OUGD401
Practical exploration - Intial thoughts

My essay was about the role of print media in the digital age and in the essay I talk about the relevance of certain printed media today such as the indie magazine and newsletters and ways businesses still use printed media to their advantage. After analysing numerous sources It was clear businesses use print media for a target audience, marketing campaigns specifically aimed towards certain age groups or certain tastes, that people tend to pass around such as newsletters to spread the word. A digital side is incorporated within these newsletters and catalogs, the use of QR codes and hashtags, links printed and digital to give businesses more exposure.

Following on from these facts from my essay, my thoughts for the practical exploration were to produce a newsletter that is specifically aimed towards a certain group, the newsletter would inform a subject related to the needs and wants of the user, people tend to feel more connected with a brand / business through printed media so this would be a aim of the newsletter. It would also include QR codes to interlink with the digital age.

I had the idea of producing a newsletter for a specific target audience but I needed to consider who the audience would be and which business / brand. A few examples I thought of were Ikea, I considered Ikea because in my essay I look at how Ikea used a printed catalog to enhance social media followers on Instagram. Producing a newsletter for Ikea would be hard to target an audience I thought, as you don't know specific tastes. H&M was another consideration, the newsletter would inform the viewer of latest products then include a QR code so they can possibly purchase the product but I felt a newsletter for H&M would be too similar to a catalog. I then settled on the idea of producing a newsletter for Resident Advisor which is one of the world's largest independent electronic online music magazines. News, interviews, and reviews. The first reason I picked RA is because in my essay I discuss how magazines ditched printed media and decided to go digital, but for my practical piece I do the opposite and have a digital magazine go printed. 

The second point is, Resident Advisor is also a ticket seller so this is a way of targeting an audience, information on the latest events in your area will be included in the newsletter with a scan code to buy tickets. The newsletter would be sent to members of RA, to be a member you simply have to buy a ticket online anyway. With RA having a newsletter it informs the audience of events nearby, personally I think this enhances the customer and brand relationship through printed media. Other aspects of the newsletter could be news relating past events youve attended or news about your favourite act / artist as RA can judge by online.