Evaluation: Question 3

How do your products engage with the audience and would your work be distributed as real media products?

Target Audience: 

I couldn't find any information on Angel Olsen on YouGov, so I used information on HAIM, a band that is similar to her (have the same/similar target audience).

Here is an audience research interview we made:

We identified that the target audience for the artist is female age 18-24, so our products should appeal to a relatively young group. This particular group of audience is also not into mainstream, pop music. This means that they have different interests and therefore lead a different lifestyle and spending habits that have to be taken into consideration in the process of branding and marketing the artist.

Appeal to audience:

Music video:

• Emphasis on the individual
• The artist interacting with the environment
• An unconventional or 'weird' storyline that catches the audience off guard
• The use of colours (muted tones) and lighting to create an aesthetically pleasing look
• The use of camera angles and editing to create an unique style to the music video
• Representation of the artist as a strong and independent woman

Website:

• Minimalist design
• Clean and simple layout- easy to navigate
• A consistent colour palette that matches with the artist's personal style
• A store that sells a variety of merchandise such as T-shirts, perfumes, hats, accessories etc.
• Includes a collection of photos that are aesthetically pleasing

Digipak:

• A clear sense of individuality of the artist
• Controlled tones and colour for aesthetics
• Minimal design

This list depicts the key elements which would appeal to our target audience. By comparing each criteria to our own products, I think it was successfully marketed towards this group of audience.  

Firstly, the music video. We appealed to the audience by the use of muted tones and a consistent colour palette throughout the video. Neon is also a prevalent 'theme' in our branding- creating a look that is edgy and visually striking. There is an emphasis on the artist as an individual as the music video revolves around her and her emotional journey through a breakup. However, as opposed to telling the plot in a conventional way, our music video has prevalent themes of isolation and sadness, which is a convention of the genre. Furthermore, the artist interacts with her environment- such as in the record store, she looks through the records and reads in the bookstore. The constant breaking of the fourth wall reduces the distance between the artist and her audience, as well as demystifies her- making her character more 'real' and easier for the audience to empathise with. 

Our website has a simple design that is easy to navigate. The colour palette is more pastel than in the music video, but we kept the muted earthy tones consistent. The photos featured on the front page are minimally edited, this gives the website an overall 'clean' and aesthetically pleasing look as it is contrasted with the pale pink background. The website also features a store for the audience to show their support to the artist.

There is a clear sense of individuality in the front cover of our Digipak. The use of props such as a cigarette gives the album are bolder and more 'edgy' look- which appeals to our target audience. The muted colours and use of neon tie in well with the other two products, creating a consistent branding. The design is minimal and the artist's information stands out- making it easier for the target audience to find.

David Buckingham: Audiences

"Buckingham believes it is essential to situate young people’s media use within the context of their other social activities and experiences due to the fact that many young people are using the media as a wallpaper: a wall of noise to fill up ‘down time’ or just to pass the time due to boredom. That many of their interactions with the media are not contrived, committed or concentrated but fleeting, visceral and meaningless."

Core Audience: 

The core audience is the more focused viewer. They pay attention to deeper meaning, complex narratives, and use of signs and symbols. In our music video, there is an intertextual reference to Othello by Shakespeare. The more focused audience would pick up on this.

This audience would also see the underlying theme of isolation in the music video, whereas a more passive audience would not. In most scenes, the artist is alone, even when she isn't.

Glancing Audience:

This type of audience is more focused on the performance, open ended narrative of the music video. The may find that the video contains aesthetically pleasing colours (such as neon) and tones. However, they would not pick up on the use of a 'cooler' tint to represent the isolation and loneliness of the character in the video. The rapid cuts to compliment the quick beat and variety of locations may catch this audience's attention. 

Here is a timeline of how we of three months explaining how we would successfully launch our product to the target audience.