KEY TERMS:  DEMOGRAPHICS, PSYCHOGRAPHICS, SEGMENTATION, COMMUNITIES, TARGET AUDIENCE, USES AND GRATIFICATION – B and K

What is the first thing you notice about a magazine cover on the shelves? Image or Name (Masthead)? Probably both, but the image and the masthead are vital design features to catching the reader’s eye and standing out amongst all the other titles on the shelves.

Together they form an instantly recognisable BRAND.

You can see from these mastheads how different they are in size, typography, language and tone. They are clear codes and connotation as to what the magazine is going to contain, the genre or music and therefore attractive to a certain target audience – a certain demographic. This is its BRAND IDENTITY and should be obvious from the front page of the magazine.

Masthead and Brand Identity

You will be allocated a music magazine cover from the slideshow and it is your challenge to do some research about that magazine’s intended target audience.

TASK 1

Using the yougov.co.uk site and the profiles section, find the magazine (or the band from the main cover line / image) and insert the audience profile by using the snipping tool.

TASK 2

Then do some research as to the mission statement of that magazine. (google it)

TASK 3

Use this audience segmentation sheet to see if you can allocate a certain group to the intended target audience of your magazine and explain why in your annotations.  You will have to apply your ideas.  Reflect on who the target audience is and the evidence you have for this.

You will have to research typical fans for any of the artists on the front cover or inside. This too will give you an idea of who the audience is.

TASK 4

Embed the slide in Audience Profiling and reflect on what you have done, why you have done it and where it will take you.

Resources

Your teacher will share an editable class copy of this slideshow in classroom for you to to complete one slide of.