How did you attract/address your audience?

I carefully considered every element of my magazine to ensure it would appeal to my audience as

much as possible.

There are two ways in which I did this: through attracting and

addressing.

Attracting

The ways I attracted my audience includes:

• Images• Colour

• Bold, big headlines• Artsists/characters

• Price• Free posters• Layout

Photography

Through my research of existing products i found the way in which Kerrang! attracted it’s audience was though photography. A midshot portrait is used on the front cover using eye contact. I have used this same element in my magazine because it attracts the audience by creating a sense of contact between the audience because the artist appears to be presenting themselves in front of the reader. The body language of my artist is vey open, her head is forward, she is central and she is not purposely covering any of her body attracting the reader as again the character is almost presenting herself for the audience like what is done on this Kerrang! cover of You Me At Six.

When attracting my audience through colour I have tried most to appeal to the eye. The colours I have used I found are very similar to other rock magazines such as Kerrang! and are bold, bright, high contrasting colours. These colours therefore stand off the page and catch an eye from a fairly long distance. This therefore attracts my audience either from a shop shelf or just a side in their own home. These colours are also traditional rock colours. They have connotations of confidence and assurance because they are striking and outstanding. These are characteristics stereotypically associated with rock music fans and artists therefore using these colours attracts the audience through eye and by assuring them this magazine if made for them.

Colour

When analysing existing products i found headlines are fairly large, bold and of high contrast from the background. I have done the same in my product

because headlines are the main way to attract an audience on the front

cover. Having bold outstanding headlines attracts an audience as it is

appealing to the eye and therefore would attract any audience from a

fairly long distance. However to attract a rock audience in particular

like Kerrang! My headlines are in fact just names of musicians. The main

reason an audience buys a magazines is because of interest in recent

popular artists therefore having these names as headlines attracts an audience as it is one of the first

things they will see and they will be persuaded to take interest in the

magazine as they will be interested in the characters featured.

Headlines

Nearly all magazines - not just the music genre- give away free items to attract an audience. This is done because people feel almost privileged an excited to be given a free purchase and these include items related to the genre. For example in a beauty magazine free makeup may be offered. In music magazines such as Kerrang! posters are a very popular free gift. This is because they directly relate to the genre of magazine and the characters featured within it. In my product I have included an advertisement for free posters on my front cover in order to attract my audience as they may buy the magazine solely to purchase the large images as something they can keep, as a source of excitement within the magazine, or just as a bonus.

Free gifts

AddressingAfter attracting my audience I then went on to address them. The main

ways I did this include:• Written and visual language• Mise en scene of photogrpahy

When planning, I identified the way headlines and articles were written in current rock magazines such as Kerrang!. I identified that the language used was informal ‘hotshots’ and which was a main way I addressed my audience in my product. Because my target audience is young and working class I addressed this by using simple lexis, short sentences (like Kerrang! ‘causing chaos’) and informal language for example through speech language as they are stereotypically less educated, ‘ so, ...’.

To appeal to my audience of rock music fans I have addressed them through specific language. Like in Kerrang! musical instruments are referred to as their formal names and in my product article i have used words such as ‘bass guitar’. This addresses an audience by using language in which they are familiar with because of their interests. Using this language makes the audience aware the magazine is for them and about their interests.

Written and visual language

Depending on whether the photography are live shots or studio shots, when analysing Kerrang! I concluded that the props, setting and costume of photography was used to address the magazines audience. In my product I have done the same. In my images my character has straight black hair and is wearing black clothes. This is also the case in a lot of photography in Kerrang!. This address the audience as these are characteristics stereotypically associated with rock music fans. This therefore means the artist is reflecting the audience meaning the reader feels welcome and belonging when reading and viewing the magazine. This is also done through setting. For example in lie gigs, things included in the shots would be a gig setting. Gigs are very common for rock music therefore this addresses the audience as they should be familiar with this setting and again feel at ease and welcome in the magazine.

PhotographyKerrang!

My product