For my magazine idea I have decided upon doing a music magazine on alternative rock, which is focused on bands such as "Florence and the Machine" and is a particular interest of mine within the rock genre.
To make sure my product will appeal to my audience I am going to do some extensive research, in which I will analyse what my audience wants to see in the magazine. To collect this data I will need both qualitive and quantitive data, to do this I am going to conduct a questionnaire and will gather a group of people for a focus group were I will ask some questions to gain their feelings.
Secondary Research -
To establish some secondary research I decided to look at some current reader profiles from well known music magazines such as NME and Kerrang that I believed would apply to me and my own genre of magazine I have chosen to do, which is Rock a well known genre and greatly represented through magazine like Q.
Example Reader Profiles -
NME - http://www.ipcadvertising.com/resource/fd4e20nlh1xefkowjxdha4xu.pdf
I believed this reader profile to be particulary effective in it's use of information as it clearly displays the average age, average gender...etc yet even more with the application of what is their favourite shops, their favourite gadgets and so on. This reader profile I believe may be similair or apply to my magazine as the audience is that of a rock magazine and displays the characteristics that I see in my target audience such as wanting to look well dressed and to be well informed.
Kerrang - http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/Brands/Kerrang/
This reader profile is very limited in what it presents to the audience but it is effective in what it says as it clearly defines its audience and can therefore target it. I believe this reader profile may apply to my music magazine as "Individually minded, independent of thought and musically experienced, an audience defined by attitude, passion and loyalty."Representing traits I would believe to see in my own such as being indivually minded and not following other people in trends of music.
Q - http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/Brands/Q/
This profile like Kerrang is very limited in what it presents but clearly lists a reader profile which is effective in it's targeting of a persons personality. Q states it readers audience as being "Open minded experience seekers, the Q audience don’t define themselves by the music they listen to. Music is an important passion, but their love of music will never be to the detriment of their other passions, such as film, sport and comedy.". This may apply to my magazine as it states some characteristics that have been shown in my questionnaires such as the fact that the people dont define themselves by their choice of genre in music.
UK Tribes, and how they apply -
UK Tribes is a term used to describe the many social groups that make up the British public, particulary the younger generation; those more likely to be interested in music such as Chavs, Goths and Scene Kids. Through the use of the site http://www.uktribes.com/ I have analysed the list of tribes and decided that my target audience from secondary research is more pointed towards the alternative tribes including Emo's, Indie kids and Moshers. From further analyse within the UK Tribes, I believe my audience is more directly pointed towards Emo's due to their like for bands such as "Fall Out Boy" and "Panic! At The Disco", both bands that are interests of mine and inhabit the genre in which I look to aim at through my music magazine, they are typically grouped as punkish, suppressed characters, so this will be valuable information in targeting the specific audience.
Primary Research -
To do some secondary research I decided I needed to collect some qualitive and quantitive data through my own labour and decided upon the methods of a questionnaire which I would disperse within the college to collect information and focus group to collect some more detailed information focused more on feelings.
Focus Group -
For my focus group I decided upon holding a group with a range of people of the same age as my predicted target audience so as to gain their feelings and emotions from some extracts and what they thought a music magazine should include, so collecting qualitive research.
Showing extract 1 (First cover page from textual analysis) -
“What do you like about this extract, right here? What is it that grabs you and pulls you as an audience?
“The front cover has a good ratio of images and the colours are bright and catch your eyes, there is a lot of text which makes you want to read and there’s a pull-out quote, makes me want to read the interview and you wana know what they are thinking about”
“What would you change about the magazine cover and why?”
“Probably less text which makes it more dominant to the image, the image looks a little less good. The image is a bit boring in comparison to what it could be.”
“What do you think a rock magazine cover should include as I am going to do one of my own?”
“Free goods, Live coverage, of up-coming events and interviews from bands and new bands coming up, you know?”
Showing extract 2 (First contents page in textual analysis) -
“What do you like about this contents page as an extract?”
“The use of images which create an eye catching look, theirs not much writing on it which means you read it more and the font is bold so you can see the name of the artists and brings more attention again.”
“What would you change about this extract and why?”
“Well maybe have more colour and maybe the attachment text (captions) could be a little bigger, so it easier to read.”
“What do you think a rock magazine should include as I am going to do one of my own?”
“Maybe some competitions were you can win some CD’s or merchandise and good use of colour.”
Overall what I have collected from my focus group is that they would like to see images which apply to the genre and used to the advantage of the magazine as they want to have plently of colour within it. The use of text within the magazine should be a moderate amount so as not to detract from the image and the magazine itself. My focus group also informed me of their want for attachments such as live coverage and so fourth which may be very effective in targeting my audience and something they look for in magazine, so is highly useful data for when I'm making the magazine.
Questionnaire -
Gender of Rock Audience -
Favourite Music Magazine -
The data shown here is very varied and may be helpful in making important descions such as the colour and the layout of the magazine and how it will be done as there is a majority in the female audience for rock/alternative rock and a majority of my audience was more interested in Kerrang as a reader over any of the others, which may mean there is certain factors of that magazine which appeal more to my audience than any of the others, this may link back with Kerrangs reader profile and may describe my own audience and who I need to push my magazine at.
Write Up and in Conclusion -
By analysis of my questionnaire, focus group and secondary data collected through reader profiles I have come to a conclusion that my audience is of the 16-24 year old and within the alternative tribes of the UK due to the high amount of people being in that age group from my questionnaire and some of the favourite bands listed being of that genre. This analysis that I have made will have a detrimental effect on the style of the magazine I shall create, one being the pictures I shall use within the magazine, as they have to be pictures which fit the genre and appeal to the audience with mise-en-scene and so on, so Iwill use this to create a dramaticlly appealing images for this audience. Another factor which is affected by he audience is the text and font within the magazine as like the image they will have to be ones commonly seen within magazines of this genre such as Kerrang which include a heavy emphasis on big fonts and black colouring. The content within the magazine which will be dramatically effected by the audience as their will be more want for news of up coming events and such, which will effect what is present on the front page and contents page, as well as the double page needing approiate lexis to suit the style. In conclusion the content of the magazine, colouring, text and image is affected by the predicted audience of the alternative tribe, within the age group of 16-24.
Reader Profile (Mine) -
An audince personlised by their music, yet individually minded in what they listen too; not being swayed by other's choices in taste. They are passionate and strong willed in character continually being dedicated to their music and well aware of what they want in a product.
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