1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
I think my final outcome will relate to existing hip-hop magazines such as Vibe. My magazine uses similar conventions, such as the style, layout, and simple colour scheme. My magazine will also be of the same genre of music and a similar target audience.
However, my magazine will challenge some of the typical conventions of music magazines because it will not be as universal as Vibe. This is because it will be a hip-hop magazine targeted at UK teens and those in their early 20 to mid 20s, focusing on underground, rising artists as well as mainstream/international stars. In doing this my magazine will have a niche audience which is not what magazines such as Vibe strive to do, as they intend to target as many people as possible.
There are UK based hip-hop magazines but their main focus is still the international artists, so I think there is a gap in the market for a magazine that will bring you news and events about up-and-coming artists before they make it big.
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My magazine is aimed towards targeting an audience aged 16-25, both male and female who are interested in mainly UK-based hip-hop.
I want my magazine to focus on the positive side of young people in the UK, and their dedication to a continuously growing art form, rather than how they are usually depicted in the media as rude, lazy and dangerous.
My magazine will be used to represent urban young people as creative, confident, dedicated and driven. This will be shown in my magazine through the use of article names, pictures and quotations in my double page spread.
One of the ways I have represented this social group is in my double page spread and the clothes he is wearing. He is wearing a dress shirt with a hoodie and body-warmer. This combination of clothing is usually associated with the hip-hop genre; the contradiction of the dress shirt being professional and the hoodie and body-warmer being tougher and laid-back.
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
As I have previously mentioned, my music magazine, ‘PlayBack’, is targeted towards an audience of British males and females aged 16-25. This is because there are many rising stars in the UK urban music scene that do not get much attention because of the wider reach of American artists. Also there is a recent rise of UK rappers and R&B artists such as, Tinie Tempah, Labrinth, Wretch 32, etc.
I decided to target a younger audience because this genre’s main success comes from the interest of younger people. Therefore the artist featured in my magazine and the content of it will appeal to this young audience. However, as my magazine has articles about events and gigs as well as the latest news on R&B artists, the magazine does not exclude an older audience from being interested in the magazine as these are pieces that would appeal to anyone who supports and is interested in the genre.
The r&b genre is typically associated with black males; however ‘PlayBack’ targets a wider audience in this sense, as there are features on a white R&B artist in the magazine and a female artist. By using these images in my contents page I am showing that my magazine is relatable to those with an interest and passion for the rising UK R&B scene
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
I believe I attracted my target audience by using images of artists that are close to their age range, as well as the costume they are wearing are clothes associated with a young audience interested in the hip-hop genre.
However, I have used more than just the images to address my target audience. I have also done this through the headlines and features I have included in my contents and double page spread. For example I have incorporated the use of social networking sites such as YouTube and Twitter which is commonly used by younger people to keep updated about music and news about the music industry.
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt that there are many ways in which technology can help the marketing of a product as well as the production. For example, to find out what is more appealing in a magazine, the aid of social networking sites such as Facebook, is very useful as it is: quick, easy, convenient and free.
7. Looking back at the preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to a full product?
I have learnt that making a full product is more time consuming and requires a lot of planning and research in order for it to be successful. This needs to be done so the product is marketed and produced in a way that will attract the target audience, meaning a greater success rate for the product.
