Research: TA Analysis of Survey (Focus Group)

Yesterday, I conducted a focus group made up of 10 (5 boys and 5 girls, ranging from 16 to 19 years old) people to find out what my TA think about my magazine and to gather their ideas on what I should do differently/change. I showed them my hand drawn drafts of each three of my pages to they could understand what feel I was trying to achieve with it. The results were as followed:

1. I’ve been told that Countrypolitan sounds very similar to the gossip magazine Cosmopolitan which has a target audience of women around the age of 30 years old, do you think this will discourage young people or men to buy it?

Yes = 2

No = 8


When I asked the "Yes'" why, they said that boys might be embarrassed to buy a magazine so similarly named to Cosmopolitan especially if they look alike. This means that I will have to make it clear that I have a target audience of both genders and show that there are a lot of awesome articles that they would enjoy too.

2. How does my cover image make you feel about the magazine? Who do think would buy it based on how it looks?

"The banner in the middle looks a bit random but it still looks better that not having one at all, 'cause it's pink girls will probably be more drawn into buying it"

"I like it and it gives off a positive vibe. It looks like it would be a Spring Edition"

3. I was thinking about having a banner going across Brittany’s shoulders but I don’t know what to put in it, what is something important that you would like to see in the magazine that could be put in the banner?

"Maybe a quote or a song lyric"


"Yeah I agree with Robbie, 'cause usually magazines have a slogan or quote next to the artist so it'd be cool"


"I like the idea of a song lyric"


"Concert information maybe? I don't know"


"Something relating to your DPS so it creates synergy... have it in the same colour or font too"


"Tour dates"

4. Do you understand what the cover stories are going to be about or should I change them so they all focus around music?


I understand them = 9
They confuse me = 1


The person who was confused by the cover stories said "I understand them but I just don't get what 'Life on the Plains' has to do with music, the same with 'Where to go and what to wear', it seems like they're titles that fashion magazines would have on them, not music magazines."

5. Is £5 too expensive for a magazine (taking into consideration that it is going to be very high quality)? What about £3?

"Obviously the cheaper the better"

"I don't want to pay a lot of money for something that I'm probably only going to read once"

"I buy Vogue and thats like £5, sometimes higher so if it was going to be chunky then yeah sure"

"£3 is more realistic to be honest"

6. Do you think that my contents page looks a little bit too blank and if so, should I have an actual photograph of a field covering the whole background instead of it just being white?




"I kind of like how simple it looks"


"Me too, I've never really read a magazine that has a contents page with an actual photograph as the background"


"It does look a bit blank, but I think when you get a bit more writing on it it should be fine"

7. Would you rather read something that is formal or informal?




Everyone I asked said that they would like to read informal magazines and preferred "conversational" articles because of how much easier and more encouraging to read.

8. What would encourage you to read a full double page spread? Large text? More pictures?

Large text = 1

Many photos = 2

Attractive people = 2

Well known bands = 5

9. Would the use of lace or wood look better on my cover, contents and DPS?

Lace = 4

Wood = 6

*NOTE: All of the boys said wood and all but one girl said lace*