Focus Group Analysis

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4YcbLIvaHk&safe=active

‘Hi, my name is Emma and I would like to find out more information about the tastes of my target audience in relation to Indie Rock magazines. I’m here both both Katie and Jake who are both 16.’

Jake Katie

Potential Questions:-Do you all listen to Indie/Rock music?-Who are your favourite artists/ bands?-How often do you attend their gigs or festivals that they are headlining in?-Would you buy their merchandise?-How often do you listen to Rock/Indie music?-Do you buy and read Indie/Rock music magazines?-Which ones? NME? KERRANG? MOJO?-What do you like about KERRANG/NME magazine?-Would you be interested in buying a magazine that features the genres of Indie and Rock music more equally than being focused on just one specifically, like KERRANG and NME?-Would you be more likely to buy a magazine that offered you the choice to win a competition or provided a free gift?-What grabs your attention most when looking at the front cover of a music magazine?-Do you read/notice adverts in a magazines?-Are you likely to buy something that has been promoted in a magazine you enjoy reading? If so like what?

I started off by introducing the focus group and why I was carrying out this meeting. I introduced the two students I was interviewing and then began to ask them questions finding more out about there musical taste and what they want from a music magazine. Jake and Katie both agreed that they listen to Indie Rock music and on a daily basis. They said their favourite artists/ bands were Fall Out Boy, Radio Head, Arctic Monkeys. From this it was said that they both attend gigs and festivals every couple of months, and they would attend them weekly if they had the money to. I then asked since they are such big fans of this genre of music and the popular artists within it, if they would happily buy their merchandise and they both agree they would, but it would be better if it weren't so over priced. Both Jake and Katie buy music magazines related to this genre every so often. It was said that they often flick through NME or KERRANG when they come across it in a shop. They find that both NME and KERRANG catch there eye the most and are curious to what is inside.

I then went on to show them two magazines, one of KERRANG and the other which was NME. Firstly I asked them what they liked about the front cover. They both agreed that the colour scheme was enticing and generally the main image of the feature band on the front cover appeals to them as they favour the artists . Jake said that the Puff on each front cover grabs his attention as they always advertise Special offers, competitions and what is the most exclusive feature in the magazine. In music magazines both students look for album ratings, interviews, tour dates and competitions for free merchandise.

Both Jake and Katie agreed that they would be happy about a new magazine in shops that collaborates Indie and Rock music. They would like to see their favourite bands featured in each issue. Information and news related to these artists; their tour dates, latest songs and albums. Jake feels they don’t include these features in a lot of depth. From the two magazines I had on the table, I turned them both to pages showing double page spreads. First I showed them a double page spread from KERRANG featuring Fall Out Boy. I asked them what they thought of this particular double page spread. They said the first thing that catches their eye is the featured band and thelayout they were presented in, it was almost as if the reader was behind the scenes with them. They thinking the layout is aestheticallypleasing, there were enough text and images. One student mentioned how the writing was small and in sections making the readers feel like there isn't a massive amount of text to be read.

Once we had discussed the first double page spread, I then got out the second double page spread from NME about the ‘Best of Brits’ artists. The first thing that was said was that they preferred the page layout from KERRANG magazine. What they like most about this double page spread was the sampling of the different most popular British Indie bands. It looks as if it was designed for the reader to open their eyes to these new British artists. The colourscheme was more interesting and brighter in KERRANG magazine than NME. I believe overall the layout and what was featured in the first double page spread was preferred to the second. This helps me to recognise what I should include in my double page spread, making it interesting for the reader and likeable.

It has been made clear to me that having a magazine that celebrates both genres of music would be a popular quality. I also have a rough idea of what sort of artists to have featured in my magazine; both American and English artists that should be advertised. I know that the main way to catch the audience is with popular and successful artists within the magazine. Also within the magazine there should be an equal amount of images to text and the text should be distributed into sections. I believe the readers wont mind a lot of text but as long as its not all together making it look like a lot of effort. The audience prefer bright there colours than a mellow layout. The two students I interviewed particularly liked the idea of feeling like they are behind the scenes with the featured band.