Media target audience presentation

1. Language
The target audience for Q magazine is slightly older than most magazines of its type, aimed at an age of about 25 to 45
year olds it means the magazine can afford to be more expensive, because most of the readers have more highly paid jobs.
The Q magazine should appeal to an audience of both genders. The plug line “the ultimate festival guide” implies that the
target audience enjoy festival going and generally socialising, these are the types of things you would expect to see in a
younger psychographic.
One of the standfirst lines connotes the target audience described because it says “ Their most explosive interview ever”.
Now, although it uses energetic language such as “explosive” which would captivate a younger target audience, it still uses
Standard English, with effective adjectives. This is very different to a magazine which would appeal to an even younger
audience such as “Top of the Pops” where they might use slang instead.
This is why that piece of text appeals to the mentioned target audience.
The cover story “Drugs, Death and Sting” is a particular piece of text that would, encompass the demographic of this
magazine. Starting with the words themselves, “Drugs and Death” this is language more associated with the Rock and Roll,
Alternative Rock and Roll and perhaps indie. Which in turn are genres that younger people would enjoy. Furthermore “Sting”
is an artists they are likely to be referring to from “The Police” a band that is more commonly known to people at a age of
25 to 45 years old.
The pull quote from one of the cover stories, “ They’d stab me to get to the top” will appeal to the said target audience
because of language like “stab”. Now, this does not connote that young people around the age of 25 are violent, however it
does infer a more brash persona to the magazine that, in turn, would appeal to a the target audience
The word “bang” within the standfirst under Arctic Monkeys is in keeping with this magazines use of volatile vocabulary such
as “explosive and stab”. So in a sense it creates a house style with the language that would appeal to the target audience.
.

2. Colour
The magazine creates a house style
that is first seen in the masthead
“Q” the well-matched red and
white is then seen consistently
through the rest of the magazine.
These bright a poppy colours will
comply with the target audience of
25 to 45 year olds because they are
dynamic, active and chic.

3. Images
There is a single image on this front cover that
fills the entire A4 page. Four artists are shown, the
lead singer is positioned in the foreground, within
a midshot, this creates an effect of importance,
the leader singer being the most important. The
three other artists are situated in the background,
also in a midshot, the fact that they are in the
background, implies a gang style result
connoting unity. The readers will pick up on this.
The image is also given this draw-effect, This in
turn creates a individual and different view of the
image, it could relate to the time when monarchs
were painted, so this image has connotations of
sovereigns.
The multiple participants nonchalant expression
gives the artists an edge of ascendency.
The High-key lighting intensifies the colours of
the page making them more striking to the
reader of males and females between 25 and 45
years old.
Costume, the clothing is typically indie this will
again be alluring to the target audience because

4. Content There are several cover stories on this magazine. These
cover stories include a variety of artists such as: “Sting,
Fleet Foxes, the Stokes and Arctic Monkeys. The layout
coveys this sense of status. The most important or most
popular artists always take centre of the cover whereas
the less popular artists, seem to be shown at the sides.
For a magazine that claims to musically orientated, the
content on this cover speaks different volumes, after
reading the cover lines the magazine implies more of a
gossip style mantra “they'd stab me to get to the top”
This elusive and “want to read on” style is typical of
gossip magazines.
Lines that add to this include “Drugs! Death! Sting!”
Again, this scandalous vocabulary connotes the chittery
nature.

5. The same target audience still applies to the contents
page. Directed at an age range of about 25 to 45 year
olds of both genders. This younger target audience will
appreciate the more informal language that still is Standard
English such as “and so it begins”.
There is also a comical element infused into the text “The all
important facial hair table” this trendy remark tries to pull off a
joke were in which they imply that a facial hair table, which in
itself sounds mildly funny, is as important as the rest of the
articles, this amusing component will not appeal to the elderly,
because conventionally throughout magazines they prefer a more
formal tone, which the language from this contents page does not
posses.
The standfirst under the “Ten Commandments”, again, will appeal
to the younger target audience with the brash line “Prison-a good
thing”. This outrageous sentence will tug at the curiosity of the
younger viewers, who conventionally, will look for a degree of
excitement in the language.
The standfirst for the section on Radiohead also incorporates
humour with the line “one which feature Thom Yorke actually
smiling” once more this technique has been used to incorporate
its target audience.
Language

6. Colour
A house style is very much created through
the continued use of the same colour, these
colours are Black, white and red.
The white on the contents page denotes
chicness and a modern feel to the magazine,
this up-to-date, style will be what the target
audience of 25 to 45 year olds would favour
the most.
The red provides a theme of vitality and life,
these more poppy colours will be further
associated with a younger generation close to
the age of this magazines audience, o the
other hand it also implies aggression, which
ties in with the menacing image.
The black just provides a contrast to the white
helping it stand out. All of these colours
connote masculinity, which obviously will help
it sell to a male target audience.

7. Images The only image used on this
contents page is one of “The
Verve” lead singer Richard
Ashcroft. He is posed in an
intimidating stance, with a
demonic expression, with
untidy hair, this intense
persona put across by the
image is one the younger
target audience will like. The
low-key lighting reinforces the
sinister look.
The semi-formal clothing is
very individual, and therefore
it ties in with the indie genre.
The dark blazer has
denotations of a funeral and
death, this is leaning to the
indie-rock scene style. All of
these things will draw in the
target audience.

8. Content The image used will appeal more specifically, to an
older, male target audience, due to the subject in the
image being an person within the said bracket.
A modern font shows the magazine is up-to-date, this
contemporary typography, however still help this
contents page appeal to an audience of 25 to 45 year
olds.
The inclusion of interviews and composition of “100
Greatest albums” articles of particular indie and indie-rock
artists helps put across the genre of the magazine.
The target audience is probably more male leading
because of the masculine colours of Red blue and
white. The contents page is very text light, with the
majority of the page filled with a large image. This
visually based page will also appeal to a younger
target audience.

9. Language
The target audience for Q is males and females aged 25 a
45, as previously mentioned, the people in this category are
more likely to have a higher paying occupation , and so Q
magazine can afford to be more expensive.
The language through out the whole of the double page
spread is very informal. The dialogue during interview
contains a large about of profanity. This rebellious
language will appeal to the younger target audience
explained above. Anyone older is more likely to find it rude
or unnecessary.
Coupled with this, the language is aggressive, “We’ve
booted the door off its hinges”. This sounds very animated,
and “BOOTED” is very informal and even slightly colloquial.
This outrageous text is what the target audience will be
more interested in. The is a humorous factor in the text that
the target audience would find engaging, for example the
pull quote underneath the photograph.

10. Colour
The colour scheme is very neutral, the
two main colours are white and light
blue.
The passive and relaxed colours provide
contrast to the more aggressive and
blasphemous language, this way the
emotions portrayed on the page are
balanced.
This easy-going tabloid effect will
captivate the younger target audience.

11. Images
On this Q double page spread there are two main
images one of the lead vocalists from the band Oasis,
Noel Gallagher, and the second seems to be a group
photo of the band in practise.
The first one, of Noel, covers the entire page and acts
almost as a backdrop to the spread. The image is a
long shot because the subject takes up most of the
frame, this creates a focus on the artist. A yellowy
sepia style tone has been used this connotes age and
nostalgia, the target audience who like the indie-rock
scene will like prefer the effect due to its
individualism.
The second photograph is a group image which is a
cut away shot, this focusses on the rest of the band.
The boarder of the image has been given a polaroid
style, these types of photograph are common at
festivals, therefore this effect will appeal to the
younger target audience you, we can presume like,
to socialise.

12. Content
As with the contents page for this task, the
double page spread is vey masculine, the
subjects, within the both images, are inside the
age range of the target audience which is 25 to
45,again making it appeal with greater extent to
the specific audience.
The fonts are more male leaning this perhaps
shows that this particular double page spread
will appeal to a male audience with more
success.
In addition the lively texts and dialogue will
seem more attractive to the said target
audience.
Because the page is largely image based and
text light, this approach will be more enticing to
the age range.