2. I have put together a focus group asking
four people all aged 16-17 questions
towards what they feel would appeal to
them in a mainstream rock and pop
magazine. All the people questioned have
a good knowledge on the mainstream
music genre.
3. 1. What do you look for on the cover when you
purchase a magazine?
•Person 1 – A cover which has an appealing image about it and when you are looking for the
magazine on the shelf it all stands out towards you
Person 2 – The name of the magazine has to be able to have a good appeal and the name can
be remembered for its cleverness and appeal.
Person 3 – The cover needs to have one large image of someone that I can recognise so that I
can relate to the magazine and will make me want to buy it.
Person 4 – The main story of the magazine has to catch my eye so that I will want to read what
its about?
4. 2. What do you look for in the articles of a
magazine?
Person 1 - The story has to either relate or interest. If I can relate to the story it makes it so
much better to read
Person 2 – The story has to have an image or images to accompany it, The story does not
appeal as much if you just have to read.
Person 3 – The article has to be realistic. If the article is not based on pure fact or has features
that are not believable then it is not the same.
Person 4 – I feel also that the article has to be relatable and interesting. It just makes the read a
lot easier and makes you want to finish.
5. 3. What feature most appeals to you in a
magazine?
Person 1 – The articles because without them the magazine is not the same
Person 2 – In most music magazines I like to see information on tour dates because it will keep
me informed on favourite artists.
Person 3 – I like to read the articles because it lets us know more about favourite artists.
Person 4 – Information about new artists because I like to keep up to date with the latest music.
6. 4. What name would you select for the music
magazine?
Person 1 – X magazine. This is because it has an area of mystery and like Q magazine it is
catchy.
Person 2 – Rockstream. Because it offers the sense of the combined to most popular genres of
rock and mainstream pop.
Person 3 – I also like X magazine for the same reason. Although I did not come up with it if I
read it, it would appeal to me.
Person 4 – Mainstream. The simplicity appeals to me and also it is what the magazine is based
around you cant go wrong.
7. 5. Do you buy CD’s or download music?
Person 1 – I do both but I only buy CD’s if they are on offer.
Person 2 – Download all the time.
Person 3 – Again I do both but only if the CD is cheap or I really want a hard copy
Person 4 – Download only
8. 6. Do you read music magazines?
Person 1 – No I don’t but I do generally have an interest in music so if the right one were
brought I would purchase it.
Person 2 – No I don’t due to the fact I keep up to date online
Person 3 – I purchase Kerrang sometimes but not often
Person 4 – No I don’t.
9. 7. How much would you be willing to pay for a
music magazine?
Person 1 - £2
Person 2 - £1.50
Person 3 - £2
Person 4 - £2
10. 8. What is your favourite band/artist?
Person 1 – Rhianna
Person 2 – One direction
Person 3 – Coldplay
Person 4 – Example
11. 9. What would make you want to buy a new
music magazine?
Person 1 – If the price was right and I wanted to catch up on the latest artists in that genre then
it would appeal to me.
Person 2 – If I was in a store looking through the magazines and I saw this magazine with a
good cover that appealed to me then I would buy it.
Person 3 – If I saw a story on the cover that appealed to me I would buy it.
Person 4 – If they had a good selection of features in the magazine that appealed to my taste
then I would buy it.
12. Summary
From all of these questions I have determined that my magazine needs to have a front cover
that will appeal to the readers. The majority of the people in the focus group said that everything
that attracts them to the magazine is on the front cover and if the front cover appeals and they
have the money then they will purchase the magazine. The people interviewed said that the
majority will only buy CD’s if they are on offer. In this magazine it could be wise to include
features about the decline in CD sales or also it could be wise to maybe have a promotional
offer to provide a free CD in the first issue. By asking the group there favourite artist I managed
to determine the style of the magazine. Although they all gave different answers they all have a
similar style in the genre therefore making it easier setting out the cover. The general idea on
the price was they all did not like the idea of expensive magazines clearly stating that they
prefer a lower brow/middle brow image making pricing a lot easier for them. If I do this I will
appeal to a wider audience. The fact that not many purchase a music magazine also shows that
I need to work on these areas to attract them and draw them in. If I were to do this, I would gain
a good readership and gain quick popularity in the market. The people interviewed virtually all
stated that the article was of great importance. This is because they want to make sure that the
main point of the magazine is a good feature. If they have something interesting to read it will
keep them engaged and will make them want to continue reading. As for the title of the
magazine, all were good suggestions and had a good relation to the idea of the magazine. By
listening to readers in a focus group it will allow me to produce a successful magazine.
