Amy Poole Questionnaire feedback: Introduction: After completing an unsuccessful focus group it was time to rectify the mistakes

we as a group made so we complied a detailed questionnaire individually highlighting our own ideas which 15 students from Solihull Sixth form college where able to give their opinions through rating which ideas they liked for our potential magazine . As these results would help us evaluate what our target audience wants and help finalise ideas for making our magazine. Audience classifications/ demographics: It was important to equally ask both female and males in order not to misrepresent genders viewpoints as this would disrupt the magazines concept 47% of understanding what our target audience wanted for our magazine with the 53% male questionaires we would get genuine feedback .So I asked 8 females and 7 female males from the various ages ranging from 16-17 and 18-19 in order to discover which preferences the students liked when answering a certain question on one concept for our magazine I.e sports, fashion stories and potential themes and colours scheme. What I also wanted to discover and discuss within the questionnaire was whether there ethnicity played a part in their decision to answer the question in order to relate how the audience responded and interpreted this information in order to make sure when making the magazine we have covered a mixture of stories to fully target the audiences tastes and needs.

Gender

Question 1: 1. Explain which theme would draw you to the student magazine front cover. Festive theme featuring a Christmas title its Christmas time!! 1. Or student life i.e student displayed on the front cover and having a feature story within the magazine highlighting the journey they have been on which will be fun and interesting?
13%

Which was the best theme for the magazine front cover?
87% festive theme student life

The reason why I wanted to ask my target audience this question was to establish whether they liked specifically the potential themes for the magazine front cover as I would be targeting this magazine at them and other students .So It was important and vital that whatever results they gave me 25% 31% within the questionnaire I would take into consideration what they said and discuss with my group later to finalise the information regarding my magazine. What I found out specifically is that 87% made up of mixture males and females 6% 38% from a variety of ethnic groups ranging from White British , Mixed white + Asian etc agreed the festive theme for the student magazine would be attractive with Christmas coming up with comments ranging from Its a festive theme because it sounds interesting and building up to Christmas. And It reminds me of fun and exciting times one male said. Whereas there was a minority of students who disagreed with this theme of Christmas on the front cover of the student magazine with strong opinions such as saying student Page 1 of 7

Ethnicity
white british black british pakistanti

Amy Poole life stories and news is more important than Christmas with one female saying it is relevant to our current lives and future rather than featuring one event each year A pattern was starting to emerge the more I examined the questionnaires such as there were more strong minded females than males voicing their opinions with another female quoted saying that We have alot of issues in education we can see xmas anywhere I want to read something relevant to my education So what I have learnt from this question is that I will need to discuss with my group in more detail what I have found out whilst also making sure we still allow a balance of themes within the magazine .As I have found out that there is high demand for a Christmas magazine front cover as people have said it looks attractive and they would be drawn to the magazine, whilst also we should also showcase the education side of the magazine within the hype on the front cover of the mag as that is what our target audience wants. Question 2: Which name do you think is the best name for our magazine rate from 1-5 with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the favourite ?

Favourite names
student network the drop zone inbox know how student blast student news feed student central SSFC Live

15% The reason why I wanted to ask this question 23% was to continue to establish and explore our 8% target audience reactions to our potential name for the magazine as we would need to 8% 8% finalise what our name would be for the 0% student magazine. The reason why I had 15% 23% chosen to ask the question in this specific way was to establish which in the target audience mind was the strongest name for the magazine and the weakest to eliminate them when deciding the final name.

Previously within the focus we had discussed this naming process so when it came to the questionnaire results I was surprised that two in particular names stood out with 23 % each the student network and inbox ranging from both genders giving reasons such as one male said the student network Reminds me of the Sherlock Holmes network which was based on his favourite programme and taste which was an interesting result that I didnt expect. Whereas another female said she chose the student network because It sounds like the social network which is catchyIn contrast other people chose different names such as inbox and student blast which came second and third within the popularity contest with comments from one male saying the inbox It has an unique feel to it whereas people disagreed and said that the student blast should be the name because It sounds fun an exciting it interested them as it created an atmosphere. What was also important to understand that although there were some popular answers there were some reasons why the some titles didnt suit the audience such as Know how a female said that It sounded boring and difficult to say Another reason someone gave for the title Inbox was that It wasnt interesting So what I will take from the feedback from this question was that my audiences tastes in the title has taught me a valuable lesson such as although I was able to shortlist the name for the magazine to The student network and Inbox it is important to acknowledge that not all of my target audience Page 2 of 7

Amy Poole has the same taste as the majority as there were some people within the group that did criticize these popular names. So I must compile my results with my group to see what results they have got in order to establish the whole picture and choose a final name as they might have totally different responses to mine. As this will have an important impact on the audience and how magazine will look and feel. Question 3: What college events would interest you when reading the student magazine rate 15? 1 Being good and 5 being the weak This reason why I wanted to ask this question in a lot of detail highlighting the stories we could potentially use within the magazine because within the focus group we lacked this information and werent really able to showcase what we wanted to do within the magazine. So it was important that we had included this to find out what my target audience really thought.
Children in need concert 11% 8% 5% 22% 8% 16% 14% 16% upcoming chairty events food productions

Drama productions: What I found out is that mostly the males said sporting events Abrabian Nights that they liked sport stories which is not me creating a stereotype as a male said within my questionnaire he said He liked sports therefore again there was an instant reaction from the females who undertook my questionnaire said this was their weakest subject because It seem very much a masculine subject and there was nothing about female subjects within sports . Another revelation that came to light was that a couple of females and males were interested in the fun events college will host such as the children in need concert , the food promotions and drama productions because it sounds interesting and they wanted to find out more about it. Whereas, the more I evaluated the questionnaires in more detail a couple of students were really interested in the education stories such as one female said that she preferred information on universities open days because Its really easy to miss these important dates and also keep informed with course details on university open days This was an interesting result as I was beginning to build up a picture what my target audience wanted featured within my article. Whereas, one male said regarding the education stories such as exams it doesnt concern them.

What I have found out by getting the results from this question is that it is important that I was able to establish and prioritise subjects that matter to the students as I have found out from the students who conducted my questionnaire they found that some of the subjects were irrelevant to them such as parts of the education stories such as exams preparations whereas this was important to the majority of my group rather than a small minority. So I must again be able to try and incorporate what my audience wants within the magazine while I acknowledge there will be some subjects people will like more than others due to the fact they are interested in different things. However one decision that has come out from the feedback is to include more subjects to accommodate more than one gender because if I dont I will be singling out one gend1er more than the other which wouldnt be morally right as I wont be showcasing a balance view instead I would be biased which isnt effective or professional when making a magazine trying to target my audience.

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Amy Poole question 4: Which approach would you like the magazine to take? The reason why I wanted to ask this question was within the focus group we werent fully clear with the target audience and the potential direction of the tone of our magazine through the content of our stories and photos .So it was important to establish which tone the audience would prefer the tone of the magazine to be, whether it was the lighter approach featuring fun and entertainment news or the hard hitting stories with our questionnaires.
7% 29% 64% lighter apporach hart hitting both

What I found from asking this question within my questionnaire was that a large amount of my target audience made up of both genders made the majority which preferred the lighter hearted stories with some people saying This would be more interesting than the other choice hardnews because it would take too long to read and I just want something quick and interesting. Which again brings this down to personal tastes and how people respond to certain things. As highlighted within the pie chart there was a clear divide among my audience with a small minority of females and males agreeing that there should be an element of hard news because they rather preferred information which will benefit them in the future rather than light hearted stories which can be read elsewhere. So what I have I learnt from this question is that this did caused mixed reactions from my audience which has caused me to decide that I have a obligation to both the people who said they want hard hitting stories such as education as it effects them whereas a large amount of people want to have fun stories as it interests them such as drama productions and art trips. So in order to fully combat this issue I think it would be better to combine a balance of these two so that I will be able to increase my audience size and needs as I am making a student magazine which needs to meet the needs of the students whether it features both education and social elements within my magazine. I will then within my group share my findings to see if they agree with me and implement these changes so we will make an effective magazine for all the students needs. question 5: What events and stories do you think your parents would want to know about more within the magazine rate from 1-5 with 1 being good and 5 not being good: The reason why I wanted to know the answer to this because parents have a part to play in the students development through the time the students are at the college so it is important to find out from the students themselves what content will suit the parents needs so we can incorporate this within our magazine. So this required me to go into more detail with the potential stories in which they the students tell you how to rate the stories in order for me to narrow the content down to the relevant stories I will use within my magazine.

opens days 10% 15% 25% 50% support exams workshops prinpical corner

What I found out from the results was that the main popular subject which made up the 50% was a guide for parents to help the students within the Page 4 of 7

Amy Poole examinations process which was effective as it was an idea I came up with on my own and I hope my group take into consideration this has been a popular choice amongst students. The comments that were given by students for the reasons why they chose this was quite interesting with people saying that Parents want to know how to help students in contrast to a section based on the principal corners which would feature a interview from the principal this was the least favourite choice . This was the least favourite because students thought IT would be boring and not interesting which has allowed me to eliminate this from the potential stories for parents and students. Another interesting subject which the students thought would be interesting for their parents would be information on university open days because it would get their parents involved and remind them when they are coming up and how to get involved in the process of preparing them for university which is a big step. What I have learnt from this feedback is that some students have prioritised stories differently from each other which produces a whole range of results that I cant take at face value as everyone has different views and opinions. What this means is that I will need to discuss with my group my findings and see they are able to bring some clarity to this subject as It is important to get the right decision for the magazine as we want to try and aim magazine at both students and parents successfully by meeting their key needs. 6. Would you be interested if the magazine offers discounts if so what in particular would you like? The reasons why I asked this question was because I wanted to establish within my question whether there was a difference between employed and unemployed students whether they wanted discounts and what they would use them for because discounts are often distributed within magazines.
20% yes no 80%

What I found out from asking this question was that a large amount of students from both a working background and students prospective they would be attracted to the magazine if they had vouchers. After establishing that, I noticed some of the 20% of my audience didnt answer this question due to various reasons i.e missing the question out which didnt allow me to fully explore their results. However I was able to compile a detail analysis of the ones who said yes who agreed that it would be appealing which was made up from both genders who further went on to suggest that their ideal vouchers would be food, fashion and music .How I will use this information is that I will provide clarity among my audience needs as I will be trying to implement this within my magazine as this is what my target audience wants with the vouchers being distributed within their student magazine. I will further discuss with my group any further ideas they may have and want to include in the magazine to meet the target audiences needs. 7. Would you be interested in specialised sections detailing certain subjects i.e fashion featured on a double page spread or which would you prefer a singular page. Also would you want the colour scheme to be vibrant? The reason why I wanted to ask this because within the focus group we didnt convey the potential structure for our magazine therefore I wanted to ask within my questionnaire any potential topics and how they wanted to be displayed whether as singular page option or a double page spread Page 5 of 7

Amy Poole allowing full exposure as it will be them who I am making the magazine for. So I had to give examples for them my target audience to decide and figure out what Im asking while also trying to establish whether they wanted the colour to be i.e vibrant as well. What I found out from the feedback from my target audience was that one female wanted a vibrant colour scheme as it would look attractive and feature unusual topics in a specialised section as she wants to be fascinated and learn something new. Whereas another female took a dislike to the colour scheme and said If the colour scheme is vibrant itll look tacky and stupid Which is understandable as people have their own views and opinions which I will take into consideration when discussing with my group the colour scheme in more detail. I also was given further advice from my audience such as one male said that they would be interested with a section that would be eye catching and focusing on music as this is what they like. Whereas another male said they would prefer a singular page on a particular subject as they dont want to be overpowered with information and again thought a bright colour scheme would look nice. For what happens next I will need to weigh up my options within my group to obtain more details and then we can plan our layout for articles as we must take into consideration the feedback been given by audience and choose the best one to meet the criteria of successfully targeting them. 8. Do any of you read magazines if not what would attract you into getting a student magazine from what you have seen from our initial ideas ? The reason why I wanted to know the answer to this question was because I wanted to be able to establish whether my audience had ever read a student magazine as Im making a student magazine and feedback is important.
7% 14% yes 79% no sometimes

What I found out from this question is that a large amount of my target audience dont read student magazines which is really important as it makes my job even more harder when creating a student magazine to make students want to read my magazine through using various content and techniques to make it even more attractive. I now wanted to know the reason for this so I found out that mostly the females and males agreed that they dont interest them with the topics which are boring and they aren t always very useful.So when it comes to my magazine I have to take on board the comments given within my questionnaire and group feedback in order to highlight what is the best way to approach the audiences needs to make an effective magazine which will make the audience want to buy it whether it is the stories ,pictures or vouchers we will include within the magazine. I was even more surprised to find one person who reads them only to find out they dont regularly get the magazine as they only get them when they are interested In a particular article the magazine is producing in an issue. Therefore I will have to choose wisely and take on board comments from my audience to meet their criteria while trying to make a professional magazine. Question 9. Would you like featured information around the local area within the magazine i.e. the latest trend and news regarding whats effecting the students in the Solihull area? The reason why I wanted to ask this question was because I wanted to give my audience a choice on the content i.e the local news because in the focus Page 6 of 7
46% 54% yes no

Amy Poole group we werent clear on our intentions for our magazine and how it might meet our audiences needs. What I found out from this question was that a large amount of my audience did want the latest news around the local area however I should have got my target audience to expand more on why they wanted the information which would have allowed me more explanations to analyse. So for next time I must ask why they thought that way. What I have also learnt that some people may not want local news so I must beware when deciding how I will layout this within my magazine that I may highlight this with my next meeting with the group so we can tackle this issue and do right by our target audience to achieve the right result by trying to balance our options for the people who said yes and no. 10- Would you write or feature in the student magazine if needed to? The reason why I wanted to ask this question was to find out whether some students wouldnt mind taking part in my magazine whether it is with stories or special reviews and events. One of my weaknesses was that I should have got a list of potential names in order to contact them later when we are making the magazine and check if they still want to wanted to take part.

42% 58% yes no

What I found out from this question was that a large amount of females and males didnt want to take part due the fact they dont want the attention whereas some people did want to take part within the magazine. This was interesting because firstly I expected some people didnt want to take part due to various reasons however I was surprised from the positive feedback I received such as one female said they wanted to take part because they wanted to have their say on the subjects that matters and another male said people forget to include important matters within magazines. So I will take this feedback and use its results I will continue to discuss with my group the potential stories and organise what we should include within our magazine .i.e who we will interview and what events will be covered. Conclusion The purpose of the questionnaire feedback was to find out what my audience thought of my ideas for the student magazine . Therefore, I did ask a mixture of both quantitative and qualitative. My strengths throughout the process showed I was able to identify some of the subjects that really mattered to my target audience however I did have weaknesses with some of the questions I asked I.e quantitative questions I could have structured them more clearly and made them look presentable so my target audience could read and understand them as I did notice some of my target audience did miss a variety of both quantities and qualities questions due the fact they didnt have time as the questions where too long. So for next time when considering the feasibility of my questionnaire I should make my questions sharper and precise so my audience can fill in all the questions so I can analyse them. Finally the results I have gathered still need more discussion within my group as more questions have been raised through my target audience as several different opinions have been showcased . Therefore I have to be careful of how valid my results are as some of the answers were down to personal tastes of the person depending on their gender and the mood they were in when filling the questionnaire on that day.

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