Content Analysis & Target Market

Recently we have been studying the way different magazines aim themselves at their target markets. Demographics are based on peoples personal characteristics such as their culture, religion, race & age. Psychographics are based on things like whether a person is a mainstreamer, alternative, succeder e.c.t. Magasines use demographics and psycographics as ways of reaching their target audience.

Top Of The Pops

One magasine i have been studying is Top of the pops, this is a pop based magasine that has a target audience of mostly females aged 10-16yr old. The disigners of this magasine do many things to aim themselves at this target audience. Firstly they have used bright, eyecatching colours that apeal to the age group, for example the logo is bright yellow and pink.

Another way Top of the pops magasine attracts its target audience is by putting famous faces on the front cover that are easily recognised by young teenagers and children, this is an example of pyscographics as it attracts mainstreamers who wish to know more about the celebs lives and copy them.

 For example; the image below is of the front cover of a Top of the pops magasine, the large image in the centre of the page is of Zac Efron and Venessa Hudgens. Zac and Venessa are famous for there roles in the Disney hit High School Musical and are recognised world wide by the younger generation. This would instantly attract their target market who will buy the magazine just to read the story about the celebs.

The colour scheme in Top of the Pops magazine is very bright, colourful and femanin, baby blue, pink & yellow are the main colours used, these colours represent youth, happyness and innocence and are connotations associated with young girls. This is demographics as these colours attract young girls within the magazines target market; 10-16yrs.

The language used in top of the pops magazine is very informal and sometimes very colloqial, words like 'omg' are used to emphasise storys and grab peoples attention. The language is like this due to the target market, young girls would not understand formal text so would not be interested. The language used by top of the pops magazine is very affective at targeting their market as its very friendly, they are talking to the reader very personaly almost like a friend informing you of new gossip.

Kerrang

Another magazine that i have been looking at is Kerrang. Kerrang is a music magazine that specializes in the rock genre. This is very different to Top Of the Pops magazine. kerrangs target market is people aged between 14-24 years. Because kerrang magazine is very different to Top of the pops its use of phycographics and demographics is very different. The masthead of kerrang magasine which can be seen below is black and white, these are very basic colours that would attract their target market, these colours also contrast eachother so the white text stands out well. The typography used is very bold and gothic, this fits well with the magazines rock genre this is psychographics and would attract people interested in rock and the goth lifestyle. Also with the typography, the letters appear to be cracked or broken, this is clever as the word Kerrang sounds like something breaking, which again continues the gothic theme.

The images and fonts used by kerrang magasine are psycographics, they are very bold, violent and aggresive, these characteristics are associated with the rock genre and attract the magazines target audience. The images used on the front covers of Kerrang magasines are very masculin, this use of demographics means the magasine is targeted at mostly males, they would relate well to the images and be attracted to the magasine.

The colour scheme used in kerrang magasine is very dark, theres lots of blacks, greys and dark shades, these are used as they are connotations associated with the rock genre, these pyscographics attract the target market well and help people identify the type of music the magazine is based on. The colours are also very masculin, this attracts the male target audience.