G&G- Gadgets & Gizmos for the mass!

I remember just a decade ago when we had a very few magazines on technology & gear and those used to categorized specifically as ‘niche’ magazines. Now scenario is completely changed and gadgets & gizmos are reached from a geek’s hands to a layman’s pocket! This wider reach of technology has forced the publishers to tweak their existing ‘technology’ magazines towards mass or they are launching new magazines in this space.

The India Today Group has launched recently a monthly magazine – G&G (Gadgets & Gizmos) for mass… or ‘focused’ larger audience in the same space after testing the water by putting special editions with the same title in the past. Now, launch of this title as a regular monthly magazines clearly shows that India Today Group has gauged the scope of this product.

Content
G&G is clearly a gadget magazine which talks about tech products ranging from mobiles to music systems, cameras, computers, laptops, projectors, TVs and fans-refrigerators-watches also. In fact, the broad range of products deviates G&G for being ‘focused’ on its subject. Number of reviews, promotions, press releases give it a look of little bigger product catalogue of any electronic retail outlet at first glance.

G&G has a minimal of information on gadgets’ usage & applications, everything is product information only (as oppose to its positioning of telling ins and outs of gadgets & getting the most out of gadgets).

Editorially G&G is structured poorly and that thoughtless skeleton is visible throughout the magazine.

Design
Layout & Design alone as it is can’t do much if content is not structured properly, and in G&G it is even worse. Same ‘thought’(lessness) is visible in the design of this magazine. Typefaces & basic design elements chosen are aged which are looking out of the place along with the latest gadgets. Design elements are created unnecessarily that could be removed to make it simple & neat layout.

Inconsistency is the only thread which starts right from the cover itself and goes ‘consistently’ up to the last page of the magazine.

In the entire magazine, the ‘human’ connect is missing though G&G is made to attract every single consumer. G&G seems like a product made by using online image banks only.

Printing
Since G&G is carrying most of the product shots (probably sourced by the companies) only, pictures are looking good but absolutely lifeless. Printing is OK on most of pages but looking very bad in some pictures because of lower LPI.

Product
G&G is priced at Rs.50 as a monthly magazine of approximately 120 pages of information on gadgets. If it is compared with its other ‘near’ competitors, it’s a good product in tech space that gives you a wide range of consumer buying information at one stop. Low price can be a great advantage for ‘no-frill’ G&G to compete with others magazines in the same segment.

Looking at the quantity of information G&G is a good value for money if you can compromise on the presentation of content.

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