Analysis of existing masthead names.

1. Existing Magazine Names
By Keshaa Thakrar

2. ‘Q’ magazine was originally going to be called ‘Cue’
as in when a record is played on a record player,
however they didn't want the magazine to be
mistaken for a snooker magazine and so changed
the masthead name to ‘Q’ to symbolise the record
player. Furthermore, this masthead name vastly
stands out from others as it only has one letter and
therefore more prominent on newsstands.

3. ‘NME’ was originally titled ‘new musical
express’ however this was found to be too
long and so it was soon turned into an
abbreviation of ‘NME’ moreover, the
abbreviation is now easier to say and sounds
like the word ‘enemy’ which reflects the
branding and the ethos of the
punk/alternative music magazine. This makes
it obvious to the reader alongside the colour
scheme of the masthead that ‘NME’ is an
outgoing and daring magazine.

4. ‘Billboard’ magazine was originally titled ’Billboard
Advertising’, it was a trade paper for the bill
posting industry, hence the magazine's name. The
masthead name was shortened down. When the
focus of music in this magazine became more
prominent, the masthead name was changed to
‘Billboard Music Week’ and then changed back to
‘Billboard’ later on. This appeals to consumers as a
classic magazine to go to for overall interests in
music, this enticing a wide audience of different
ages.