How did you attract/address your audience?

Attracting and addressing ones audience plays a huge role in the success of a magazine, I was therefore careful to attract and address my target audience effectively. I largely followed the conventions of a music magazine. I did this as I felt a visually revolutionary magazine could potential alienate members of my audience, increasing the chance of failure. My house style followed the traditional trends of my target audience. By using the colour scheme of red, black and white it aimed to attract my audience by using a style they were familiar with and have reacted positively to in the past.

This did pose a slight dilemma though, whilst embracing conventions of the rock music genre, I had to have a strong, obvious unique selling point as to attract my audience and address their interests. I soon decided the content would be my USP. With no other nationwide publication solely addressing the ever-growing alternative rock market, I felt there to be a hole in the market.

Another key point in how I attracted and addressed my audience was by simply listening to them. By properly analysing and evaluating data I collected, the framework of my magazine was already complete. I knew exactly what my audience wanted to see from my magazine, from the price they wanted to pay, to the freebies they wanted to see and the tone they wanted the publication to have. These are key factors that decide whether a magazine is a success. If one doesn’t properly research their target audience then by simply choosing the wrong tone, they can alienate a large proportion of their prospective buyers, making failure likely.

Tone, as suggested previously, is massively important. The way in which a magazine addresses its audience is pivotal to its success, and tone plays a huge role in this. My target audience expressed a desire for a semi-formal tone with an educated lexis. This fits in with my target audience being largely of university age. They wished to leave the informal, often simplistic, style of magazines aimed at teenagers, a style Smash Hits embraced before its collapse.

My entire magazine revolves around this issue and I feel I have addressed it well. My publication draws  in my target audience, subtly giving off conventions they are accustomed to, it then uses large global brands such as Foo Fighters and Iggy Pop to give suggestions of the content within. And then when the piece is opened, the grammar should address the audience, creating an effective connection.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

The biggest thing I have learnt since my preliminary task has been to properly prepare before attempting to produce a product. I jumped straight into my preliminary task without adequate research on current examples of print, and without enough experience operating the software I had chosen. In turn, this meant I created a poor product. However, because of this I ensured for my full product that I spent an adequate amount of time researching both my audience and current examples of music magazines. This meant i fully understood the conventions of print and could efficiently, use, challenge, and develop them, whilst delivering a product that my target audience asked for.

My ability at image manipulation has also improved significantly between products. My preliminary task was very basic in its construction and therefore looked amateurish. The final product on the other hand looked wholly professional. By mastering layering and cropping I had the skill to actually use and develop the conventions of print, rather than having ideas which I couldn’t implement.

My understanding of the importance of colour schemes and fonts has also greatly developed. I now see the importance of font, and how important it is in determining the success of a magazine. It also helps to reinforce the message of a magazine by reflecting the tone of a piece. Colours are equally as important. They can give continuity throughout the magazine and work to attract a particular audience.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I have learnt a considerable amount about technology whilst constructing this product. One of the most valuable tools at my disposal was my, albeit basic, digital camera. I learnt the importance of value of optical zoom.  When editing photo’s in Microsoft Photo Manager, it became clear that broader shots where I didn’t use my optical were all but useless. They didn’t carry the sharpness or resolution needed for a magazine. However, photo’s which were taken when using the optical zoom were much sharper and useful.

I also learnt how to formulate and produce an industry quality machine using relatively basic software. Without access to Adobe InDesign or Quark, was forced to use Adobe Fireworks, a software known far more its ability at creating websites. But, with remarkable ease, I managed to create a music magazine that I believe shows real quality. 

Who would be the audience for your media product?

All my research suggested that the most likely audience for my product would be 18-21 year old males who are fans of alternative rock. I conducted extensive research to the paint the most accurate picture of my target audience.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Being a magazine focusing on alternative rock, it would be unlikely that supermarket chains would distribute my product. They tend to stock magazines which are aimed more towards popular culture, than alternative culture. However, I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing. The alternative rock scene prides itself on its underground values, an ideology I can tap into to distribute my product. Independent record stores and small gig venues are fantastic places from which to distribute my magazine. Independent record stores are a very large part of alternative culture and due to the owner of the shop choosing whether or not to stock my magazine, rather than a CEO of a multi-national company, I could get my magazine on a shop floor in days rather than months. The incentive for small record stores is that in a time where music sales are plummeting they may be able to potentially make extra money off the back of magazine sales, and as the magazine becomes more and more popular, more and more people will come to the independent record stores.

Gig venues may also offer an opportunity to distribute my magazine. With gigs playing such an integral part of the alternative rock music scene it would be a perfect place for my product to be placed as the target audience would assemble there on almost a nightly basis.

  In addition to this I could potentially sell my magazine at alternative culture stores such as Forbidden Planet. The comic book and alternative rock scenes often link together. With Forbidden Planet already stocking extensive quantities of non-music related magazines, it is certainly conceivable that they would distribute my product.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media product represents the alternative culture in a number of ways. The content of the magazine mirrors the interests and ideologies of the alternative culture by reporting on iconic alternative bands in a positive light. Many conventions of the press media are rejected, in keeping with the manner in which alternative culture rejects mainstream culture. The colours and fonts used also represent the social group. By using dark colours and punk fonts, it immediately sets a tone different to a magazine focusing on indie culture. I also allow members of the alternative rock scene to have an opinion in the magazine. The magazine is completely based around feedback received from members of the culture, and in the “what you said” section, I draw direct quotes from those attending alternative gigs. These gigs are a large part of alternative culture. This is why the vast majority of images used are photographs of bands playing live, rejecting the convention of photo shoots which have become common in popular culture.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My product is based around the conventions of real media texts. The placing of the masthead is an example of this, like most publications it is in the upper half of the cover. I did this as I felt challenging this convention would be unlikely to yield satisfactory results.

 However, I did subtly challenge a convention on the front cover. It seems almost universally accepted that the barcode should be placed on the front, but I decided it would be placed on the back of my magazine. Throughout the construction of my product, I worked hard to ensure the atmosphere of the magazine was consistent throughout. I felt the barcode disrupted this and so moved it out of the way.

I have used the convention of house styles fully. I felt by abandoning it, it would have a negative effect on the creation of brand identity, in turn effecting sales. The house style extends throughout the magazine and even encompasses the main cover image. The man featured is wearing a red, black and white shirt, the same as my colour scheme. This forms an effective link between text and image, ensuring they don’t come across as separate entities to the audience.

I have developed the convention of the editors letter on the contents page. Rather than simply following the convention and writing the letter myself, I gave my work to a popular musician in the alternative rock scene and asked him to write what he thought of the magazine. This could potentially have a huge effect on the audience. Rather than having someone which the reader has limited knowledge about discussing the magazine, they have someone who they are familiar with promoting the magazine, and in turn increasing sales.

My double page spread also develops the forms and conventions of real media products. All too often, readers are alienated from reviews as they are written by someone whom they won’t necessarily identify with. A lot of reviewers in existing magazines don’t come across as fans, creating a coldness to the piece, and this can be frustrating for a reader. To combat this I have added a section called “What you said”. This is where an average member of the audience is asked for their opinion on the gig, giving a more fan based view so the audience can get both the reviewers analytical opinion and an average person’s more emotive opinion. 

What does my target market think?

 After completing my magazine I presented it to the five members of my target market that attend my college, whom have given vital information throughout the project. They were very happy with the result and commented on how dramatically my work has improved since the preliminary task. They said that it held all the traits they wished to see in a music publication and would definitely be interested in subscription.

However, not willing to just take this small groups opinion on my final product. I recreated the technique I used in my research phase and questioned 20 people who fit my target market. This time all I asked was "Would you buy this music magazine?" The results were outstanding...

...90% of those questioned expressed an interest in buying my magazine. I made sure to make no suggestion that I created the magazine so not to influence peoples responses, to ensure I got accurate and reliable data.

I welcomed constructive criticism, small details such as alignment were brought up by my target market, giving me area's to work on in future issues.

Overall, I am very happy with the reaction my magazine has received amongst the public and feel it has been a huge success.

The Double Page Spread

I also feel my double page spread is a success. Being text heavy, it gives my target audience exactly what they asked for. However, the spread doesn’t come across so text heavy that those who are more interested in images will simply bypass the page. The text is written in a formal tone, which is, again, what my audience asked for, rather than being a simple song by song review, it delves deeper into the issues surrounding the band and asks what their future holds in store. I implemented a star rating system, this is a common convention of gig reviews and allows the reader to quickly establish what point the review is trying to make. Using the font and colour of the masthead, I took a quote from the gig and placed it in the middle third of the spread. This, coupled with a large size, draws the readers attention in as it seems to be something of great importance. The quote engages the reader, and tries to induce the preferred reading that the gig was as the review describes, as it says the band only played "the good songs". In an attempt to further engage the audience, I created a section called “What you said”. By sandwiching the red “you” with a white “what” and “said”, it focuses the reader’s attention and gives the impression that the magazine is addressing them directly, asking them what they think. The image in the bottom right corner works very well. By cutting out all of the background, the picture appears light on the page and recreates a style used in my preliminary magazine which my audience were very fond of. The main image gives off a large amount of energy, a factor heavily associated with alternative rock, this further tries to reinforce the preferred reading that the gig was very good. I also included basic information such as where they're playing next and the set highlight so the reader can easily acquire information they wish to attain without having to dig through the text to find.

The Contents Page

I feel the contents page works as effectively as the front cover. I decided to reuse the masthead on this page as to increase brand identity whilst the magazine is in its infancy. Over time I would like to use it solely for the front cover as the house style would carry a similar level of brand identity, allowing the reader to identify the publication without having to read the name. As the front cover doesn’t use too many images, I decided to make the contents page quite image heavy so to ensure I don’t alienate the sectors of my audience that prefer images over text.  I evolved the idea of an editors letter. Rather than writing it myself, I showed a famous alternative rock musician my issue and asked him to write a letter about what to expect in the issue. I feel this challenges the conventions of print as I have never seen a magazine that does this. It acts as a seal of approval, as fans of Robin Henderson would be far more likely to buy the magazine if they know that he’s a fan. I have continued with the house style onto this page. The colour scheme remains red black and white and I also worked from the same selection of fonts. 

The Front Cover

I feel my magazines front cover has been a success. The house style is immediately evident (with colour schemes going so far as to match the figure in the main images shirt), this will allow brand recognition to develop quickly as my magazine will be instantly recognisable to potential buyers. Due to earlier criticism I removed photo’s from the cover and replaced them with text. This has been a successful move as the main image now creates a far more striking impression than would have been possible if it had been smothered by pictures combating for the audiences attention. I decided to use Fightstars band logo for the heading. I did this to draw in Fightstar fans, raising the likelihood of increased sales whilst Amped isn't a large brand name. The subheading works effectively. Its purpose was to raise questions which would be answered inside, forcing people to buy the magazine. I’m also pleased with the banners, they give large amounts of information in a very limited space whilst reinforcing the house style.  I felt it was important for the main image to overlap the masthead slightly, and I am very pleased with the results. It almost adds a third dimension to the piece through the layering. This battles the often detached nature of print, where audiences struggle to connect with the the people depicted in the same manner in which they would connect to a leading character in a sitcom. Due to feedback in my preliminary task I have made the masthead red, as it was felt to be extremely effective. I also, in light of feedback, ensured there were more stories included on the front cover, so to give the audience the impression that they're getting lots for their money.

House style!

A house style is very important for a magazine. It creates a sense of continuity throughout the print and reinforces brand identity, both of which are integral parts to launching a successful magazine. For my colour scheme I have decided to use black, white and red. This is due to them being the most popular choices amongst the sample of my target audience. They are also heavily used throughout the alternative music scene, resulting in prospective buyers knowing what genre my magazine is based around before reading a word. Fonts are equally as important as colour schemes. It is essential not to use a font for my masthead that is already used by another company. People subconsciously relate fonts to the product they are used for, so if I was to use the same font as McDonalds for my masthead, the majority of the public would instantly see McDonalds rather than Amped, ruining any chance of building brand recognition. I have decided to use a font called “Birth of a Hero”. This is not a font I have come across before and the fragmented, almost punk, style portrays alternative music fantastically. The other fonts I have decided to use extensively are Cambria and Maiandra GD. They are both clear to read and neither come across as dull or overused, two factors that are vital when trying to ensuring the audience will read the text. If the text is difficult to read or is in a over familiar font such as Ariel or Times New Roman it is unlikely that they will continue to read the magazine, and will therefore be unlikely to buy later issues. 

Photographs I will (and won't) be using

 This is a list of some of the photographs (all of which in their original state) that I have used (and one which I haven't) in my magazine. All of the photo's in my magazine were taken by me.

I have used this picture as my main image in my double page spread. The reason for this is it gives an impression of sheer energy. A factor so important to the alternative rock scene. Rather than being an image showing a static figure in a photoshoot, which can come across as contrived and uninteresting. It shows Dave Grohl, arguably the most recognisable man in alternative rock, in the middle of a gig. The photo has the ability to tell half the story. From the look of concentration and power in his face to the blurred hand, suggesting great speed and ability, to the hair, flung in the air showing energy. The photo shows numerous factors that are so important to the music scene I’m dedicating my magazine to.

I decided to use this image as my lead photo as I feel it captures the energy of Alternative Rock. In the photo is Charlie Simpson of Fightstar. Charlie Simpson and Fightstar are both household names in the alternative rock community and would draw enough people in to help boost the sales of the magazine. There is a lot of dead space around the photo, most of which has been cropped out in the final product. However, I felt the lighting helped add atmosphere to the photo, giving an almost angelic glow around Charlie. 

This photo is used on my contents page. In its original state is all but unusable but with some heavy cropping it works very well. I felt it important to include this image as Iggy Pop was one of the largest influences on alternative music and culture and is universally respected amongst these circles. It almost adds a seal of approval saying that this magazine is true to the genre and won’t abandon it like publications such as Kerrang and NME have done in recent years.  

I decided against using this image. When cropped it produces an image that could have potential. However, the focus is not sharp enough and the resolution is not high enough to be of much use in my magazine. If used, the picture could appear grainy and blurred, creating an unprofessional image

Below is a collection of uncaptioned photo's which I have used in my magazine. Once again, all photographs were taken by me.

The Title!

The title of my magazine is massively important. I feel a good title must reflect the music scene the magazine is based around. My first idea was “Amped”. I felt this would be a good title as it suggests loudness and power, whilst playing on the fact that all alternative rock bands use amplifiers. I took the name to my class and had a unanimously positive response. Therefore it became the title of my magazine.

Hardware and Software

To create a product of high quality, the software and hardware I choose is very important.

I have played with a number of different  image manipulation programs and DTP's to see which is most suited for my task. I immediately discounted programs such as Paint which would be wholly inadequate and unsuitable for creating a magazine.

 I began with Photoshop, however, despite it’s fantastic power, I found it lacked the user-friendly qualities I wished to have from my chosen software. Indesign is also an industry favourite, however, I was unable to get access to it, so I chose to use Adobe Fireworks 8.

I felt Fireworks 8 blended user friendliness with quality perfectly. I was able to quickly produce products of great quality with seemingly limitless options to alter images and text. It also allows the user to save in a large number of formats so not to limit its usefulness. Despite being considered a lesser piece of software than Photoshop and Indesign, Fireworks is competent enough to produce industry quality magazines.

This use of Fireworks does challenge the conventions of the creation of magazines. Fireworks is traditionally a piece of software used to create websites, but I feel it has all the traits needed to work very successfully as a desktop publisher.

For basic image manipulation I used Microsoft Office Picture Manager, despite being very basic software, it allowed me to prepare images to be entered into Fireworks, where the finishing touches would be applied.

To take the photographs required for my magazine I have decided to use my Panasonic Lumix camera. Despite being a compact camera, it has an ability to take images of exceptional quality, this coupled with its portability and durability gave me the formula for a fantastic tool. I decided against using SLR’s as my magazines photographs are likely to centre around live performances and without a press card, it is all but impossible to get a high quality SLR into a gig. 

Final Designs

I have listened to the feedback I recieved and acted accordingly. I have changed supporting images to supporting stories in an attempt to emphasise the lead image. I have also included a border at the top of the page so to increase the professional image of the piece.

I have also acted upon criticism in my contents page, I've been sure to include the previously overlooked subscription section of the page and tried to help create clear boundaries between each part of the page. I will probably increase the image size in the final product in an attempt to draw the readers attention.

My double page spread has experienced a complete rework. The story is now no longer in one unappealing text heavy block. I have also moved the supporting image to a position where I can recreate the picture seen in that section of the page in my preliminary tasks content page. I have added a new feature called "What you think" which I hope will seriously challenge the conventions of print.

After completing these designs I took them back to my target market. They were much happier with the quality of the designs and were eager to see the final product!

First designs

This is the first design of my front cover. It is quite basic and unimpressive. I gave it to the five people in my college that fit my target market and asked for their feedback on what needs improvement. They came up with a number of useful ideas:

-Place a border at the top so the footer doesn't look so unusual
-Perhaps change the supporting images to supporting stories so the large image has greater power in the page

Like my front cover, my contents page comes across as overly simple and seemingly inadequate to present a professional image. Once again I turned my work over to members of my target market in search for feedback:
-There's no option to subscribe to the magazine
-The images look like they would be small on the page
-The sections of the page don't seem clearly defined

Without doubt, my double page spread was the area that needed the most work. Far from an industry quality design, I set about redesigning the page, asking members of my target market for pointers:

-Maybe place the main image in the centre of the spread
-I'd like to see a picture similar in style to that in the preliminary tasks content page
-There needs to be more on the page than just the story and two images.


With all this feedback I was able to get to work redesigning my magazine and creating a piece that would come across as more professional and portray exactly what my target market want!

What do the competitors offer?

After identifying who my competitors were. I researched their products further in an attempt to identify the conventions of the genre.

Masthead- The way in which the masthead is largely covered by the large image is unusual. In doing so it runs the risk of alienating potential buyers by reducing the brand identity. However, with Kerrang being a massively popular publication, most buyers will be able to identify the magazine even with such a large obstacle in front of the masthead. The black on white nature of the masthead draws in the audience as the contrast creates a very powerful image, reinforced by the exclamation mark.

Large Image- Following the conventions of the media, the large image is relevant to the lead story line. The image acts as a canvas for the cover on which the rest is mounted. This gives the suggestion that the related story must be important to warrant such a large space. The people in the picture are looking directly at the reader. This is to engage them and create a connection between magazine and potential buyer so to increase sales.

Large Heading- The large heading of “Biffy Clyro” is as big as the Masthead. This suggests that the story carries real importance. It also brings in a second degree of brand identity. Biffy Clyro are a massive band and Kerrang are using this to help sell magazines by trying to attract fans of the band who aren’t necessarily regular buyers of the magazine. The font used is the official font of the band, a technique that is very effective. It helps keep each individual cover fresh by not reusing the same style week after week and helps link the image with the heading.

Sub-heading- The sub-heading works as a pun. At the time of the magazines release, the band had released their album “Puzzle”. By including this in the sub-heading, it gratifies the reader as they feel they are part of an in-joke, creating a connection between magazine and audience. 

The main cover line is larger than the masthead. This is done because Morrissey is an iconic figure amongst NME’s target audience so the publication becomes of secondary importance. Morrissey is also seen looking directly at the camera, creating a direct mode of address.

None of the colours conflict with the image, allowing the words to have greater emphasis. The cover is very limited on its use of colours to create a professional image. Whilst the colours that are used resonate with the target audience of indie fans and students as the yellow, white and blue reflect a party atmosphere, 

Supporting Images- Kerrang’s contents page is heavily image orientated, leading little room for text. It is therefore essential that the images can give some indication to the stories behind them, otherwise the reader would be very unsure as to what is actually in the magazine.

Brand identity- There is very little brand identity within the contents page, the only mention of Kerrang is in a miniscule picture in the upper left corner. It seems likely that the editor is certain that by the time someone gets to the contents page they won’t need reminding that they are reading Kerrang.

Editors letter- The editors letter is a convention of music magazines. It adds a personal touch to a medium that cannot often feel quite cold and unconnected to the audience. It also allows the audience to understand what themes a particular issue of a magazine is based around.

This example from The Big Cheese is very structured and concise. The listed contents are surrounded by supporting images illustrating the stories written about. Clearly the magazine has aimed to make navigation through the magazine as easy as possible. Fonts that require little effort reading are used as to not make reading the contents page difficult and unappealing. Like most music publications, not every page is outlined in the contents page, this is due to advertisements and pages with multiple content. It also allows a more concise reading.  

Text- Kerrangs double page spread is very heavy on text. Being a news piece this is expected as they need to get the story across as fully as possible. The inclusion of “world exclusive” is very important. It’s a phrase used whenever possible in the news industry as it gives the product a unique selling point. The size of the text varies greatly. The heading is large and bold, promoting the idea of “the best MCR”. It presumes the reader knows what MCR stands for, creating a  connection of knowledge between reader and article. The main chunk of text is in a very small text, attempting to make the article look less text heavy in an attempt to convince people that it isn’t too much effort to read.

Heading- The heading is the most eye-catching piece on the double page spread. It uses both the middle and right third of the pages to force the readers attention upon it. By sandwiching a line of white writing with red writing, it can reinforce the point far stronger than if it merely used italics or underlined it. The heading is also a direct quote from the band, giving information to lure the reader in.

Image- Imagery is used very heavily in the piece. They show a variety of different scenario’s, suggesting there is a large variety of information available within the text. The photo’s are all monochrome, giving an impression of warmth to the piece. Monochrome photography is more subtle and interpretive  than coloured photography, allowing the reader to focus on the emotions portrayed in the images rather than the colour.

Colour- Colour, or lack of it, plays a huge role in the double page spread. The only colour used is red, and even this is used sparsely to reinforce certain sections of text or area’s on the page. The lack of colour throughout ties in with the emo scene which My Chemical Romance are a huge part of. White, black and red are the trademark colours of emo and it’s likely that a lot of readers would subscribe to this lifestyle, therefore connecting them and the piece together. 

This is a double page spread is far more chaotic than the previous one, possibly in an attempt to recreate the tone of the festival it is reporting on. There is no clear definition between pages, meaning the whole spread appears to be one large piece article rather than two separate ones. The heading doesn’t take a prominent position as we would normally expect, instead the pictures are left to tell the story. The tone of the piece is in keeping with the tone of Metal Hammer. Mentions of “hangovers” and “total arses” create an informal atmosphere which the readers expect.

This research has helped me realise what is needed in a successful magazine and just how much thought goes into every detail. I now feel more prepared 

Other magazines on the market

After identifying who my target market is I felt it was important to understand who else is in the market and what audience are they aiming their products at.

There are dozens of music magazines in circulation in the UK. I have outlined the basic information on some of my main competitors as to give me a deeper knowledge into understanding my competitors.

I see my main competitors as weekly magazines so I will discuss these first.

Kerrang

Kerrang is a huge global brand published through Bauer. The title is onomatopoeic, recreating the sound of a strummed guitar. Its total circulation is 134,000. A few years ago, it would have been impossible for me to launch my alternative rock magazine as Kerrang were heavily reporting on this genre, but in recent years, its focus has softened, moving towards more pop-orientated music, and has received a backlash for it, a backlash i intend on capitalising on.

NME

With over 50 years of history, NME plays an integral part in British music reporting. ABC reported a total circulation of 33,875 between Jan and June 2010. This is significantly smaller than Kerrang but is still sizeable. It poses less competition to my magazine as in recent decades it has focused on indie and brit-pop all but exclusively.

The following magazines are all monthly, despite my target audience wanting a weekly magazine, monthly issues are still very important to my research and monthly publications remain competitors.

Metal Hammer

Despite being market leaders in Germany, Metal Hammer aren’t quite as successful in the UK. There is likely to be a crossover between bands featured in my magazine and Metal Hammer as the alternative and metal scenes are quite often inter-linked. This means it is likely to be one of my main competitors, but the fact it is a monthly publication means buyers aren’t likely to struggle to choose between the brand they wish to become loyal to.

The Big Cheese

A monthly, independent magazine, The Big Cheese has made large inroads since its launch in 1996. Heavily featuring alternative rock bands, it is similar in content to mine. However, I aim to create a more formal tone than expressed in The Big Cheese, this will mean there will be a large difference in those who would pick up The Big Cheese and those who would pick up mine.

Classic Rock

Classic Rock is a huge seller and is often seen as a more respectful publication than most its competitors. I don’t see Classic Rock as a competitor, it focuses on a very different side of rock and attracts a very different audience. However, the respect it commands within the industry is very impressive and is certainly something for my magazine to aspire to.

These are some examples of magazines currently circulating, they are all very different and all have traits and styles which I can learn from in order to create the best magazine possible. 

The target market and the psychographic

Armed with the information from the graphs I quickly established my target market. An 18-21 year old male who is a fan of alternative rock.

This information meant i could now focus on psychographic information. To do so I questioned 5 students at my college who fit my demographic and a further 20. To find these 20 i used Facebook to identify people who fit my demographic. To establish whether they are a fan of alternative rock I looked on the “wall” of popular alternative rock festivals Download, Sonisphere, Reading and Hevy and chose 5 people from each, as to ensure my findings reflected the diverse nature of alternative rock. I then sent out both my demographic (to ensure they are who I believed them to be) and a set of open ended psychographic questions to base my magazine around. Most responded through typing, however, one of those questioned made a video response!

My psychographic questioning gave me very important information to base my magazine around. It was clear that my target market wanted a weekly magazine, retailing between £3 and £4. This would feed me directly into a segment of the industry dominated by Kerrang and NME, i therefore felt it would be important to undercut their price and offer unique selling points. My research definitely hinted at what one of these USP’s could be; unique freebies. Most of those questioned commented upon how they have grown tiresome of posters and wanted something different. I also found out that my market want a magazine with a fairly formal tone, by no means an academic publication, but far from the informal tone seen in magazines aiming their product towards younger teens. I also found that my audience wanted a good balance between imagery and text, with neither drastically outweighing the other.  

All this research into my target market has given me a detailed picture into what my audience want from my magazine.

The graphs!

This graph shows the age group of those questioned. It’s clear that the majority of those that filled in the questionnaire are between 18 and 21. This should therefore be the age group I target my magazine at. Many in this age group are students. This means I could advertise my magazine on campus’s or student websites with relative ease and great cost-effectiveness.  I strongly believe this information is accurate and representative of the alternative rock fan base. I certainly got the impression when conducting my research that the vast majority of the audience were in this age group.

According to my research, most the people who completed a questionnaire were male. This is very important as my magazines house style will heavily reflect the gender it is aimed towards. If I aimed my magazine towards females, it would be likely to contain different colours and fonts to what i would use if i was aiming it towards males, this is because a magazine that has content that reflects the male demographic would be likely to be unsuccessful if the house style consisted of pinks and language that engages women. 

I found these findings very interesting. Out of the 50 people questioned, only 14 of them currently bought a music magazine. This paints the picture of there being a massive gap in the market, and when coupled my findings on whether those questioned would buy a magazine focusing on alternative rock...

...it became clear that I could fill this void. The majority of those questioned seemed very interested in the magazine I was proposing. 

How I got my data

To find out this information i produced a questionnaire and handed copies out at numerous Alternative Rock gigs, acquiring a large amount of information. My findings without doubt suggested there was a big enough audience to give a new Alternative Rock magazine a real chance of success. This first questionnaire focused largely on identifying my target market by asking demographically orientated questions. However, it also contained questions to ensure there is a market available for my product

(This is a photo I took outside an alternative rock gig whilst waiting for people to leave the venue)

In all, i handed out my questionnaire at five different gigs, collecting 10 responses at each. I did this so my research wasn’t too heavily based on a single bands fan base and so i had sufficient data to be confident the results it showed were representative of alternative rock fans.

After collecting the data, I entered it all into Microsoft Excel and formulated graphs to give a clear picture of my findings!

An idea!

My strongest idea, i felt, was to create a magazine dedicated to the Alternative Rock scene. In past years, Kerrang has held the monopoly for this genre, however, in recent years it has become clear they have altered their base genre. Kerrang have moved towards Pop-Punk, promoting bands such as All Time Low and You Me At Six. This, I feel, has left a massive gap in the market. My immediate research was to read comments posted on the publications website, this was aimed to give me an initial indication of whether Kerrang had began to lose its original fan base and to see whether a gap in the market for a new alternative rock magazine existed. It soon became clear that Kerrang was losing its alternative subscribers. A user called “/mu/tant” commented on how he hasn’t “bought Kerrang in almost a year” due to it turning into a “borderline pop magazine”. Many news articles comment sections became war grounds between those who aren’t happy with the direction Kerrang has progressed in and those who have become fans in the wake of its change of direction.

This initial research made it clear to me that there was definitely a gap in the market. However, it was important to identify which demographics and psychographics would buy my magazine. A demographic is information that can be labelled and put into statistics, such as age, gender and race. This creates the profile of the average buyer and shows a target market. Psychographics build upon this information, portraying what is important to your target market and shows exactly what they want. Understanding demographics and psychographics will allow me to formulate a magazine that has the highest chance of success as, in theory, with the correct research, it will be exactly what my target market want! 

Beginning of the main task!

After completing my preliminary task, it was time to begin work on my main task.

For my main task I have decided to create a rock magazine, focusing on one particular part of the genre. However, before even thinking about creating it, I must find out who my audience is likely to be so I can create a magazine that reflects their tastes and opinions, so to give it the best chance of success. 

Feedback for the Preliminary Task

Following the creation of my preliminary task I asked my class mates what they thought of my product. The feedback I received was largely negative. Here are some examples of comments that were made:

-There is too much blank space

-The contents page seems to be lacking structure

-The same fonts are used too much

-The lack of supporting stories gives the impression of a magazine with little to offer its audience

However, as well as these constructive comments, I also received some positive feedback. Here are some examples

-The use of red in the masthead is very effective

-The effect created by the photograph in the bottom right of the contents page works well

-The house style is carried throughout

This feedback certainly gives me something to think about for when i progress onto my main task. I now know area’s in which i need to improve, such as the use of fonts, and area’s which work well, such as the use of red in the masthead. 

Preliminary Task Double Page Spread

Preliminary Task Contents Page

Preliminary Task Front Cover

Preliminary Task

My first task was to create a magazine for my college. I set about creating it straight away!

Overview

Welcome to my Media Studies coursework blog!

Name: Elliott Gwynn

Candidate Number: 4060

Center Number: 58813

For my coursework i have chosen the Print task of Unit G321.