Audience Analysis for Magazine Cover

My magazine cover is part of the viral marketing campaign for the movie Lost Redemption. As such its primary purpose is to promote the film in the most effective way possible. To begin with, this means assessing who the target audience for the film is and then looking at ways to address them properly.

Target Audience

Analysis – Who is the audience?

The audience for the film is likely to be in their late teens and currently in full time education. They will associate with the practices of the modern teenage culture such as the proficient use of technology (e.g. phones, game stations, computers etc.), strong association modern music, an interest in films and celebrity culture and a strong identification with fashion. Magazines are some of the best sources of information for each of these topics which indicates this may be an effective form of promotion for the target audience.

Understanding – What is the audiences’ knowledge of the subject?

When first engaging with the film on the front cover of the magazine, the audience may have some prior knowledge of it due to the radio advert or trailer. Whether they have knowledge of it or not they will be familiar with the codes and conventions of thrillers and those of the magazine which in my case will be Empire. By working with basic sign systems and ideologies through for example colour schemes (e.g. light =good, dark=evil), clothing, mise-en-scene and actors on the front cover the audience should be able to understand the basic premise of the film such as its genre and maybe even some small aspects of its plot. By using these common ideologies and signs the audience should be able to easily interpret the messages being portrayed and will hopefully engage with the film.

Demographics – What is their age, gender, education background etc.?

Age: 15-20
Sex: Male
Location: Britain
Educational status: Currently in or recently left education

The demographic aspects of the target audience’s identity allow the magazine cover to focus on certain key elements which should attract the audience. For example, the main protagonists will be included on the cover both of whom are 19 which will be approximately the age of the target audience for the film and which is also one of the biggest age groups for magazine subscriptions. Some of the characteristics associated with the collective identity of today’s youth will therefore be easily recognised by the reader such as identification with fashion, hobbies/interests etc. The target audience is also going to be predominantly male which again constitute much of the subscribers of this particular media form. It is a British magazine and therefore the subscribers will be mostly British which will mean the target audience can also tap into this collective identity as our film is directed at a British audience.

Interest – why they would view this magazine cover

Each week Empire magazine promotes a film of particular interest on the front cover in order to attract the audience. The readership will generally buy the magazine for escape and pleasure which obviously means the magazine must provide this. The combination of the front cover of our film with the other articles inside should provide the onlooker with enough interest in the magazine and its content that they will buy it. This will ultimately lead to the successful promotion of the film.

Environment - Where will this be viewed?

With the film promotion taking place via the medium of magazines the front cover will need to address the expectations and desires of the audience for this particular media. A good portion of magazine subscriptions belong to those in their late teens and so this form of promotion should be fairly effective. I have chosen Empire magazine on which to promote the film and this magazine is very much contemporary and up to date with modern trends in the film world. It also looks at new cinematic technologies and with technology being another interest of many of today’s youth this should mean many of those that fit within the target audience for the film probably buy this type of magazine.