Defining an Audience- Task 2 Alan Smith

National Geographic’s target Audience.

The target audience for the magazine are Male’s from 46.2 years old, they are believed to own their home, have graduated from university and become managers. This means that they are highly intellectual and are more likely to read this kind of magazine. They are also seen to be married and want to learn more about the world of their potential grandchildren. 68% of the people own their own house meaning the disposable income will be greater and they will have more money to spend on holidays to places such as the ones featured on the front of the magazines.This is found by looking at the sales of the magazine in 2011 and according to it 56.8 % of the people that read the magazine are male. From this it is clear that it does not have a much difference from both genders of that age group buying the product.The Magazine is intended for older people to read as the audience profiles only took information from ages 18 over. With the Median age being found.The Magazines are generally advertised for everyone and want to attract many people. For example many editions have been made of the Geographic magazines such as Gold, Family, Men’s, Aged 50+ and Big G. All of these can be seen as having a large target market but to narrow the audience it would be men to be typically buying the magazines.

The targeted Demographic is seen as men aged 45.7 years old

This combined with the median age on the total audience where the average age was Men 46.2 years old it is clear that the magazine is intended towards the male population and that of an older generation of around 50 years old.

These are more likely to buy the magazine as the content appeals more to them than any other demographic.

From the age groups looked at there was a greater amount of people in the 25-54 category than the 18-24. Over 3 times as much people were recorded to have read the magazine.

The cover of these magazines always has a big bold image that can be recognised by many people, this is so that it attracts people to pick it up. The way the image takes up all the space on front cover means that there is no need to put as much text on which can usually put the potential reader off and can show a sign of intent that the magazine will mainly focus on that topic. The bright blue used goes hand in hand with the title and can therefore influence the reader to buy it. The image is always in relation to the natural world such as here Rising sea levels becoming a problem. All of the images used on the front covers are including places from exotic areas meaning that the target audience can afford to go to them places meaning they have a greater interest instead of younger people.

The images are the pictures that feature inside the product. The pages inside the magazine most often look similar because they focus on the photography side and yet still include a good analysis of the topic.

The images as seen on the far right are always high quality and straight from this the reader can think that the magazine is ultimately the same. The images set the standard for the rest of the magazine as soon as the reader sets eyes on the front cover. The layout of the images on the page is clearly showing that the target audience is that of an older generation, this is because it can be seen as Sophisticated, plain and in some way boring to a younger reader. The pages are most often double sides with one side having the text and the other on the photography. Each Geographic magazine is made with different topics however still keep the same house style when looking at the title and layout of each edition. The Psychographic of Socially conscious type A can be considered when looking at the topics covered as the people reading will care about the environment and with the people targeted at an older age they will care about the future for their future family. The images on the front cover are seen to be sexually non biased as usually women are used to attract a target audience of men in many magazines however this has a close audience between men and women, this magazine does not tend to lean towards one gender however just an age group and that of an older generation.

Images

WordsThe words used in this magazine are seen as limited as the photographs can tell a lot about what is going on, but it does include good intellectual pieces on everything to do with geography and the world we live in. The words on the cover are always the same house style ‘Times new roman'. They always share the same boldness and font. This is so the similarity can be seen on every copy and the loyal readers they keep know which magazine is the one to go for and they know the same consistency is kept throughout each magazine made. The size of the text is so it can stand out when looking at the proportion of the images used.

The text inside the magazine is kept small and to roughly the same size in each copy. This is so it does not attract attention away from the images and does not look like an ordinary magazine. Many magazines use the words to manipulate the reader however in contrast with National geographic it uses the photographs to bring the reader in.The Text will often begin with the title being a bigger size to the rest of the writing or even the first line. This is so the reader knows what they are about to read and can convince them to read it should it grab attention. The way the words are set is appropriate to the target audience aimed at of Men age around 50, this formal way of addressing the topics is popular in that generation. The Text under the title is always very eye catching, such as ‘The Earliest child’ This instantly makes the potential customer want to pick the magazine up. The title always goes with the image used. Such as a monkey going with earliest child or Rising Seas having a manipulated image of Seas coming up from the bottom of the page.

ColoursThe colours used in the magazine are kept to a minimum as it can take the attention away from what it is trying to get across to the reader. The Colours when they are used are bright and bold so the reader can recognise the magazine from all the other ones out on the shelf. The use of Blue and yellow on the cover is used well as this can relate to the topic which in the title is Rising Seas. The sub heading ‘How they are changing our coastlines’ can be seen in relation to the yellow border around the magazine. The colour of the title again is seen as part of the house style of Geographic Magazine. Always in White on every copy so again the reader can notice it and shows and intent of consistency. The front covers are always portrayed to have had a lot of time spent on them as everything on them all connect to what is trying to get across.

The colours in the pages found inside are nothing that stands out. They use basic generic backgrounds so that it does not stray away from some of the serious points they are making in the publishing. The Photographs used include colour as these are the main attraction of the magazines. These need to be Big and eventful as they have to say a lot without text having to say what is going on.

Fonts The font used on the title as said before is Times New Roman. This is on each copy made by The magazine and this is to keep its identity. It is used as this can appeal to the older generation as a old but classic font that does not stand nor just blend in the magazine. Simple is why it has become such a popular font.

The font on the main text can differ from each copy however the size remains the same, the font used can be Arial or Calibri. This is so that each piece in the magazine is kept the same and so it is clear and easy to read. The Font when next to the images can be a bigger one as this is important and must be seen.

There are 3 types of font on the front cover suggesting that the 3 main pieces of text are separate and all need to be read. If they were to be the same then it could be easy to not notice. Here the White is kept throughout the cover on the text but the words are different sizes in importance. The Title of Rising Seas is seen as most important and must be read first so it is the biggest on the page to be drawn to, the Title needs to be Distinguished from the others meaning the other piece of text is in a much smaller and less easily readable font

Layout The layout of the front cover is usually if not always the same in each of the magazines made by Geographic. They keep to the image being kept in the middle and covering the majority of the cover as well as having the title at the top in a big size. The Title of the actual Topic is always the main bit of text they want you to see as the reader so it is put over the image meaning you look at it instantly. Having Photographs covering one side of each page means that it breaks up what could be a lot of reading for the person looking at it. The layout of each page is kept the same to keep the consistency in the magazine, this is so the targeted audience can relate to how it is set out in a much more professional manner. Each magazine will have different images meaning that they will differ in size however the layout of how they will be places will stay relatively the same.

The layout is neat and precise on the pages inside the publishing. This is because it is trying to keep its integrity and become serious about the topics brought up. Unlike some of the magazines around. This becomes popular to the older generation because of its layout and design. Many people of that age group like to look at the photographs and read the articles that come with them. The way the magazine is designed this can help them do so. National Geographic is good at layering each part on the front cover, From the House style title to the Over sized image on each edition. The way the Sea is half way up on the statue is a subtle yet effective way of getting the point across. This going with the title only makes the reader want to buy it as they are interested.

Captions

The captions are not really seen on the Front cover however do occur when looking at the pages inside. They are found rarely but when they do appear in these magazines they are found at the top of the page and next the images. Usually as this magazine is more photograph orientated it does not have so many captions, this is because the images compliment the text that has been written. If a caption was to occur it would be on a photograph that might not be able to tell you what is going on and it could be introduced to make sure you do not get the wrong idea of what is being said.

The images are used to replace the captions as they can say a lot more than a few lines of text. This is a better way of getting points across as well as keeping the readers interest. If captions were to be used on the images, the target audience may feel that it is being patronising for example. ‘This is a tiger’. They will know what the image is and what is going on.

The Anchorage found on the front cover is that of where the sea at the bottom is increasing and half of the statue is submerged underneath. This is the main anchorage found as it supports the title of Rising Seas.

Other Anchorage found can be the use of colour and the way the yellow border goes with the text that is on the right hand side of the front cover ‘How they are changing our coastlines’ This sends a psychological message that relates to the coast and the beach.

Also the way the Title of Rising seas is in a big font and the size is very big in proportion to the rest of the front cover to make it stand out. This is done because they want it to be one of the very first things the person sees when they look at it.

The yellow border is found on all of the National Geographic magazines, this is considered to be a house style and kept the same throughout. The Border and Name on each stay the same as the image on each cover changes on each copy unlike many other magazines.

Anchorage

Codes and Conventions:Colour Scheme

The main colours of the front cover are blue, yellow and white. These are the colours that stand out when looking at it. The Blue is found in two shades this goes with the title to show the dominance of the rising seas. The yellow is used well as this stands out from the blue and yet still has meaning. It is there to represent the coast and how it is damaged, thus meaning the little amount of it on the front cover. The White is found on the text around the cover, this is to show the importance and to not take the attention away from the image. These all complement each other and work well to bring through the brightness. This appeals to the target audience as older men take a lot of interest in the changing world and how it can effect their future grandchildren.

Photography

Photography used on the front cover is that of a high quality, Thus meaning that the targeted audience will want to buy it. This is because they crave a much higher standard of professionalism from this type of magazine. This front cover is a platform for the rest of the magazine and sets the bar for a high quality of images. The brightness of the image makes the reader pick the magazine up, having such an iconic image makes people look twice and consider buying the magazine. The manipulation of the image is done very well as it changes what is a known image with what it could be in relation to the title of rising seas.

The photography is a very important part of National Geographic magazine as this is what makes it stand out and appeal more to the audience targeted. The higher quality the images the more chance of people wanting to look at it, also the obscurity can make people want to read more, such as an iconic image starting to go under water can make people realise the actual damage Rising Seas could do and may want to buy it if they are concerned.

Writing style and language

The writing style of the magazine is seen as a person informing you about natural changes in the world. The language used is for the targeted audience as it uses the correct vocabulary and assumes that they understand what happens In each page. It doesn’t use too much text and easy on the eye pages such as little writing about what is happening. The pages look relaxed and the images complement what is being said in the small text. The language is direct to you reading it. For example they ask rhetorical questions to get you more interested in what is happening in that page.

Text and picture ratio

The front cover has a much larger proportion of image then text, this is to show the reader what to expect when looking at the magazine. The text is very little but when it is used it is very strong and important. The double page above has a lot more image than text as the photograph is saying a lot about what is going on without the need for words. The way the double page spread is used this allows the reader to see a lot more of what is going on and ultimately want to read more. The text when used is very little when considering the size of the image on both pages however the way it is laid out and the size of it makes it a lot more interesting to read and flows from the image. The size of the text goes in importance of what they want you as the reader to look at first. Also the use of white text again makes it look like there is less to read rather to a common black shade.

Fonts The fonts on the front cover are always in Bold and large so they stand out from the huge image used. They are always in the same house style used of Times New Roman as they want to keep the consistency in the product. It is also so it continues to appeal to both genders of the elder audience. To do so it always remains in white so it does not start to lean towards one side. Different fonts are used to make sure the pages stand out and do not blend in with the surroundings. For example 3 types of font have been used in this image alone. The biggest font being most important and smallest font, least. Within the magazine they keep the fonts clear and easy to read when on pages with a lot of writing and when there is more image they boost the size up. The use of White is on all of the pages because it is on top of photographs however it can be lost in the blue like it has at the top of the image below and hard to see. With the older target audience sight may be an issue so it would have to be considered by the magazine.

Modes of address

The front cover talks to us like they are sharing the same concerns. Such as ‘How They are changing OUR coastlines’. Meaning it is trying to talk to ‘you’ instead of reporting. This means that it is taking a much more friendlier approach meaning that target audience welcomes it meaning the reader will feel part of that so called ‘community’ that cares for the natural world and part of that category of socially conscious type A. However the ‘Rising Seas’ does sound like a report of what is happening to the world it is only information warning you on what is happening and in a friendlier and less formal way to what could be said on other media such as the news.

Audience ReceptionThere is never any guarantee that the product you make will get sales. Also there is similarly not a guarantee that the audience who likes your product will be big enough to keep the magazine going.So it is important that the magazine does enough research to find out if that magazine is ready to go out on sale. So it is vital to ask that audience you target what they think of the product. This feedback could be recorded in many ways such as Focus groups, Audience panels, Trailing and Complaints. From these it becomes clear what needs changing and they can be done so accordingly.

This is a gathering of people from that targeted demographic and someone asking them what their ideas are towards that product. It will start off with opinions being shared about concerns such as logos or designs of websites and then becoming a discussion where ideas are bounced of each other and are then recorded to help in the making of the magazine.

This is a much larger amount of people who are part of that targeted audience however they sit and you pitch the ideas of the magazine and to them and they can ask questions and say what they thought was a good or bad about it and if they would buy it, and if not why. These are in regular contact with the magazine for a long period of time to tell them how they are doing.

This is where something found is wrong or someone does not approve of the content, Contacting the magazine will make sure it can be eradicated before any harm is done and a good way to contact about the product is through the customer service on social network sites where people are put in place to deal with complaints and handle their concerns.

Trailing is where the product is released early to some people from that target audience to see what they think about it and if there is any needed improvements they will be added before the actual release comes.