ABSTRACT
This study investigates the relationship that exists between Beauty Magazine Consumption and beauty choice of consumers. Specifically, the intent of the study is to determine whether consumption of beauty magazine has an impact on beauty choice among CMD students. The study adopted survey research design and data were collected through administered questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20 and the results were presented in tables in frequency and percentage. The findings reveal that consumption of Beauty Magazine has an influence on the beauty sense of CMD students. It is however, recommended that gender roles should be evaluated by future researchers. This is to find out if the beauty choice is influenced mostly by male or female, and to also, see if these findings could be replicated in other departments in any other university.
.
CHAPTER 0NE
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
Background To The study
A magazine is a periodical publication containing articles and illustrations often on a particular subject aimed at particular readership (Mckay, 2000). Magazines are typically published weekly, monthly or quarterly. Magazine editorials give opinions on important contemporary social, beauty and fashion, economic, legal, political issues and intend to persuade readers to agree to a particular point of view (Mckay, 2000).
Beauty magazines gained ground as a result of people’s quest for information and facts on how to look beautiful. Beauty is a quality present of a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations, a meaningful design or pattern. Beauty is subjective because it is perceived differently. The saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder is used to connote that different people have different opinions about what is beautiful.
Beauty is a regular issue of discussion for people around the world. Men and women are more concerned about their beauty and pay much attention on how they appear (Britton, 2012) . Beauty magazines provide solutions to people’s quest on beautiful appearance. Following the latest technological development and advancement, it became easier to get latest information on fashion and beauty all time.
Beauty magazines reflect the basic beliefs, values and attitudes towards beauty (Lindsey & Kim, 2014). People’s attitude and beliefs change when exposed to images that look beautiful and attractive (Lindsey & Kim, 2014). It is not unreasonable to assert that beauty magazines place a tremendous emphasis on appearance (Lindsey & Kim, 2014). The emergence of the beautiful
appearance as a standard for beauty is salient in mass media. Several researchers have demonstrated the increasing value of beautiful appearance amongst people (Sherry & Heather, 1997).
A beauty magazine is a complete source in which latest news on fashions and cosmetics trends spread around the world (Sherry & Heather, 1997). Consumers are bombarded with beauty magazines as they wait in line at the grocery and beauty stores, possibly to influence their choice of beauty style. Beauty magazines try to attract potential readers by carefully selecting cover subject and interesting stories. The study of (Malkin, Worman, & Chrisler, 1999) found out that 78% of beauty magazine covers contained some kind of message about beauty appearance. In the content analysis, the covers of 21 popular women’s and men’s magazines were examined for gendered messages related to appearance.
Many people don’t understand how valuable beauty magazines are to lives. While they might have an idea as to the information beauty magazines provide, how they can be used is a completely different idea to consider. Beauty magazines provide a sure starting point for discussions about a great number of topics on beautiful appearance. It also educates one about the latest trends on fashion and beauty. Also, people are better informed about the society they live in and how it keeps changing when they consume beauty magazines.
The consumption of beauty magazine pattern has changed over time. Consumers are well informed on the fashion trends and updates which changed their motivation behind choice of beauty (Deepali, 2016). The influence of beauty magazine consumption on consumer sense of beauty are widespread which is mainly on what consumers wear and what they use to adore themselves (Deepali, 2016). The factors that influence consumer choices when they read beauty magazines include the quality of creative information or messages contained therein, personal
lifestyle and taste and most at times consumers’ income determine their choice of beauty when they use beauty magazines (Deepali, 2016).
With all of this, there is a tendency that CMD students who are AUN students would love beauty Magazines because they are creative; and basically, usage of beauty magazines may likely influence beauty choices. The study seeks to test the influence of beauty magazines consumption on beauty choices among CMD students; it is assumed that CMD students are always on their phones looking at beauty and fashion styles to satisfy their information need on beautiful appearance. Some of these magazines are: ThisDay Style, Genevieve Magazine, Ovation, City People Magazine and Complete Fashion Magazine.
Statement of the problem
There has been a misconception of idea on the effect beauty magazine consumption has on readers. Magazines can be seen as cultural products, they may be said to circulate in a cultural economy of collective meanings (Jaleesa, 2013). Fashion is ever-changing phenomena that changed for many years with the increasing influence of magazines (Jaleesa, 2013). With the rise of the internet and more digital media tools, there are still new magazines published on a year-to- year basis and until now their influence remained.
It is wrongly believed that consuming beauty magazines is to while away time by readers at their own leisure or while waiting at the beauty store or grocery. Despite the information contained in beauty magazines, there seems to be a shortage of knowledge on how beauty magazines consumption has affected the consumers’ sense of beauty.
It is hoped that even though there are economic and technical changes, beauty magazines will remain loved by the consumer regardless of their social class. Therefore, it is the intent of this
study to find out the extent to which magazines consumption influences CMD students’ choice of beauty.
Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this study are to:
- identify the categories of beauty magazines that CMD students read.
- find out what contents in beauty magazines attract CMD students mostly.
- determine if the consumption of beauty magazines influence the beauty choices of the CMD students.
- examine the extent to which beauty magazine consumption influences CMD students beauty choices.
Research Questions
The questions that will guide this study are:
- What categories of beauty magazines do CMD students read most?
- What contents in beauty magazines attracts CMD students mostly?
- Does consumption of beauty magazines influence the beauty choices of CMD students?
- To what extent does consumption of beauty magazines influence the beauty choices of CMD students?
Significance of the study
This study will be of help to future researchers and the academic community in this study area as it will form a basic knowledge for them. The findings of this research work would contribute to
improving the understanding of the effect beauty magazine consumption has on consumer beauty choices.
The beauty magazine producers and beauty stores will find the study useful as it will give them an insight on improving their business activities.
