How research will inform my planning

For my research task i firstly collected data by creating a questionnaire and handed it out to 31 members of the public and asked them to fill in the question on music magazines. I then analysed these results as i felt this information would be useful as it would allow me to find out how the public respond to music magazines. The majority of participants were male and 10 people out of 31 were female therefore i have decided the gender of my magazine i will be aimed at males. I also asked a question on age, the majority of people were 15-20, therefore i shall be aiming my magazine at this age group. I also found out from my questionnaire the reasons why people buy a music magazine. There was a verity of different answers but the ones that came up most frequently were the latest gossip on artists, and useful information- for example tour dates, therefore i can tell that this would be good to incorporate into my magazine. A lot of people who answered my question said they would like upcoming artists as well as well known artists to feature in the magazine, therefore i shall feature news on both types of artists as this is what my audience are looking for in a magazine. Finally another useful question i asked was in regard to what offers/promotions interest them, the outcome to this question was ITunes vouchers was the most popular however all the options given in this question were all popular therefore i can see i will include promotions as this is what my audience look for in a music magazine.

I then created a 2nd questionnaire which allowed my to ask further questions which would help me with my magazine. I gave this questionnaire out to 15 members of the public and the questions asked where more specific. I asked a question on whether they would prefer a male or female to feature on the front cover of the magazine. 13 people who answered this question said they would prefer a male artist to be featured on the front cover and only 2 out of the 15 said female, therefore from this i can now see that i will include a male artist on the front cover of my magazine as this will appeal mostly to my target audience. I also asked a question on colour schemes for the magazine, the most frequent colours that came up were - red black, grey, blue, white and green, therefore i have decided when i plan my magazine i will play around with all of the colours above to see what colours work well and complement each-other and to make the front cover standout and make it eye-catching. I will also try and incorporate most of the colours as this will then appeal to a wider audience.

Another area i looked into for my research was analysing current music magazines, i looked at 2 magazines and closely looked at the front cover, contents page and a double page spread. I looked at NME music magazine which specialises in indie rock music and Q music magazine who's gender is rock/pop. I looked at these two specific magazines as from my questionnaire the two most popular styles of music were pop and rock, therefore these magazine would be most appropriate and useful to me for my research.

It has allowed me to see how current and popular magazines are successful and why. I found that both magazines and many other magazines have a main large image of an artists to promote them and make the front cover eye-catching and appealing. It includes the name of the magazines to promote it and show the brand identity. It also uses pugs to show the information that is included inside the magazine to attract the consumer to buy the magazine as they will want to read on and see inside. With the Contents pages of these two magazines i found that they included a lot of useful information such as page numbers, which will allow the consumer to find what they want easily. They also included other key information such as web addresses, competitions, the issue date etc. With the Double page spreads i found that in both magazines a large image was placed on one side and text on the other, this was done to break up the text making it easier for the consumer to read also shown through drop caps to guide the reader through the text. Finally the columns are all evenly spaced and the same width to create a high quality presentation and make it simple for the reader.

Finally for my research i Looked at where i would place my product. I thought this would be beneficial for my research as it would allow me to see where it was best to place my magazine. I found that i would place it in a supermarket as this was the most popular place in my questionnaire. I said it would be near other magazines that retailed for the same Price of £1.00-£1.50 as this would show consumers it is sold at a good price. Finally where abouts on the shelf i would place it. I said at the beginning of the isle and at eye level highet as this is where i felt it would sell best as consumers could find it easily and straight away.

2nd Questionnaire results

I decided to create another question as part of my research as i felt this would help me with the planning and construction of my own magazine. I asked a smaller audience this time and made the questions more specific. I handed it out to 15 members of the public and this is what i found out.

1) What is your gender?

For question one i found out that the majority of people that answered my questionnaire were male,this could show that males are more interested in music magazines as they took time to fill out the questionairre rather than females therefore i will take this question into consideration for my research and planning of the magazine as it could help me decide on the specific gender of the magazine.

2) what age group do you fit into?

The majority of people who answered this questionnaire fitted into the age group of 15-20. This was because i specifically gave it to people that fitted into this age group as this was the most popular option on my previous questionnaire therefore i felt i had already decided upon my target audience therefore i created this questionnaire to ask them more specific questions, however i did hand out my questionnaire to a few other age options as it would allow me to see whether different age groups would answer the same and therefore by interested in and purchase my magazine.

3) Do you feel that there is a gap in the market for a music magazine that specializes in indie rock music?

I asked this question as i felt it was important to see if the smaller audience felt there was a gap in the market for the genre of music that was most popular in my previous questionnaire. the most poplar choice was yes, therefore i can see now from both questionaries the genre of music this magazine will specialise in is indie rock.

4) Would you like the magazine to suit to either genders or just a specific gender?

In this question the most popular choice with 9 out of 15 was a specific gender and male, and 6 people out of 15 said both genders. Therefore i have decided from looking and analysing the results of both questionnaires that i will suit my magazine for the male gender.

5) Would you prefer a female or male artist to feature on the front cover of the magazine?

13 people who answered this questionnaire said they would prefer a male artist to be featured on the front cover and only 2 out of the 15 said female, therefore i have decided to include a male artist on the front cover of my magazine as this will appeal mostly to my target audience.

6) What colours would you most want on the front cover of the music magazine?

With this question the most frequent colours that came up were - red black, grey, blue, white and green, therefore i have decided when i plan my magazine i will play around with all of these colours to see what colours work well together and to make the front cover standout and make it eye-catching. I will also try and incorporate most of the colours as this will then appeal to a wider audience.

7) Would you want your contents page to include: text and images, just text, just images, promotions, page numbers, other- please specify?

I asked this question as i felt it would be important to see what the audience would want included in the contents page of the music magazine. From this i found out everyone chose text and images, promotions and page numbers. therefore i shall included all of these in my contents page as this will then appeal to my target audience.

8) How much would you be willing to pay for a music magazine?

I felt it was important to ask the same question about price that was in my first questionnaire. I wanted to ensure that i would be selling my magazine for a price that would be suited for my target audience. The results show that the most popular choice on both was £1.00-£1.50, therefore this will be the price boundaries for my magazine.

9) Would you prefer the double page spree in the magazine to be in the style of an interview or an article?

7 out of 15 people said that they would prefer an interview and 8 people said they would prefer an article, therefore i have chosen that the double page spread will be written as an article, however i may add in an element of a small interview. Therefore this will appeal to a wider audience.

10) Would you like the double page spread to feature a new artist or a well-known artist?

The most popular option was a new artist for the double page spread therefore i shall feature a new artist in my music magazine.

Overall i have found doing two questionnaires very useful. The first questionnaire enabled me to ask basic questions that gave me the ability to begin further research into my music magazine, for example the first questionnaire identified for me the genre of music which then enabled me to research relevant magazine on the current market to see how they sell well. Then the second questionnaire enabled me to ask for specific questions about each part of my magazine; the cover, contents page and double page spread, for example the colours that will be used, the gender of the artist featured on the front page ect.

2nd Questionnaire

Questionnaire

1) What is your gender?
· Male
· Female
2) What age group do you fit into?
· 15-20
· 20-25
· 25-30
· 30-40
· 40+
3) Do you feel that there is a gap in the market for a music magazine that specializes in indie rock music?
· Yes
· No
4) Would you like the magazine to suit to either genders or just a specific gender?
· Both genders
· Specific gender - Female/male
5) Would you prefer a female or male artist to feature on the front cover of the magazine?
· Female
· Male
· Either
6) What colours would you most want on the front cover of the music magazine?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7) Would you want your contents page to include:
· Text and images
· Just text
· Just images
· Promotions
· Page numbers
· Other- please specify
8) How much would you be willing to pay for a music magazine?
· £1.00-£1.50
· £1.50-£2.00
· £2.00-£3.00

9) Would you prefer the double page spread in the magazine to be in the style of an interview or an article?
· Interview
· Article
10) Would you like the double page spread to feature a new artist or a well-known artist?
· New artist
· Well known artist

Product Placement

As part of my research work for my magazine i decided to research into product placement. I decided this would be beneficial as part of my research as it would allow me to see where it would be best to place my magazine in the current market.

I firstly started off by looking at the results of my questionnaire. I looked at 2 specific questions that would help me with the subject of product placement. I firstly looked at the question 'where do you buy your magazine from?' i gave 4 options and a other please specify. The options were 1) Supermarket 2) Convenient store 3) Subscribe 4) Online 5) Other. The most popular option was supermarket, therefore i will be selling my magazine in a verity of different supermarkets as my results showed this is where most people buy their magazines therefore it will sell best in this area of industry. I also looked at a question on price "what is the price that you would normally pay for your music magazine?' i gave 3 options and an other option. The most popular choice was £1.00-£1.50, therefore from these sets of results i will base the costing of my magazine around these figures, it also means that i feel i will place my magazine around other magazines that retail for this price as it will show consumers it sells for a good price.

I have also thought about where i will place my magazines regarding other magazines, as i feel this is an important factor to consider when thinking where to place my product in supermarkets. I will place my magazine with other existing music magazines, so that people/consumers that are interested in music magazines will be able to find my magazine easily. I have also thought about where abouts on the shelf i should place it. I feel the best place would be at the very begging of the isle as it would be spotted first and at eye level so its directly in front of their viewing point, catching their eye straight away.

When thinking about the placement of my product i feel it is important to think about the main rivals for my music magazine. I feel the biggest rivals would be other music magazines that are the same genre of music, for example NME and kerrang.

I have also encountered the distribution of my music magazine and have thought about how else i could sell it. I felt a good idea would be to sell online/subscriptions. This is a good idea as it will suit to my target audience as it was a popular choice in my music magazine questionnaire, also by allowing consumers to subscribe or read my magazine online it could reduce printing costs, and be more environmentally friendly as less copy's are being made therefore this may also appeal to consumers.

Finally i would think about the other leading magazines that would surround my magazine. I feel this is important to think about as i need to ensure my magazine stands out from other magazines that specialise in music, therefore i need to make sure my magazine stands out from all the other magazines making it eye catching and the one people chose to pick up and purchase.

Real media artefacts- Q

Q music magazine front cover:

The name of this music magazine is just simply the letter ‘Q’, this is an effective name as its bold, stands out and is easy to remember, the ‘Q’ is carefully placed on a simple square shape to make sure it is not dominating the letter and is red shaped and the letter white, this makes it standout and shows the consumer it’s the name of the magazine, it is placed in the top right hand corner of the magazine and is very clear to see, to show the magazines brand identity clearly.

The colours used in this magazine are grey, white, black and red. All of these colours contrast well with each other and make everything standout. Although the background colour of this magazine is quite dark it doesn’t subtract from any of the writing or images on the page, it makes them stand out.

The connotations for the colour red are danger and love. Therefore these colours are used to help portray the genre of music this magazine speacalises it also fits and complements the image of Lady GaGa fettered on the cover, as red is sexy and dangerous which is how Lady GaGa is portrayed in this specific image.

As the audience/ reader we are immediately drawn to an interesting and controversial image of pop sensation Lady GaGa. She is placed in the very centre of the front cover wearing leather trousers, gloves and nothing on her top half, conveying to how we normally portray Lady GaGa with her different fashion style. The way she had been photographed is to shower her femininity through her figure, clothing and pose. Femininity is also conveyed/shown through the style of writing, as the lettering that says ‘Lady GaGa’ is quite thin and slightly ‘flicked’ at the corners of each letter. It also uses this image of Lady GaGa to promote her as an artists as she is the only image on the front cover therefore she is the focus.

The front covers layout is quite simple and basic but carries enough information and images to interest consumers into getting the magazine. Different font sizes, bold writing, different shapes and colours are used for the writing to make it interesting and more appealing to the eye. Finally all the text is positioned around the figure of Lady GaGa to make her stand out and be the main focus of the cover.

Q music magazine contents page:

As you can see the same colours have been used for the contents page and the front cover, mainly red black and white. This helps the magazine to flow and to keep the genre of music throughout the whole of the magazine. The background to this colour is white which is basic and allows the text to standout and be clear allowing the consumer to be able to read clearly. For example the page numbers are in red therefore this makes it clear allowing them to see if quickly and efficiently. The Q symbol is positioned and is the same colour as the one on the front cover and the same position this is so the audience can easily recognize the brand of the magazine and to constantly promote the company name ‘Q’.

The layout of the contents page is very basic and simple allowing the reader to find the information they want quickly. Some of the information is set in text boxes, which gives the contents page a neater, more professional look. The contents page layout is set in three different columns so writing is easier to digest information. And is separated with two different images 1 is a large image of a band/group to make it more eye catching and appealing and another smaller image just to break up the text and again make it more appealing and easy to read. Finally it uses different coloured boxed headings to highlight key information to make it standout and easy to find.

It also includes additional useful information for the consumer/ reader of the magazine. For example it clearly states the date the magazine has been issued in the top left hand side against a black strip of colour and white writing, this makes it standout and easy to find and tells the consumer they are purchasing the later and up to date issue of the magazine.

Q music magazine double page spread:

This double page spread has a simple design, but is very effective, in the way that it is eye-catching. On the left hand side of the double page spread it is an image and on the right hand side is the article. The reader can already tell before reading the article that it is obviously on the pop sensation Lady Gaga. The image on the left page is a mid-shot of Gaga, with her upper torso and head visible. She is clearly scene to be naked and has a lot of flesh is exposed, with her hands and a metal chain necklace covering the more revealing areas. This is then a very similar image to the one on the front cover. These two images have been used to link the two pages together and to make it easy for the reader to follow.

Even before reading the actual content of the magazine the image of Lady GaGa tells the story for its self, having a big impact on the article. The fact that she is showing a lot of flesh brings much attention to her straight away, Her hair is styled to be wild and untamed; this represents the artist to have a wild and crazy personality, which may be mentioned in the text of the article. The image itself has been edited in post-production into black and white, to create mood and a dramatic effect, and to contrast with the brightness of the large red ‘L’ on the opposite page to link them together.

By using this large ‘L’ on the side with all the writing it breaks it up and therefore the reader won’t lose interest in the article. The significance of the ‘L’ being red is that it contrasts well with the black and white from not only the image but the background colour and the black texts to allow it to standout and still make it easy for the reader to read through the article, also the connotations of red are usually danger which could be portraying the character of Lady GaGa which is also shown through her provocative and seductive image. Also with the lay out of the text in the article in two places it uses the drop caps to lead the reader through the article to make it easy and clear to follow.

Real media artefacts- NME

NME music magazine Front Cover:

The branded name for this magazine is NME. It is placed in the top left side of the magazine in a bold, bright and clear font. This is to make it easy for the consumer to see, and straight away recognise the brand identity of the magazine. The colours used for the name are red, black and white, these three colours contrast well with each other and fit with the genre of music this magazine specialises in. The colours also reflect the name as NME can also sound like ‘enemy’ and the connotations for an enemy and danger are blacks and reds.

A medium close-up of Lily Allen dominates this front cover. The reasons for using such a close up and large image are to make it eye-catching and make it stand out from other leading magazines. Another resin being to pre mote her as an artists. Not only is the size important to this front cover but the angle in which Lily is looking at the camera. As the consumer we immediately become drawn to her eyes, as she is looking direct therefore as the consumer we feel emotionally attached and therefore want to read. The appearance of Lily Allen is key as it keeps to the genre of the magazine but also represents the man subject to her story. She has wild messy hair, a lose checked shirt, dark black heavy eye make-up and her facial expression is very plain to show her attitude as if she doesn’t care. This fits with the writing to the left of her face reading. “I can’t keep on living like this. It’s doing my head in”. The writing is also used to frame Lily’s face to again make her the focus of the front cover.

The cover lines on the front cover fits with both the genre of the magazine and the article on Lily Allen. The first cover line is carefully positioned on the blank area of the magazine and is a bold, clear red font, this makes it stand out and easy to read. The Second cover line is larger and printed in the style of newspaper cuttings. This gives it an edgy and quirky look, representing the style of magazine. The writing is wobbly and different sizes and on a slight slant making the words look wild and messy again representing the article on Lily Allen. Most of the informative text on the front cover is in basic colours, white, black, and red fonts, to link in with the colour scheme of the magazine name.

The magazine also incorporates the colour yellow into it, as it’s bright and stands out against the other colours. The areas that our yellow holds key other information that is in the rest of the magazine. This makes it standout against the main colours used in the rest of the front cover for example red, black and white.

NME music magazine contents page:

At the top of the contents page it mirrors the front cover of the magazine by placing the name in the top right hand corner. This helps to keep the flow of the magazine and the style/genre of music. It also does this by keeping to the same colour scheme on the front cover, red, black and white, and a small amount of yellow, All o f these colours are strong and bold which makes it standout, easy to follow and entices the reader to look further on in the magazine.

The title on this contents page reads 'NME this week' this suggests straight away to the reader that the magazine has the latest updated gossip and news on the music that is current. Its also in a bold font and coloured white so it stands out against the black background.

There is a lot of information on this contents page and appears quite busy, however all of the information on this page is a good quality as it shows the reader just where to look for what they want. The layout is simple and easy to follow with the page numbers on the left hand side in a clear bright red font, a large image in the middle and a final column with bold subtitles almost like bullet points and arrows adding more information in an interesting and eye catching way. Also by using arrow shapes it encourages people to move onwards to the next page, shown by the bold red arrow in the bottom right hand corner. As you can see this contense page is full of text however it is broken down by the large image in the centre. It also draws attention to the main article in this specific issue of NME, I think this is good because it brings out the biggest article in this issue as there is so much text on the page and shows the consumer just where they need to find it, making it easy and practical for them. At the bottom of the page we are drawn to the text in the black box’s as it stands out from the rest of the page as the background is white, it also incudes bright yellow text which is the only yellow used in this page, I think it is a good place to promote subscribing to the magazine as this is where people firstly look when reading a magazine therefore they wont miss it.

The contents page holds other key information to inform the reader. For example underneath the title of the page is the date of when the magazine is issued, this is a key and important piece of information for the consumer as it allows them to see they have purchased the most recent and up to date issue of the magazine. Where the date is placed is to make it easy for the consumer to find and straight away see as it is at the very top of the page and underneath the large bold title as this is where people will first be drawn to when looking at the page.

NME music magazine double page spread:

Once again this page consist on the 3 main colours that are used throughout the 3 pages I have analysed, (red, black and white), this is to piece the magazine together and create a consistent flow and keeping to the genre of the magazine.

This page is linked very clearly to the front cover of this issue of NME. We are again immediately drawn to the image and the ‘cut out’ writing, just like on the front cover, this is then linking the two pages to tell the reader it’s the main article.

The layout of the page is very simple making it easy and clear to follow. The whole of the right hand side page is covered with an image very similar to the one on the front cover. She has an edgy look portrayed by her appearance, for example her checked skirt, rough messy hair, and her pose suggests that she is rebellious and doesn’t care what people think, which is shown through the large and bold cut of letters, which also catches our attention and reads “people think I’m an attention seeker, but in just honest.” The style of writing fits with the genre of music this magazine specializes in and portrays Lily Allen’s story before the audience has read the story, giving them an insight to the article, making them want to read it. By having these two large structures on the page it fills the space meaning less writing is used which may appeal to the audience reading the article as they will not get bored and move on, this is also true for the way its written. The article is laid out in order for the reader to follow easily; it does this by firstly starting off with a drop capital. This shows the reader exactly where to begin reading and addresses the audience directly. The text is in four same sized columns separated with an even space in-between each one so that the reader doesn't get easily bored.