Target audience analysis

Why does this design appeal to the chosen audience?

The paper type- the paper type of this magazine is glossy, this makes it look clean, tidy and professional. If it was located on a shelf in a shop it would stand out next to other magazines which are not glossy produced, this makes the magazine eye catchy and look more expensive. 

The main image-the main image denotes Cheryl Cole, she would appeal to the audience because she is a well known popular pop star. It also portrays Cheryl in a different light to what she is normally seen as in the press and in other music magazines such as when she featured in 'we love pop'. 






Authority-The strap line located at the top of the magazine denotes the company Q authority. It says 'THE UK'S BIGGEST MUSIC MAGAZINE' this hasn't been proven but it would grab the audiences attention to buy the magazine. 

The pop genre

How do people listen to pop music genres?

Technology is increasing dramatically so there is always new ways in which people can listen to pop music.

YouTube- this is the easiest way to listen to music because pop artists all over the world are uploading their music videos which can be watched by everyone for free. This is their way of promoting themselves to their audience and also for the audience to listen to their music.

ITunes- people can access iTunes on their PC, iPhone, iPad etc. It is quick and easy to find music and its constantly being updated with the latest songs and albums which are categorised into different genres.

Radio- people can listen to pop music on the most popular radio stations such as Capital and Heart. A variety of songs by different artists are played everyday including chart music so the audience would be informed on what the most popular songs are out at the moment. The radio can now be accessed on the internet which is more convenient for some people.

My Target audience

To attract the right audience for my magazine i need to do some research so i can find out exactly what my target audience wants. I will be producing a questionnaire so i can find out who my target audience are and what features they would want included in my magazine. Once i find out all i need to know about my target audience it would be much easier and clearer for me to create my magazine. The audience would make me more determined to produce my magazine and I will also know what to include and what not to include. 

MY TARGET AUDIENCE!

The target audience for my magazine are females aged 12+. I find that pop music is generally aimed at the younger generation (young adults and teens) because the music style is the type that they can relate to. The contents and lyrics of the song are normally based on love and relationships so this would be suitable for my target audience as this would be the type of songs they would like to listen to especially at that age.

 The stereotypical audience profile would be girls who have interests in going out with friends, into fashion, interested in make-up and a typical girly girl. The target audience would listen to this genre because it would reflect the mood of most young girls.

My audience will be positioned to gain knowledge and understanding about pop music and pop artists. The target audience are a essential part to my music magazine as they would help me to make my magazine as good as possible.

Circulation figures and publishing houses

Circulation figures are often used for magazine and newspaper distribution to show the number of copies that were distributed, its not only for the sale figures because some readers receive free copies.

Mojo-  85,149 -2.4% sold copies 84,560 (BAUER)

Top of the Pops - 78,352 -20.1% sold copies 78,352  (IMMEDIATE MEDIA COMPANY)

We love pop magazine - 50,505 - sold copies 50,505 - (EGMONT)

Kerrang - 40,203 -6.6% - sold copies 39,950 (BAUER)

After researching circulation figures on music magazines i have found out that there are less magazines circulating. This is because of the new technology which has been brought over the last few years. People can now go online onto various websites to access magazines and read articles. Furthermore it could also be because of the economy, magazines have overall increased in price so they would be to expensive to buy so instead they would download the magazine on laptops and various tablets such as ipads and kindles for free.

Star image

Dyer proposes 'A star is an image not a real person that is constructed out of a range of materials'

Richard Dyer star theory proposes the idea that icons and celebrities are manufactured by institutions for finical gain. Stars are manufactured by the music industry to make money out of the audience. His theory is broken down into three sections; Audiences and institutions, Constructions and Hegemony.

A stars main purpose is to make money, the institution then changes the stars image around the target audience.
The constructions of a 'star' is built only for the audience and not who the person actually is. Each star is unique which differentiates them from other stars. For example Lady Gaga'soutgoing fashion sense and Katy Perry's bright hairstyles and also that she is presented as the typical Californian girl.
Hegemony is the way that the audience can relate to the star and they are admired by them, this develops to idolisation. For instance Demi Lovato had an eating disorder which was presented through a TV documentary. Many people can look up to her and relate to the problems that she had to deal with. Although some stars can come across as negative role models because some may take drugs and consume a lot of alcohol which can lead to fans copying their actions.

Examples of star image

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga'sfull name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, on the 28th of March 1986 in New york. She changed her name so she would come across as unique and the audience would find her name unusual so they would want to find out who she is.
Her first album was released in 2008,the album is representation of what life is like being famous, this is portrayed by one of her songs 'Papparazzi'. In her first music video the audience get a first impression of what Lady Gaga is like and what we cane expect from her. She wears unusual clothing but they are not too revealing. In her music video called 'Alejandro' there is extreme nudity and sexual references in dance routines and shots. It shows more of an unacceptable side to her and a bad role model for her fans. Furthermore Lady fashion hanges dramatically not only to how she looks in her music videos but also to other events across the world. Lady Gaga's most prominent appearance change is the prosthetic bones on her body and face. She had a lot of criticism for this because it could link to anorexia and suffering and would not have a good impression towards her fans especially the young audience. n he 6 years of Lady Gaga's music career her star image has developed astonishingly. She began her music her music portrayed getting drunk and going to parties, whereas now her music is more outrageous.

Rihanna is another example of Richard Dyers theory of star image. Rihanna was formally a pop performer, but the record label DEF. Jam Roc Nation transformed her into a pop star after her album 'good girl gone bad' was released. She had a celebrity boyfriend so she was a main icon in the public eye and became a main focus in a lot of magazines. She was recognized not only for her music but her image.

Audience and institutions:
Rihanna is very popular in todays world and her personality and character are based on the 'trends' in the world at the moment. This attracts the audience too like her and be inspired by her.

Construction of a star:
A star is built for the audience and not for the person itself. Rihanna was constructed by DEF. Jam Roc Nation. Throughout the years Rihanna has changed by the way she looks by her different hairstyles and fashion sense.

Hegemony:
Rihanna has a massive fan base which follows from magazines and social networking sites such as twitter, instagram and Facebook, the audience can see what she is up to all the time. Rihanna is presented as a model to mainly females from 13 +. But she is a bad influence because now and again she is seen smoking, consuming alcohol and taking nude photographs. This portrays a negative view of Rihanna and people who idolize her can copy her actions.

I need to think about my star image when it comes to producing my music magazine. Whilst researching star image on Rihanna and Lady Gaga i now have a greater understanding of Richard Dyers theory of star image.

Institution

Media institution is an established organisation that works with the creation and distribution of information, advertising and entertainment services. It also describes the people who have a role of the production of different media products.

IPC Media is one of the UKs leading consumer magazine and digital publishers, which sell over 350 million copies per year. It publishes a huge range of magazines across a variety of sectors. Some examples of IPC magazines are NME, Look, Now and Ideal home. The main target audiences are men, mass market women and upmarket women.

Bauer Media is a huge German publishing company, which operates in 15 countries worldwide. They also feature  a wide variety of radio stations. The music magazines that they publish are Kerrang and mojo magazine which is a multi- channel publication. 

BBC magazine is the magazine which publishes the BBC worldwide. The magazine focuses on children's TV programmes, cooking, cars, music, gardening and astrology. The music magazines which they have published are top or the pops, it's hot and classical music magazines. 

 

Conventions of a two page spread

Conventions of a magazine contents page