Friday, 23 April 2010
Institutional Context Report
Publishing House
My magazine would fit into IPC, this is because they own one of the biggest rock magazines and unlike EMAP (who own most of the other big selling rock magazines i.e. Q and Kerrang) they do not own other big selling rock magazines.IPC own NME which is one of the big selling music magazines, however by working alongside NME it will mean that both magazines will create a stronger link in terms of completion towards other magazines. IPC can offer my magazine their expertise and marketing skills in order for the whole production unit (IPC) will be profiting and not just my magazine.
New Media Technologies
In order to meet the needs of the modern society I would need to use multiple platforms. In order to do this I have decided to have a website for my magazine, give free downloads and have a mobile phone copy of the website because internet on the phone is different to internet on the computer. This is in order to promote the magazine and it will provide multiple platforms in order to provide different methods of access to the magazine and so allowing a wider audience. I will also use viral advertising and this is because it is free and it will place my magazine in the conscious of audiences. The reason why I want to use multiple platforms is because audiences have become fragmented, audiences have been shrinking for the old media (i.e. radio) and this is because people are turning to new media and so I want to use 360⁰ commissioning. The use of multimedia platforms is important for the magazine to be successful, by using multiplatform media create a symbiotic relationship which means that all audiences can access the magazine easily and so stopping access boundaries.
Editorial mission statement
To produce a magazine which will help the demographic to keep up to date with concerts gigs and provide information and facts on old and new artists. The magazine’s sole purpose is to provide information and facts not to draw people in to like classic rock but it’s for those who already are interested in classic rock.
Research conducted
I carried out quantitative research in order to find out what colours and layouts would be most suitable for a rock magazine. The survey took the form of an online questionnaire, in which I asked about their interests and views on music. The results I found showed that the majority of the respondents thought that the colours green and black were most suitable for my genre and my demographic. I also found that the demographic preferred not to have additional incentives such as free posters due to the reason that it would be inappropriate for my specific demographic and instead give free downloads or have competitions. I also found that my target demographic preferred having serious information meaning that the magazine should be as factual as possible and as informational as possible otherwise it would be very hard for the magazine to be successful for that specific demographic. This research influenced my decisions towards the magazine because it would have been difficult to produce a classic rock music magazine if I was unable to follow the choices of my demographic.
Reader profile
The reader must be interested in classic rock music; they must like listening to classic rock and be up to date with the latest reviews, concerts and gigs. They must have an idea of classic rock before reading about artists and music in the magazine and so have their own knowledge. The reader should be from the ages of 25 to 40 years old, they may be from working class or most likely middle class, this is because they would need to be willing to pay for my magazine and the age range means that they would have their own views about music and judge music by its quality not the artist. The other media that they may consume are listening to the radio and buying music CDs and downloading music. The people they may look up to are traditional old classic rock artists who are the icons (icons are signs which directly resemble what they represent) for my magazine (i.e. the rolling stones).
Marketing the Magazine
I am going to launch my magazine as a promotional product to be given free with albums of the same music genre which are aimed at the same demographic as my magazine. This is because even though it will be a loss financially, the second issue will be sold at a price of £2.99 and this will mean that the loss made on the launch will help to draw audiences to buy the next issue of the magazine.
The Point of sale - In order to sell the magazine it would need to be placed at eye level this means that when people go into a store/shop the first thing which catches their eye is the magazine. It would need to be placed on the left because people read from left to right and so it would be seen easier. It is also that magazines on the eye level shelf are the biggest selling and especially the first from the left. In order to get the right placement for my magazine I am going to offer a discount to the stores which place the magazine in the placement I want. However this discount would have to be temporary, or else it is financially unviable. I am also including online marketing campaigns such as creating viral adverts in order to put my magazine into the conscious of the audiences. This method is easier and cheaper compared to traditional methods of advertising which will mean that it leaves more of a chance of my magazine being successful.
Additional incentives -In order to draw a wider audience I am going to give free downloads and this means that because this information is going to be on the magazine it’s self and it will be a guide to the website and so making use of both the printed magazine and the website this is a symbiotic relationship between the printed production and the website. The magazine will also have competitions in order for the audience to get a chance to win tickets to tours, concerts and gigs.
I have carried out a presentation in which I have discussed the institutional considerations in more detail.
Audience Research - Qualitative
For the second question the participant responses were;
The pie chart below shows the responses for question three;
This table shows that seven out of the respondents thought that the layouts suited the genre rock and three thought that they did not, the reasons where that seven respondents said that the layout suited well with rock, two respondents thought that the colours were too bright and one respondent thought the colours suited the genre rock.
The graph below shows the responses to the last question.
This task helped me find out what sort of colours and layouts my target audience preferred and why. From this task I found that the two rough templates which I had designed were well suited to the genre of music I wanted, however I found that the colours would need to be darker than those on the templates however the layout was much liked by my target market. I found need to pay careful attention to what colours I choose.
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Audience Research – Qualitative
Audience Research – Qualitative
In order to base my magazine on the interests (classic rock music) of my target audience I have carried out research, this was in the form of a questionnaire, where I created two different templates for my three pages (front cove, contents page and the double page spread) and I then asked questions asking them what they would change and so forth.
In order to base my magazine on the interests (classic rock music) of my target audience I have carried out research, this was in the form of a questionnaire, where I created two different templates for my three pages (front cove, contents page and the double page spread) and I then asked questions asking them what they would change and so forth.
Textual Research
Textual ResearchI have annotated magazine pages with the codes and conventions and analysis of mode of address, these pages include front covers, content pages and double page spreads. I have done this task in order to help me find the codes and conventions and mode of address of my own magazine and so I can have a clear picture of how to reach my audience.
Front cover
The front cover is the most important page of the magazine, because if it does not draw attention instantly it will not be worth buying and so there would be no point in reading the rest of the magazine. The front cover has to either welcome back the existing reader or introducing the reader to the world of that magazine. This means that the reader is given the feeling of belonging or their desire to belong to a community is fulfilled. The front cover of a magazine has to have a template design to which each issue is similar in order to secure familiarity and brand identification. The use of semiotics (the study of signs and symbols and the meanings attached to them) is important when creating a magazine, this is because when choosing a sign or a symbol in order to use in the magazine it will have many connotations and so signs and symbols have to be used carefully in order to relate to the audience.
The front cover is the most important page of the magazine, because if it does not draw attention instantly it will not be worth buying and so there would be no point in reading the rest of the magazine. The front cover has to either welcome back the existing reader or introducing the reader to the world of that magazine. This means that the reader is given the feeling of belonging or their desire to belong to a community is fulfilled. The front cover of a magazine has to have a template design to which each issue is similar in order to secure familiarity and brand identification. The use of semiotics (the study of signs and symbols and the meanings attached to them) is important when creating a magazine, this is because when choosing a sign or a symbol in order to use in the magazine it will have many connotations and so signs and symbols have to be used carefully in order to relate to the audience.
Contents page
The contents page is one of the most important pages of a magazine; this is because the contents page includes the best features of the magazine and locates the reader to the article they want and so not wasting time in flipping through pages and pages of unwanted topics and information and so helping to organise the magazine into understandable units. The pictures used on the contents page are normally to balance out the images and text, however they may also be used to help sell the magazine this is because using text alone will not help interest anyone. The contents page needs to relate to the front cover in terms of colours, fonts and use of images. The language used on the contents page needs to be clear and sharp in order to make it specific to the reader where each article is issued within the magazine.
Double page spread
On the double page spread normally there is one main image which takes up most of one of the pages or even all of one of the pages (normally on the left hand side). The picture is used in order to tell the reader who the article is about; it helps to draw attention because if the image is of a well known artist the extreme large image of the artist will draw their fans in to read the article. The picture also helps to construct the representation of the featured artist and will 'anchor' or illustrate the focus of the story. The double page spread normally helps to promote a band or an artist and it is a form of advertisement.
Target audience
It is important to know your target audience well, in order to meet their needs and so the magazine is designed and laid out the way that its audience would prefer it to be. The colours, fonts and designs used on the magazine are situated around its audience and so it is important to keep in touch with the audience through the form of the language used in the magazine. The audience includes age, race, gender, class and one of the most important is the interests of the ‘target audience’ and the specific target market.
The contents page is one of the most important pages of a magazine; this is because the contents page includes the best features of the magazine and locates the reader to the article they want and so not wasting time in flipping through pages and pages of unwanted topics and information and so helping to organise the magazine into understandable units. The pictures used on the contents page are normally to balance out the images and text, however they may also be used to help sell the magazine this is because using text alone will not help interest anyone. The contents page needs to relate to the front cover in terms of colours, fonts and use of images. The language used on the contents page needs to be clear and sharp in order to make it specific to the reader where each article is issued within the magazine.
Double page spread
On the double page spread normally there is one main image which takes up most of one of the pages or even all of one of the pages (normally on the left hand side). The picture is used in order to tell the reader who the article is about; it helps to draw attention because if the image is of a well known artist the extreme large image of the artist will draw their fans in to read the article. The picture also helps to construct the representation of the featured artist and will 'anchor' or illustrate the focus of the story. The double page spread normally helps to promote a band or an artist and it is a form of advertisement.
Target audience
It is important to know your target audience well, in order to meet their needs and so the magazine is designed and laid out the way that its audience would prefer it to be. The colours, fonts and designs used on the magazine are situated around its audience and so it is important to keep in touch with the audience through the form of the language used in the magazine. The audience includes age, race, gender, class and one of the most important is the interests of the ‘target audience’ and the specific target market.
Audience Research Quantitative Research; Data Analysis
In total the number of male participants was 36 and the remaining 26 were female.
Out of the 36 male participants 19 said that they buy music magazines once a month, three out of the 17 remaining said that they do not buy music magazines, eight out of the fourteen remaining said that they buy music magazines every two months and the last six said that they buy music magazines once a year.
For the female participants two said that they do not buy music magazines, out of the remaining twenty four; thirteen said that they buy music magazines every month, out of the remaining eleven; six said that they buy music magazines every two months and the last five said that they buy music magazines once a year.
When participants were asked how much they would be willing to pay for a music magazine; fourteen participants said that they would be willing to pay fifty pence, eleven said that they would be willing to pay £1.00, nine participants said that they would pay £1.50, six said that they would pay £1.99, five said £2.00 and five more said £2.50, ten participants said that they would pay £2.99 and two participants said that they would pay three pounds or more.
When participants were asked if they were to buy a music magazine, which genre would it be? Out of the choices given for male participants five chose Hip Hop, three chose RnB, eight chose Rock, seven for Underground, four chose Jazz, five chose Soul and four chose other. For female participants nine chose Hip Hop, ten chose RnB, one chose Rock there were no picks for Underground and Jazz, four participants chose Soul and two chose other.
In the next question (which method do you use to access music?), twenty three participants said that they buy CD’s, thirty six participants said that they download music from the internet and two said other.
For the question ‘Where would you normally buy a music magazine?’, twenty nine participants said they buy music magazines from Newsagents, fifteen participants said that they buy music magazines from the supermarket and eighteen said online.
The next question (which genre of music do you prefer?), the most popular response was Hip Hop with fourteen picks, then thirteen participants chose RnB, seven chose underground, four chose jazz, nine chose rock, nine chose soul and six chose other.
The question ‘Do you listen to the radio?’, twenty eight participants said yes and the remaining thirty four said no. The most popular radio station was Classic FM and then NME radio and the least popular was Absolute Classic Rock.
Out of the 36 male participants 19 said that they buy music magazines once a month, three out of the 17 remaining said that they do not buy music magazines, eight out of the fourteen remaining said that they buy music magazines every two months and the last six said that they buy music magazines once a year.
For the female participants two said that they do not buy music magazines, out of the remaining twenty four; thirteen said that they buy music magazines every month, out of the remaining eleven; six said that they buy music magazines every two months and the last five said that they buy music magazines once a year.
When participants were asked how much they would be willing to pay for a music magazine; fourteen participants said that they would be willing to pay fifty pence, eleven said that they would be willing to pay £1.00, nine participants said that they would pay £1.50, six said that they would pay £1.99, five said £2.00 and five more said £2.50, ten participants said that they would pay £2.99 and two participants said that they would pay three pounds or more.
When participants were asked if they were to buy a music magazine, which genre would it be? Out of the choices given for male participants five chose Hip Hop, three chose RnB, eight chose Rock, seven for Underground, four chose Jazz, five chose Soul and four chose other. For female participants nine chose Hip Hop, ten chose RnB, one chose Rock there were no picks for Underground and Jazz, four participants chose Soul and two chose other.
In the next question (which method do you use to access music?), twenty three participants said that they buy CD’s, thirty six participants said that they download music from the internet and two said other.
For the question ‘Where would you normally buy a music magazine?’, twenty nine participants said they buy music magazines from Newsagents, fifteen participants said that they buy music magazines from the supermarket and eighteen said online.
The next question (which genre of music do you prefer?), the most popular response was Hip Hop with fourteen picks, then thirteen participants chose RnB, seven chose underground, four chose jazz, nine chose rock, nine chose soul and six chose other.
The question ‘Do you listen to the radio?’, twenty eight participants said yes and the remaining thirty four said no. The most popular radio station was Classic FM and then NME radio and the least popular was Absolute Classic Rock.
Preliminary Task Analysis & Audience Research
The three dominant colours (red, green and blue) work well together they are kept constant throughout the two pages, I chose these three colours because the red has connotations of courage which links to my magazine because it shows that students should have courage in their education, the green has connotations of prosperity this is important to my magazine because it shows the success of students, schools and parents and the last colour blue has connotations of serenity this links to my magazine because my magazine is much more laid back and calm.
However the front cover main image is not focused and is pixellated. I chose to make the featured stories and the taglines clear by using the colour red to signify the featured stories and the colour green to signify the taglines and this is kept constant throughout the front cover in order to help make it easier to navigate through the page. On the other hand this code changes slightly on the contents page this time a there is a change in font size between the featured stories and their taglines (the featured stories are in a larger font size than the taglines). However the fonts change for each featured story on the front cover this make navigation difficult furthermore, it is difficult to navigate through the front cover because of the use of red font. This is because red is a primary colour and so making it difficult for other font colours. Though the font colour for the featured stories and their taglines are the same but nevertheless the page numbers are in black and the main featured stories are in one of the dominant colours (green). I have also used the website of the school in order for the magazine to meet new media requirements and so by using multiplatform’s I am insuring that the magazine will be a success. Finally, I have used buzz words such as; ‘New’, ‘Strike’ and etc, I have used these in order to draw the reader’s attention towards the featured story.
Audience Research – Quantitative Survey
The quantitative research which I carried out in order to find a target audience was a online survey, this meant that it would be easier to collect the data and analysis faster. It also meant that it was easier for those taking part in the research would find it easier and less time consuming as well. The survey involved ten open and closed questions. I sent the survey to 87 participants and out of this 62 completed the survey. This is the survey;
However the front cover main image is not focused and is pixellated. I chose to make the featured stories and the taglines clear by using the colour red to signify the featured stories and the colour green to signify the taglines and this is kept constant throughout the front cover in order to help make it easier to navigate through the page. On the other hand this code changes slightly on the contents page this time a there is a change in font size between the featured stories and their taglines (the featured stories are in a larger font size than the taglines). However the fonts change for each featured story on the front cover this make navigation difficult furthermore, it is difficult to navigate through the front cover because of the use of red font. This is because red is a primary colour and so making it difficult for other font colours. Though the font colour for the featured stories and their taglines are the same but nevertheless the page numbers are in black and the main featured stories are in one of the dominant colours (green). I have also used the website of the school in order for the magazine to meet new media requirements and so by using multiplatform’s I am insuring that the magazine will be a success. Finally, I have used buzz words such as; ‘New’, ‘Strike’ and etc, I have used these in order to draw the reader’s attention towards the featured story.
Audience Research – Quantitative Survey
The quantitative research which I carried out in order to find a target audience was a online survey, this meant that it would be easier to collect the data and analysis faster. It also meant that it was easier for those taking part in the research would find it easier and less time consuming as well. The survey involved ten open and closed questions. I sent the survey to 87 participants and out of this 62 completed the survey. This is the survey;
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
