Who Would be the target audience for your media product?

Audience In Detail ✦ The target audience for my media product is females with an age range of 17-25, as I believe that there is an gap in the market for a magazine which focuses on this type of audience. For this audience I wanted to have a magazine that was different to the generic girl’s magazines, as I wanted my magazine to have a more sophisticated feel, which is why I have chosen this age range of women in particular. ✦ The target audience should have an interest in rock music, something which my magazine focuses on in detail, however I wanted the magazine appeal to women, so through the use of an questionnaire I asked people from my target group what they would want in the magazine. The use of the questionnaire meant that I would not make assumptions on what my target audience would like in the magazine, as I would not conform to the stereotypical design of a girl’s, magazine. ✦ The ideal person from my target audience: Would have an interest in rock music, have an interest in new bands, and go to concerts regularly. They would be around 18 years of age and have a part time job, meaning that they could afford the magazine of a weekly basis. This could also mean that they could afford to enter competitions, or subscribe to the magazine to increase the circulation of the magazine. The type of magazine that they would be interested in is formal, but with a hint informality so that the magazine is not completely serious. Other kinds of magazines that they read on a weekly basis are Kerrang!, Rock Sound and NME.

Theorist View: Maslow ✦ Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs can be applied to the target audience as the target audience can be sorted into certain social groups, based on the kind of magazine that they read, which can affect their needs for self-respect. This theory can help publishers to understand why certain people are attracted to certain things in a magazine. I hope that this magazine achieves several of needs of the hierarchy, although I understand that the needs may be meet in a different way for different people. This is because the order of the hierarchy might be in a different order for some people that it is for others, meaning that some needs may not be meet for some people.The main needs that I hope are achieved through the magazine for everyone in my target audience are the Self- actualization needs, Esteem Needs and the belonging and affection needs.

Theorist View: Representation and Stereotypes ✦ In addition to the links with Maslow, the target audience can also be affected by Branston and Stafford’s Representation and Stereotypes theory. This is because, due to the fact that magazine audiences can be stereotyped into a certain social group by others, for example Emo’s and goths. This is due to their musical preferences and therefore the magazines that they read could be labelled as well. ✦ Through this magazine I hope that the layout, genre and house style of the magazine means that the target audience do not feel as though they cant read the magazine, due to their labels or musical taste. The the target audience should not feel like they are being judged for reading the magazine, and I hope that the age range of the target audience means that people will have a more mature attitude toward the magazine and it’s readers.