Case Study 2- Cosmopolitan

The second magazine I researched is one that I'm much more familiarized with because I read their snapchat edition everyday, Cosmopolitan. Cosmopolitan is one of the most purchased magazines for women, having 64 international editions, and being distributed in 110 countries. Unlike Vogue, who focuses mainly on bookstore and subscription distribution, Cosmopolitan is easily accessible in grocery markets, making a lot of their target audience middle class women.

The  frequently discussed topics include beauty, style, relationships, food, career, college, politics, health & fitness, and celebrities. Since they don't  focus mainly on fashion and beauty, it would be most appropriate to label the magazine as a Women's Lifestyle, rather than fashion. However, when they do discuss beauty and fashion, the magazine often features styling tips, makeup "how to's", cosmo "beauty closet" (featuring products the reader is suggested to try out), and beauty advice.

Another feature the the magazine frequently uses is focusing on entertainment and tourism articles for their readers. Cosmopolitan often comes up with "Best Restaurants in Each City", "Top 10 Vacation Spots to Visit this Summer", or "Must Visit Amusement Parks " that offer their audience a variety of activities to do in different places across the US and in the world. This includes giving a list of places, restaurants, and popular plates to order, following a review or description of what they are promoting. I would love to possibly include this theme somewhere in my magazine since I love to travel, and often read them.

Cosmopolitan is also really big on feminism and self empowerment, since they often focus on stories featuring how raise self esteem, and eliminating gender roles, and criticizing beauty standards. They are also not shy from stating their opinions concerning the government's restrictions on abortion and contraceptives, racism towards immigrants, and issues women face in sex trafficking. These topics are often discussed through interviews, op-eds pieces, or columns that give insight to global problems that should be addressed on a much larger scale.

To the quantity of information the magazine offers to its audience, it is no wonder why they are so influential. Many of these ideas I have discussed inspire me to take a similar approach on my magazine, but mostly centered towards a different crowd.


Beck, L., Tower, A., Bailey, A., O'Malley, K., Roberts, K., Davison, C. B., & Editors, T. (n.d.). Cosmopolitan.com. Retrieved March 12, 2017, from http://www.cosmopolitan.com/