2. +
Main Central Image
(Star appeal)
Star Appeal
Masthead
Puff/Promotion
Exclusive, engages the
audience
Barcode
Title
Date/
price
3. +
Analysis
The NME magazine has many conventions to
help the audience engage and be attracted to the
front cover etc. The conventions are very
appropriate to the genre of magazine. For
example, this NME magazine has a main central
image with ‘Star Appeal’ (Richard Dyer). This is
effective because the audience are automatically
engaged into the magazine if they see their
favorite singer/celebrity on the front cover
because we know there will be a big story about
them in the magazine. The ‘Star Appeal’ in this is
The Arctic Monkeys, and therefore the target
audience will be boys and girls aged 14-20.
They haven’t replicated any magazine, its very
original and they have made it their own. For
example its masthead isn't placed in the middle
of the page/centrally.
4. +
NME Genre Research
NME magazine is an ‘Indie Rock’ magazine
that focuses on stars such as ‘Jake Bugg’,
‘Artic Monkeys’, ‘Bastille’ and also ‘The 1975’.
It’s a weekly magazine which has a
circulation of 19,491 and its founder was
Theodore Ingham. It’s current editor is Mike
Williams and he has been the editor since
June 2012. The first ever issue was on 7
March 1952.
5. +
Target Audience – Katz, Maslow, Hartley and/or socio-economic needs The target
audience for NME magazine can be denoted as having a ‘personal relationship’ (Katz)
this is because the audience can build up a personal relationship with the stars that are
spoken about in the magazine. We learn so much about them and enjoy the
characteristics that we see. We could also be seen as ‘Social Climbers’ ( Maslow ). This
is because we climb the social ladder to attempt to make ourselves be like the stars and
celebrities we see in the magazines. For example if we read about how favorite singer
playing a certain instrument, then it might make us, the social climbers, want to start
playing this instrument. Another example is if we see our favorite singer wearing
something really nice, we might want to go out and buy it, this is a good example of being
a social climber.
From the research completed into this media product, I think the USP is the ‘Main
central image’. My reasoning for this is because when I see magazines in the
shops, the first thing I see and the first thing I want to look at is the main central
image because its likely going to be the main story in the magazine. If it’s a singer
or band I really like then I'm more likely to buy the magazine. I also think that a USP
is the masthead, the masthead must be big and bold. A masthead is also another
big thing that we notice first when we look at a magazine. The masthead must be
big and bold so the name of the magazine sticks in our head so we can then
remember to pick up next weeks issue or even recommend to friends and family.
This is important because the more and more people that get told about the
magazine, the more sales meaning the circulation will rise rapidly.
6. +
Established
There are different codes and conventions which are missed out
on the magazine front cover and contents page. On the front cover
on NME (my example on first slide), there is no convergent.
Convergent means the links to twitter, facebook and many more
social networking sites. This is a bad quality because it shows that
it has no linking networks, if it did, they could get more subcribers
etc, it shows that its less established than some other magazines.
Another convention that is missing is an editorial, an editorial is an
introduction on the contents page that most magazines should
have. It’s a brief introduction from the editor which makes the
audience feel welcome and create a friendly environment for them
to read in. It also introduces the stories and exclusives that will be
included in that certain issue.
7. +
Publisher research - NME
New Musical Express, popularly
known by NME, created by Theodore
Ingham, is a British weekly music
magazine, published since March
1952. It is associated with rock,
alternative, and indie music. In the
1970s it became the best-selling
British music newspaper. During the
period 1972 to 1976, it was particularly
associated with gonzo journalism, then
became closely associated with punk
rock. It started as a music newspaper,
and gradually moved toward a
magazine format during the 1980s and
1990s, changing from newsprint in
1998.
8. +
Elektro– Publisher research
I researched “Elektro” magazine and I found
very little information on their publisher and
target audience therefore I looked at more
general information on the chosen music
genre. Electro and deep house is a newer
genre of music and its target audience is
around 16-25. Because it’s a fairly new
genre, this may be the reason for the lack of
information on it. Elektro, is a very unique
kind of magazine, and doesn’t repeat the
wheel.
9. +
Target Audience – Katz, Maslow, Hartley and/or socio-economic needs The first
genre of music I focused on was the indie rock kind of music genre. I looked at Elektro
and have realised its focusing on many different kind of people. In hartley it aims to target
both genders throughout the age group of 16-25. It’s a very electro and deep house
music genre. With Katz, Personal relationship is caused because the audience look at
their favourite stars (Richard Dyer) and build up a relationship and bond with them as
they get to learn more about their music and lives. With maslow, it aims its products at
social climbers, because all the audience will again look at the stars used in the products
and want to climb the social ladder and aspire to be like people in the magazine.
There are many unique selling points on my NME magazine of
inspiration. For example, the main central image, is normally an image
of the star who is being used on the double page spread. This is very
effective because the audience and consumers that are looking into the
magazine, will see the big stars being interviewed on the main front
cover, and it will encourage them to buy the magazine. I think that this
is the main unique selling point because this is what sells the magazine
overall.
Magazine of inspiration-NEEDS
IMAGES TOO
10. +
Target Audience – Katz, Maslow, Hartley and/or socio-economic needs With
my magazine, I’m going to do a very similar things to what the magazine ‘Elektro’
have done. Hartley would show that my target audience is also the same which is
16-25 because this is the average age of people who would want to read this
magazine because this genre of music normally attracts young people of around
this age. Katz would say that people would personal identify with my magazine
because they enjoy the music that is being written about, therefore they can identify
with the music genre that they like to listen to. Maslow would say that social
climbers would be the target audience because they want to climb the social ladder
and aspire to be like the stars in the magazine.
The unique selling point of my magazine will be the masthead because
I’m going to make it look bold and stand out against everything else on
the page so the name of the magazine will become very popular and
established. Another unique selling point will be the main central image
of the model I will use. Its going to be big and fill up the page using star
appeal (Richard Dyer).
My Magazine
11. +
Audience Research evidence.
I interviewed around 20 people regarding what they looked for
in Dance Electro style magazines. This took place in a speed
dating format and I found it very informative as to how I would
incorporate the numerous things that they looked for in a
magazine of this type. The questions I asked centered around
style and appearance of the magazine and also additional
elements that would attract the gaze. The results were to follow
on the next slide.
12. +
What colours do you look for
in an Electro magazine?
What do you think is the most
USP of an Electro magazine?
Blue
Pink
Red
Orange
Main central
image
Masthead
Coverlines
Convergence
I chose a baby blue colour as I
feel as if it would fit in with the
unisex theme because it isn't just
a masculine colour because its
pale and would fit in with the
electro and progressive deep
house theme.
I think that I will focus on my
main central image being my
unique selling point because it
was the most common and
popular answer and I feel as if
the main central image is the
focus that will attract the
audience the most.
13. +
Do you think the main central
image should take up most of
the page?
Do you think the Masthead
should be bolder than all the
rest of the writing in an Electro
magazine?
Yes
No
Yes
No
I have chosen that my main
central image will take up most of
the page because when Electro
fans see their favourite artists on
the front cover it will make them
want to buy the magazine.
Yes was the most common answer
therefore I chose to make the
masthead more bolder than all the
other rest of the information and
writing on the page so that it will
become more established and well
known.
