Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

By keeping in mind the ages and gender of my target audience (females aged 15-25) throughout the creation of my magazine, I was able to adapt everything to attract them, such as the colours used, the model and the poses she did, the content of the magazine and the language used.

            I always liked the idea of using bright colours to capture the attention of the target audience, and even though some people may say that it’s nothing new- the majority of magazines use the technique of bright colours- it is obviously proven to work otherwise no one would do it! They make the magazine look fun-filled and exciting to read, therefore attracting the attention of fun-seekers and young people.

            I chose my model very carefully as I had a specific idea of what I wanted her to look like. I specifically wanted a blonde female, as her blonde hair would enable any bright clothing or makeup to stand out. I then did her makeup using glitter and bold colours, meaning that it would draw potential readers’ eyes to the centre of the front cover. I then told my model to pose as if she was having loads of fun with her friends, and was care-free. I told her that I didn’t want the photos to be too ‘sexy’ as I wanted the character of the popstar to be loved by everyone and ‘squeaky clean’, so she did a variety of innocent poses such as her laughing and joking around with props such as a tiara and cat ears.

            When writing the coverlines on the front cover, I felt that it was important to keep in mind that it was a chart music magazine specifically for 15-25 year old females. Because I am personally in that group of being a female aged 17, I found it pretty easy to  identify what my target audience would be interested in, such as going to concerts and festivals during summer, a strong interest in current boy bands such as One Direction, and wanting to look like your favourite celebrity. I used this knowledge to my advantage and created a front cover perfectly suited to my target audience.

            Lastly, I also focused on the language I used. Personally, I know I prefer it when magazines are quite ‘chatty’ and write in a friendly, causal style, so that is what I aimed to do. I tried to use colloquial and informal language where possible, so that readers perceive the magazine as a type of friend, and find it enjoyable and pleasurable to read.