target audience

 following the research I did into NME's target audience http://stevesasmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/as-i-am-using-nme-magazine-as-influence.html I have decided to investigate how NME targets its audience with its contents pages in hope that I can do the same.
One of the ways in which the contents pages above target their audience is through imagery. Each page is dominated by images which are laid out in a neat organized fashion. This is important because NME readers are mostly of a young demographic - mostly teenagers - therefore it is key that the page is dominated with a lot of imagery rather than text because images are more appealing to young people. Although I will not be including as many images as NME does I will still ensure that imagery dominates the page by using some larger images rather than lots of small ones.


This is the image I plan to use for my band, 'The desperados', in the contents page. I decided to crop and rotate the original image because I wanted it to appear as though, by looking in the contents page, the reader is only getting a glimpse of the real thing, which they would in the double page spread because I am using this image but in its full original form, so its like another method of teasing the reader into wanting to look at the full image of the band and the full article about them.
I also think by rotating it, it adds a sense of drama or danger, especially since the lead member is in direct mode of address to the readers. This would particularly appeal to my target audience because they would be more interested in a dangerous looking band and the fact that the arbitrary angle is used adds to the drama of the band and adds an air of mystery which young readers would take an interest in because they would be more enticed to discover who this dangerous looking band is.

Another way in which these contents pages appeal to its target audience is through text. Under each image, a part from the one in the middle, there is a quote in a large distinct font. This is effective because if the young demographic were to be drawn in to a particular image, they could instantly read the quote from that artist just below the image, and often the quote will contain something explicit or at least intriguing, 'crying in the first aid tent covered in blood', 'get your popcorn, juice, snacks'. The young demographic instantly becomes interested in the bands and artists that they may already know and are then drawn in further with a quote that would appeal to their nature as young people. I could do the same thing with quotes but I will definitely include text that links directly to the image and contains intriguing or explicit words in order to appeal to my target audience, who are also dominated by a young demographic