MARKET RESEARCH SURVEY

Click here to take the survey
RESULTS OF THE SURVEY(01/02/13):


The survey was put on twitter, i asked my followers to fill it in:



1)Because of the ratio of female:male, i can judge that females are maybe more likely to buy the music magazine i am producing, as they seem to be more interested in the process. This means i can aim my magazine at 16-24 year old females, as they will relate to the fashion side of the music industry, due to the female model on the front. I am not going to create a model who will be viewed through the Male Gaze as my music magazine is not aimed specifically at men, however, like all magazines, men can purchase it if they wish to.



2) The main music genre the audience i surveyed is Indie, with Alternative and Pre 90's coming second. This has helped me to decide that the music genre i am aiming my magazine at is the indie/alternative scene, however the layout and vintage feel of the magazine will link to the Pre 90's music members of the target audience listen to. I also gave the participants an option to specify a music genre not on the list, and folk has also been identified as a common genre, which means i can also attempt incorporating that genre into my music magazine too. I don't feel i will stick to one specific music type, as i feel that it will target more people if it focuses on new and upcoming artists of the main genres listed in the survey, as more people will find the magazine interesting, and new bands will be promoted and advertised. 

3) Because the majority of the audience have never heard of Clash Magazine, this means in their eyes my magazine will be unique, and will differ from the others out there. However, i am still basing my magazine on the simple layout of Clash, as i think it ties in with mu music theme as well as allows me to develop ideas about the model and fonts on the cover. Also, one person who was surveyed said they buy Clash Magazine when someone they like is on the cover, and this emphasizes the importance to have an appealing and bold image of a model that stands out. 

4) I included an image of my earlier Lady Gaga attempt, as that is the basic outline of the layout i will use for my final version, but i will change and improve it to make it more appealing. The opinions on the magazine have also been collected, as i asked the people surveyed to justify their opinion. The most common things mentioned is that there needs to be some form of text in the left hand third as it is too empty, and the writing on the right is too place and doesn't stand out from the background enough. To improve this, if i chose a pale background that compliments my image, i am going to use a darker shade of text such as black or dark grey, as the content of the magazine will become clearer. To make use of the left hand third i am going to include an anchored piece of text similar to the captions often used on the cover of Clash magazine. I will choose an appropriate text and make sure it stands out and is easy to read, and i am also going to choose a unique font, that won't be used anywhere else on the cover.



5) Only one person said they would spend more than £5 on a magazine, which means in order for the magazine to be successful, it would have to cater to the low budgets of the target audience, as most teenagers either have a small Saturday job, or none at all. Based on these results the amount most people pay is between £2-£3, however, most music magazines such as Kerrang! and NME are a lower quality and less high-end in comparison to the type of magazine i wish to create. I have decided to release my magazine monthly, which means i will make it more expensive, but the quantity of pages will be greater.

I am going to set the price of my magazine as £4 as £3-£4 was the second highest answer in the survey, and it also ties in the the professional, indie style i am going for.




6) I asked the audience what kind of things they want in a music magazine and these were just some of the responses. Some of the people surveyed said they wanted posters, gig information, information on new and upcoming artists, interviews on bands and new albums. When designing the contents page i will make sure to include information on the details mentioned, as these are the things that people want to read, and it will make my magazine more popular. When creating the contents page i am going to highlight these magazine features and advertise them, so the readers will know what to expect, and because the market research has told me what people like, i can incorporate these into the headings, making it appeal more to the target audience. 

Also when writing my article, i am going to use on side of the double page spread to place an image of my artist, as the readers can then cut it out and use it as a poster, which is something i have found they want from the magazine.




 

7) When asking the people surveyed what they liked and didn't like on the cover of magazines, i have found they they prefer less text and images, due to the fact they don't like a messy or overcrowded layout. However, they do want to know what they will get inside the magazine, for example a small amount of writing briefly explaining some articles and features inside. I think by using the list effect i have explored on both the Lady Gaga and Dianna Agron magazines, i will be able to provide enough information on bands and articles inside. 

Also when creating another piece of text on the left hand side to explain the cover artist, i can write in a smaller font underneath what sort of things the magazine covers, in regard to their life, music, style etc. I can either use a quote from the article, or i can use brief words to sum them or the article up.







8) When creating my double page spread i have decided to go for the interview technique as i feel it is the best way for the readers to understand and get to know the artist, and when researching and asking the audience, i have found they enjoying reading interviews. When interviewing my artist i am going to ask questions about their new and previous albums, festivals and concerts they've played, how they got to where they are now, style icons, what music they like personally, their influences, how they wrote the songs, personal life and childhood - what makes them who they are.

I am also going to include a "If you like (insert artists name) listen to (insert different artists name) as this is one comment from the survey that has inspired me to include something different like a recommendation in the article, making it more fun and also bringing other artists into it. At the end of the article i am also going to tell the readers where they can buy the artists latest single, EP or Album, and also include a picture of it. (For this i am going to create a CD cover on Photoshop and customize it to suit the name and style/genre of my cover artist, giving the magazine more depth as i am exploring the artist and their work, as well as making it look professional.