Audience Pleasures

Socio - economic groups

Audience pleasures are what will please the audience or make them happy and what the magazine think the audience want, this could be a free gift or an exclusive interview.

Therefore it is crucial that I follow a set of techniques in order to persuade my audience to buy the magazine and to maintain readership. 

When I am thinking about my targeted audience it is extremely important that I consider their Socio - economic group in order to be successful in meeting the expected criteria and in selling the magazine itself.

Socio - economic groups are how different audiences are categorised according to their income and occupation.

Group A - This is the group often referred  to as the 'landed gentry'. This type of audience are usually wealthy and aristocratic, typically accomplished big- business owners and/or archbishops.

Group B - This category is often the 'professional working people'. For example headteachers and teachers of schools, doctors, lawyers and soldiers.

Group C1 - These are the 'professional admin workers' such as people working in any form of junior management and supervisors.

Group C2 - This group is often specific to the people that do more practical work such as plumbers, carpenters, mechanics and builders.

Group D - People that fall into this category are mainly considered to be the 'unskilled workers' 

Group E - Lastly, this group is identified as the unemployed. However the majority of students also fall into this group due to being unemployed while studying.

It is important to consider these various audiences when producing any magazine because magazines are not so much a necessity but more of a luxury item, therefore as a producer it is vital that I convince my targeted audience that they want to buy my magazine.

Despite the distinct categorising for each type of audience, it is not exactly law for the assumed group to only be allowed to purchase a particular kind of magazine. In fact the whole idea of categorising audiences may only be considered as a brief guideline for music magazine producers rather than a set rule. 

 

What I would like my msgazine front cover to look like

Here is my draft of my frist magazine front cover.

Music Mood Board

Here is my Hip-hop style Music Mood Board.

I decided to include artists that are highly associated with Hip-hop music as this is the path that I would like my final music magazine to follow. Some of the main artists that I have included are; Kanye West, J.Cole, Beyonce Knowles and Tupac Shakur. I thought that it would be best to use images of new and upcoming artists as well as classical singers and rappers that have been well know in this sector of the music industry for a while. Many of the faces that you can see on the mood board were at the 'Billboard 2013 Music Awards' which is why I decided to circulate the photos around this as my main feature. Hip hop music as a genre is highly inclusive and does not relate to one specific group of people, the genre also has both singers and rappers as opposed to only having one or the other. I think that Hip-hop music applies mainly to people at the ages of 15-30 years old and to both sexes. The equal range of female and male artists reinforces this sexual equality as it reflects on the listeners/followers too.

Magazine Article

Here is my first magazine article, a questions and answers interview with Beyonce.

I think that using Beyonce Knowles as the main focus for my magazine article is applicable because her music fits in with the genre of Hip-hop style music, which is the pathway that I would like my music magazine to take. I decided that it would be best to use a responsible image of the star (smiling with success at her Grammy award) as I would like the article to be represented in a positive and respectable light as opposed to using an erotic image, that could represent the icon in a less honourable way as I have illustrated in some of my previous posts. I also think that using this sexual type of image would  have been hazardous as I am not in favour of conveying Hip- hop music as a genre to be highly affiliated with the typical stereotypes such as women being viewed in the male gaze style. I would like my magazine to embody Hip-hop as a type of music that can be followed by a wide range of audiences, rather than a niche audience.

I think that urban followers of hip-hop in particular like to get to know every detail about the artists that they listen to, as this has a huge impact on the way you feel about the music produced. Hence, I decided to use a question and answer in my article as I feel that this is a good way to allow the audience to get an in depth understanding of the vocalists that they are concentrating on. As the article is supposedly part of a magazine, I did not want to make the interview too long or formal, as I feel that this could make the audience uninterested and not want to comprehend/recognise the full depth and understanding of the artist, or even the article itself. Unsurprisingly, I wanted to make the article itself come across approachable and uncomplicated so that the readers of the magazine do not resist observing the product. Therefore I used a bold font to make it increasingly clear about the separation between the questions and the responses.

I would like to continue performing these skills so that they can be carried out successfully onto my Hip-hop magazine.

The four F's of Magazine Culture

Format - This is the layout of the magazine including house style

The format of a magazine is extremely important because this plays one of the largest roles in the impact of the article on the reader. The entire layout of a magazine adds up to the overall experience that comes with reading the product itself. If the structure of the magazine is not considered carefully, this could lead to a reader incorrectly studying the magazine and which could result in the magazine not providing the correct effect and therefore not delivering its purpose. This is particularly significant with music magazines as the same feelings and emotions that are created by artists and songs need to be communicated equally as effectively through paper. If not, the magazine will not be successful and the reader will not be interested. This is why I am going to ensure that my magazine only includes relevant and up to date information so that my audience would be continuously pleased. Hip hop music as a culture is consistently moving forward and changing, therefore it is vital that my music magazine does the same. I am hoping to achieve this by only including new, applicable artists that are popular and interesting. This is to engage and sustain my audiences attention.

Formula - What is the magazine and where does it go

A magazine is a 'periodical publication containing articles and illustrations, often on a particular subject or aimed at a particular readership.' I think that music magazines are important because they allow readers to get a further understanding about artists and the music that they produce. As hip-hop is always moving forward it is vital that the music magazines are always doing the same before they become monotonous.
My magazine will be called 'Renegade' and it will be produced simply for the benefit of the large scale urban followers of hip-hop. Unlike magazines such as 'Kerrang' my product will welcome new audiences and encourage a large classification. I intend to make this happen by keeping the product both simple and amusing so that the magazine doesn't lean towards targeting a particular group of people. I want to keep the house style as active as possible as the stereotypical target audience is know to be relatively youthful. However, I will ensure that only suitable images are used within the product so that an older range of audiences may be attracted too.


Frame - The margins and gutters in a magazine

The physical representation of a magazine is one of the most significant factors that play a part in the success of the magazine. Margins and gutters of a magazine are increasingly important in any form of publication design, particularly magazines. Margins and gutters contribute to the overall effect of the design of the magazine. With my music magazine I am going to ensure that I determine the margins and gutters according to the reckless message that I would like to convey in my readership. This is important because margins are capable of conveying very specific tones throughout the production of any magazine.

Function - What is the magazines job? -

Before the occurrence of the internet magazines served a much greater purpose than they do now, and as a result of technology they are very much not considered. This is why magazines need to be up to date and captivating so that they do not become something that once existed. This is why, with my music magazine I want to make sure that the audience are highly engaged and sustained with what my magazine will have to offer. I think that the best way to achieve this is through including new and up to date artists and tour dates and albums, as well as the stereotypical pleasures of urban hip hop followers of the culture. These interests may not be completely affiliated with music directly, but more to do with the artists and their interests.

A good example of this would be rapper Kanye West and his clothing lie 'Kanye x A.P.C'

Kanye is a popular face in the hip hop music industry, therefore many of his fans may take enough interest in him and his interests too. Therefore I think it would be a great addition in my music magazine to feature things that are associated with big names in the genre. (such as YEEZUS clothing line)

Print Media Text Terms

Pull Quote -

A pull quote can also be refered to as a 'lift-out quote' and is a quote or text from an article which is made to stand out by either being a larger/ different colour font in order to highlight a key topic or to pull readers into a particular article.

 

I may use a pull quote in my magazine as it stands out to the reader more than the rest of the text. This could be an effective term to use, especially when voicing opinions that people have from interviews. 

Print Media Text Terms

Strap-line:

A strap-line is a short, catchy subheading often included in adverts and on magazine covers. A strap line is used to promote a business or an advert. Other words for a 'strap-line' are 'slogans' and 'tag lines'.

A strap-line may be used on my magazine as this is what most businesses use to sum up the whole advertisement in one single message and it can be very effective in selling the magazine by giving people the urge to buy it. Strap-lines or 'tag lines' are used on almost every type of magazine/business... not just music magazines!

Print Media Text Terms

Gutter -

The gutter is the blank space on the inside of page margins where a publication is bound or folded, or in other words the space between columns of the printed text.

A gutter is very likely to be used in my magazine if I have a large document taking up two A4 size pages (same topic on both pages) that are next to each other.

Print Media Text Terms

In my next posts I will be explaining and showing examples of some media textual terms that I may use within my AS Media coursework.

Bleed - 

Bleed is a term used in media to refer to the printing that goes past the edge of the sheet before trimming. The bleed is the part of a document that enables the printer to have some space to move the paper. Any design that may be included on a document can go within the bleed area. 

Here is an example of a document with and without a bleed.

I may intentionally decide to use a bleed within my magazine. However a bleed could occur purposelessly if the page is trimmed too much, and if the margins on the page are not wide enough. 

History of Music Magazines

In my next posts I will be investigating two different music magazines that are currently on sale in Britain
The magazines that I have chosen to investigate are 'Kerrang!' and 'Vibe'. I will be discussing the history of the magazines, the style, as well as the assumed targeted audiences for each magazine.

'Kerrang' is a well know classic rock music magazine that was first published on 6th June 1981 by a man called Geoff Barton. It was originally a one off addition in a British newspaper ('Sound') which was delivered monthly and 'Kerrang' gradually earned its title as the best selling British music magazine by the early 2000's.

'Kerrangs' initial targeted audience ranged from ages 16-25, however over the years the ages of the readers have dropped as more teenagers tend to buy the magazine. The audience age drop may be partially to with the regular feature of younger/well known or 'new' bands that the younger generation tend to listen to and be aware of more than the older generation who first read the magazine because of its classical rock features.
Examples of bands/singers that are often on the cover of 'Kerrang' are; 'Green Day', 'You Me at Six' and 'Biffy Clyro'.

Like any other magazine, it is clear that 'Kerrang' wants to continuously please its targeted audience. This has been done by including distinct factors that the typical audience for this magazine would want to see such as new and upcoming albums, free posters and information about interviews.
The style of this magazine front cover is also suited to its target audience. The title itself at the top of the page has a 'smash-effect' which reflects the rebellious atmosphere that the magazine is trying to create. The choice of colour also suggests the 'lack of care' attitude as the connotations of the dullness and colour of black often portrays a turbulent effect which is appropriate for the genre of this music magazine.


The next music magazine that I am going to investigate is called 'Vibe'.

'Vibe' is both a music and entertainment magazine that was founded by Quincy Jones in 1993. The magazine features mainly R&B and  Hip-hop music artists that are well known by many people, like Kelly Rowland in the example magazine cover above. The magazine was bought by Miller Publishing in 1996 and the magazine is now owned by 'The Wicks group' since the year 2006.

The magazine's targeted audience is relatively young, as many readers of 'Vibe' are 'urban followers of hip hop' or generally young people that listen to chart music. Almost every hip-hop and R&B artist has featured on the cover of the magazine including well known, successful rappers and singers such as; Beyonce, Kanye West, Drake and Ciara.

This music magazine offers its young audience not only the latest information about new releases by artists, but also gossip and news about the celebrities of music, which shows that the magazine is successful in offering everything it is supposed to as it is also a magazine of entertainment.
The magazine tends to change the choice of colour used on each cover, however every cover uses a bright, bold colour that stands out and is often suited to the celebrity on the cover itself.

Kelly Rowland has been represented as a sex object rather than an empowered role model on the cover of Vibe magazine and it could be argued that this is an example of a negative representation of women on a whole.
This particular Vibe magazine front cover contrasts heavily with the Vibe cover portrayed below. T.I. has been conveyed as a postive example of a respectable and successful musician. The way that male artists are represented is juxtaposed with the way that female artists (such as Rowland) are shown. Only women are viewed by the 'male gaze' and the way that they are illustrated may have an unfavourable/adverse effect on its audience.
This variation created by the same magazine company describes the fact that women are characterised by not only this magazine and suggests that other magazines do this too.

Here is another magazine front cover by 'Vibe'.

This magazine cover is interesting as it appears to have adopted some of the typical features of rock magazines such as 'Kerrang' or 'Rolling Stones'. The usual expectation of Hip-hop music magazines are bright colours, and happy faces. Most of the 'Vibe' magazine covers live up to this assumption. However, recently I have noticed that both genres (Rock and Hip-hop) have used each others features in order to achieve a new drive. I have also noticed that some rock magazines such as 'Kerrang' have endorsed some of the bright colours from typical hip-hop magazines to create a similar effect.

Ideology and Gender

 

The theorist Laura Mulvey argued that most media reflect 'male gaze'. The camera acts as a 'male eye' where women are looked at and men are the 'lookers' women are often 'objectified'

This is a typical example of one of the many 'male gaze' magazine front covers clearly portraying the aspects of the female body that are seen as most 'looked at' as these types of magazine covers attract the largest groups of people.

Music and Idealogy

The idealogy of the genre affects all aspects of its representation. Music magazines will reflect the idealogy of their genres in visual style and language.

An ideology is a belief. Every musical genre has an accompanying idealogy. Often genres divide along binary oppostion or a dichotomy.

Pop

- Clean
- Calm
- Non - sexual
- Euphemistic
- No drugs or alcohol
- Happy/ upbeat
- Professional/ 'good' singing and playing
- Fake artifical
- Money, success

Rock

- Dirty
- Aggressive, loud
- Sexual
- Literal
- Drugs/ alcohol
- Angry/ unhappy tone
- Appears to be less competant or concerned about professionalism (could be questioned)
- Authentic 'for real'

Hip-hop idealogy

- Misogynistic (women hating)
- Drugs
- Women
- Sexism
- Swearing
- Guns/ violent crime

Research Methods

Primary Research - This is research that I carry out myself. Examples of this are: Interviews, questionnaires, surveys, internet forums and textual analysis.

Secondary Research - This is research that somebody else has conducted or previously carried out. Examples of this are: Websites, search engines, books, blogs and even journal magazines.

Quantitative Research - This is research that is of concern with data, identification of patterns and trends e.g. more men than women read 'Kerrang' or if more women than men read fashion magazines.

Qualitative Research - This research consists of ideas and opinions of people, including their thoughts and feelings. An example of this research could be an interview.

My research methods I intend to use will be interviews and surveys. I think that this will be most effective as this will enable me to receive information about my magazine quickly and the data I receive will be up to date. I may also use textual analysis as I may compare my magazines to other magazines that have previously been successful. An element of quantitative research may also be included as I would like to find out which groups of people like particular music magazines.

School Magazine Contents Page

My contents page consists of everything that will be included on each page of my school magazine. These include: Prom photos, results from year seven reading challenge, photos of new sixth form common room, information about new deputy head teacher and information about new & improved canteen lunch menu.

Having a contents page in a magazine is vital, as this is used to inform the audience/reader about what is going to be in the magazine itself. This also makes the magazine easier to use as page numbers tell the reader exactly where to go for each particular topic. For instance with my school magazine, a reader may only want to find out information regarding the new lunch menu. By using the contents page, the reader will be more successful in quickly being able to find the pages that they need rather than having to go through the entire magazine

My School Magazine Front Cover

For our preliminary we had to create a magazine cover & my next post will be comparing mine to a real school magazine front cover.
I used a black font as it is more prominent than the rest of the font. I wanted this to stand out the most as it is the title of the magazine. I used the Southfield rose to reinforce the femininty of the magazine itself. I used varying house colours to portray the appealing community of the different houses.
I wanted to make it clear of what each 'C' in the title stood for, therefore I clearly stated the words underneath to prevent any confusion.

For my second photo, I used a mid shot in order to get a clear photo of the Southfield's new deputy head teacher as she is new to the school.


Here is a real school magazine front cover. Like my magazine front cover, this magazine has its title clearly stated at the top of the page in order for it to stand out. The students on this cover appear to be taking part in some form of activity, like the students on my magazine front cover are taking part in the 'Year seven reading challenge'.
I have noticed a similarity in the colour theme of the two magazine front covers. This may be simply because the colour red stands out against many other colours. Again, this magazine front cover has made the most appealing aspects of the magazine stand out. In this case it is the word 'class' which has been highlighted in bright yellow. There are many positive connotations that come with the colour yellow and the word 'class' itself. e.g yellow could connote brightness and the word class itself could suggest that the magazine is formal and appropriate for its targeted audience.

This blog is for showing what I am doing in AS Media