Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract/address your target audience? 

To begin planning to make my product to attract a target audience i conducted a survey for my primary audience research to collect some direct information as to what people want to see in magazines. Through this research I found that as an interest, the latest fashion trends are not as popular as video games, which i would include possibly as adverts or features of what is trending within my magazine. From my primary research I also found that interviews were a preferred feature of magazines, meaning to appeal to my audience i have included more interviews within my media product. To ensure I was able to draw in an audience I included a feature of an "exclusive" interview on the front cover of the magazine. 

I also completed secondary audience research by looking at the reader profiles of professional music magazines such as Kerrang! and Rocksound. From this research i was able to create an initial profile for my target audience, giving me initial ideas of how to present my magazine and what include within it to attract the target audience. 

Production Choices and Audience Feedback

When creating my product, some choices I made during the production stage drifted away from my original plans of what would be included on my magazine and how it would look. Looking first at the front cover, the inclusion of the red flannel shirt and ripped jeans brings an element of the genre to the page through the introduction of the fashion which it features. However, 20% of people who answered my survey stated that it is unclear that my magazine is about music. To make this more clear I could include props of musical instruments such as guitars on the front cover to make it clearer to the audience the main theme of my magazine.

The audience I attracted to my product differed from my target audience and looking at my audience feedback it is clear that as i tried to attract a skater audience, answers within my survey show that 77% of responses feel that my magazine is targeted at an Alternative/ Casual rocker audience. As seen by these results there is also the possibility of attracting a wider audience to my product which would be better as it would cause more sales of my product.

By including an unconventional approach to the main image on my fron cover, I have managed to  include a feature which attracts the attention of my audience and looks the most professional, as seen by my audience feedback. 88% of responses stated that my magazine looked professional which is a positive to attract an audience to my product.

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the target audience for your media product?

The intended target audience of my media product males and females between the ages of 16 and 24, interested in the Pop-Punk genre of music, as seen in the above audience profile. 

However looking back on my magazine I feel that the audience my magazine would attract would be general rock and alternative music fans. If I were to recreate my media product I would alter the costume of the models into merchandise of Pop-Punk bands, in similar costuming the the people featured on my audience profile to bring my magazine back to the original Pop-Punk theme. 

Evalution Question 3

The Role of the Distributor 

A distributor is an individual or a company who purchase and represent products such as magazines to sell to the market and advertise the product to the public. The distributor ensures an increased market coverage of their products within stores which the target audiences visit. this increased coverage can ensure a purchase of the product whenever consumers need it. Within these stores, distributors can also organise discounts or coupons on their products to draw in a wider audience looking for an offer, and they will also carry out local promotions.

How I'll distribute my product.

Kerrang! magazine are one example of a magazine which uses distributing company, Frontline, to distribute their magazine to the market. If my product were to be distributed by Frontline, it could be successful due to the companies knowledge of the target audience and ways to promote my product. However, Frontline or similar distribution companies would not want to publish my magazine as it is similar to magazines such as Kerrang! and as my product targets a similar audience and does not target a 'gap' within the market, my magazine distribution may be more successful if independently distributed similar to Rocksound.

Rocksound magazine take a more independant approach to distributing their magazines. They use an independent publisher and distribute their magazines themselves in store and give away free copies of their product away at Concerts outside of the venues. 

To promote my product online, a marketing option may include features on social networks or physically promoting my product by giving away free copies of my magazine to try and draw in an audience. I will also offer digital download copies of my magazine for people who would rather read my magazine online.Within my research and planning I previously stated that my magazine may be more successful if published and distributed independently.

Evaluation Question 2