5. How did you attract/address your audience?

When constructing my magazine, I chose to use Q Magazine, as it’s genre of rock/indie is similar to mine. This would help me in it’s layout and how it attracts it’s audience, as we both share a target audience of that style.

My target audience is defined as 16 to 25 years old to help me refine my content to what my target audience really likes, and prevent myself from being to general in construction; helping me to create the best music magazine I can produce to my ability.

However, I decided to use a more defined and younger target audience than Q, of male16 to 25 years in age. I chose modify to this, as my research shows that the audiences are becoming more technophiles, and the younger generation are the best example of this. Therefore, by using the internet as a platform to advertise the magazine, I can maintain my audience’s interest and gain a wider demographic from it reaching a larger amount of people. This could be through the magazine’s site, forums or social media sites.

The magazine could also appeal to their target audience by portraying artists that dress like them, articles that relate to their lives or lives they desire, language that is easy and contains a small amount of their idiolect, a layout that is fun with a colour scheme that reflects their style (red,black,white,grey), free gifts and advertisements that appeal to their interests. This also benefits the magazine, as well as the advertiser, as it creates a symbiotic relationship. Having the advertisements in the magazine attracts consumers for the advertiser’s product and widens their consumer group. The advertisers pay to have their advertisements in the magazine, which is profit for the magazine, as well as creating trust with their audience as the audience now perceives the magazine as understanding their preferences, leading to future buys.

Cover Page I decided to use this photo as my front cover image, as I felt

it had the best quality and representation. The model portrays the representation of my target audience, while also expressing the desire to aspire in life through her facial expressions; to feel free to self express themselves in their preferences; to be original in a society they do not necessarily feel they fit. I choose this representation as it is considered the stereotypical concern of my teenage/young adult demographic, that they have difficulty finding their purpose for the rest of their life. A phase where they have left the restriction of childhood and are embracing the responsibility of the adult world as well as their individuality as a person. Possibly this individuality has a preference in Rock/Indie music which the image is portraying to them that this magazine understand them, and through this connection will making a trusting bond that will generate frequent sales.

I used the pug that contains reference to a free CD to interest the audience into purchasing the magazine for the gift. This is a technique I have observed as common in other magazine, as it lures the audience into purchasing the magazine, and then hopefully gaining trust and perhaps the audience will read the magazine and subscribe for further issues. It also is a form of profit for the magazine, engaging in a symbiotic relationship with the band’s owner. An example of this is Q and Elbow, as Q entails in their April 2011 issue, a free Elbow CD for a subscription to Q, which is an example of the synergy between Bauer and Universal who both gain a greater profit and awareness from this promotion.

Language like ‘BIGGEST’, ‘EXCLUSIVE’ and ‘CONTROL’ were exaggerated to pull the audience in to reading the from cover, and then purchasing the magazine.

Contents Page I maintained the masthead, so the audience would feel the

uniformity between my key pages. I also used this technique with the model image for my splash content, this repetition of images from the same photo shoot presents this content as connected, as well as being cost effective and not being very time consuming.

I also repeated the website to ensure that my audience is fully aware of the alternate platform that is associated with my brand. This appeals to my target audience as technophiles, and corresponds the vastly increasing demand for technology in the magazine business, presenting my magazine as realistic.

The images presented have pages numbers that correspond to the contents list, this helps to intrigue the audience into the content with a visual aid, instead of just having text.

The models in my images are varied in gender to represent all of my target audience age. However, since my magazine is specifically targeting males, the male in my image is presented as confident in his stance, with an eye line match with the audience to portray a connection between them, as well as gaining their attention, but also portraying how the artist isn’t hiding behind anything, emphasizing confidence. This may reflect how insecure with their identities my late teen/young adult target audience may feel at such a decisive point in their lives. Their introduction into a world where they feel almost insignificant could be remedied by the confidence and style that this magazine conveys. The audience feels like it is the magazine that has helped to find them, not only an identity, but one where they feel important and special.

In addition to this, the female model is presented as almost seductive with the mise-en-scene costume of red lipstick that is prominent in every image of the artist used (cover page and article), which could be perceived as having connotations of desire, love, sexual attraction, danger/rebellion. This subconsciously plays on her sexual appeal to attract the male audience to the article, generating sales.

Double-Page Article

This could be reinforced through the pull quote ‘..it’s so much harder alone” which adds to the isolated and vulnerable portrayal of the artist. This is contrasted with ‘I will still probably drink, I’m not going to lie... because we all know I will’ which’s controversial contents portrays the stereotypical attitude of an ‘I don’t care’ teen and the overwhelming introduction to the wild influence of alcohol. However, the blunt honesty conveyed also portrays the artist as truthful, which may appeal the audience as they feel they can trust the artist, and by extension, the magazine. This is one of the key approaches a magazine uses to relate to their audience, in order to gain further sales.

The conversational language of the interview creates a relaxed atmosphere for the audience whilst reading the article. It also humanises the artist, helping the audience to relate to her and trust her on a more personal level, as opposed to a distant celebrity on a higher level. This is again reflected in the image of the artist, which portrays the vulnerability of ‘Ella’ and perhaps relating to how the audience feels vulnerable and isolated in their beginning steps, as late teens to early adults, into the big world that is adult life.