HOW DID I ATTRACT/ADDRESS

MY AUDIENCE?By Daniel Clipperton

WORDS USED A used a variety of words throughout my front cover in order to capture my audiences attention. I integrated buzz words into the design such as Free and Exclusive, as these are primarily appeal towards a teenage demographic who always want to stay up to date whether that be through social website or magazines and also want to get the most for their money. The primary function of the front cover is to attract the audiences attention, therefore by filling the design with a variety of artists names it insures that the issue appeals a wider audience, as one/multiple will attract them into purchasing the magazine. I advertised features upon the front cover that would capture my audiences attention such as Exclusives, Photoshoots, and Top 20 track charts, as they wider the appeal that the magazine has, but also fulfils all the features that achieved high votes within my market research. Insuring that I have appealed to markets needs. I inserted the “Top 20 Indie Artists” plug at the top of the page, so that it was directly within the audiences eye line if placed in a rack, reassuring them of the genre of the magazine and capturing their attention immediately, due to younger audiences desire to stay up to date. My magazine immediately attracts the audience through the banner at the top of the page depicting to them the genre, pulling them in, and reassuring them of the quality of what their reading, this is important to a younger demographic as they always want to stay on top within their own social gathering, so U will provide them with all their music needs. The Letter U is repeated multiple times throughout the front cover of the magazine, creating a greater sense of brand identity making the magazine more memorable and trustworthy to the reader, building a strong relationship between the reader and U.

WORDS USED The emphasis upon artists is continued into the contents page, as all article headlines are the names of the featured artists, which will appeal to a younger demographic as its easier to navigate meaning they will have to read through the synopsis to see if the article appeals to them. Upon the contents page I used the term “All-time” to attract my audience, as it makes them feel that they can’t miss out on the top 20 and that U are providing them with all they need. The synopsises underneath the headings upon the contents page intrigue the audience into reading further by not giving away any of the details about the articles, e.g. through rhetorical questions “What Went Down?”, as it makes the audience assume its something unpredictable hooking them in. Throughout the double page spread I choose to use a range of pull quotes to capture the audiences attention, focusing around areas that would be in their interest. For example, I chose to use a large pull quote rather than an article heading, relating towards the fans, helping to allow the audience to get a better feel for the artist and build relationship between them. With two of the three pull quotes relating towards the individual artists Life and experiences, it helps the audience to view the world from their angle and understand what drives them. Making an emphatic point to the reader showcasing their style. Throughout my magazine I did not use any specialist musical terms, which could possibly make it less accessible to any members of the audience, allowing them to experience and relate in their own way, building the individuality aspect.

FONTS Throughout my media product I used a range of fonts in order to emphasis certain points over others. For the masthead of my design I decided to use the Magneto font, as the serifs upon the design were completely different to each and any other font I seen before, helping to relate U’s aim in promoting the individuality of each artist. Furthermore the typographic shape formed an intertextual reference to a beamed eight note used within the musical industry, meaning that it is easier for the audience to relate the musical aspect with U magazine. The majority of the remaining fonts used upon the front cover are sans serif in order to make them stand out to the reader, but also as they are relatively noncomplex to understand/read. Furthermore I feel that this style of text is more appealing to my target audience as it presents a semi-formal style that does not over faze a younger audience, who are predominantly look for interest rather than excessive formal detail. By creating this variation of fonts upon the page, it creates a greater sense of contrast making certain areas stand out more to the reader, drawing their eyes around the page. This is appealing to a younger audience as it means that the design is non linear, it does not follow a set pattern making it less formal, similarly to how young individuals want to break from society and express themselves individually. Across the font over, I decided to vary the point sizes upon the headlines, emphasizing certain words to the reader, catching their attention. For example, within “Free Music Memory Stick” the Free is imposed in the highest font as it’s a buzz that is applying to my audience who stereotypically have a low income.

FONTS I felt it also produced a strong visual effect that made the magazine look more professional, but als created a visual hierarchy forcing the reader to focus upon certain features, without overwhelming them with the contents available. I continued to use a range of fonts within the contents page of my design, I decided upon the -------- font for the titles of the contents page, as the block like appearance made them stand out upon the page and created a contrast against the generic text used for the synopsis. I felt that this font would appeal towards my audience as its completely different compared to all the previous fonts used, therefore making it memorable. Although the font style is relatively different it does not represent the individuality of each artist, allowing the audience to discover what each one is like and form their own opinion. When depicting the top 20 artists I decided against using a serif font as due to the size of the text it would be difficult for the audience to read, instead I went for ----------, which although was quite basic it did not lessen the impression the audience got of the artist/band. Due to the juxtaposition against the album cover, which is meant to be the major selling point of each artist. Open the double page spread, I used a regular font ------, due to the fact this font was aiming to be easily legible not visually pleasing to the reader. This is a common convention used through the magazine industry, which I chose to follow as the audience will be able to associate it with a qualitative written piece.

PHOTOGRAPHY I chose to use a medium shot of a teenage male upon my front cover. Through the mise-en-scene it is evident that he has his own individual style, due to that fact that he is not wearing any branded clothing, connoting the individual style that U is aiming towards. Furthermore I felt that choosing a male model was best to appeal to my audience, as they are predominantly male as shown through my target market research, therefore providing them with a role model. This relates to U’s mission statement as we are providing the audience with a form of tutor who will guide them in the way of music. Breaking with conventionality, the model is not directly addressing the audience instead he is looking up towards the U masthead. This connotes to the reader that the artist is like the other musicians they’ve previously experienced his different and proud of his individuality wanting to branch out from the others around him. Plus, by having the artists eyes off centre it makes him more open to the audience, as he is not intimidating them with a lacklustre facial expression. Finally, by pointing the models eyes towards the U masthead it connotes to the audience the connection which U have with the artists on a personal level. Portraying to them that U is like an intersection between them and the artist, providing them with all the in-depth knowledge they require. The models mouth is partially opened, connoting that he is about to speak, presenting him in a positive light as he wants to connect with the viewer. I used a range of different sub-images upon the front cover. I incorporated a sub-image of a guitar memory stick, juxtaposed against the Free buzz word capturing my audiences attention as its an item which they want and there getting it for free. Making the overall magazine more of an attractive purchase. Finally, I choose to include three miniature poster based images upon the cover in order to pull in my audience, as the teenage market is attracted towards merchandise and want to express their interest in the artists, which is possible through displaying these photos. Furthermore, I decided that it was beneficial to include these feature as they scored highly upon my market research. I used a range of images upon the contents page, all of varied in size, the main is a three-shot, medium shot of a band, situated in the top left corner. The image breaks/follows conventionality by having some members of the band looking out towards the audience, whilst others look away, this makes the magazine look friendly and attractive to the reader, but also adds an air of intrigue. The clothing (mise-en-scene) worn by each member of the band is slightly different, in colour, style and branding, which connotes that they all have their own individual style that they are trying to express, be that through music or clothing choice. Although so that the audience can clearly associate the band members together they all share the underlying similarity in that, their all wearing a coat/jacket in some form. This allows the audience to get an impression of each individual artist, whilst also presenting an image of them as a whole.

PHOTOGRAPHY The props used within this image are flight cases, connoting to the audience that the band are on some form of tour, peaking their interest surrounding the article, as generically younger people are associated with visiting festivals. The high key lighting within the image, creates a strong shadow, connoting a sense of leaving their old lives behind and moving forward into the future. Alongside the Top 20 Artists list there are sub-images of the album covers, providing a visual aid to the audience and capturing their attention, due to the fact they want to see if any of their favourite albums made the list. Another sub-image included upon the page is a U magazine T-shirt, juxtaposed alongside the subscription box, connoting to the audience without reading the explanatory information what they could receive. This is appealing to a younger demographic as they stereotypically purchase more merchandise compared to a mature audience. The integration of the magnifying class next to the Bastille logo, represents how U get closer to the artist providing their audience with more information than other brand. Which appeals to a younger demographic as they always want to have the latest info to stay on top in their social group. The final image present upon the contents page is a spotlight juxtaposed against the Second Heist article, connoting to the audience that the article is very significant within this issue, so therefore it should not be overlooked. Upon the double page spread, I used two images, the first was a long shot of the same male model from the front cover, wearing consistent clothing, so that he was directly recognisable to the audience. I scarified the direct address upon the image, instead I opted for the model to look down, drawing the audiences attention towards the text. The posture and facial expression of the model, represents to the audience that he is not overly confident and is very proud of what he’s achieved so far. Through the juxtaposition of his eye line looking down against the text the audience are presented with an image of him look a back at what he’s achieved. On the second half of the double page spread, the audience is presented with a close up shot of the same artist, further connoting how U are getting to understand him even more and building a greater connection with the audience. This will appeal to the audience because they’ll feel their getting to see the artist from more of real, personal angle.

COLOUR SCHEME Following my planning, I decided to produce my magazine using the colour scheme of red, blue and silver, although not originally in the planning I also decided to include the colours black and white. I decided that blue are red were very effective when used together creating a strong contrast that was applying to the eye, although they are not on opposite sides of the colour wheel. I individually chose the colour blue, as it’s an unconventional choice for a magazine, well relating U’s aim to be different appealing to my audiences individual different styles. Additionally blue is associated with trust, relating how U provides its audience with the most credible information, which is appealing as the audience can relax and trust their getting all the relevant in one place. I chose to use the colour dark red as it’s a relatively common colour used amongst music magazines, it also stands out against both black and white, meaning it could strike the audiences attention on any page. Plus red is associated with energy and determination, which shows the audience the passion U have for music, but also conveys the intensity of our audience. Furthermore I included the colour silver into the scheme as it produced a triad of colour and made the pages, especially the front cover, more diverse. I felt that this colour scheme would appeal to my audience as its completely unconventional and different to anything I’ve seen before, making it stand out and reflect the Indie genre, (as its not fitting within your expectation). I decided to integrate black into the colour scheme when developing the double page spread, as it helped to produce a greater contrast against the white background drawing in the audiences attention towards the pull quotes, capturing their interest. I felt that this would make the design overall more visually appealing to the audience, as the juxtaposition of the contrast in colour against the quotation, gives the impression of the artist shouting out to the reader. Making the reader feel more personally involved. I decided to highlight sections/words within the text, creating a visual impact that stands out to the reader. This is an effect way to intrigue the reader, as they become drawn and hooked to certain words, encouraging them into reading the article. For example, highlighting the word “Exclusive” in alternative draws in the audience, as they’re forced into feeling they cannot miss this article. Across the magazine, I have used a range of colours as its more vibrant and attractive to the audience, furthermore it means that there is less consistency across the pages, forever drawing in and enticing the audience. This lack of consistency connotes the differences between every member of our readership and how U is trying to appeal to everyone's individual style.

PAGE LAYOUT When developing the front cover of my magazines, I laid it out so that the main image was the focal point and the text surrounded him, situated in the right and left thirds. I tried to cover as much space as possible, showcasing all the different content that is available inside the magazine, as this will appeal to a younger audience, who are attracted to a magazine purely based upon its content/additional features. Upon the front cover, when adding the coverlines, I editing the text so that it alternated between dark red and dark blue, creating a strong contrast that draws the audience to certain areas of the page. This is appealing towards for my target audience as its more creative and interesting. Relating towards the Indie genre as they consider relatively creative people. I incorporated sub-images on the page to present the audience with a secondary focal point, capturing their attention for longer period, as stereotypically this age bracket has a low attention span, it also allowed me to create visual plugs that are more striking to my audience than text alone. Within the contents page the text to image ratio is relatively balanced, making it visually attractive to the audience, providing the necessary information, whilst neither over fazing them will text or belittling them with just images. Breaking away from the conventional contents page I included a range of sub-images, out weighting the main image, this helped to get across more of the individual style of U, but attracts the audience as its relatively busy, capturing and re-capturing their attention, representing how much is on offer inside U magazine. I also choose to integrate a Top 20 tracks chart into the magazine, a similar feature to that used by NME magazine, as it immediately grabs my audiences attention providing them with what they want. As shown through the market research, though as it only achieved a moderate voting, I deduced that it was necessary to be a feature rather than an entire page. It appeals to a younger audience as they always want to know what's popular in their genre, so U corners this aspect, providing them with a trusted opinion on what to be listening to.

PAGE LAYOUT The main image on the contents page has a bubble coming of it relaying to the audience that its related to the cover story, a similar feature is used by Q magazine, it consistently advertises the lead story insuring that it resonates within the audiences mind, plugging them into reading it. Furthermore articles from the cover are advertised within the contents page, along with other features of interest. Overall, this feature of repeating the articles hooks the audience in reading the magazine, as those are the areas their interested, but by only showcasing certain elements it insures that the audience is intrigue to find out what else is available. The layout of the double page is relatively conventional, as the text is arranged into columns along one side with the model on the opposite. The layout of the page makes the article easy to read, furthermore through the model staring down at the text the audience is further encouraged in reading. The alternation between red and black text makes the article stand out towards the reader and less overwhelming to read, due to the volume of text. This helps to make the overall page more inviting and visually appealing to the reader. The use of multiple imposed block pull quotes, intrigue the audience, and highlighting certain key words makes the page impossible to miss when flicking through the magazine, drawing in the audiences attention and allowing to connection with/understands the featured artist. The second half of the double page spread is divided up using the artists head, making the page visually striking to the reader and connoting his individuality as he stands out from the text (his piers).

AUDIENCE RESEARCH By carrying out my audience research I was able to identify certain features I should implement into my magazine to appeal towards my target audience. My initial research survey established that my audience were interested in a variety of different indie sub-genres. In order to appeal to this range of subdivisions, I decided to advertise different artists through the front cover (through sub-headings of the artists names) and contents page (through the top 20 Indie Artists list, appealing to each individuals style yet also opening them up to other division of Indie), this meant I could appeal to each individual audience members taste. My research also helped me to establish what content would appeal to my audience, this included exclusives (Double page spread exclusive with Second Heist), interviews (Advertised on the contents/the Double Page Spread), festival information (U-Fest is advertised on the front cover), a top tracks chart (Situated on the contents page) and a photoshoot (Three professional photographs come free with the magazine), I included all of these within the finished product. I have priced my magazine at £2.99 as although it drew with £3.99, as it will appeal to a larger audience as it does not exclude people with a lower disposable income and could still be purchased by those with more. I have conformed to my target market research as all the photographs (excepts the free photos, which are live performance a category that also scored highly) are professionally shot, which was the category that received the most votes. This will help connote across to the audience the quality of the magazine they are planning to purchase, putting their faith in the content available. Finally, I chose to include freebies and posters upon final media product, as these categories scored the highest on the market research, these features help me to attract my audience as they feel their getting something more for the same price.

Another form of audience research that provided me with information on how to appeal to my audience was the interviews. The interviews determined the mode of address that my magazine would use, a casual, informal approach, I fulfilled this be refraining from using complex language (E.g. Music terms) in order to not unfazed my audience/lose their attention. An example a informal language used within the media is the word HYPE upon the front cover, I chose to include this word as its stereotypically used by a younger audience, so they will relate/associate it with unmissable content encouraging them to purchase the magazine. I complied with factors that I established through my interviews as I decided to focus my double page spread around a new and upcoming artists appealing to my forward thinking audience who want to know what's coming next in the world of music.

AUDIENCE RESEARCH I choose to interweave interview based sections (highlighted in red) into my double page spread, firstly to appeal to the casual mode of address favoured by the audience, but also to allow my audience to gain a deeper personal connection with the artist and providing them will a choice to read the entirety of the article (background information) or the just the selected questions, (for interested rather than knowledge). Finally, after establishing that my chosen audience were very creative through the interviews, I decided to based my magazine around a classic American diner, as evidenced through the colour scheme. As it helped to promote the individuality aspect that U is aiming towards and provide the reader will a different perspective/angle for their own individuality/creativity. Although my audience research showed that my audience have a great interest in social media, I decided to not include direct links to specific social network sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) as there were multiple favoured by the audience. Instead, I included a website link which would provide my audience will all the necessary convergent links to other platforms, e.g. social media. Finally, I have appealed to one of the points raised in my interviews surrounding providing a topic of conversation between friends/family. I have incorporated the Top 20 Indie Tracks and U Review, to allow for debate between acquaintances to see if they agree with the opinions/decisions provided.