The Pop Genre Research

Reader Profile

Reader Profiles & Genre Definition

Reader Profile is a term used to define the research done into a certain target audience. This can include the audiences gender, age, their socio-economic group & their occupation/education situation.

Magazines need reader profiles so that they can gain a thorough understanding of their target audience to ensure that they use the correct elements in their magazine that will appeal to their target market. They look at aspects such as gender, age, occupation (socio-economic groups), hobbies, fashion, general likes & dislikes.

Socio-Economic Groups are used within reader profiles to tell the company what kind of occupation their target audiences have and how much they earn. This is used to work out a price for the magazine that these groups of people will be willing to pay.

By using a reader profile the company which creates this magazine can then decide on things like what articles they are going to feature, how many images need to be included, what colour schemes they should use, the models they should have featured, the price of the magazine, the type of adverts that will be included, the types of competition prizes they should offer etc.

FC, CP & DPS Analysis 3

FC, CP & DPS Analysis 2

Also in this magazine the main image is the only image on the page so that it does not look too cluttered and also so that nothing takes the emphasis off the main image and the sell lines. This also tells the readers that this magazine is aimed at an older audience because it is a lot less visual than a younger people's pop magazine conventionally would be

There are limited graphics on this cover, and the ones that are used are very simple for the same reason that there are no other images - to not take focus away from the important features. They also tie in with the colour scheme of the cover and the USP or Seal of Approval is used as a way of telling the audience that the opinions that this magazine withhold are positive.

There are many different font types used on this magazine front cover to highlight the different types of sell lines, headlines and more. Different font sizes are also used, making more important parts stand out further, especially if a larger font is used. The artists' name 'Gaga' is the largest on the page as she is the most important, it also links itself to the main image and so people who enjoy her music are more likely to pick up the magazine knowing she is also included inside.

The outfit Lady Gaga is wearing is very revealing and sexy. This connotes her confidence. This magazine specifically, prides itself on being edgy and so tends to use artists that are also known for being that in order to reinforce this reputation. Her bleach blonde hair helps her to stand out and also her wild curls help her to look easy going and eccentric. The shot type used is a medium long shot in order to show off her body. This would also widen the audience as her sexuality would easily appeal to younger men. The gloves and the spikes on her black leather bottoms suggest that there is some kind of danger about her which would also entice both genders. She is giving direct mode of address to the audience and her dark eye make up also helps to keep the readers attention there which instantly creates a connection with the reader and the magazine.

FC, CP & DPS Analysis

Notes

Front cover -
model being used, models position and costume, why is it like that?
font used - font size, font colour, main feature stories, what are they there for?
which conventions have been used in what ways? what's missing?
Contents page -
multiple images, page numbers,  feature story - no further back than page 15 - how many pages?, previous editions and social media, subscriptions, subheadings, letter from the editor, regular stories, stories relevant to your genre.
Double page spread -
title of the story - usually a pull quote, controversial -  stand first, summarise                        
the main feature story, drop cap, main article always in columns, pull quotes, page number and masthead, credit to photographer,

• Semiotics - what colours are being used and why?
• Who is the target audience? How can we tell?
• What costume is the artist wearing and why?
• What stories are included? Why will they appeal to the audience?

Remember you want your product to be as conventional as possible to therefore looking in detail at existing products is vital. 

Main Brief

To design a front cover, contents page & double page spread of a new music magazine. All images and text must be original, a minimum of four images must be used.