Question 5

QUESTION 5How did you attract/address your audience?

Target Audience Review My primary audience are male, teenagers ages 15-19 roughly, who live student lifestyles and would very much appreciate a modern, detailed, sophisticated rap magazine for the masses.

This means I have to directly attract them to my production, through specifically chosen elements that make up the magazine. They must convey certain messages, represent certain lifestyles and appeal to every need my audience have.

Colour

The use of this strict colour scheme gave my magazine a slick, well thought out appearance, that both age groups of my audience could appreciate, and therefore would be more inclined to purchase it. What’s more, it linked directly to Golden Age itself, which addresses the Golden Age fans directly.

With my primary audience still being very much youths at heart, I had to include a bold, highlighting colour to draw their attention to certain aspects. It just so happened that the colour gold also conveys a sophistication that would appeal to a more mature, older audience, who are perhaps fans of Golden Age Hip Hop. What’s more, the use of gold differed throughout the magazine, and I didn’t need to use the second bold colour of red, which stood too far out from the production and clashed far too much. This meant it drew attention away from main sell points.

An example of gold variations.

Language/ToneSince the age for my magazine starts at a student level, it indicates that they will have enough reading skills to understand effective types of language like humour and sarcasm.

This means they can appreciate personality in a text, rather than a boring and bland informal tone that some more mature audiences look for. However, in saying this, I have kept my tone on point and sharp enough to appeal to that older audience as well.

I feel that in order to draw the reader in to specific articles, I had to utilize as much alliteration, puns, and catchy phrases as possible. This way, the text jumps out at them, with the help of colour and sizing, just as much as any imagery or graphics.

It is this balance, between friendly, down to earth writers, and relevant, detailed information that I hope I have captured, to attract all members of my audience, whether they fall into the primary or secondary, whether they are a student or not, or whether they are 15 or 40.

Social MediaIt is very common now amongst magazine companies to cram their productions with as much media rich extra content as possible, and this is only a good idea!

It offers their audiences much more of an experience rather than simple reading articles. They can ask their favourite artists questions directly, watch videos and even write reviews. This helps them feel they are part of the production, since they are the reason it is there in the first place.

What’s more, it expands my magazine’s reach and can gain new audience members overseas where a printed copy might not get published. Again, it also ensures the magazine doesn’t get lost in this world of technology and people constantly being on the go.

It’s one thing actually telling the audience about new music, but another providing them with opportunities to listen to it. This is why Youtube channels are such a great idea for these companies, as it allows them to round off the musical experience for their audiences.

I feel this is why I have used my social media. It makes sure my audience, who I know love downloading and surfing for new music, have a full experience when using any form of my production. This goes across the bored to my secondary audience too, as they too indicated strong use of internet when it comes to new music. It also gives the impression to my audience that this magazine isn’t simply a quickly created printed version to make a profit. Instead, the £3.99 gives them a network of different ways to experience their favourite music, and shows the magazine itself to have a true passion for the rap genre.

USP• I feel the design and composition of my magazine is quite unique,

in the way that it uses a huge variation of imagery, to the point of having the artists backs to your face in one case. The overpowering side profiles are another example of this, and these different elements help the magazine stand out, but also appeal to the audience by offering them a different visual look to the usual types of page layouts they see in every other magazine.

• By using buzz words such as Exclusives, New and Competitions, it appeal to the audience in the way that it makes them believe this magazine provides information no other one production can, and even offers them chances to win products that they themselves have an interest in. This in particular draws the younger audience in, who may not necessarily have the money aside to spend on these luxuries.

Genre Conventions• Colour• Expressions• Connotations of

Imagery show attitude• Brand Identity• Props/Outfits• Font Styles• Background of images

This list shows elements of my production that would suggest my magazine was rap based without a viewer even knowing. This means that rap fans and my target audience would jump out at the sight of it on a shelf.

All of these things show or convey a sense of the rap music industry. For example, the colour links to wealth, riches, egos and Golden Age Hip Hop itself. The expressions further emphasise the huge egos associated and idolized by rap fans. The stance of my artists are defiant and almost rebellious, linking to traits present in both my target audience themselves and rap stars. This makes the product relatable in that respect. The housestyle and brand identity created is common in all other successful rap magazines such as Vibe, XXL and Complex. This again shows it to be of a high quality standard, and will therefore appeal to my audience, who are looking to get their money’s worth from this magazine, as 100% indicated in response to my initial survey. Props such as gold chains and guns link again to rap stars and their rebellious, aggressive side, that can come out in my target audience, even with the likes of violent video games that they love to play. Finally, the font styles and background are also very urban or rap related. The iconography of Young Kings is associated with gangsta rap. Then other fonts, link the masthead font and main sell line fonts are either very futuristic, to convey the modern side of rap music, or quite derelict or worn down, symbolizing the urban culture that created rap itself.

Types of ImageryA variation of shot types, angles and effects were used throughout my magazine, all for different reasons, but all to attract my audience in some way.

This direct mode of address, medium close up captures enough emotion yet shows off the models outfits to not only lure the audience in on looks, but almost dares them to read it.

The defiant, careless, turned back pose again reflects their attitudes as well as challenging the audience to read on. It also gives the audience something to relate to in the way that they too will have this side to them. The grey scale effect also shows no emotion or personality in the artists, which is sometimes how both the artists and teenagers are stereotyped.

The side profiles almost suggest a criminal side to the artists, and that by reading this article, the audience may feel the adrenaline that comes with these shot types, as if they might be breaking a law. However, these serious images are then balanced with humorous idiotic facial expressions and poses which reflect the harmless and fun side to my target audience.

Other Artists Featured• In response to the audience

questionnaires I received, I also specifically chose the most popular and upcoming artist to include as well as my features artists. This way, my audience are given new, unheard talent, as well as the veterans they absolutely love like Kanye or SchoolBoy Q.