NEA: Audience Research - Online Survey Question Analysis

As part of my audience research I conducted an online survey in order to see preferences of my target audience, especially the type of music they prefer. 

Q1) What's your age?

I began by asking the age of my respondents in order to see the rough age range who are responding to my questions and see if they fit with my desired target audience. Finding the age would also allow me to see whether responses to the other questions would alter with age. It would also allow a varied maturity of answers e.g. older people may choose more explicit music genres. Using this information will allow me to create a product that includes suitable preferences for the specific age group of my magazine. 

Q2) What's your gender?

 I then asked the gender of the correspondents, as it would allow me to see if there is a distinction by the opinions of male and female. Depending on the answers I receive in following question I will see whether I need to focus more on pleasing both genders if they have differing views. However, if i find they have similar preferences in terms of music magazines I will be able to incorporate a larger variety of features and colours, which both genders are said to prefer. The ratio of males and female will also allow me to see which gender this feedback is biased towards. 

Q3) What is your favourite music genre/s?

This question clearly tells me which pathway of music I should take my magazine down. I chose these genres as I felt they were the most common not only amongst my desired audience but in our region. I included the option of other to allow my audience to add a style of music that may not be common, which is why I have not included it. Seeing a clear majority in music preferences will allow me to create a magazine with this genre, to suitably attract my target audience. This will also tell me what my ideal reader listens to which is very important when choosing a magazine to read. I could further include coverlines and articles related to the genre, as well as include mentions of artists within that music category. 

Q4) Do you think your preference in music is popular amongst your peers?

Asking this question will allow me to see what my respondents think is a popular genre amongst my target audience. Looking at the answers of the previous question and the answers of this question will allow me to directly see popular music types not just amid my candidates but with more of my target audience. I can even go further to connect the age of the respondents to these two previous questions. This will again enable me to see how music preferences vary from specific ages, letting my concentrate on the desired age range I want. Knowing my audiences opinions on what their peers like will permit me to see whether they believe their style of music is unique. 

Q5) Who are some of your favourite artists at the moment?

Feedback from this question will enable me to gain a broader idea of the style of a specific genre my audience prefers, it allows a closer look at exactly which artists' style of music attracts readers. Enabling my participants to type their own artist will not force them to pick an artist that is close to their preference or considered a popular artist in their genre, but will allow them to include a musician they truly prefer. Additionally, I can see if there is a specific artist that many anonymously prefer. The artists mentioned will also allow me to see even if people chose different genres they may have common musician they prefer who could fit into multiple genres. This will enable me to change my focus to a specific category of artists' styles instead of a whole genre. This feedback could also be used as coverlines and/or link to my artist and who he/she want to follow the direction of. 

Q6) Why did you choose this artist/s?

Going more in depth on the previous question enables me to see what features of the artists my audience are attracted to. These features could inspire my artist like they do my audience, creating a common interest between my ideal reader and ideal artist. I could also tease articles based on an artist's interesting qualities, which have been stated in these answers. I can also view what aspect of a musician my audience focus on, additionally informing me if they focus more on the persona and/or the music. 

Q7) Have you heard any music magazines, if so name them?

Not only will feedback from this question notify me whether or not my audience read music magazines but it will tell me if they do, which ones they may read or heard of through musicians they admire. It will permit me to concentrate on the magazines they prefer and see if I could intertwine their housestyle and genre conventions into my work. Seeing if they read multiple magazines will allow me to create a unique product, which they aren't familiar with, meaning it has more chance of attracting them. 

Q8) Which of these magazines do you prefer?

This question is very significant because it tells me which cover immediately captures my candidates’ attention. This feedback will again tell me which pathway, in terms of appearance, I should take my magazine. I chose to include four very different magazines. It is not only different in terms of music genres but also layout, colour scheme and lighting. I included the 'J.Cole' magazine as it includes a prominent figure of Hip Hop/Rap as well as a unique colour scheme and layout. The 'Camilla Cabello' magazine gives my audience the option of a generic mainstream artist but with a basic layout and colour scheme.  The 'Khalid' magazine is more vintage and subverts conventions as it includes a stray of eye contact as well as a unique location. It also involves a busier layout with more graphics, bigger text and more coverlines. Finally the 'Panic! At The Disco' magazine cover includes a completely different music genre, as well as a bolder layout with additional images and a music group instead of solo artists. 

Q9) Why did you choose this specific magazine?

Asking this question will give answers to what aspect of a magazine cover my audience is most likely to concentrate on, it will especially enable me to directly view what physical feature of the magazines above are successful in attracting the participants. I could then concentrate on developing those features of my product i.e. layout, artist, articles. 

Q10) What features of a magazine would interest you the most?

This question is a broader follow up from the previous as it brings my audience to a wider range of features, which the previous covers did not include, or those that the reader did not concentrate on. It will also notify me what magazine conventions I should direct my desired audience to.