Understanding Audiences

Magazine Audiences

Why are audiences important in media companies?
A target audience is CRUCIAL in media companies; many products such as magazines are created specifically with a certain audience in mind. For example, a rock music magazine is made particularly to suit rock music-lovers. Without a company knowing their target audience, it would be impossible to know how much circulation they are likely to get. Furthermore, magazines sell advertisements to companies who they know would suit their audience and this is how they make money to sustain their production. If the advertisements did not link to their audience in some way, they would lose their advertisers, lose money and would not be able to stay in business. Also, they need to know that they WILL have an audience as if the don't, it would be utterly POINTLESS!

What are demographics?
Demographics are a method of organising potential audience into categories such as age, gender, social class, race, location and profession. Surveys and questionnaires are put together by publishers to better understand what audience they will be getting. By doing this, they can evaluate which areas their magazines are targeting and the type of people who may be receiving their product.

Constructing an audience
With this data, they can alter things like the articles to suit the audience in relevance, language and information. They can also measure audience engagement as young people may react differently to an article about a pop band than older people. Audience expectations can also be changed; many producers want their product to be exciting and surprising so by knowing what their audience expects, they can blow it out of the water. On the other hand, they could succumb to expectations in order to appeal to the readers. Audience identification is also important as this allows the reader to feel personally connected with the text, willing them to continue buying the product. After all of this research on the demographics, the data is kept and ultimately, they need to focus on transmitting the product to their target audience. They do this through market campaigns such as adverts and posters. At the end of this, the circulation is counted to give to the advertisers so they know how far their adverts are reaching.

What are psychographics?
Psychographics (AKA:VALS) are the values and lifestyles of a specific audience., relating more to the person inside than demographics do. For instance, two people may live on the same street, be the same age and earn the same amount of money but their individual tastes may be very different. This is why psychographics are also EXTREMELY important to marketers and publishers; they determine the type of LIFESTYLE that their audience likes, making it a more accurate representation of their audience count.

Profiles
The profiles that would be suitable consumers of a music magazine would include the struggler. They are alienated from society, disorganised and enjoy drinking alcohol and betting on the lottery. Their style also depicts trainers. Therefore they may be interested in music magazines as the packed front covers reflect their disorganisation. Furthermore, being alienated from society, they may be likely to rebel and many magazines may appeal to them for example a rock or punk magazine.



 Aspirers may also be a target audience for certain music magazines; they often buy products due to what they look like on the cover and music magazines are always appealing to the eye. They are also materialistic therefore may be more interested in the purchasing of the product than actually reading the contents from cover to cover.


 
Moreover, explorers would be an appropriate reader group for magazines; they crave new and unique brands to stay ahead of the status quo. Additionally, they seek adventure and magazines are often packed full of excitement and adrenaline-loading events.

Lastly, a reformer would be suitable in the category as they thrive on being different and not getting judged. They also support the growth of new products so would be an IDEAL audience for new magazine products as it is clear that they would be loyal if they liked its natural beauty.

 

After taking the quiz as to which VALs you have, I have found out that my primary type is a Striver. This means that I am the centre of low-status street culture. I am also fun-loving, aspire to better my life and am strongly into video games. As a consumer group, marketers would then place advertisements in magazines that I was likely to buy such as video games and fashion. My secondary consumer group is an Experiencer. Therefore-as stated in the results of my survey-I am trendy, up on current fashions but also go against the current mainstreams so could be a trend-setter. Seen as this consumer group allegedly have a heightened sense of visual stimulation, the front cover image would have to be appealing to them in order for this group to be willing to read the rest of the magazine. I agree with the categories to a certain extent but some things were not true. For example, apparently Strivers have difficulty realising their desires but I know exactly what I want to do. In general, the results are quite accurate but they cannot be the only form of results.

My Questionnaire

I have devised my own survey to determine what type of things on the front cover of my magazine would appeal to the audience...

1) How old are you?

2) Male or female?

3) Would you prefer to see a moody or happy model on the front cover of an Indie music magazine?

4) Which setting would you choose for the location of the front cover photo...against a brick wall, in a studio or on a grassy hill?

5) Would you prefer a single model or a full band on the front cover?

6) Which gender would you prefer in this image, males, females or a mixture?

7) What colour scheme do you think supports both genders the best...blue and pink, green and black or purple and orange?

8) What do you think should stand out most on the cover...the image, the title or the band depicted?

9) One  large image on the contents page or lots of thumbnails?

10) Cluttered titles or reserved?  

                                                                

            OR?