“brighten and widen your mind” Enlighten

I decided on the name “Enlighten” after looking at similar words and finding it on the list of synonyms. Enlighten means: I decided this was a good name, as the meaning relates to my Editorial Mission Statement and USP. The magazine will be trying to educate and put emphasis on acoustic music and to “shed light” on unsigned acoustic bands

Magazine Name and Tagline I thought that the name “Enlighten” fitted really well with my USP and Editorial Mission Statement. The meaning of the word enlighten is exactly the description of what my magazine is and will provide for the reader; it will inform the primary audience and shed light onto new and upcoming bands/ artists. I really like my tagline “brighten and widen your mind” because that is the aim of my magazines, the magazine will be trying to open peoples minds into the world of acoustic music, and how this music has developed into the genre it is and the artists that are around today.

Genre I decided to focus on the acoustic genre of music, such as that of Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Mumford and Sons. I specifically chose this genre as it is the genre of music I listen to most regularly, and I know a lot of artists (both signed and unsigned) that fit into this genre. This means I will know what to write for my double-page article and won’t have to do lots of research into the genre before writing about them. Also, this genre has come back into the spotlight of the music world at the moment, and this means new fans of acoustic music will be trying to find a magazine like mine that can keep them interested.

Audience I want my magazine to appeal to a range of audiences. All ages and genders, however I think the primary audience will be 14 to 25 year olds. This way I can have a more mature magazine without having to be too sophisticated or ‘upper-class’, as my primary audience are not as mature as this yet. I think that this is a good range of ages for my audience as it allows me to look at what people that are around my age group would find more appealing (I could investigate this in a questionnaire or survey), and I think this is the main age range that are interested in the acoustic genre of music. However, I am aware that some older people do like it so I’ll try to make it somewhat appealing for this age group too.

Editorial Mission Statement Enlighten will be trying to introduce and advertise more female artists. Enlighten will also be trying to advertise new and upcoming bands and artists, both signed and unsigned, in an attempt to keep the popularity of acoustic music rising. I decided upon these points for my Editorial Mission Statement as I found that these concepts were lacking the current music magazines available on the market today.

Unique Selling Point I’ve found that, recently, music magazines are portraying more and more acoustic artists, as the genre has recently come back into the spotlight, with new artists and albums bringing the popularity back to the people of today. I want to include and introduce artists that have rose to fame in the acoustic genre (e.g. Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Jack Johnson, James Blunt, Amy Macdonald, Sara Bareillies, Lily Allen and Mumford and Sons) and also less well- known artists and bands who deserve more popularity than they currently are getting.

Reader Profile My typical reader profile will be a 16 year old female, studying at sixth form. She would be interested in art and music inside and out of school, with it being one of her main and favourite hobbies. Her family would be very artistic, both her father and brother like to play guitar and piano on a regular basis, sometimes for fun and often in concerts and performances. She listens to music all the time, and mainly listens to music that fits into the acoustic genre. Her favourite music artist is Taylor Swift and she idolises and looks up to her. She would like a magazine that she can read on the way to school on her bus in the morning. She is looking out for a magazine that will help to keep her current interest in music and help her interest in music grow. She also wants to find more acoustic artists to look up to and learn their music, preferably less well known artists that she can introduce to her friends and family.

Colours and Fonts I will try to use more natural, earthy colours such as greens and browns. This will fit with the organic sounds of the acoustic artists in my magazine’s music genre. I want to use smoother fonts, that flow but still catch the eye of my primary audience. I will try to use fonts that, also, have more of a natural feel to them. This will keep a consistent theme and look to the magazine, and it will mean my magazine flows and links better. Both of these reflect the talent and sounds of the music artists I will be featuring in my magazine. I think this is important as it will show to the reader what the magazine has its focus on and it will mean that it will catch the eye of my typical reader/ primary audience easily, as it will be the kind of magazine style that they will be looking for.