Reader profile

Reader profile:

Who my reader will be and why?

For my magazine my reader will be between the ages of 14 and 17. I have chosen this age range as my target audience because it is the typical age range that are known as teenagers and these are the type of people who read gossip magazines. Also this was the top age range in my questionnaire. The readers will also be female. I have chosen young females because my magazine will include things like makeup tutorials, how to style your hair and advertisements for clothes, shoes accessories etc. Also I will include pictures of male music artists and this attracts young females. Another reason why I chose my readers to be female is because my magazines will be specifically aimed at females and I only asked females in my questionnaire. 

What their interests will be?

- Makeup
- Hair 
- Clothes
- Shoes
- Accessories: belts, bags, jewellery, hats, scarves etc. 
- Gossip
- Celebrities: Females because young females can look up to them and see them as idols and males because young females would admire them and fancy them.
- Music
- Music artists: single artists and bands mainly because these were the answers chosen in my questionnaire.
- Fashion

More about why I have chosen this type of reader:

My magazine will be a girly music magazine. It will include girly things and things to do with music and music artists. I will also include puzzles/quizzes to do with music artists for example a title could be, 'Are you a true JLS fan?' and following this could be questions to do with this. As I am a girl myself I think it will be easy to understand what young teenage girls like.

Research about my chosen reader:

An article to do with marketing for young females:

MARKETING TO A TEENAGE GIRL, WHAT TO CONSIDER

It seems like it should be pretty easy to market to teenage girls. Their likes, dislikes, trends, and interests are already marketed like crazy, so one would think it'd be easy to just slip in and find a niche in the teen market. Not so. Instead, marketing to a teenage girl needs to be done in certain ways and it's important to know what to consider.

Teenagers, both boys and girls, are very aware that they are being marketed to constantly. They just need to turn on the television, open a magazine, or even go to school. Schools themselves are open to companies marketing to kids at school - how many soda machines are in the cafeterias and common rooms in a typical junior high and high school? Just that one example can give an idea of how bombarded teens are by companies' marketing tactics. 

Since teen girls are very aware of the competition for their attention and money, they can be a little skeptical and harder to impress. While their skepticism may be a hurdle, it is good to know about it before coming up with a marketing plan. Recognize that teens want something that feels real and believable - if you do, chances are they will be more open to what you have to offer.
Girls obviously have different needs and interests than boys. While this seems obvious, some companies market to just a general teen audience. In many cases this can seem impersonal and some teens may perceive it as disconnected and preachy. Advertisers walk a fine line when marketing to both teenage boys and girls.
Companies must be especially careful when marketing to girls - the fine line they walk is even finer when it comes to girls. This is because many people attribute the pressure to be thin, to be beautiful, to be like movie stars and models to the way companies market to teen girls. Many also attribute girls' low self- esteem to insensitive, unrealistic marketing. To take it even further, many have blamed some marketing tactics as causing eating disorders in teenage girls, due to messages sent by companies through their advertising.

Just about every teenage girl, no matter what size or shape or ethnicity, feels vulnerable and sensitive when it comes to appearance. Companies should be careful and avoid playing upon this vulnerability to get girls to spend money on cosmetics and other products related to appearance. Companies who use unreal expectations and models to market to teens risk having both the teens and their parents respond negatively to their campaigns. Plus, it is clearly irresponsible for a company to prey upon teenage girls' insecurity - any company that does so deserves all of the backlash they will most likely get.

Marketing to teens by using unrealistic models and setting unattainable expectations doesn't always work as well as other methods - in fact, there are other options that are proving to be more effective. Since the 1990's, the notion of "girl power" has really struck a chord with teenage girls. Girls like feeling strong and in control - in a teenage world of rules, deadlines, and curfews, teens find a sense of girl power as a fun change of pace.

Often, teenage girls are marketed to with movie or music stars that are much older than they are and often portrayed in ways that are sometimes overtly sexual or just more adult. While using prominent stars is appealing, it doesn't always ring true. It is okay to include some older stars (teens like to feel more adult), but also include some things that still have a teenage feel to them. Find a balance.

An example of girl power and marketing to teens with someone that is their age can be seen with the Hannah Montana craze that is taking America by storm. Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus resonates with teen girls because she's cool, she wears clothes they could wear, and teenage can relate to the lyrics of her music. She exudes confidence and girls respect and want to emulate that. One could assume that the huge popularity of Hannah Montana is because this niche, of a normal yet also glamorous teenage girl, hadn't been addressed before.

With a little creativity and sensitivity to teenage girls, companies can market effectively to this demographic. If a company can market to this group effectively, chances are that the teenage girl will stay loyal to the brand and invest their hard earned money in their products for many years.