Folded Digipak

Updating Digipak, Insert and Magazine Advert

After I  completed my first draft of my digipak and magazine advert I asked for feedback from my fellow students and friends outside of my media class. I developed a very quick questionnaire which addressed and inquired after the opinions of the audience on particular issues I found with my products, as well as generic questions on what was good/bad about them. I was pleased with the results as the feedback came back to be mainly positive with only minor adjustments/improvements needed.

In my magazine advert, I have adjusted the text size/balance to create a more conventional layout that doesn't look too cluttered and is without any unnecessary information. I deleted the contrasting text even though I quite liked the effect, as the extra text took away from the image of my front cover and meant I was not showing a true representative of my album cover on the advertisement. I also adjusted the size of the social networking logos at the base of the advertisement as some people commented they seemed slightly too small in relation to the rest of the advert. This also brings them further into the main focus and would hopefully grab the attention of the viewer and subsequently encourage them to follow up the artist using these sites.

In my digipak, I have made several small changes in relation to the feedback I received. On the inside, I added a ring of text around my CD holder to liven up that space and create more detail as a few comments reported it to be lacking in that area. The text is not necessarily for information, but more for aesthetic effect. Although this ring of text took me quite a while to achieve on Photoshop I am pleased with the result it gives.  I also changed the font of some text I added to the right panel into the font I have used almost throughout, as the plainer font was too plain according to some more feedback I received. On the outside I made hardly any changes except to adjust the sizing and layout of the small credit text on the back of my digipak, so that it was clearer and easy to read.

Closer look at Digipak and Magazine Advert

Inspiration for insert

I have been inspired to create an unconventional layout for my insert. I have decided to use a two fold booklet insert that has the lyrics and credits on one side and a poster on the other. The advantage of this insert is the poster, as this is a free piece of fan 'merchandise' for the audience and also could promote publicity if it was displayed.
Here are some photographs of the London Grammar album insert which uses this format.

Magazine Advertisement Placement

I have been doing some research on the internet to determine how effective the placement of an ad is in a magazine. I have found that the content/graphics is of course the most effective way to reach a reader however advert placement does have an impact on cognitive metrics of recall and recognition. Placing and advertisement for my artist/song would be a very effective way of reaching my target audience- especially if the magazine is one purchased by my target audience. The "media experience survey" (2012) claims that both consumers and marketers most prefer to see advertising in a magazine.
Here are the statistics for the consuer : Magazine- consumers 45% TV programme- 23% Website-11% Outdoor-10%. This shows that a favourtie magazine would be an ideal place to publicise the artist/song. Magazines that are likely to reach my target audience could include; "Q", "Mojo"and more specialist magazines focusing on the indie pop genre.

The position of the magazine advert is also something I would have to decide upon. The media experience survey of 2012 also states that: "a magazine's power rests in the fact that the reader takes time to read and is focusing on the magazine. It is not your 'only moment' but also the moment for the advertiser. This is an opportunity for and advertiser to have an exclusive encounter with consumers."
 Positions I have found are back inside page 1 inside front cover inside back cover visible to anyone just flicking through not reading the actual content. I have also discovered that apparently pages on the right offer up the best recall alongside obviously front pages. However if an ad is early on in the magazine, this also proves to be a prominent and ideal place to have an advert as it also provides good recall.

"t is not only 'your moment' but also the moment for the advertiser. This is an opportunity for an advertiser to have an exclusive encounter with consumers.The Media Experience Survey, Europe [2012] "

Theories

Althusser- interpellation
 Interpellation is a concept in marxist social and political theory that explains how ideas get into our heads and how this affects our lives. So much so that cultural ideas have a hold on us so that we believe that they are our own. An idea is not simply your own- it has been presented to you.
In my work have I used interpelling to push my audience into a particular ideological position?

Barthes- structuralism/cultural myth
 BINARY OPPOSITIONS= which binary oppositions structure my text? Why have I used them/was I aware of using them? Good vs Evil
CULTURAL MYTH= Media representations relate to the braoder culutral myths and belief systems. Anything can become a myth if it is used as a sign to convey meaning. Has the way I've conveyed males/race/class/age reinforce or challenge any cultural myths? How and why? Teenagers-angst

Barthes- death of the author
 Essay which argues against the traditional literary criticism by saying that the writing and the creator are unrelated. The social and historical background of the author, e.g. social status, origin, context, religion have no effect on the text.
Readers create their own meanings so texts are always 'Unstable and open to question'. A texts unity lies not in its origins or its creator but "in it's destination" or its audience.
Audience repetition model
Question on specifically audience
Apply to a production

Mulvey- male gaze theory
 In film audiences have to 'view' characters from the perspective of a heterosexual male. Is there evidence of the male gaze in the representation of females in my work? How do I feel about it?

Winship- gender complicity
The gaze between cover model and women readers marks the complicity between women seeing themselves in the image in which the masculine culture has defined. We are prepared for the reward of gratification, to recognise the ideal version of ourselves, despite the anxiety it will cause when we compare ourselves to this ideal. To what extent do your products encourage this gender complicity? how and why/why not?

Social Realism