Research into my target audience

1. TARGET AUDIENCE
RESEARCH

2. AGE?
Most regional magazines that don’t make an effort to focus on a specific topic (unlike Hampshire style for
example) tend to appeal more to a middle aged and above age bracket, 40+. This attraction is indicated by the
focus on the advertisement of local attractions and information about the local area, restaurants, landmarks,
points of historical interest to influence some sort of pride in the local area that someone of a retired age/free
time during the day. This excludes more youthful parts of society, as stereotypically younger generations are far
less interested in local activities and news and also would have more of an active social life outside of their
school/work hours (nightclubs etc) or even be busier in general. Middle aged and above people however are
more on top of things, more affluent to afford a subscription and may no longer have a busier social life. Those
that are even older may no longer even be in work and therefore even more interested in the local events and
news. This is the kind of bracket we expect to see from magazines such as Kent Life, however Absolute magazine
has a more youthful focus and gains 40% of its audience from 20-40 year olds. Secondary to the middle aged
bracket would be the retirement bracket, people with spare wealth and time.
Concluding from this, regional magazines and therefore my own production will focus on the more middle aged
bracket, whilst also making sure to include the age groups that creep out of the majority bracket.

3. ETHNICITY?
Since the majority ethnicity of the country is white, and that our cultural background is primarily white, the
updates on local history and culture that you’d find in a regional magazine almost exclusively applies to the
white population. This isn’t to say that those from an ethnic minority group wouldn’t find any information
within this type of magazine useful or interesting, but that a large portion of the content available within a
regional magazine wouldn’t really apply to what they would be looking for. Ethnic minorities doubtless
purchase regional magazines, however these figures are in a much smaller quantity than that of people
from a white background, and are typically of greater than average wealth.
Concluding from this, magazine producers and there for my magazine will try to cater for the majority
ethnic target audience, however will not attempt to exclude the minority groups that may also make up
the base of the target audience.

4. SOCIAL BACKGROUND?
Research suggests that the primary social background that builds up the main audience of a regional
magazine would be a more middle class group, branching into the upper class. This is suggested by the
more available wealth a middle aged, middle class person (paid off mortgage, steadier career etc.) would
have compared to that of someone that is working class (less wealthy job/home, typically larger family).
Middle/Upper class backgrounds also insinuate a better education, with better education on the local
areas history and culture, people are bound to be further interested in it (something a regional magazine
can offer).

5. GENDER?
There’s nothing to suggest that the average regional magazine (other than once again a magazine that is
more specifically designed, such as a fashion magazine) is attempting to attract or attracting one gender
over another in any sort of efficient or significant way. The magazine will have sections that may appeal to
a male audience more, sections that will appeal to a female audience more than a male audience as well
as information and attractions that may be appealing to a couple. As far as gender goes, the target
audience is rather broad and trying to compensate for everyone.