Research into advertising a newspaper

I have looked into the advertising of newspapers as I am going to produce an advertisement for my newspaper, in a poster format. I have searched to try and find examples of these types of advertisements but there are very few as not many newspapers advertise in this way. However I have managed to find a few examples that the Guardian newspaper have produced.
The posters the Guardian have produced are all in the same theme, so that when the audience see each one they all know that it is related to the Guardian newspaper. The posters consist of brightly coloured patterns on a blank background it also includes a blurb which is also brightly coloured to make both this and the picture striking and appealing to the audience. Also situated on the poster is the Guardian’s website, this is in the classic Guardian colours so that the audience can understand that it is an advertisement for the Guardian newspaper.
The Guardian have obviously have considered their target audience when producing these posters as they have understood that their main target are younger people and have therefore used the bright colours, the font type and the modern style. All of which would entice this audience type. Also the blurb which is used I also think will attract this target audience: “When you’re owned by no one, no one controls what you say. You’re free to say whatever needs to be said. Inconvenient for some. Great for the rest of us.” This would attract this audience as it makes them feel that they can speak their mind and get their opinions across, which could attract most audiences but I feel the younger audiences even more so.
I have also research into what makes a good advertising poster. It is important for me to take into account the following steps: Not to use too much text as it will overwhelm the audience and will also make the poster look dull. I also need to make sure that I make use of the space efficiently as blank spaces could make the poster look unfinished or bland. I also need to make sure that I am clear with the purpose of the poster, so that the audience understand what it is advertising. I also need to use appropriate colours and an effective layout to grab the attention of the audience. If I include these factors I am more likely to produce an effective poster.
Therefore when I begin to produce my poster I will make sure I try to follow the steps that I have researched to make a good advertisement and I will also take in to account the information I have found researching the Guardians advertising methods, such as making sure that I target my audience efficiently I must also think of a places I would place the poster to make sure my target audience would be able to view it, the most effective places would be around universities and shopping centres as they will be in an ideal location.

Research into radio advertising

I have found that knowing the target audience is very important because you want the advertisement to be played at a time when your targets are most likely to be listening. Therefore, because I am going to produce an advertisement on a new local newspaper I will want it to be advertised on local radio stations as I will then reach my target market.
I would also need to make sure that it would be played at a suitable time; I would most likely want my advertisements to be played during the morning as people will hear it before work and on the way to work, also around 4-6pm as people will hear it on the way back from work etc. It also could be played during work hours but many companies don’t allow radio’s to be played during work hours; therefore the other times would be the most effective.
I need to produce an appropriate script for my advertisement making sure that I insert the name of the paper a decent amount of times without being overwhelming. I also need to make sure it fits the purpose i.e. it’s not over the top or too subtle. I need to keep it simple but still get the point across in an effective and suitable way.
Also, I need to make it a suitable length; I have found that adverts are usually 15, 30 or 60 seconds in length. I would probably use a 15 second advertisement as this would be more than enough time to introduce the features of my newspaper. I have also found that it is good to use a stop watch and read it aloud in a realistic pace to see how well it fits into the time allowed.
Another piece of advice I have found is that I should write the script and then leave it for a while so that I will go back to it with “fresh eyes” and be able to edit it accordingly. This is just to make sure that I end up with the most effective script for my newspaper and therefore have the biggest potential.
Finally I should present my advertisement to some members of my target audience and get feedback to see if they think the advertisement works and also gain other feedback so that I can adjust parts of it that may need to be improved.

Report on local newspapers

Annotation of the Salford Advertiser

Annotation of the Metro newspaper