Research on Existing Products, Marketing & Pricing

My understanding of Market Research & Planning

Above shows an image of my moodboard 

Before an organisation can set a price or value for a magazine or any form of media product a lot of pre-production work is involved which includes market research. It is basically an organised strategic maneuver implied by organisations to collect information about customers and other businesses.
The main objective is to determine the needs and wants of people and by knowing such, organisations can make a decision on what to produce; how they produce it and the value of their products. 

In order for one to establish a business there are a few things which they have to put into consideration. Through Market information, an organisation or group can know the value of certain items in the Market. Such intelligence can be obtained through different origins, formats and varieties. Another important key factor is market segmentation which is the classification of the market or public into sub-groups with common interests. This method is in other words demographic statistics on certain audiences or organisations used in order to understand their common wants & needs; what most people can relate to. It's quite stereotypical but it is important as it aids to identify the demands and wants of their targets immediately.

The final and most important component is following 'market trends.' This is done in order to observe fluctuations in the market over a certain period of time. Apart from intelligence about the target market, in order for one to be successful an organisation needs to acquire information about competitors, products and audience. This can be obtained through methods like: customer analysis, risk analysis, marketing mix modeling, product research, questionnaires, surveys, promotion and so much more. 

EXISTING PRODUCTS ANALYSIS

 How often are these published and what do they cost?

Above are examples of 3 well known music publication organisations. Vibe, a music and entertainment magazine founded by producer Quincy Jones and predominantly features R&B and Hip-Hop music artists. As of June 2012 Vibe has a circulation of 300,943; 62% of which was paid and 38% unpaid. After being sold to InterMedia Partners in 2009 Vibe is published every other month and they are worth an average of $3.00 to $5.00.
Billboard magazine is a global newsweekly magazine which is solely devoted to the music industry. Billboard is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. Although its main purpose is to monitor the Billboard hot 100 and hot 200 charts (which monitors singles popularity and highest selling albums respectively) it features almost entirely Hip-Hop, R&B and Rock artists. Billboard is published weekly and costs around $6.00 to $7.00. 
XXL is a Hip-hop magazine published by Harris Productions. Launched in 1997, the magazine publishes an average of 6 issues yearly (bi-monthly) and costs as low as $2.00 per issue. 

How often will my magazine be published? 

I'm at the point now where I'm ready to make a decision as to how often will my magazine be published. I now have a much broader understanding of my target audience in relation to their needs and wants. As mentioned before in my previous posts, it is apparent that people use the 'Media' and content for gratification purposes. Maslow's Hierarchy of needs states that there are certain levels of needs; it is often represented in a form of a pyramid with needs of greatest importance at the bottom and the need for self actualization at the top. Humans have emotions; people want to feel 'accepted' in society or any particular group and want to be given a sense of security and love. The majority of people seek the media to fulfill the need for acceptance since sometimes they can't or rather not seek it elsewhere; people just want things that are totally relatable to everyday living. 

Hip-hop is no doubt one of the most popular musical genres in the world. It is known for its lyrical creativity, hype and fun. Artists produce interesting music videos to promote their songs; many of which are constructed in a way to convey powerful messages and have tremendous impact on the target audience. These Hip-Hop artists normally dress in the latest outfits & accessories on the Market. The majority of them tend to wear flashy jewelry; baggy clothing like hoodies and other accessories. Some are sterotypically known to be 'gangsters' as they wear their pants below their waist;  these type of people are known for breaking the rules. This is completely understandable as this is the way in which they represent their genre. They tend to target young folks (which look up to them as role models) typically between the ages of 14 and 30; young people want to have fun and make the best out of their lives and that is why they get involved in many different things because all they want to do is learn. 

The reader profile research helped me understand what is it that people want from a music magazine and how their needs can affect its publication frequency and price. In my recent NME reader profile research this is what I wrote: The majority of people that read their magazines are male (69%) and female (31%). The average age for readers is 24 which mean most of the people that read them are teens & young adults but what is it that makes them read these magazines? Clothing, footwear, drinks, games, accessories and electronics. These are all things the target group can relate to; NME statistics say 52% of them own a digital camera. Young people love taking pictures especially since they go out to gigs and concerts a lot they document their moments as they live and publish them on social networking sites like twitter, Facebook etc. 71% of them say that is important for them to look well dressed; 45% spend a lot of money on clothes which takes us back to why 52% of them work full time and 7% part time.

A typical NME reader spends £152 on footwear per year, that’s approximately £46,000,000 in total for readers. Individual readers spend £1229 on audio equipment each year tallying an average total of £325 million. Readers spent a total average of £18m on games in a year and £45 million on consoles alone. Lastly, 92% of the readers find it important to be notified about things 'in general.'

Conclusion:  

This proves the fact that readers spend a lot of money on electronics, games, clothing and food. These are things which are normally included in music magazines simply because they are of great demand and worth. Readers also find it important to be informed about things; they want to know what's going on especially in the Media since they all can relate to events, situations or things that accompany it. This is why if I were to produce an actual production company I would publish my magazines as often as week or month. 

1st drafts of Contents and DP spread

Here is a more in detailed mockup for the Front Cover of my music magazine. It almost looks finished but there's still several adjustments to be done as this is my '1st draft' with a few constant tweaks and adjustments that must be done. I did this to illustrate or give viewers an idea of how my Final Front Cover is going to look like. I will be posting screenshots of the different stages of developement as I move along.

 

I chose this image because I feel as if it gives viewers a feeling of sensing an awareness of 'power' and 'authority' This is the way in which I wanted to represent my artist; Hip-hop music stars love authority and attention and want to be respected. The artist looks 'authoritive' and the reason for that is not just because of the way he's dressed but his pose has a lot to do with it. He wears aviator sun glasses which gives a reflection of everything he sees on both lens. We can't see his eyes but he can see ours; so its almost as if he's hiding his image from the public and that's what a lot Rappers tend to do. I set his arms that way intentionally because I wanted to expose his jewelry, emphasizing wealth and authority. Most Hiphop Magazines are known to use a plain grey or white backdrop on their covers as it makes the font stand out more and allow the model to take center stage.  

Here are two examples of what my double page spread is going to look like. Below I have 2 different versions of it and to be honest, both versions look good. It's just that the first one looks a tad better because of the pattern created using a 50 pound bill.

Why so simple?

Simplicity, on most occasions can be a good thing to consider when designing any product. Some designers don't even take the conventions into consideration and ignore them. As a result they end up creating a product of medeocre quality; overcomplicating things by using flashy colours, different type styles for almost everything and excessive amounts of images. Although it is not an obligation to have one colour and plain B&W imaging but it is conventional and you find it in a lot of Hip-Hop magazines.

There are several things that are still missing on the double page spread as this was just the 1st draft and mockup of it. I did this to give viewers an idea of how the final outcome will look; the first one will never be the final because there are constant adjustments to made made.

Practice Shoot #1

This photoshoot exercise occurred on Wednesday, November 14th 2012 during an open evening session at the college. The shoot lasted for well over an hour and several images were taken.  The aim of the shoot was to experiment with lighting conditions and how they affect an image as well as viewpoints; I basically aim to recreate examples of existing products as they relate to the music genre. Below are some examples demonstrating the types of framing, viewpoints and lighting conditions.

 

This image above was the very first image taken, at the time my camera was set to Manual mode and I was making adjustments based on lighting conditions; it's fair to say that it isn't that great of a shot because it was overexposed. Although you don't always have to go by the rules because you can generate other pretty interesting lighting effect.

Below is low angle shot from my practice shoot and although it is not really conventional to use these shots in a music magazine but I just thought it would be pretty cool. The low angle exagerrates his overall appearance, making us feel vulnerable and the model powerful. This image cannot be used because of the ceiling in the background; it is something I just wanted to experiment and I am considering to go on a better location and shoot a photograph like this one again.

These shots below were typical examples of what happens when just the 'key light' is turned on and everything else off. Apparently neither of them went too well because the amount of light hitting the subject's face was too hard creating a bit of over exposure which casts a dramatic shadow behind the subject. This is why the backlight and fill light are important to counterbalance the overall appearance of the image.

 

                                                         As we progressed further into the shoot I decided to introduce some props related to Hip-Hop. Although typical rappers' jewelry are considered as props, many of them are seen with objects like water bottles, money, weapons, electronics etc.

In these images you'll notice that the model use hand gestures and signs alot as this is important because it reflects the Hip-Hop industry. Rappers want to be 'known,' they love attention and lots of it and that's why many of them have special hand gestures as it seems cool and appeals to many of the young audiences in the world.

Even though this shoot was my first one I ended taking some really interesting photographs; some of which can be used on my front covers, double page spreads and contents page with photo effects applied to them.

These 6 Images above are all very great images I would consider using for my front cover and the one below I think would make a really nice double page spread image.

What was the purpose of this shoot?

This shoot was done in order to experiment the different possibilities and ideas which can be generated and then later 'supposedly' used as images for the final magazine. A lot of thought was put into most of these images as I am a photographer; I might not be at a professional level as yet but I am determined to get there. This exercise helped me to understand the importance of camera position and lighting; these are elements which need to be paid keen attention to as they can affect the layout of text in a media product. In the end I took well over 140 photographs; approximately 45% of them turned out to be usable shots. I wouldn't consider the remaining percentage to be a failure as this was my first shoot and they helped me understand what to consider when taking the next photograph thus creating 'less mistakes.'

Costume Ideas, Locations & Set Design (Music Magazine)

After careful thorough research and careful consideration I decided to use the 'VIBE' magazine as my main source of inspiration. Since I will be producing a 'Rap'/'Hip-Hop' music magazine I thought it would be best if I resort to Pre-Existing models; this magazine however is a perfect example. Vibe Magazine is a music and entertainment magazine which was founded by Producer Quincy Jones. The production predominantly focuses on Hip-hop and R&B Artists as well as actors. 

Examples of other Issues of VIBE magazine: 

The information on these magazines emphasizes focus mainly on Music produced by these artists; performances on the charts; as well as personal matters in relation to crime, drug addiction and love affair which is what the target audience want to know. 

Hand Rendered Mockup of DP Spread



Hand Rendered Mockup of Contents Page (Music Magazine)

Hand Rendered Mockup of FC (Music Magazine)

Electronic Mockup of DP Spread (Music Magazine)

Electronic Mockup of Contents Page (Music Magazine)

Electronic Mockup of Front Cover (Music Magazine)

Spider Diagram of Initial Ideas

Mood Board for Music Magazine (AS Media Studies)

Uses & Gratifications Theory

My Understanding & Interpretation of the term:

The Uses and Gratification Theory is an approach of understanding the reason for people seeking media and content for gratification purposes. It talks discusses how consumers consistently look for media outlets which will enhance their intellectual needs and satisfy their personal needs & wants. This suggests that people use the media to escape their daily personal problems. It is important that publishers know what their target audience fancy; otherwise they wouldn’t purchase the magazine unless that specific target audience can relate to it. For example, a person who likes Rap and Hip-hop music wouldn’t purchase a 'Rock Sound' magazine because it only features information relevant to guitarists and Rock & Roll lovers. This theory would then imply that the media compete against other information sources for viewers' gratification. Having knowledge of the target audience is the only way publishers will make money because they have to understand what they demand. 

Sourced Information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uses_and_gratifications_theory (Wikipedia.org) includes ‘Stages’ of the Theory. It was developed over time from a number of prior communication theories and research conducted by fellow theorists.

These are:

Stage 1

§                    In 1944 Herta Herzog began to look at the earliest forms of uses and gratifications with her work classifying the reasons why people chose specific types of media. For her study, Herzog interviewed soap opera fans and was able to identify three types of gratifications. The three gratifications categories, based on why people listened to soap operas, were emotional, wishful thinking, and learning.

§                    In 1970 Abraham Maslow suggested that Uses and Gratifications Theory was an extension of the Needs and Motivation Theory. The basis for his argument was that people actively looked to satisfy their needs based on a hierarchy. The pyramid hierarchy began on the bottom with Biological/Physical, Security/Safety, Social/Belonging, Ego/Self-Respect and Self-actualization at the top.

§                    In 1954 Wilbur Schramm developed the fraction of selection, a formula for determining which form of mass media an individual would select. The formula helped to decide the amount of gratification an individual would expect to gain from the medium over how much effort they had to make to achieve gratification.

Stage 2

§                    In 1969 Jay Blumler and Denis McQuail began to study why people watched political program on television. The motive they were able to identify helped lay the groundwork for their research in 1972 and eventually the Uses and Gratifications Theory.

§                    In 1972 Denis McQuail, Jay Blumler and Joseph Brown suggested that the uses of different types of media could be grouped into 4 categories. The four categories were: diversion, personal relationships, personal identity and surveillance.

§                    In 1973-74 McQuail, Blumler and Brown were joined by Elihu Katz, Michael Gurevitch and Hadassah Haas, in their media exploration. The collaborative research began to indicate how people saw the mass media.

Stage 3

§                    The most recent interest surrounding Uses and Gratifications Theory is the link between the reason why media is used and the achieved gratification.

§                     

Uses & Gratifications Model

According to Katz, Blumler and Gurevitch's research there were 5 components comprising the Uses and Gratifications Model. The components are:

§                    “The audience is conceived as active.” 

§                    “In the mass communication process much initiative in linking gratification and media choice lies with the audience member.” 

§                    “The media compete with other sources of satisfaction.” 

§                    “Methodologically speaking, many of the goals of mass media use can be derived from data supplied by individual audience members themselves.” 

§                    “Value judgments about the cultural significance of mass communication should be suspended while audience orientations are explored on their own terms.” 

========================================================================

Sourced information from (http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/usegrat.html) 

Why do people watch Tevision? 

Uses and Gratifications

One influential tradition in media research is referred to as 'uses and gratifications' (occasionally 'needs and gratifications'). This approach focuses on why people use particular media rather than on content. In contrast to the concern of the 'media effects' tradition with 'what media do to people' (which assumes a homogeneous mass audience and a 'hypodermic' view of media), U & G can be seen as part of a broader trend amongst media researchers which is more concerned with 'what people dowith media', allowing for a variety of responses and interpretations. However, some commentators have argued that gratifications could also be seen as effects: e.g. thrillers are likely to generate very similar responses amongst most viewers. And who could say that they never watch more TV than they had intended to? Watching TV helps to shape audience needs and expectations.
U & G arose originally in the 1940s and underwent a revival in the 1970s amd 1980s. The approach springs from a functionalist paradigm in the social sciences. It presents the use of media in terms of the gratification of social or psychological needs of the individual (Blumler & Katz 1974). The mass media compete with other sources of gratification, but gratifications can be obtained from a medium's content (e.g. watching a specific programme), from familiarity with a genre within the medium (e.g. watching soap operas), from general exposure to the medium (e.g. watching TV), and from the social context in which it is used (e.g. watching TV with the family). U & G theorists argue that people's needs influence how they use and respond to a medium. Zillmann (cited by McQuail 1987: 236) has shown the influence of mood on media choice: boredom encourages the choice of exciting content and stress encourages a choice of relaxing content. The same TV programme may gratify different needs for different individuals. Different needs are associated with individual personalities, stages of maturation, backgrounds and social roles. Developmental factors seem to be related to some motives for purposeful viewing: e.g. Judith van Evra argues that young children may be particularly likely to watch TV in search of information and hence more susceptible to influence (Evra 1990: 177, 179).
An empirical study in the U & G tradition might typically involve audience members completing a questionnaire about why they watch a TV programme. Denis McQuail offers (McQuail 1987: 73) the following typology of common reasons for media use:


Information

• finding out about relevant events and conditions in immediate surroundings, society and the world
• seeking advice on practical matters or opinion and decision choices
• satisfying curiosity and general interest
• learning; self-education
• gaining a sense of security through knowledgePersonal Identity
  
• finding reinforcement for personal values
• finding models of behaviour
• identifying with valued other (in the media) 
• gaining insight into one's self
  Integration and Social Interaction
  
• gaining insight into circumstances of others; social empathy
• identifying with others and gaining a sense of belonging
• finding a basis for conversation and social interaction
• having a substitute for real-life companionship
• helping to carry out social roles
• enabling one to connect with family, friends and society
  Entertainment
  
• escaping, or being diverted, from problems
• relaxing
• getting intrinsic cultural or aesthetic enjoyment
• filling time
• emotional release
• sexual arousal
  
Blumler & Katz (1974) argued that audience needs have social and psychological origins which generate certain expectations about the mass media, leading to differential patterns of media exposure which result in both the gratification of needs and in other (often unintended) consequences. This does assume an active audience making motivated choices. However, McQuail suggests that the dominant stance of recent researchers in this tradition is now that:

Personal social circumstances and psychological dispositions together influence both... general habits of media use and also... beliefs and expectations about the benefits offered by the media, which shape... specific acts of media choice and consumption, followed by.... assessments of the value of the experience (with consequences for further media use) and, possibly... applications of benefits acquired in other areas of experience and social activity. (ibid: 235).
James Lull (1990: 35-46) offers a typology of the social uses of television based on ethnographic research.


Social Uses of TelevisionStructural


• Environmental: background noise; companionship; entertainment
• Regulative: punctuation of time and activity; talk patterns
  Relational
  
• Communication Facilitation: Experience illustration; common ground; conversational entrance; anxiety reduction; agenda for talk; value clarification
• Affiliation/Avoidance: Physical, verbal contact/neglect; family solidarity; family relaxant; conflict reduction; relationhip maintenance
• Social Learning: Decision-making; behaviour modelling; problem-solving; value transmission; legitimization; information dissemination; substitute schooling
• Competence/Dominance: Role enactment; role reinforcement; substitute role portrayal; intellectual validation; authority exercise; gatekeeping; argument facilitation
  (Lull 1990: 36)



Watching TV Soap Operas

A major focus for research into why and how people watch TV has been the genre of soap opera. Adopting a U & G perspective, Richard Kilborn (1992: 75-84) offers the following common reasons for watching soaps:


• regular part of domestic routine and entertaining reward for work
• launchpad for social and personal interaction
• fulfilling individual needs: a way of choosing to be alone or of enduring enforced loneliness
• identification and involvement with characters (perhaps cathartic)
• escapist fantasy (American supersoaps more fantastical)
• focus of debate on topical issues
• a kind of critical game involving knowledge of the rules and conventions of the genre



Watching TV Quiz Programmes

McQuail, Blumler and Brown (1972) offered the following summary of clusters of 'uses' that people made of TV quizzes:


Gratifications of TV Quiz Shows: Selected ResponsesSelf-Rating Appeal


• I can compare myself with the experts
• I like to imagine that I am on the programme and doing well
• I feel pleased that the side I favour has actually won
• I am reminded of when I was in school
• I laugh at the contestants’ mistakes
  Basis for Social Interaction
  
• I look forward to talking about it with others
• I like competing with other people watching with me
• I like working together with the family on the answers
• The children get a lot out of it
• It brings the family together sharing the same interest
• It is a topic of conversation afterwards
  Excitement Appeal
  
• I like the excitement of a close finish
• I like to forget my worries for a while
• I like trying to guess the winner
• Having got the answer right I feel really good
• I get involved in the competition
  Educational Appeal
  
• I find I know more than I thought
• I find I have improved myself
• I feel respect for the people on the programme
• I think over some of the questions afterwards
• It’s educational
  (McQuail, Blumler & Brown 1972)
Social class seemed to be related to gratifications here. McQuail et al. noted that most of those who watched quiz programmes for 'self-rating' gratifications lived in council houses and were working-class. 'Excitement' was most commonly reported as a gratification by working-class viewers who were not very sociable. And those who reported 'educational appeal' as the major gratification were those who had left school at the minimum age. John Fiske suggests that these could be seen as compensatory uses of the media 'to gratify needs that the rest of social life frustrates' (Fiske 1982: 136). In contrast, people who reported having many acquaintances in their neighbourhood tended to see the quizzes as a basis for social interaction.



Criticisms of ‘Uses and Gratifications’

The use of retrospective 'self-reports' has several limitations. Viewers may not know why they chose to watch what they did, or may not be able to explain fully. The reasons which can be articulated may be the least important. People may simply offers reasons which they have heard others mention. More promising might be the study of people's engagement with media as it happens.
Some degree of selectivity of media and content is clearly exercised by audiences (e.g. choice or avoidance of TV soap operas. However, instrumental (goal-directed) accounts assume a rational choice of appropriate media for predetermined purposes. Such accounts over-emphasize informational purposes and ignore a great deal in people's engagement with media: TV viewing can be an end in itself. There is evidence that media use is often habitual, ritualistic and unselective (Barwise & Ehrenberg 1988). But more positively, TV viewing can sometimes be seen as aesthetic experience in which intrinsic motivation is involved.
The U & G approach has been criticized as 'vulgar gratificationism'. It is individualistic and psychologistic, tending to ignore the socio-cultural context. As a theoretical stance it foregrounds individual psychological and personality factors and backgrounds sociological interpretations. For instance, David Morley (1992) acknowledges that individual differences in interpretation do exist, but he stresses the importance of subcultural socio-economic differences in shaping the ways in which people interpret their experiences with TV (via shared 'cultural codes'). U & G theorists tend to exaggerate active and conscious choice, whereas media can be forced on some people rather than freely chosen. The stance can also lead to the exaggeration of openness of interpretation, implying that audiences may obtain almost any kind of gratification regardless of content or of 'preferred readings'. Its functionalist emphasis is politically conservative: if we insist that people will always find some gratifications from any use of media, we may adopt a complacently uncritical stance towards what the mass media currently offer.
U & G research has been concerned with why people use media. Whilst this approach sprang from 'mainstream' research in social science, an interpretive tradition has arisen primarily from the more arts-oriented 'cultural (and 'critical') studies'. The approach sometimes referred to as reception theory (or reception analysis) focuses onwhat people see in the media, on the meanings which people produce when they interpret media 'texts' (e.g. Hobson 1982, Ang 1985, Seiter, Borchers, Kreutzner & Warth 1989). This perspective tends to be associated with the use of interviews rather than questionnaires. Such interviews are often with small groups (e.g. with friends who watch the same TV programmes). The emphasis is on specific content (e.g. a particular soap opera) and on specific social contexts (e.g. a particular group of working-class women viewers).

  

What are Demographics?/Grading System Table

 

Is a system that uses statistical characterisation in order to represent a population or a group of people and is based on several factors such as: age, sex, race, economic status, level of education, income level and employment etc. Demographic statistics are used for many different various reasons like population change and marketing purposes. For media, it is important that we find out what are target audience want; we find out by getting feedback through surveys and questionnaires. Demographic trends describe the historical changes in demographics in a population over time e.g. the average age of the population can either increase or decrease over a period of time. Demographics are important to the population of a region and the culture of the people; this is the only way you can understand differences. In the United Kingdom there is a system called the NRS Social Grades which is a form of Demographics used to characterise specific groups of people. This system was originally produced by the National Readership Survey to classify readers but is now used for several other organisations for wider applications. These were developed for over 50 years now and have used widespread usage in Britain during the 20^th century. The NRS grading system classifies a certain group of persons by the head of the household. These are often grouped into ABC1 and C2DE and are taken to equate to middle class and working class respectively. Only 2% of the UK population is identified as upper class and this group is not presented in the classification scheme.

 

 

 References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NRS_social_grade

 

Grade	Social class	Chief income earner's occupation
A	upper middle class	Higher managerial, administrative or professional
B	middle class	Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional
C1	lower middle class	Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial, administrative or professional
C2	skilled working class	Skilled manual workers
D	working class	Semi and unskilled manual workers
E	Those at the lowest levels of subsistence	Casual or lowest grade workers, pensioners and others who depend on the welfare state for their income

 



Focus Group Questions

     

                                          Focus Group Questions for Interview

1.     What music magazines (if you do) do you purchase?

 

2.     If Not, then why?

 

3.     How do you think the magazine you read can be improved? (Price wise, prizes etc.)

 

4.     Do you think a multi-genre magazine is necessary?

 

5.     If so, then how would it benefit you?

 

6.     What prompts you to purchase that music magazine? (Is it cheap, what does it offer?)

 

7.     What other aspects appeal to you about the magazine? (What else do you like about it?)

 

8.     Do you think there should be a price difference for digital versions?

 

9.     Would you like more give aways?