Target Audience Questionnaire Table

From my research, it shows that my magazine cover has been given a positive response with regards to readers.

At the start of this project, I had to undergo an audience lifestyle questionnaire where I needed to answer questions on what type of audience I’m aiming my magazine at. From this, I set out my magazine trying to fulfil all these answers.

As well as taking this into account I had to take on the form as an encoder, operationalising this theory into practice. I did this through giving the magazine a meaning with regards to the question answers, and displaying it in a way that the decoder (respondents) could understand and figure out who the magazine is to be aimed at.

Like I mentioned above, the response given has come back with a positive outcome. The 3 main questions of ‘What gender, age and social class?’ have all come back similar, demonstrating that the cover gives out an impression for those audiences.

I wanted to aim the ages range from 16-25, however a range of 18-25 has come back from the 3 respondents. This may be 2 years later that the intended, but I am not going to change it due to how close they are. I feel that even if they thinks it’s an 18-25 audience, 16 and 17 year olds will still buy it based on their music interest with Drum and bass.

Social class has also come back all the same with middle class being the set target audience. Like this, gender has also come back all positive with Male being the set target, and all respondents seeing this.

The type of car question has also come back in a positive way and though different answers and ranges were set, and average outcome similar to mine was displayed overall. I aimed the answer at a young persons ‘first car’ who would generally have a small engine car. In the society we live in, this type of car is set with the ‘drum and bass’ genre of music with loud and proud displaying symbolism.  Furthermore, with the average come out at 1.0-1.4 litre car is does display that the target set is something that other look for and is shown with the respondent’s answers.

The questions I’ve answered above for me hold the biggest representation and curiosity, however the others answers I feel don’t hold a massive meaning.  However, this isn’t to say that I’m not pleased with the respondent’s answers, as they’ve generated common answers and demonstrated an easily decoded magazine.

In conclusion to this research, it’s good to see that the ranges of answers are all similar. From this, it demonstrated that my music magazine can be successful within this genre, and hold importance within the target audiences.

First Attempt of Front cover

Mock up front cover

Audience Lifestyle – Constructing the Imaginary Entity

     What car/mode of transport do they use?

·         Volkswagen Polo

   What accommodation do they live in?

·         Semi-detached home

  What do they drink?

·         Coca Cola

  What TV shows do they watch?

·         Friends, scrubs and inbetweeners

What music do they like?

·         Drum and bass

 What is their favourite meal?

·         Scampi and Chips

What sport do they watch and what sport do they play if any?

·         They watch and play football, as well as playing cricket.

 Who is their partner or are they single?

·         Single

Where do they go on holiday?

·         Greek islands

 Do they vote and if so who for?

·         Conservative

What type of bar/pub/club do they go to?

·         Clubs and pubs e.g.-Ministry of sound

What is their favourite band?

·         Chase and status

Where do they buy their clothes?

·         Topman, River Island, next, republic, gas station

 How much monthly disposable income do you have?

·         £550

Target audience for my magazine

To make a successful music magazine, ill need to aim it to sell within a specific target audience. This will allow me to create the magazine using specific aspects that will hopefully appeal to this group of people. There are many factors that I need to consider when targeting my audience, and from this achieve these in abundance.

The audience I’m going to target is the 18-28 age bracket, with the magazine being based on ‘drum and bass/Dubstep’. With the world of music ever expanding, so has the use of genres. It has now come to the stage where music by such artists has ‘Tinie Tempah’ and ‘Pendulum’ are taking the world by storm due to their unique and personal sound. With this in mind, millions of people around the country and world find this music brilliant to listen to, and therefore want more.

My typical person/entity who I'm aiming for the magazine is a 18-25 sporty male who likes socialising with his friends, and going out at night . With Drum and bass being  a popular music sound when going out clubbing, a number of people will hear this sound on a regular basis, indicating a good idea and overwhelming interest of ths sound. These clubs could be used as an area to advertise the magazine, maybe trying to get posters on the wall showing the artists that they will hopefully be listening to at the time.
This idea of a sport male ages 18-25 will be targeted to be from a  middle class background. This signifying factor for this was that the magazine price will range, depending on the content and reasonable offers inside. Furthemore, this allows me to change the price not worrying that a 20p-30p price difference wont discourage the public in buying.

What my magazine will bring this target audience is a chance to read about latest artists as well as information regarding upcoming ones, including interviews and articles. Reviews and ratings will also be present, with an area where people will be able to see the top 10 drum and bass songs of the week to check out.

Preliminary Contents page

How Do Magazines Make Money?

There are many ways in which magazines make money. This centres mostly on advertisement. Advertisement provides magazines with income, through companies paying for their business to be shown in the magazine. This could range from a small box in the corner of a page, to full double page spread located right at the front of the magazine.

      In relation to this, the pricings vary with the size. With smaller boxes costing less for business’, and larger advertising pages costing considerably more. From this, you would find that smaller upcoming businesses will use the smaller advertising boxes and when growth and profit increases, they can begin to take over the larger advertising pages,

    As well as advertisement, magazines also make money through the selling of the product. With the product itself not costing a lot to make, they’ll sell the magazine at a small profitable cost depending on amount of payed advertisment included.

    In conclusion to this, it’s quite clear that the main way in which magazines make money is through advertisement. This allows the magazine to bring in a decent income to cover costs and possible a profit, with the business also being recognised by every reader.

My Music Magazine Rate Card

 - Name = vCity (Velocity Music Monthly)

        

 - Cover Price = £1.60

 - Frequency = Monthly issue

 - Men = 78%

 - Women =22%

 - Median age = Men  aged 18 – 25

- Circulation = £ 61, 657

 - Adult readership = 110,480

 - ABC1= 55%

Advertising rates =£6,769

Tatler Rate Card

·         Total circulation = £110, 638

·         Adult readership = £198,000

·         Advertising profits = £1,555,443

·         Average advertising page price = £14, 013

·         Median age = 38

·         Women = 181,000

·         Men = 29,000

·         ABC1 =  184,000 = 88%

Preliminary Front cover

'NME' Music magazine analysis

       I chose ‘NME’ magazine for analysis for a number of reasons. Firstly, its bold title and use of 3 main primary colours, throughout the title and the magazine, gives a simplistic but strong feel, with it expressing a deep connotative idea of rock and roll, which is developed from ‘My Chemical Romance’.

     The main master head uses these 3 main colours and is used in a bolt assertive way. This connotative meaning grabs the customer straight away, with its bold outline of white and black, with a fill colour of red, screaming out to people to at least look at, and hopefully buy.

       The featured article has followed the master head, with it also being developed in capital letters. Like the title, red and white have again been cast on, and have been split with the title of band in white and the description of the article in red. They’ve also released a puff line from the article, and this quote of ‘No more rock opera!’   a meaning that their new album has changed and they’ve got new music for the world to see and listen too. This will intrigue people into knowing what they’ve changed about their music, and whether this new album will be as good as the last.

      The deeper connotative meaning of the article name, signifies that the use of capital letters demonstrates’ My Chemical Romance’ as a big band in the world of rock music, with an immediate comeback reckoning. This signifies that their ‘Punk comeback album’ will once again come back onto the top of the rock music world, dedicating them to many as the No.1 band.

    The right hand side of the magazine has 3 main snippets, each having a name and description. Red and white are again conceived as the main colours, being used for the heading and dexscriptions on all of thr snippets. This vast amount of reading will attract the reader, with the price of £2.20 seeming reasonable to the buyer signifying that the magazine has a lot to offer to the public.

    The use of questions in the first two snippets also signifies to the reader, a thought of intrigue and curiosity. This will want the reader to find the answer, with the question of ‘But where’s Bernard?’ when talking about Suede reform, wanting the client to buy and therefore read.

   A plug line is also available at the top of the page, and offers Gorillaz art and interviews as a plus to the reader. Denotation is shown as just an interview and a pull out art picture, however, connotation reveals an extra to the reader, with it being located at the top of the page signifying a extra to the reader for the price their getting it for.

Preliminary Mock up Front Cover

Golf magazine annotation