audience
are
consumers
with
a
conscience.
DEMOGRAPHIC
SEGMENTATION
ANALYSIS
Circulation:
124,
196
per
week:
(ABC
Jan-­‐Dec
2010
for
The
Big
Issue
Group)
Readership:
585,000
per
week:
(NRS
Q3
2010)
Advertise
in
the
Big
Issue
Magazine
and
reach
a
culturally
engaged,
socially
aware
audience
-­‐
The
ultimate
consumers
with
a
conscience
Female:
56%
Male:
44%
ABC1:
75%
Working
full
time:
41%
Still
studying:
31%
Age
Group
Profile:
Under
24:
20.5%
Urbanites
leading
busy
life
25
to
44:
38.4%
Prepared
to
pay
extra
for
quality
45
to
64:
29.3%
Culturally,
ethically
and
socially
aware
Over
65:
11.9%
Courageous,
conscientious
consumers
Big
Issue
readers
agree
that:
It’s
important
that
a
company
acts
ethically
–
84%
It’s
worth
paying
extra
for
quality
goods
–
82%
PSYCHOGRAPHIC
SEGMENTATION
ANALYSIS
MUSIC
CONCERNED:
• Readers
spend
£3.8M
on
albums/singles
per
year
• 71%
of
readers
say
music
is
an
important
part
of
their
life
–
475,000
readers.
• Total
volume
of
nightclub
visits
per
month
is
377,000
–
over
three
times
more
than
Time
Out.
ARTS
AND
CULTURE
• Readers
visit
the
theatre
a
total
of
1.4M
times
per
year

14. 14
• Readers
make
a
total
of
886,000
visits
to
art
galleries
per
year
• Total
spend
on
paperbacks
£3.3M
per
year
BANKING
• 68%
of
readers
are
more
aware
of
personal
finance
than
they
used
to
be
453,000
readers.
• 52%
of
readers
say
it
is
important
for
everything
to
be
insured
–
343,000
readers.
THE
ENVIRONMENT
• 87%
say
people
should
recycle.
• 64%
say
you
should
pay
more
for
environmentally
friendly
products.
CHARITABLE
GIVING
• Total
spend
per
year
£40.8M
• Readers
spend
£78
each
on
charity
per
year
LIFESTYLE
• 44%
of
readers
always
check
the
nutritional
content
of
food
-­‐
295,000
readers
• 174,000
readers
ALWAYS
look
for
the
Light/Diet
version
of
food
&
drink
DRINKS
• 252,000
of
readers
say
it’s
worth
paying
extra
for
good
quality
beer
• 337,000
of
readers
are
prepared
to
pay
more
for
good
quality
wine
• Total
volume
of
wine
bought
for
home
consumption
–
1.2M
• Readers
drink
3.1M
fizzy
soft
drinks
in
total
per
year
• Total
volume
of
yoghurt
drinks
per
month
2.4M
FILMS
• Buy
an
average
of
5
DVD’s
per
year
each,
more
than
the
Guardian,
The
• Independent
and
Time
Out
• Readers
buy
2.1M
DVD’s
in
total
per
year
• Readers
make
over
half
a
million
cinema
visits
a
month.
The
Big
Issue
readership
has
a
denser
population
of
Main
Shoppers
than
readers
of
the
Independent
on
Sunday,
Independent
on
Saturday,
Independent,
Guardian,
Times
and
Telegraph.
Source:
GB
TGI
Q2
2008

15. 15
ENVIRONMENTAL
ANALYSIS
INTERNAL
MICRO
ANALYSIS
SWOT
ANALYSIS
STRENGTH
WEAKNESSES
Cheap
and
important
Labor
force
No
control
over
workers
(unpredictable)
Unique
method
of
delivery
Vendors
nationality,
lack
of
trust
“Charity
purpose”
Mostly
immigrants
vendors
(Stereotypes)
Social
change
status
UK
Price
and
youth
targeted
(Cheaper
options)
Present
on
4
continents
Low
brand
loyalty
Awards
and
trust
Low
brand
awareness
Unique
selling
Proposition
Weak
presence
OPPORTUNITIES
THREAT
Increase
in
homelessness
+
vendors
+
sales
Decrease
in
the
disposable
income
Increasing
number
of
social
enterprises
Free
magazine
Studies
on
social
entrepreneurship
(up)
Online
news
service,
technology
Increasing
number
of
events,
competitions…
Relate
on
donations
Legislation
on
immigrants
(Romanian)
Government
and
taxes
Work
permit
Natural
Disasters,
professional…
(Bangladesh)
Industry
Challenges:
Adaptation
Strategy
TURN
THREATS
INTO
OPPORTUNITIES
USE
STRENGTH
TO
DECREASE
WEAKNESSES
Unprofessional
Vendors
No
experience
=
Can
have
a
bad
effect
on
the
brand
image
Offer
training
session
to
make
sure
every
vendor
understand
their
role
and
how
they
are
contributing
the
brand
identity
Increasing
number
of
competitions,
events
and
charity
races...
Give
speeches;
do
some
PR,
apparitions
to
build
The
Big
Issue
Name
and
reputation.
Increasing
number
of
social
enterprises
Increase
in
social
issue
awareness
Work
in
Partnership
with
other
associations
to
raise
a
bigger
budget
and
be
able
to
improve
the
magazine,
expend
in
other
markets
and
make
the
brand
known

16. 16
Disasters
like
the
one
in
Bangladesh
=
Press
Release
=
People
care
more
and
become
more
conscious
Take
advantage
of
such
issue
to
promote
the
brand
and
show
the
big
issue
unique
selling
point
and
values
Economic
Crisis
=
More
people
in
trouble
ending
in
the
Street
=
Increasing
the
number
of
workforce
INTERNAL
MACRO
ANALYSIS
PORTERS
5
FORCES
MODEL
Supplier
Power
–
Medium
–
Low
The
Big
Issue
is
a
pretty
big
company,
printing
more
than
120,000
copies
per
week.
Comparing
this
level
of
circulation
with
competitors
we
see
that
it
is
pretty
low,
however
supplier
would
not
want
to
loose
a
company
such
as
The
Big
Issue.
Moreover
as
the
company
is
working
for
a
special
cause,
it
gives
another
argument
for
suppliers
to
stay.
Buyer
power
–
High
The
customer
has
a
relatively
high
buying
power
as
the
competition
is
tough
and
technology
provide
them
with
a
wide
range
of
similar
product,
which
in
some
case
is
more
interesting
and
on
target
and
cheaper.
Competitive
Rivalry
–
High
Direct:
Even
though
there
are
not
so
many
magazines
with
the
same
values
and
distribution
system
as
The
Big
Issue,
there
are
a
lot
that
provide
similar
products.
They
all
operate
in
the
communication
and
flow
of
information
area.
Some
magazines
are
free,
while
others
are
not,
some
concentrate
on
finance
and
other
provide
a
wide
range
of
information.
Indirect:
TV
and
Internet.
Today
we
can
get
any
kind
of
news
through
digital
media
channels.
Threat
of
Substitution
–
High
The
threat
of
substitution
is
very
high
and
the
dependence
of
consumers
of
technology
makes
it
even
higher.
Mobile
devices,
tables,
internet
are
all
delivering
a
similar
promise
to
their
customers.
Furthermore
as
people
are
beginning
to
become
more
environmentally
friendly,
the
consumption
of
paper
based
magazine
or
newspaper
is
decreasing.
As
a
result
customers
are
more
and
more
turning
towards
the
Internet
or
tv
channels
to
get
their
news.

17. 17
Threat
of
New
Entries
–
Medium
The
level
of
capital
to
enter
this
market
is
relatively
low
and
the
level
of
expertise
needed
is
not
very
high
neither.
Potential
new
companies
could
be
interested
in
entering
the
market,
however
with
the
rise
in
technology
the
future
profit
is
limited.
MCKINSEY
7S
MODEL
1) Strategy-­‐
Their
main
competitive
advantage
is
the
social
aspect
of
the
magazine.
They
differentiate
themselves
by
positioning
themselves
as
“a
socially
engaged”
company.
2)
Structure-­‐
The
big
issue
Company
The
Big
Issue
Foundation
The
Big
Issue
Magazine
2) Systems-­‐
The
magazine
is
produced
weekly,
so
writers,
journalists
are
constantly
working
on
the
next
issue.
The
vendors
are
up
to
do
what
they
want,
however
they
would
tend
to
go
in
the
street
and
try
to
sell
as
much
magazine
as
they
can
to
increase
their
revenue
and
be
able
to
buy
the
next
issue
as
well
(Circle
system
based
on
self-­‐help).
3) Shared
Values-­‐
The
company’s
value
is
social
/
people,
professionalism
and
quality.
Every
member
of
the
company
is
actively
engaged
to
defend
those
values,
indeed
writers
and
journalists
provides
the
best
content
to
reflect
professionalism
and
the
vendors
would
do
the
same
to
defend
“themselves”
and
touch
people
on
social
issue
and
homelessness.
4) Style-­‐
The
company’s
leadership
style
is
straightforward
as
they
brief
their
vendors
at
the
beginning
and
would
give
support
if
needed.
They
have
a
unique
style,
which
manage
to
combine
charitable
help
and
business.
6)
Staff-­‐
-­‐
Self
employed
staff
(vendors)
=
mean
of
distribution
-­‐
Professional
writers
and
editors,
trained
and
skilled
in
journalism
7)
Skills
–
-­‐ No
skills
from
vendors
-­‐ Professional
skills
from
writers
and
internal
staff
members

18. 18
EXTERNAL
ANALYSIS
PESTLE
ANALYSIS
Political:
-­‐ Stricter
taxes
policy
from
the
government
-­‐ International,
national,
regional
and
local
policies
Economic:
-­‐ Rise
in
Unemployment
-­‐ Decrease
in
disposable
Income
(Recession
period)
Socio
–
cultural:
-­‐ People
are
becoming
financially
careful
-­‐ Higher
level
of
education
in
the
population
-­‐ The
society
is
becoming
more
aware
about
social
concerns
-­‐ Change
in
people’s
lifestyle,
addiction
and
needs
Technological:
-­‐ Rise
in
technology
and
innovation
-­‐ Speed
of
delivery
Environmental:
-­‐ Recycling
paper
-­‐ Street
cleaning
-­‐ Weather
conditions,
rain,
temperatures
Legal:
-­‐ Street
selling
regulation
-­‐ Consumers
rights
-­‐ Employment
laws
-­‐ Immigration
issues
CONSUMER
ANALYSIS
READERSHIP
Testimonials
David
West:
Talked
to
him
in
the
park
at
Russell
Square
Age:
32
Job:
Bar
tender
at
“The
Light
Bar”
=
David
is
no
longer
buying
the
big
issue
because
he
does
not
believe
the
majority
of
vendors
are
homeless.
“A
lot
of
them
are
foreigners,
they
smoke,
they
drink
and
sometimes
are
very
rude
when
you
do
not
buy
the
magazine.
I
am
a
generous
person,
however
I
would
rather
give
money
homeless
charities
and
organizations,
which
I
know
would
provide
homeless
with
food
and
shelter”.

19. 19
Amanda
Waterhouse:
Talked
to
her
in
the
tube,
central
line.
Age:
26
Job:
MPs
at
Red
Carnation
Hotels
=
Amanda
is
buying
sometimes
The
Big
Issue,
when
she
sees
her
usual
vendor
at
South
Kensington,
where
she
get
off
to
go
to
work.
However
she
confessed
that
the
first
reason
why
she
was
buying
the
newspaper
was
because
she
felt
bad
for
the
vendor
and
felt
that
she
had
to
help.
She
is
not
really
interesting
in
the
content
of
the
magazine
and
she
is
more
a
digital
news
taker,
watching
TV,
or
surfing
on
The
Independent
or
The
Guardian
website.
Survey
Survey
based
on
a
Total
100
People:
46
Female
/
54
Male
Randomly
chosen
DO PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THE BIG ISSUE
Know
about
the
Big
Issue
Magazine
Yes
No
Total
Female
90%
9%
46
Male
87%
13%
54
Total
88%
12%
100
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
15-­‐25
25-­‐35
35-­‐45
45-­‐60
60+
Frequency
Purchase
per
age
group
All
the
time
Often
Sometimes
Never

20. 20
11.69%
42.86%
16.88%
28.57%
Reason
to
buy
the
Big
Issue
on
77
buyers
"Forced"by
vendors
Charity
Entertainement
Charity
+
Entertainement
17.39%
52.17%
21.74%
8.70%
Reason
not
to
buy
The
Big
Issue
on
23
non-­‐buyers
Do
not
believe
"true
homelessness"
Limited
Budget
/
Free
alternative
Buy
other
magazines
Not
Interested
in
the
content

21. 21
PERCEPTION
MAPS
Quality
/
Price
Accessibility
/
Informative

22. 22
CUSTOMERS
BRAND
AFFINITY
Information
based
on
reviews,
newspapers
articles
and
blog
posts
Social
values:
The
social
benefit
brought
by
the
purchase
of
one
magazine.
A
sense
of
charity
given
away
for
the
welfare
of
the
vendor.
Self-­‐satisfaction:
A
lot
of
consumers
feel
good
after
buying
The
Big
Issue,
because
they
feel
it
is
their
duty
to
help
homeless
people.
In
that
case
people
buy
the
social
aspect
of
the
company
instead
of
the
content
of
the
magazine.
No
clear
loyalty:
Based
on
people’s
opinion,
they
buy
the
magazine
once
in
a
wile,
when
they
see
a
vendor
selling
it.
However
as
the
newspaper
is
only
sold
the
Mondays
and
in
few
places
in
London,
people
are
not
strongly
loyal
to
the
brand,
because
of
the
number
of
substitute
and
their
specific
needs
as
well.
CUSTOMERS
END-­‐BENEFIT
First:
Social
benefit
and
self-­‐satisfaction
(First
Buying
reason)
=
A
way
to
reach
the
“self-­‐esteem”
on
Maslow’s
Hierarchy
of
Needs
=
Play
a
psychological
influence
on
the
purchasing
behavior
=
Related
to
culture,
social
class
behavior,
beliefs
=
Re-­‐directed
the
primary
purpose
of
the
magazine
Second:
The
actual
content
of
the
magazine
(Second
buying
reason)
=
Purchasing
directly
because
of
the
content
and
information
provided
=
Rational
reason
to
purchase

23. 23
COMPETITVE
BRAND
ANALYSIS
MARKET
ANALYSIS
PRINT:
The
total
newspaper
market
in
the
UK
was
worth
£5.78bn,
a
26.5%
decline
on
the
industry’s
market
value
5
years
earlier
in
2006.
The
Newspaper
Industry
in
decline:
-­‐ Economic
crisis,
less
disposable
income
-­‐ Fewer
companies
invest
in
advertisement,
restricted
budget
-­‐ Less
advertisement
=
Less
publication
(Lack
of
budget)
=
Decline
in
overall
sales,
circulation.

24. 24
ALTERNATIVES:
Adapt
to
the
demand
and
environmental
situation:
-­‐ Development
of
digital
alternatives,
more
online
news
site,
smartphone
applications
and
social
media
communication.
-­‐ Increase
in
popularity
among
customers,
digital
age
(due
to
the
unwillingness
from
customers
to
pay
for
news,
where
it
is
available
somewhere
else
for
free).
-­‐ Highly
reduce
the
production
costs

25. 25
The
future:
Uncertain
as
the
UK
is
still
in
a
recession
state
and
technology
as
well
as
social
changes
can
largely
impact
on
the
market.
Possibility:
Sports
event
such
as
the
Olympics,
which
show
the
customer’s
immediate
need
toward
accurate
news.
Advertising
investment
would
also
naturally
increase.
Keynote
Statistics
has
predicted
that
the
newspaper
industry
in
the
UK
will
decline
by
4.9%
between
2011
and
2015
to
an
estimate
value
of
£5.49bn
in
2015.
UK
Newspaper
Circulation

26. 26
COMPETITORS
TABLE

27. 27
COMPARATIVE
STRENGTHS
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
Cheaper
Prices
No
charity
or
social
involvement
High
Market
Share
No
additional
consumer
end-­‐benefit
/
satisfaction
Content
/
Consumer
needs
No
Direct
Marketing
engaged
Brand
Awareness
Higher
availability
Bigger
Budget
RECOMMENDATION
BUSINESS
TO
BUSINESS
Increase
the
number
of
advertising
space
purchase:
Businesses
are
the
one
buying
space
in
the
magazine
to
promote
their
brand
for
The
Big
Issue
Target
audience,
which
naturally
match
with
their
target
audience.
-­‐
Because
we
are
in
a
recession
period,
people
and
business
have
restricted
budgets.
With
limited
funding,
businesses
will
cut
down
on
their
marketing
budget
and
would
prioritize
sure
and
efficient
media
channel
to
get
their
message
through,
such
as
TV
ads
through
BBC1
(high
traffic
and
established
brand).
The
Big
Issue
has
to
show
it
can
be
trusted
and
the
outcome
of
published
advertisement
will
bring
some
positive
results
to
the
company.
Nevertheless
predicted
results
are
very
hard
to
estimate,
however
The
Big
Issue
has
a
competitive
advantage:
It’s
social
promises
and
engagement.
TACTICS:
Gain
trust
and
credibility
-­‐ Carefully
target
their
clients:
Companies
who
have
the
same
audience
as
The
Big
Issue.
-­‐ Clients
that
are
socially
concerned
and
engaged
or
maybe
companies
such
as
Nike,
Primark
or
Top
Shop,
who
have
suffered
from
press
releases
in
the
past
and
need
to
re-­‐position
their
brand.
If
such
brands
appear
on
The
Big
Issue
Magazine
it
would
change
how
people
perceive
it
and
the
audience
would
more
likely
forget
about
past
“disasters”
and
“unethical
faux
pas”.
⇒ In
brief
it
would
mean
that
The
Big
Issue
would
take
advantage
of
personal
brand
issue
to
offer
them
with
an
opportunity
to
re-­‐position
and
re-­‐brand.
They
would
attract
clients
through
“social
pressure”
and
convince
them
to
advertise
with
them
in
order
to
be
able
to
identify
themselves
as
being
“concerned”,
“respectful”
and
“socially
engaged”
and
build
a
new
image
into
customers’
mind.

28. 28
BUSINESS
TO
CUSTOMERS
Increase
the
number
of
sales,
through
vendors
or
subscriptions:
The
Big
Issue
does
not
have
a
strong
presence
on
the
newspaper,
magazine
market.
A
good
part
of
the
population
does
not
know
the
brand
or
if
they
do
a
majority
do
not
know
what
the
brand
stands
for.
TACTICS:
Marketing
Mix
Product:
• Re-­‐design
the
magazine
to
make
it
more
visual
and
attractive
to
the
target
audience
• Usefulness
of
the
magazine
(pictures,
texts,
information)
• Ameliorate
the
quality:
Chinese
producer
(cheap
prices)
Price
• The
Big
Issue:
£2.50
/
Much
cheaper
alternatives
=
Decrease
production
cost
to
reduce
vendors
buying
price
and
consumer
selling
price.
• Economic
crisis
=
Less
disposable
income
=
Too
expensive
product
Place
• Invest
in
research
to
see
the
most
effective
selling
places
People
• Train
vendors
and
teach
them
about
strategic
places
• Vendors
have
to
be
presentable,
credible
and
“educated”
=
Respectful
PROMOTIONAL
MIX
One
of
the
strategies
I
want
to
go
include
the
promotional
mix
as
a
tool
to
re-­‐enforce
the
brand
in
terms
of
its
presence,
position,
identity,
image
and
message.
Main
goals:
Build
Trust
and
Credibility
/
Create
social
implication
and
consumer
self-­‐
actualization.

29. 29
The
brand
does
not
sell
a
need
but
sell
the
opportunity
for
the
audience
to
self-­‐actualize
themselves.
• Need
to
create
them
self-­‐actualization
needs
(targeting
the
top
3
stages
of
Maslow’s
pyramid
of
needs).
⇒ In
order
to
achieve
these
goals,
The
Big
Issue
has
to
be
highly
involve
and
use
different
promotional
mix
tools.
However
as
we
imagine,
they
have
a
limited
budget,
however
some
investment
have
to
be
made
in
order
to
install
trust,
credibility,
create
essential
feelings
and
re-­‐enforce
their
position
to
at
the
end
increase
their
profit
as
well
as
the
vendors’
profits.
ADVERTISING
• Increase
their
presence
online
and
offline.
Online:
Through
blogs,
social
media
and
adverts
Offline:
Leaflets,
billboards
and
posters
distributed
in
shops,
restaurants
• Ask
for
donations,
free
ad
for
social
cause
and
partnership
to
increase
brand
awareness.
PUBLIC
RELATION
• Install
trust
and
make
apparitions
Through
press
releases
Be
involved
in
events,
competitions
and
charity
• Organize
competitions
with
all
the
vendors
and
benevolent
to
raise
funds.
An
example
widely
used
by
a
lot
of
companies
who
are
looking
to
raise
funds
is
a
race
around
town
or
in
the
park.
It
can
be
a
marathon
as
well
as
an
afternoon
of
activities
such
as
football,
basketball,
where
teams
would
compete.
This
would
raise
charity
funds
as
well
as
help
vendors
to
re-­‐socialize
and
gain
self-­‐confidence.
DIVERSIFICATION
PRODUCT
DEVELOPMENT
• Cross
selling:
Additionally
to
the
traditional
The
Big
Issue
magazine
they
could
offer
other
products,
still
in
a
close
market:
Stickers,
pens,
hat,
t-­‐shirts…
• As
seen
previously
the
top
reason
why
people
are
buying
the
magazine
is
because
it
make
themselves
feel
better,
however
they
are
not
that
much
interested
in
the
content.
As
a
result
I
recommend
The
Big
Issue
to
re-­‐new
their
content
by
proposing
consumers
with
more
attractive
and
engaging
content.
MARKET
DEVELOPMENT
• The
Big
Issue
is
already
present
in
a
lot
of
countries
and
should
not
stop
expending
their
market.
Developing
countries
is
an
opportunity
for
The
Big
Issue
to
expand
to
as
they
still
have
a
high
number
of
homeless
people,
however
as
their
economy
is
growing,
a
fair
part
of
the
population
would
have
the
money
to
big
it.

30. 30
SOURCES
Baker,
C
(2012)
“What’s
The
Big
Issue”
Available
at:
http://www.thebubble.org.uk/causes/what-­‐s-­‐the-­‐big-­‐issue
Frangi,
L.
(2010)
“The
UK’s
Media
Consumption
Habits”
in
We
are
social.
Available
at:
http://wearesocial.net/blog/2010/08/uks-­‐media-­‐consumption-­‐habits/
Handley,
L
(27
sept
2011)”Why
The
Big
Issue
brand
needs
a
rethink”,
in
Marketing
week.
Available
at:
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/opinion/blogs/lucy-­‐handley/why-­‐the-­‐
big-­‐issue-­‐brand-­‐needs-­‐a-­‐rethink/3030458.article
Hanks,
S
&
Swithinbank,
T
(1997)
Environment
and
Urbanization
“The
Big
Issue
and
other
street
papers:
a
response
to
homelessness”
Published
by
Sage.
Homeless
Worldcup
Statistics
.
“AN
ESTIMATED
100
MILLION
PEOPLE
WORLDWIDE
ARE
HOMELESS.
SOURCE:
UNITED
NATIONS
COMMISSION
ON
HUMAN
RIGHTS,
2005.”Availabe
at:
http://www.homelessworldcup.org/content/homelessness-­‐statistics
Keynote
statistics:
https://www.keynote.co.uk/market-­‐
intelligence/view/product/10515/newspapers
Marketing,
Strategy,
and
Competitive
Analysis:
http://www.abahe.co.uk/business-­‐
administration/Marketing-­‐Strategy-­‐and-­‐Competitive-­‐Analysis.pdf
McLeod,
H.
(June
19,
2012)
“A
Big
Issue?
Your
views
on
homelessness
in
the
UK”
in
YouGov,
what
the
world
thinks.
Available
at:
http://yougov.co.uk/news/2012/06/19/big-­‐issue-­‐your-­‐views-­‐homelessness-­‐uk/
The
Big
Issue
Foundation
(2012)
Financial
Report.
PDF:
http://www.bigissue.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/bif_financial_statements_yea
r_ending_31_march_2012.pdf
The
Big
Issue
Rate
Card:
http://www.bigissue.com/sites/bigissue/files/Ratecard.pdf
The
Big
Issue
Presentation
PDF:
http://www.bigissue.com/sites/bigissue/files/TheBigIssuePresentation.pdf
The
Big
Issue
website:
http://www.bigissue.org.uk
The
Guardian
“Big
Issue
Magazine
goes
digital”.
Available
at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2012/oct/25/the-­‐big-­‐issue-­‐digital-­‐media
UNESCO
(n.d)
“The
Big
Issue
United
Kingdom”
Available
at:
http://www.unesco.org/most/westeur6.htm