Audience Research- Focus Group and Analysis of Findings

I asked two sixth form students Shamoun and Tugce who are both 18 to take a look at three magazine covers that I had picked out for them and I asked them a range of questions. The magazine covers that I used were:

The first question I had asked them was 'which magazine appeals to you the most and why?' Shamoun liked the Vibe magazine as it had one of his favourite artists on the cover. This suggests that someone iconic and well known attracts the attention of the reader. Tugce thought the pop magazine appealed to her the most also due to the model. She said she liked the way she is presented with a smile and looks attractive. The colour scheme also is also attractive as it has bold colours and it captures the person's attention. From this feedback I will need to present the model as being one that comes across as friendly and attractive as well as using bright colours to attract the audience.

 I asked if they knew which genre was each music magazine to see if it was easily identifiable. They both guessed the genres correctly and so this means that the specific conventions present on these magazine front covers were connected to the genre of music magazine.

'On each magazine what feature stands out to you the most?' was the question I asked next. On the pop magazine again the idea of the colour scheme and the layout was the most appealing as the bright colours are seen as very attractive. The other images on the page also helped with making the cover more attractive and appealing. The appealing aspect in the rock magazine was the model and Shamoun mentioned his hairstyle. This shows that the appearance of the model/ artist is very important. From the vibe magazine the angle of gaze from the main artist is what engaged them. From this, I have realised the importance of the model being used in the front cover and the way they are presented is very important. Also the colour scheme is an important aspect and so I will have to use an appropriate colour scheme for my magazine. 

The next question was 'what would you price each magazine?' The response was around £4-£5 and this was due to the fact that the magazines looked sophisticated as well as being worthy of a high price. This was helpful to know as I wanted to see the expectations of the target audience and what they think each magazine would cost. The costs were quite high and so I won't be afraid to raise the prices.

 I then asked about what they thought the target audience was for the magazines. Overall the target audience was young adults as well as teenagers. The pop magazine was for 11-18 and was the same for the rock magazine however they though that the vibe magazine was for a more older audience due to the more sophisticated feel of the magazine. 

I finally asked a general question about what colour schemes would be appropriate for a pop magazine and the feedback was the fact that the colours should be playful. Tugce raised an interesting point about the fact that some colours may seem very feminine as well as Shamoun saying magazines such a vibe appeal to him more due to the darker colours as they are typically male colours. This means that I will have to decide which gender I will appeal more to or if I appeal to both genders.