Audience Research: Reader Profiles

Reader profiles are very useful in order to gather information about the audience i.e the amount of males and females, the median age and the type of things the audience are interested in. Here's an example of NME's reader profile.

http://www.ipcadvertising.com/resource/6dcz2moj66wp0swdpyx5rv3o.pdf

My Reader Profile:

My reader profile is similar to the example of NME's, mentioned above. I have included pictures of my audience's interests, such as:

• An Ipod Classic, as even though they aren't the newest model, they have a large memory suitable for storing the music that my audience would be interested in, the different genres and the different time zones of which the music is from.
• Models displaying clothes from Topshop, as they are known for selling quite vintage clothes, which is very popular with young people today.
• Gadgets such as a laptop, Playstation 3 and a camera as young people are known for having the latest gadgets
• Other things, such as clothes, shoes, chocolate and alcohol, which is very popular with young people.

I have included items that would appeal to the male audience as well as the female audience as the magazine would appeal to both. The reason my median age is 24 is because even though mainly young people would buy the magazine (teenagers), older people would sometimes buy it if they recognise who is on the front cover as it would be music they used to listen to when they were younger, therefore '24' would be the average age.

My target audience would be male and female; I think that more males would be interested in the classic rock part of the magazine and more females would be interested in the classic pop part, but mainly a mixture. The age group would vary; older people might like to read it as it would be music that they used to listen to when they were younger however, young people would also read it as many young people like old music and prefer it to current music. Overall, I think the average age appropriate for my magazine would be around 24 as that age is in between the younger audience and the older audience.

The magazine's price would be £2.99 as that way, the young audience can afford it, especially students. It'll be published once a month as because it's classic pop and rock, there aren't always going to be new updated music and stories within the magazine. However, because it's once a month, every issue could have a different classic rock band or artist on the front cover based on an anniversary, e.g. a well known album's 20th anniversary, or a certain artist's birthday month. I got the idea for my magazine from reading special editions of Q magazine and Smash Hits; when Michael Jackson died, Smash Hits produced a one-off special all about his music career. I enjoyed reading it and wanted them to make more of them type of magazines but with other artists from the past.

LIIAR Analysis: Double Page Spread

The double page spread (the image on the right) represents the rock band Aerosmith and they would have been on the front cover as well. There's a large image on the left, as it would catch your eye and it's also conventional to have a large image. There are also pull quotes between various paragraphs in the article in the feature colour (red) as this is conventional and is like a quick way of finding out what they have said in the article. They also have included drop caps (maximising the beginning letter of a paragraph) as that's also conventional. The various images on the double page spread are in black and white and shows the band on stage; this connotes what their music is about and the kind of outfits they wear. There's also a smaller article to the right of the double page spread; this is conventional to feature another short article on the band to give more details about them.

Again, most of the photos are in black and white and the members have long hair, which connotes their music genre as being rock. They are also wearing tight jeans and jewellery, as that’s what rock bands used to wear. The magazine also represents the band Aerosmith as being energetic and lively, like a typical rock band, as the photos of Steven Tyler (the main front man) involve him dancing on stage. 

LIIAR Analysis: Contents Page

The contents page is another example from the magazine "Classic Rock". It includes a large image on the left of the Rolling Stones, in black and white, which again represents their genre of rock. It also includes a pull quote (known as anchorage) so that it makes you want to read on, especially if they've said something outrageous. They are also looking moody on their photos, as that's considered 'cool' for a rock band to do. It connotes that they are a rock band because of the dark image. It also has the conventional heading 'contents' and sub-headings to represent the different categories of pages, e.g. 'features'. Also, the page numbers are all in the colour red and are all the same size; this is done to show consistency and so the magazine sticks to the conventional “house style”. They have also stuck to conventional methods by not using the word 'page' or 'pg.' before the page numbers. They have also included a caption to the photo in the bottom right hand corner and publication details, to tell you who took the photo. They have also included the issue number and cover date at the top underneath 'contents' to show when the magazine was published. They have also stuck to the same colours as the front cover as it creates a "house style" and makes the magazine look neat and consistent. The masthead “Rolling Stones” is also in the centre near to the top so it attracts the reader’s eye and so they’re immediately drawn to the image below.

The Rolling Stones are represented by a large image to the left of the text. Once again, it’s an image in black and white, which connotes the genre of rock as it’s usually seen as dark and loud music. People in rock bands aim to look a certain way; as if they have a “don’t care” attitude and that’s represented by the image as some of the members aren’t looking at the camera and look as though they weren’t ready for the photo.

LIIAR Analysis: Front Cover

The front page shows the rock band AC/DC and the photo is composed to look like a conventional rock band photo as it's in black and white. The darkness of the image connotes what their music is about; rock is quite loud and outrageous and they're presented as outrageous by the way in which they're going against the conventional way of posing for a photo. The also have long hair and are pulling different faces; you can tell they're a rock band by this photo because it's dark and the way in which they look as if they weren't expecting a photo. If it was a pop band, it'd be a brighter photo and they'd probably be dressed differently and all smiling. The masthead is in capital letters; this could connote the idea that it's loud and is like it shouts out at you, which could represent their music. The colour of it is white, so it stands out against the dark background - this could connote that the band stands out with their music. It's also in very large font, behind the band, as to catch your eye and show what they are about. The cover portrays many conventional features, such as a selling line at the top; this helps sell the magazine as if it includes "4 free gifts" it'll make the audience buy it. It also has the conventional name of the band towards the bottom of the magazine in large font; this makes it stand out so you instantly know who the band is. There are also cover lines at the bottom of the magazine to show what's inside so that it persuades the audience to buy it. The front cover has the typical "house style" running throughout with the colours red, black and white; this makes it look less messy and doesn't confuse you when looking at it. Another selling line is placed at the bottom; "10th birthday special edition" - this would make the audience buy it as usually in special editions, the magazine might include more inside and would be a rare, special issue.

"Classic Rock" is a British magazine, mainly focusing on rock bands from the 1960s to 1990s, however it also includes upcoming artists and reviews they think are suitable for the magazine. It started off as just a one-off special, however it soon became one of the UK's best selling music magazines. It has a higher circulation than 'NME', which shows that music from the past is still hugely popular in the present.

"The magazine attracted a niche audience initially but sales grew as Classic Rock featured artists such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Aerosmith on its cover in the first year. It attracted those who saw mainstream music publications such as 'Q'' and 'NME' to be stale, and too focused on discovering the next big thing." 

It is published by Future Publishing and it's the sixth largest media company in the UK. It publishes more than 150 magazines in categories such as; video games, films and photography etc. There is also a US version. Future Publishing has become a large global company, so the fact that they produce this magazine shows that it must be popular in order for them to produce it.

Source: Wikipedia

Rock bands are conventionally presented as having no morals, as most of them are known for drug and alcohol abuse. The front cover portrays the band AC/DC as being the stereotypical rock band. The photo is in black and white, therefore the darkness could symbolise their 'dark' behaviour; going to parties all of the time and the usual "trashing hotel rooms". The way in which they're all pulling different faces shows there were no rules involved in the photo shoot, as it looks like there was no order to it; they're all doing what they want to do. It shows that they are willing to go against conventions and not take themselves too seriously, which makes them appeal to their audience as that's generally what people like. Also, some of the band members look moody, which makes them seem 'cool' and straight-faced. It suggests that the audience could be teenagers who look up to them and you're considered 'cool' if you like rebellious bands.

The magazine suggests that the target audience would be those that try to be like them, which is why people consider rock bands to be a bad influence. These bands are considered 'cool' and people want to be like them so go out of their way to break the rules and go against conventions. The target audience could also be people who stick to the rules and have good morals, but look to these bands for ways to be considered 'cooler' by their fellow peers, especially teenagers. This magazine’s target audience would be mainly men, as rock is conventionally seen to be a male type of music as it’s loud and considered ‘wild’. I think it’d be a mixture of ages; teenagers, as they would look up to this kind of music and might have been influenced and shown by their parents when they were younger. Older people might also buy it, as they might have been a fan of AC/DC’s music back when they were big.

AC/DC are represented as being rebellious, as they are going against conventions in terms of their poses in the photo and their behaviour, as you can barely see some of the band members; this shows that there was no set way they had in mind of taking the photo. You can tell straight away, even if you aren’t aware of the band, that it’s representing rock music as it’s in black and white. If it was pop music, the colour would be much brighter; the featured band/artist would be wearing different clothes and posing differently. AC/DC are a well-known band, therefore with them appearing on the front cover, it would sell more copies.

Market Research: Existing Magazines

    

Front Cover Examples

All of these magazine front covers have a similar genre to what my magazine will be. The first one is called 'Classic Pop' and has a picture of the Pet Shop Boys on the front - they were big in the 1980s and that's the type of music my magazine will include. The middle one includes Axl Rose from the band Guns N' Roses, which are a classic rock band. However, the third magazine includes Madonna, a classic pop artist that has been around for a while, and shows that she is still around in the music industry and it might include her recent music.  All three magazines have a conventional masthead, classic artists from the past and cover lines to persuade people to buy the magazine. The image takes up most of the front cover and the cover lines surround it. There are also selling lines on the front covers; the first one says 'new magazine' which would persuade people to buy it and the second has 'free CD' at the top of the magazine (free gifts would make people buy it).

Contents Page Examples

All three contents pages have page numbers but don't include the word 'page' as this is the conventional way in which contents pages are created. They all have big images or a few small images as this draws the reader in as they might like that particular band or artist. Pull quotes have also been used as anchorage to draw the reader in and want to read that particular article; e.g. the artist might have said something outrageous that would make the reader want to read more. The middle magazine also has a subscription advertisement. There's also a good use of sub-headings to create structure for the contents page. They also include things that were on the cover to make it easier for the reader to find inside the magazine. There are also captions, publication details and photo and stylist credit under or next to the main image on the contents page.

Double Page Spread Examples

Each double page spread is unique and creates interest for the readers who like these artists. The middle one has a large pull quote at the top, which would be the first thing the reader would read - this would make them want to read on in the article as it's quite outrageous. Each one has one large image on the left hand side of the double page spread; this creates an eye catching effect. At the start of each of the articles, the first letter is enlarged and in the main colour of the colour scheme that runs throughout, this is known as a drop-cap; this is known as 'house-style' and makes the article look structured and not messy. There are also captions on the image and picture information. On the third double page spread, there is extra information on the artist on the right; this gives variety within the article and usually tells you more about the artist/band.

Current Magazines: Circulation

As you can see, these four magazines represented in the pie chart above have a very high circulation in the UK. They are all similar genres to what my magazine would be, which demonstrates the amount of sales my magazine would probably make if they are producing this amount of copies.

The History Of My Genre

My magazine would include artists that were around mainly in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s; however, if an artist has released a new song then the magazine could be about what they're doing now.

Also, if a well known album's anniversary is coming up, the magazine would be about that. Many artists from the past are still making music today, such as Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Paul McCartney etc. Most music today is influenced from music in the 80s, as artists like Michael Jackson are still very popular with different generations and many artists today such as Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake and Usher are influenced by him.

Legendary bands and artists from the past have made music what it is today, therefore Classic Pop and Rock is very important and this magazine would help younger generations understand more about the history of music.

PAST VS. PRESENT

                                                               

Madonna and Lady Gaga are very similar, which shows that Lady Gaga has been influenced by Madonna's style and type of music. They are both controversial and expressive artists and are known for their outrageous style and fast selling music.



Beyonce's inspiration is Tina Turner; they have similar types of music and also similar voices. When Beyonce was younger, she would have listened to Tina Turner as she was very popular in the 80s. She loved the way Tina Turner performed therefore performs in a similar way; Beyonce often sings ballads like Tina Turner.




John Lennon is one of Liam Gallagher's inspirations, as he's a really big fan of his. When Liam was in the band Oasis, many of their songs were highly influenced by the Beatles. Liam Gallagher has said before in many interviews that he loves John Lennon's music and many of his songs are based on Lennon's.