NEA Research and Planning: Pitch and Feedback

My feedback has helped me as I have received a few comments about my website, which has helped me with creating ideas. 

 

Intertexuality ideas

 

Website inspiration

 

Audience profile

 

Inspiration mood board

 

Cover mood boards

 

Audience research - Focus group

 

Audience research - Target audience

Target Audience:

'A primarily 16-25 year old middle and up market audience of people who like to be engaged'

Evaluating the audience:

16-25 years olds: 

They are mainly students or people who have just recently left education who are interested in their future, are interested in viral trends and are active on social media. 

16-25 year olds are the most active demographic, spending approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes daily online. According to the Youth Sport Trust, nearly 99% use social media and over 70% use Youtube, Tiktok, Instagram and Snapchat daily. This shows that social media can help many shape their identity, as lots of people rely on online media to help define their values, clothing style and humour (Gauntlett's Identity theory). Also, over 87% of Gen Z believe that exercise can directly improve mental wellbeing, which supports the rise of people participating in community sports events like Hyrox and Tough Mudder.

Middle and up market audience: 

The ABC1 demographic may have a stronger preference for personalised health advice and insights which are tailored to specific needs rather than generic advice compared to a C2DE demographic. They may look for content which can help them make lifestyle changes, such as in nutrition or fitness. 

People who like to be engaged:

This suggests that they are interested in content that makes them feel understood, involves a story or makes them feel emotions like happiness or sadness. They are described as proactive, energetic and committed online, which shows that they enjoy having a genuine interest and getting involved. 

Brand context

 

Hearst Magazines

A leading publisher of premium print and digital brands, including Elle, Cosmopolitan and Harper's Bazaar, which was founded in 1910. It has a focus on delivering high-quality lifestyle, fashion and health content to customers.

Contemporary context

 

These magazines are ranked by influence, which shows how Hearst Magazines own multiple popular magazines like Cosmopolitan, Elle, Vanity Fair and Harper's Bazaar.

Industrial context

History of magazines:

1731 - The Gentleman's Magazine was published, it was considered to be the first general-interest magazine

Early 19th Century - The Industrial Revolution changed magazine production, there were new innovations like printing presses and improved transport, which helped reduce printing costs and increase circulation

1830s - Rise of illustrated magazines like The Penny Magazine

1840s - Magazines became more central to public culture, there were improved literacy rates

Early 20th Century - Revenue began to come from advertising sales, consumer brands began using magazines to reach larger audiences, there were more fashion and lifestyle magazines

1920s - Magazines became more powerful

1950s - Rise in television, advertisers started focusing on broadcast media over print

1980s - Magazines expanded internationally, large focus on the Cold War

2000s - Digital magazines, news and blogs were more popular than print, publishers started to launch websites and subscriptions to become more digitally convergent

2010s - Decline in print circulation

2020s - Websites have introduced paywalls, memberships and newsletters, some print magazines like Vogue still have a large audience

Finance and distribution:

- Newspapers sell front pages and sections for advertisements, subscriptions and cover price allows for publishers to cover some costs

- They can be distributed online, in wholesalers and retail shops and can be directly sent to consumers if they pay for subscriptions