Audience Research: Feedback on Pitch

Audience research- Step One

This form was sent out from the 27th of March amongst my peers at school and some friends outside of school, all who fit my target demographic of 16-25 and socially conscious.

First question: Would they prefer a left-wing or politically neutral magazine

Surprisingly, the majority of participants (7/11) said they would prefer a politically neutral magazine. I didn't expect this because I assumed that socially conscious teenagers would naturally prefer left-wing but this may be because teenagers prefer the freedom of opinion. They do not like to be told what to think. I will take this into consideration by always remembering my audience's freedom to think instead of simply assuming they're all lefties

Do you prefer the layout of Dazed magazine or The Spectator (which had more writing in the middle)

An overwhelming majority answered that they preferred the layout of Dazed with minimal writing (usually a bold statement at the bottom) combined with a striking image. I would like to find another magazine cover with this layout and see if the answers are the same
The only challenge this poses is making sure the image is recognizable as a current affairs magazine, same with the contents page- also need to think of a short, catchy title for the bottom

Which color palette would you prefer?

4/12 said clear

3/12 said animated

2/12 said subdued, same with dynamic

I may consider using a pastel-colored palette as this is popular with my audience and has connotations of youthfulness. However, an animated color palette may be bolder and better for an optimistic current affairs magazine


Would you prefer for the cover to have an optimistic, positive tone (like dazed) or more negative but realistic (like the guardian)

A slight majority preferred for the cover to be more optimistic and inspirational. One longer response detailed how this was important to them since politics was largely negative.

However, a young person did rightly say that "a more negative and realistic view might actually be better for active audience and engagement, as there would be a stronger desire to want to change the issues in the world" 

What would you like to see in the magazine

Written:

- Explain political events

- Have positivity and optimism surrounding explanations of events

- Opinion pieces and empowering images- likely to be positive

- Present young people being political

- Write about how current issues will impact the young

- Look at celebrity/political activist- from a diverse background

- Neutral review of events

- A celebration of diversity- positivity

- Perhaps a largely negative image but balanced with positivity in contents and website

Have you heard of Euphoria?

Nearly all of my audience (11/12) had heard of this show, suggesting that it would be a good source of intertextuality or at the least, a topic from culture to look at in the contents page - a critical look at Euphoria

Would you recognise that this aesthetic is from Euphoria

1/3 of my audience said no - I concluded that if I was going to provide a visual reference to the show, it might have to be more explicit

What social/political issues would you prefer to hear about on the front cover

Potential topics to talk about on the front cover:
- Climate change- II
- The topic of free speech
- The social aspect of the coronavirus outbreak - II (inequality of treatment)
- Mental health amongst youth - II
- Transgender people
- Gender, racial, financial equality
- Discrimination against races, genders, and sexualities - III (the last one was specifically for racism)
- Oxbridge- lack of diversity and what is being done about this

What I concluded from the survey-
 - I will do a left-leaning magazine that is not radical in its ideas  
- I would like my magazine to be empowering, inspirational and youthful
- Optimistic but often acknowledging the negativity in politics and society- the tone of the front cover is still debatable
- I would like to do a group front cover for at least one to capture a sense of community and progressive
 - I will do a simple layout will little writing but a striking image
- Have an article about sexuality or gender roles and objectification on Euphoria possibly or let the front cover reference it 
- Opinion pieces 
- Want to use opinion pieces and empowering images
- A celebration of diversity- black pride and gay pride
- A pastel colour palette is likely to be done- potentially a greenish colour to signify a pro-environment stanceNext: find out what topics to do for the front cover, what should be on there and in the contents page, what should be my A-V content, the layout, and content of my website, names 
- Front cover ideas: Mental health, climate crisis, youth making changes, racism, feminism, antiracism coronavirus