Audience Audit

The purpose of this interview is to find the target audience for my magazine. I will find out their interests, lifestyle and what appeals to them when purchasing a magazine.

1) What age range do you fit in to?
"25-40"

2) Do you tend to purchase horse magazines? If so, which? 
"I usually get the Horse and Rider magazine each month, because it has useful articles in about horse care. I've never really bought any other horse type of magazine."

3) What makes you buy this particular magazine?
"Ive never really explored or looked at any other magazine, I enjoy getting this because it includes lots of different information, it is always different stories and tips each time. It also has exclusive articles which I like having access to!"

4) What attracts you to the front cover? ( Image / language / font  ) 
"The front cover should always have a colour scheme rather than it having lots of different colours because then it looks overcrowded. I prefer a magazine which has a professional look to it.

5) What would you expect from an Equestrian magazine cover? 
"I would expect the front cover to have a big picture of a horse, either a close up of a horses head or someone riding a horse."

6) What colours appeal to you most for a magazine cover?
"I think that natural colours look best for a horse riding magazine, although sometimes I think including one bold colour also looks good."

7) What would you prefer to read in an Equestrian magazine? 
"I think it's best when a magazine looks at all different areas rather than just focusing on one thing. So in an equestrian magazine it would be good to have a mixture of information, some about caring for horses, some tips and parts about showing/dressage."

8) Would you be interested in buying a magazine to find out about horse riding fashion?
"Yes, because its a specialised area and none of my friends have horses so I can't get any fashion advice off them."

Analysis of equestrian magazine cover

After carrying out research I have decided that I am going to do an equestrian magazine therefore I am going to analyse a Horse and Rider magazine cover. 

I have chose to analyse this cover as it follows the codes and conventions of a typical magazine cover. The masthead is placed across the top in a bold font with the pug partially covering it on the top right hand side. Underneath the masthead the website is given and above the masthead is the puff which states "A real passion for horses". The feature article photograph is the main focus of the cover filling most of the page. There are many secondary articles given down the left hand side of the magazine giving an insight into what the magazine includes. 

The colour scheme of this magazine is blue, white and yellow which are very natural and earthy. The colour yellow is used in order to highlight the main articles within the magazine and also to highlight the quote which is given at the bottom of the cover as these are important aspects of the magazine cover. The majority of the text is in a white font which contrasts against the blue background and makes the text clearer for the audience. The use of the colour turquoise could imply they are trying to attract a male audience. The feature article photograph is of a horse, the horse is clearly well looked after and has a shine to its face in order to appeal to the audiences eye. There is also a thumbnail image accompanying a secondary article of Michael Eilberg doing dressage, which again suggests that this magazine is trying to attract a male audience. The cover uses informal language as there are words such as 'Ouch' and 'Horsey' used within the secondary article descriptions. The articles are presuming the reader owns a horse and giving solutions to problems. 

The genre of this magazine is Equestrian. We know this through the repertoire of generic elements as the cover uses horse riding terminology such as 'Dressage' within one of the secondary articles . The demographic target audience for this magazine would be both male and female aged 25 - 40. The psychographic audience would be those who own a horse themselves or are interested in horse riding and showing. 

On the front of the cover is the feature article photograph of a horse. The horse appears to be well looked after and has a shine to it which could suggest that the psychographic target audience are wealthy and have money to look after the horse. 

Company information

Conde Nast 
Conde nast is one of the production companies in my chosen industry as it deals with various genres and target audiences. The company was founded in 1909 by Conde Montrose Nast and has been owned and operated by the Newhouse family since 1959. Conde Nast is a conglomerate meaning that it is made up of smaller companies such as Vogue, GQ and Glamour. As it is a conglomerate it allows them to take risks such as creating magazine which may not be popular, because they still have the other magazines such as Vogue and GQ which they know they can rely on. Conde Nast covers many different categories such as:

> History
> Fashion and lifestyle
> Bridal
> Golf
> Food
> Travel
> Technology
> Culture
> Music

Within each of these sub genres there are various different magazines. For example within fashion and lifestyle there is Vogue, Glamour, Teen Vogue, GQ, Allure and many more.

Bauer Media Group
Bauer Media Group is a large European based media company which is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany and is one of the most successful privately owned media companies in the world. It manages a portfolio of more than 600 magazines, 400 digital products and 50 radio and TV stations globally. The portfolio includes some of the countries longest running brands including:

> Cosmopolitan
> ELLE
> Top Gear
> Wheels
> BAZAAR
> Cleo

The company's business portfolio also includes printing companies, postal services, marketing and media sales.

Regulatory bodies

The Press Complaint Commission (PCC) was replaced by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) which is a new self regulatory body for newspaper and magazine industries. They exist to uphold the highest standards of journalism in the UK. They also support members of the public who complain if they believe the Editors' Code of Practice has been breached either in a newspaper or a magazine. The Editors' Code of Practice deals with issues such as invasion of privacy, intrusion, accuracy and harassment. Therefore, IPSO protects individual rights yet helps to maintain freedom of expression for the press.

One of the main aspects of IPSO which I will consider when writing my article in my magazine is invasion of privacy. They believe that everyone is entitled to respect for their private family and home life. This means that using photographs of individuals in private places without their consent is not acceptable. Therefore, if I am creating an article about a person I will respect their privacy and not make any intrusions into the individuals private life unless I have consent. Another thing which I will do is acknowledge the sources. If I use information from someone or somewhere else I will report the source in order to avoid claims of inaccuracy. Harassment is another major aspect of IPSO and they say that journalists must not question, telephone or photograph individuals when they have been asked to stop or remain on their property when they have been asked to leave. This means that when I create my magazine I will ensure that no form of harassment takes place.

Analysing existing products

I have chosen to analyse a Vogue magazine which follows the codes and conventions of a typical magazine cover. The masthead is placed across the top of the magazine which is partially covered by the feature article photograph. This implies that the magazine is well known and confident in itself as they do not need to display the whole title in order for the audience to recognise it is a Vogue magazine. The feature article photograph, Beyonce, is placed central on the magazine cover and is looking directly at the camera as she is the main focus of the cover. There are many secondary articles on each side of the front cover which gives the audience an insight into the content inside the magazine and also suggests that the magazine contains a lot of information to be read. The pug is on the top left hand corner of the cover saying 'Power 2013'.

The magazine cover has a colour scheme of black, white and red. The colour red is used to highlight the main article as it as a bold colour and adds a modern tone to the magazine. The bright red colour also contrasts with the other dark colours that are used. Furthermore, the use of black and white makes the magazine look professional and organised rather than using lots of different colours that don't coordinate. The model is looking straight at the camera, directly addressing the audience. Her hair is done in an up style which makes her appear sophisticated and she is also wearing a dress which isn't revealing. This emphasises the idea that the magazine is classy. The cover uses formal language and different language devices. Alliteration is used for example 'Simple, sleek' and 'Shockingly chic'. Hyperbole is used in the article which refers to the feature article photograph as it states 'Beyonce rules the world'. The font used on the magazine cover is all the same apart from the title and it is all in capitals, however some parts are made smaller than others. The main articles are highlighted by the use of a larger font.

The genre of this magazine is a womens general interest magazine. We know this through the generic signifiers used such as the secondary articles which are displayed on the cover. There are lifestyle stories such as 'Sensitive training - how to repair winter damaged skin'. There are also fashion aspects of the magazine shown through articles such as 'Strong and sexy suits' and 'Shockingly chic accessories'. The cover also uses a celebrity, Beyonce, who is influential to women. There is also an article about women who are influential for example 'Gabriel Giffords - fighting for gun control'. The demographic audience for this magazine would be women aged 20-35. The psychographic audience would be those who are fairly educated and keep up with current affairs aswell as those interested in fashion.

The model on the magazine cover represents women in a positive way. Stereotypically females on magazines are dressed in revealing clothing, however on this magazine Beyonce is dressed in a outfit which is not exploiting her. Furthermore, the model is pulling a friendly facial expression giving off a positive impression which challenges the general stereotype of mixed race people. However, this magazine cover is only showing a narrow representation of women as they use an attractive model but not all women look like this with perfect skin and hair.

The second magazine cover I have decided to analyse is a film magazine called Empire. The masthead is across the top of the magazine and stands out straight away as it is in red capital letters. The feature article photograph covers one of the letters from the masthead which suggests that the magazine is confident in itself and does not need all the letters visible in order for the audience to identify that it is the Empire magazine. Underneath the masthead in small text is the puff which states 'The Worlds Biggest Movie Magazine'. As this is a film magazine the feature article photograph is an actor in character. Although it is Will Smith is on the cover he is actually representing Dr Robert Neville from the film 'I Am Legend'. The secondary articles aren displayed around the sides of the magazine which is typical of most magazine types. Along the bottom of the magazine are four secondary photographs which link to the secondary articles.

This magazine uses a colour scheme of red, white and black. Red has connotations of danger and anger which links with the feature article photograph as the character Robert Neville is holding a weapon. The use of black and white allows the red to stand out as red is used on the main secondary articles. The actor on the cover, Will Smith,  is stood straight on and is facing the camera directly addressing the audience. He is dressed in clothes which aren't formal in order to match his character so that it is a true representation of the film 'I Am Legend' as this is what the magazine cover is advertising. The language used on this cover is formal using film terminology and is very matter of fact, simply saying things as it is.

The genre of this magazine is film. We know this through the repertoire of generic elements as the cover uses film terminology and makes references to different types of film such as horror films, sci-fi films and gangster films. Furthermore, all the models which are on the cover are presented as their character, not themselves. The psychographic audience for this magazine would be those who are fans of films. The demographic audience for this particular edition would be males aged 16-30. This is due to the fact that the cover uses mainly male characters and also uses masculine colours.

On the front of the cover Will Smith is in character as Robert Neville. He is represented as a "tough guy" which is stereotypical for black men however in the film this character is actually serving a positive purpose perhaps challenging the stereotype. He is holding a weapon and is also surrounded by a smoke effect which adds to his "tough guy" representation. His facial expression is serious and focused and his stance is poised, signifying that he is ready him appear as though he is ready for action.

Initial Ideas

I have decided to do a printed media text for my coursework. I am thinking of doing either a film poster or a magazine. I have also thought about creating an advertisement for a product. I would aim to choose a product which is hard to sell such as shampoo, soap or bleach rather than a product which sells itself such as a holiday or a product from a designer brand. I would design three advertisements for the one chosen product but each advertisement will show a different aspect of the product. If I was to do a magazine I would create a magazine cover and four inside pages. I would use my own photographs and write my own articles for inside the magazine.