This document provides examples of how different artists appeal to niche markets and use various marketing techniques. It discusses how Mumford and Sons appeal to a niche folk rock audience. It also examines how magazine ads for artists like Jessie J, Ellie Goulding showcase album covers and song titles to promote albums. Logos and album covers for bands like Nirvana and Coldplay are analyzed for how they represent the artist's image and genre through visual design elements.

1. Background Research
Lucy Kirbyshire

2. Mumford and Sons – Niche Market
Mumford and Sons are an example of an artist who appeals to a niche
market (targeting a very specific, mainly small audience).
Mumford and Sons is an English folk rock band who has a very specific
genre of music. They appeal to a niche because not many people listen
to folk music or buy it. They use instruments such as banjos and
ukuleles to create the unusual sound they go for. The clothing very
much reflects the genre as well, and is quite farmer-like.

3. Magazine Adverts From the Jessie J advert, we can
The artists name is always see it the photo used is the same
displayed clearly on the magazine as the album cover being
advert, this enables the audience promoted. This is a clever idea
to know exactly what is being because it tells the audience what
to look out for in shops and gives
advertised. Often, reviews are them the ability to recognise it.
featured on the advert as well. Song names which are featured
These are used to encourage the on the album are also written on
audience to think the album is the advert – this entices the
audience to buy it because usually
worth buying as when flicking the songs featured are well
through a magazine, you can’t known and big hits.
hear the album so reviews help
catch the readers attention.
Ellie Goulding’s magazine advert is very unique because the
image used isn’t one which is featured on the front album
cover of the product being advertised. Also, the artist isn’t
looking directly at the camera, which tells us the audience
she is appealing to will recognise her in that position. For
other readers that aren’t aware of the artist, the only thing
they will understand from this magazine is the name at the
top.

4. Logos
Nirvana are an alternative rock/grunge band
who were around from 1987-1994. Their logo
very much represents the band members
personalities and what the band were about.
The font used is quite classic, but using
yellow on a black background immediately
makes the logo stand out. The smiley face
looks like its been drawn by a young child, or
a drunk person which fits the genre. The fact
that the eyes are ‘x’s suggests alcohol or
drugs – this again reflects the bands
personality as the lead singer had a heroine
addiction, and died from suicide. This tells us
a lot about the laid-back generation which
the music was around in.

5. CD Album covers
Coldplay’s album ‘Mylo Xyloto’ goes against most of the
stereotypes of their genre of music. The graffiti effect suggests a
rap-style album – very different to the actual genre of their music
which is alternative rock/post-Britpop. However, the bright colours
used really attracts the audience’s and other consumer’s attention
if they saw it on the shelf in a shop. Interestingly, the album only
has the album name featured on the front of it, and no artist
name. This tells us that people know and are familiar with the
album artwork enough to recognise that it is a Coldplay album.
Florence and the Machine’s album ‘Lungs’ featured both the
artist name and album title on the album cover. These are
both positioned at the top and bottom of the frame. The
indirect address and unusual clothing make it recognisable to
use that it is Florence because this is what image she puts
across as an artist. The word ‘Lungs’ is paced across the fake
lungs hung around the artist’s neck. This is an interesting
connection and one which again fits the artist’s image.

6. CD Album covers
This album cover has a very simple background and features
both the artist name and the album title on the album cover.
The album title ‘Headlines’ is subtle, but presented in a way
where the artists are holding the letters with the connection
of the newspapers. The clothing is all colour co-ordinated
with the chair each member of the group is sitting on.
This album cover is stereotypical of its genre and very we
linked to the album name ‘American gangster’. The artist is
dressed in stereotypical gangster clothing and in a dark
setting where we can just about see the artist’s face. The
smoke in the background also suggests the stereotype of
gangsters in a violent way. The album name and artist name
is featured on the album cover in the same place, directly on
the artist himself in a simple font and colour.