Research Task 7 : Target Audience

Target Audience

Before I begin producing my magazine and its accompanying website, I must first determine what my target market is and what they want to see in my product. The target audience in question is "A primarily 16-25 year old middle and up market audience of style conscious people"; my product may cater to a niche because other magazines under Condé Nast appeal to people who are older and have a higher level of income. Due to the competitive nature of the media industry, I have to make sure that my magazine stands out against other publications to fulfill its purpose as a commercial product.

I have successfully found the target audience for my style magazine. The way I did this is by creating a form on Microsoft Forms with questions relevant to magazines and style. In order to receive responses, I have sent this form over to classmates and friends that fit the criteria of the target audience. As of now, I have managed to accumulate 18 responses on my form. This number of responses will be useful to me as a media producer because I needed a minimum of 10 to have a varied range of answers.

It has also been specified that there needs to be a range of genders in my target audience. I of course have an option for "man" and "woman" but also featured an "other" option for individuals who may not fit into the gender binary. What this pie chart tells me is that most (44%) of my respondents are men, followed by the other category and women. The distribution of gender is relatively equal -- so I may design my magazine product with gender inclusivity in mind, which has become a popular practise in modern media products. Style as a genre has traditionally been female-centric, household names like Vogue and Glamour have appealed to them for years, but I aim to diversify the audience of style magazines with my upcoming Condé Nast publication.

I also made sure to include a variety of ages in this research, all the people that responded to my form are within the ages of 16-25. 10 of these respondents (56%) are 17 years old, and I am aiming to cater the magazine and accompanying website to teenagers and young adults. Typically, other style magazine publications do not cater to the wants or interests to younger people but rather those who are middle-aged.  I aim to subvert this with my upcoming magazine as these style-conscious individuals have no media to consume that was specifically designed with them in mind. 

 

As the piece of media I am producing is a magazine, I must make sure I am reaching an audience that has an interest in them and reads them. There are more participants that don't read magazines (72%), so I will analyse the reasons for this. I asked the respondents a follow-up question, why or why not they read magazines. There are many reasons why magazines may not be appealing to certain people, and as a media producer I must analyse them and create a product that is more likely to suit their needs and wants. 

The most common reasons for not reading magazines are being too expensive, boring, or preferring other types of media such as books or online news. Style magazines traditionally come with expensive price-tags and heavy advertising of luxury brands like Dior and Cartier. 16-25 year olds most likely do not have interest in such products -- nor do they have the means to buy them so I may tap into style aspects that are reasonable and appealing to young people. Another popular concern my respondents had was not seeing the appeal in the subject material of most magazines. For instance, they may focus on "superficial stuff" and "biased news", which is the case for some mainstream magazines with topics surrounding politics and other public affairs. Finally, the existence of magazines may be completely "redundant" for younger audiences as four participants have explained how they prefer other channels of distribution such as online news, or reading other types of media such as books. 

Only 5/13 (28%) of my respondents have expressed that they do read magazines on a regular basis. I followed up this question by asking why and what kind of magazines they enjoy. Some that were mentioned include cooking/food, music, and Vogue. The other topics do not fit the description of my magazine product, but the fact that a respondent reads Vogue proves that I am reaching to style-conscious people. Though my magazine will be fashion-centric, I want to incorporate 

As fashion is subjective, I continued to ask my audience what aspects of style interest them the most and why. Fortunately, I got a very varied mix of responses -- most notably clothing while also mentioning makeup, hair, and even grooming. When providing their reasoning for liking clothing as a style aspects, some participants expressed their interest in alternative subcultures such as "dark academia, grunge, scene, indie, etc" which tells me that young people enjoy styles that subvert from mainstream representations in other style magazines. This is also implied through makeup as one respondent says she enjoys "trying new makeup styles". Another aspect of alternative style is the influence of social media platforms such as "Tumblr" and others that are more mainstream like TikTok which are widely used by young people.

As I will be producing a digitally convergent website to go along with my magazine product, I must also know my audience's views on magazine websites. These questions were structurally identical to the ones I asked about whether they read magazines: I asked a yes or no question about magazine websites, then included follow-up questions to find out why or why not they do. This was a 50/50 split between all 18 respondents which proves that more 16-25 year olds seek news and entertainment through digital channels of distribution. 

Half of my participants have said that they do visit magazine websites, though a couple of them have mentioned that they use them more for educational purposes (school assignments/coursework) rather than entertainment. Therefore I would like my website to include content that is entertaining and engaging for my target audience. Some expressed their interests in the websites of Vogue and GQ, which follow the genre conventions of style magazines and further prove I have reached a style-conscious audience. 

When analysing the reasoning behind the other half who said no, I noticed a trend that I saw when asking about magazines. Many respondents also do not like the paywalls in magazine websites; whether you pay to access the site or for a digital subscription. Also, one respondent prefers videos rather than reading articles, audio-visual elements are something commonly implemented in style magazine websites through advertisements or videos created in partnership with celebrities/public figures. 

In order to make money off of my style magazine, I must make sure that potential customers are effectively convinced into buying it. I continued to ask my respondents what would convince them to buy a style magazine. Many prioritised factors such as "affordable" style and fashion, niche/unique subject matter, and an interesting front cover. Though the audience consists of style-conscious people, they may not be willing or able to invest in huge designer brands that do not appeal to their tastes in style.

Finally, I asked my audience how much money they would be willing to pay for a style magazine like mine. It will be a commercial product with the ultimate goal of making money and gaining an established fanbase in the competitive media industry. The majority votes for £2.49 or less and £4-4.49 (both with 5 votes each) so I must price my magazine somewhere in between these figures to meet my audience's desires.

Research Task 6 : Style Magazine Websites

 Style magazine websites

Tatler

British GQ

British Vogue

Vanity Fair

Research Task 5 : Style Magazine Contents Page Analysis

 What is a contents page?

In magazines, there are contents pages that serve as a roadmap for its readers -- so they have a clear idea of the topics featured in the magazine. As each magazine has a specific target market they cater their products to, even if they are under the same genre, it is important that customers can have an easy to navigate system that allows them to pick and choose topics of personal interest. For instance, there may be a celebrity on the front cover of a magazine, their fans will want to read their interview and the contents page allows them to efficiently navigate themselves through the magazine. Therefore, the user experience is more customisable than other forms of print media like newspapers that make them flip through the entire issue. 

While functionality is a core part of contents pages, the design of them also reflect things about the brand of a certain magazines. No two publications are the same, even those under the same genre, due to branding and variation in their house style. They are, additionally, a marketing tactic used to create engagement and brand recognition for their audiences. 

Codes/conventions of contents pages 

To ensure they are visually appealing and easily navigated by the audience, contents pages follow specific codes and conventions suitable for pieces of media like magazines. While all conventions are the same, many magazine publications employ them in slightly different, unique ways. 

• Title/heading: title labelled as "Contents" or anything along the lines of this. Indicates where the contents page starts and is written in a large, bold typeface to grab attention
• Sectioned listings: Contents are organised into specific categories with clear headings. This helps readers find topics that interest them (customisable user experience). While style magazines predominantly focus on fashion, they have other topics like politics, beauty, and celebrity culture as subcategories
• Page numbers: Each article/section of the magazines has an accompanying page number, typically aligned to the left or right of the section's title. This allows for smooth and easy navigation for the consumers of the magazine
• Columns or grids: Text is arranged in a grid or column layout. This serves visual appeal as well as ensuring readability for the audience
• Visual hierarchy: Important and key articles are made to stand out from the others (usually the main coverline). They are made to stand out using larger/bolder fonts, different colours, or in boxes
• Article titles: Written to be short and catchy. Usually more prominent to catch the attention of the reader
• Subheadings/descriptions: Brief descriptions under titles to give teasers for the article's content. This entices the audience to read that article without revealing too much about it
• Consistent typography: Fonts that match the magazine's branding: serif for magazines with traditional styles, sans-serif to signify modernity. In some cases, a combination of both is used
• Images: Illustrations, photos, or icons that have anchorage with major articles. Often placed near the title or in a designated image section on the page
• Colour scheme: Colours are used strategically to attract the audiences' attention and align with the magazine's brand identity. Bright or muted accents used for different things 
• Lines and dividers: To keep the contents page organised, horizontal/vertical lines divide content into separate sections. Retains the clean and polished look of style magazines
• White space: Content is strategically spaced out to prevent clutter and make the contents page look inviting and approachable rather than overwhelming for the eye
• Order: Listing of articles/sections in the magazine may appear in a chronological order (front to back), though some order content differently such as ordering by topic
• Issue details: Details such as the issue number, publication name, and date appear in small print on the contents page for reference
• Branding: The way that the magazine's brand identity is reinforced. This is done using logos, taglines, and signature design choices to be inviting and memorable to readers

Conventions by genre

While these specific conventions exist in any magazine genre, they are not rigid rules for magazine publications to follow. They can be employed in many different ways depending on the genre of their content. Publications have varying brand values, intentions, and audience expectations -- so these conventions are not a one-size-fits-all principle and can be applied differently. Lifestyle/fashion magazines such as Vogue are known for their timeless and minimalist approach to design, which is also reflected in the topics they cover. Magazine publications that tailor to a more niche audience (with hobbies such as cooking, sports, and music) will employ thematic graphics throughout to reinforce their goal to attract those that share a passion for its topics. All magazine contents pages will achieve their goal of serving as a roadmap for the audience if they follow codes and conventions appropriately. 

Contents page analysis - style magazines

Research Task 4 : Style Magazine Front Cover Analysis

 

Research Task 3 : Conde Nast Style Magazines

 Style magazines

Many of the magazine brands under Condé Nast can be described as style -- focusing on a variety of areas such as fashion, beauty, and interior. Along with this, they may discuss topics such as trends, celebrity gossip, culture, and public affairs. Due to the nature of these topics, magazines under this genre are written in a sophisticated language register that is most appropriate for upper and upper-middle class (AB demographics). Also, the content produced for the magazines and advertisements will be more relatable to the lifestyles of these upmarket individuals. 

Some notable style magazine publications owned by Condé Nast are Tatler, Vogue, Vanity Fair, and GQ. 

Tatler

Tatler is a British monthly publication under Condé Nast. Since its first issue on the 3rd of July 1901, it has had a central focus of fashion and lifestyle. Alongside the main genre of fashion/lifestyle, it covers other topics like high society and politics that interest the up-market readership. While mainly being known in the United Kingdom, there are international publications as well such as Ireland and various countries in Asia. These sister publications serve the purpose of catering to the demographics of Tatler worldwide and further promote certain ideologies. 

Clement Shorter, who founded Tatler in 1901, named it after the 1709 Richard Steele journal 'The Tatler'. It can be described as including 'gossip' -- especially on its central topics of fashion, politics, and high society. 

They are seen to have a strong digital presence, both through social media platforms and the website tatler.com. For brands in this industry, it is crucial to have cross-media convergence in product lines to distinguish their product from others and create an individual, person household style. This is shown on tatler.com through the website's skyline: presenting the TATLER logo in the same typography seen on its print copies, and a list of links to its topics such as 'style, beauty, royals'. On the Instagram account @tatlermagazine, the profile picture is the same TATLER typography that puts a memorable logo into the memory of those engaging in its media. Also, their supportive attitudes towards the British royal family are proven as they follow the official @theroyalfamily account.

Tatler website masthead

Tatler on IG

July 2022 issue commemorating Queen Elizabeth II

One example of a high society topic covered by Tatler is the July 2022 issue, commemorating the late Queen Elizabeth II and her Platinum Jubilee. This topic is rather mainstream as Elizabeth II was the longest regnant British monarch in history. Tatler's readership would have the cultural capital necessary to know who she is: the company is most prominent in the British Market, the audience would all be in the same lifetime as the late Queen, and this is considered high society journalism due to the celebration of the monarchy. 

Vogue 

Though being initially introduced as a weekly print gazette in 1892, Vogue was not a part of Condé Nast's range of brands until Condé Montrose Nast acquired it in 1909. They are arguably the most influential and recognisable figures in the area of haute couture fashion and beauty. One thing Vogue has pioneered in the magazine industry is the creation of their first overseas edition 'British Vogue' in 1916, as this is the first overseas edition of any magazine. As of now, they have 28 international editions and are a global staple in the world of fashion and lifestyle magazines. 

In the digital publication vogue.com and their Instagram account @britishvogue, branding is rather consistent. This is seen as the sleek and timeless page furniture of the print publication has anchorage with the minimalist and old-money aesthetic on the webpage. There is also a reinforcement of the topics covered in their magazines: fashion, beauty, culture, living, etc. through a drop-down menu on their front page. They also present themselves on Instagram as a 'fashion bible', an essential and important company with a wide following of fans not only in Britain but around the world.

British Vogue on IG

December 2024 issue featuring singer SZA

SZA appears as the face of the December 2024 issue of British Vogue. This is undeniably showing the conventions of a fashion magazine as she wears a green dress, a colour often signifying life and nature, but it also interesting to see a black woman on the front cover. Even in the fast-paced, progressive media industry, ethnic minorities can be under-represented. This front cover can be seen a celebration of SZA not only as an icon in the R&B pop genres, but an empowered black woman. The fact that her hair is styled naturally and she wears an unusually coloured dress shows that she has the freedom to live 'on her terms' and not conform to rigid stereotypes

Vanity Fair

Formerly known as Dress and Vanity Fair, this monthly publication was acquired by Condé Montrose Nast in 1913. He published four issues of this magazine on the same year which led it to thrive into the 20's until the Great Depression hit. This economic breakdown led the brand succumb to declining advertising revenue and was considered defunct until the 80's. In June 1981, Condé Nast announced that they were reviving the magazine under the new and current name 'Vanity Fair'. However, in its modern revival, it faced controverses specifically around inappropriate front cover photography. In both the modern and original editions it stuck to topics seen frequently in mainstream style magazines: popular culture, fashion, and current affairs. 

It may be argued that the stories on the website take a rather political turn as well as focusing on human interest topics surrounding celebrities and royals. Perhaps their demographic mostly consists of individuals with high cultural capital. There is a particular focus on the cinema industry in the 'Hollywood' section. Interestingly, fashion seems to not be the central focus of this particular brand as many articles on the website's landing page are full of political subtext. Their Instagram account mentions politics, fashion, and Hollywood in their bio -- solidifying them as the main 3 focuses of the magazine. 

Topics on Vanity Fair webpage

Vanity Fair on IG

October 2017 issue featuring Megan Markle

This Vanity Fair issue from 2017, where rumours between Megan Markle and Price Harry's relationship are being addressed by the magazine. This is done in a 'gossiping' tone and it is clear this relationship was the reason behind her relatively newfound fame. Vanity Fair enticed people to read or buy this certain issue as they are taking advantage of their readership's high interest for factual news on celebrities and royals.

GQ

GQ (Gentleman's Quarterly) is starkly unique compared to the above three magazine brands under Condé Nast in the sense that it only releases 10 issues per year and is marketed as exclusively for men. They launched their first issue in 1931 with clear focuses on men's fashion/style, fitness, sex, and some celebrity-related content. The magazine was not initially known as GQ but rather went under 'Apparel Arts' until 1957. Then a change from Gentleman's Quarterly to the acronym GQ was made in 1967 and continues on to modern day. 

The British GQ website and Instagram pages both have cross-media convergence with the print edition as they are very clearly advertised towards men and their interests. The front page of gq-magazine.co.uk advertises a GQ grooming kit, they are monetising off of men and enticing them to purchase more tthan just a subscription to the magazine. The Instagram account @britishgq describes itself as 'luxury' in the bio so evidently this magazine is not only for men, but specifically men with upper-market interests. Both mediums feature the famous GQ logo on mastheads and profile pictures, the sans-serif fonts feel modern and not out of place in the clean, timeless layout of both the website and front covers of print editions.

The most recent issue of GQ, featuring actor Ben Affleck, delves into modernity and masculinity in a striking way. Affleck is represented as confident with his stance and referred to as 'the boss'. The mise-en-scene works together using this pose and his tuxedo to create a James Bond-esque portrayal of the actor. The red background in the environment he is in is bold and signifies masculinity and power. A particular content plug is eye-catching, as it focuses on the use of emojis "👫🥵💔". The nature of emojis such as 🥵 is rather sexual, as the meaning of it has been warped over time due to changes in digital culture and audience participation.