Audiences Reasearch

Using UK Tribes I research 'Indie' to see if i could find out and finalise who my magazine will be aimed at.

Young Alts

Open-minded and non-judgmental, Young Alts have their eyes and ears open to different genres and scenes – both new and old…

Young Alts are the Tribe for young people who ‘want out’ of the mainstream. It’s an entry-level Tribe, with equal split between the sexes, and members share an inquisitiveness for everything Alternative – from Grunge to Hardcore.

Experimenting with art, music and fashion unites the Young Alts, who are dipping in and out of scenes like there’s no tomorrow. Tribe members are likely to gravitate towards Leading Edge Tribes once they’ve figured out what they’re most interested in, but for the time being Young Alts are happy to get stuck into as much media as they can – from reading Penguin Classics on Kindle, streaming ‘Girls’ on Netflix (even the boys) and checking out the latest music on Spotify. Skater, Emo and Hipster trends are most commonly tried and tested by the Young Alts, it’s about keeping an open mind.

Individuality is key, and tribe members will experiment with looks that will make them stand out from the Townies and Trendies. Music-wise, Young Alts will listen to a wide range – from heritage bands like The Smiths, to Scene Kid favourites Bring Me The Horizon and even the occasional urban sounds like Joey Bada$$ and A$AP Rocky.

Scene kids

Their original MySpace hangout may be (almost) gone, but the Scene Kids are here to stay and are thriving on social media…

Inspired by glam rock and its many iterations since the 70s, the Scene Kid style used to be an extravagant twist on skater punk, all Vans and trucker hats. Nowadays Scene Kids are very easy to spot and just as diverse, androgynous and audacious as their glam icons – brightly coloured hair (especially pinks and blues), cartoon t-shirts and hoodies, stacks of multi-coloured bracelets and piercings.

Borrowing from other Tribes comes naturally to the Scene Kids. They take inspiration from the dark make-up of Emos, and even the Blinger trend of false eyelashes and heavy make up. Tribe members are open-minded about sexuality and style, with boy and girl Scene Kids often sporting the same looks and sharing skinny jeans and eyeliners.

Certainly not shrinking violets, the Scene Kids like to be noticed! They made the old MySpace self-shot pose (camera up at an angle with a serious pout) a social media standard, and nowadays they are on every social media site going. You’re not a real Scene Kid unless you keep your Facebook / Twitter / Tumblr / Instagram / Flickr / Keek / YouTube regularly updated. Showing off is obligatory for this Tribe – making YouTube videos to showcase every self-shot photo of every time your hair colour changes is key – and some Scene Kids are lucky enough to have had 500,000+ views of their ‘hair timeline’ videos.

When not busy uploading images, Scene Kids can be found hanging out at gigs – in many areas of the UK these kids dominate the local music scene. Popular Scene bands are Bring Me The Horizon, Brokencyde and All Time Low, but dubstep is also becoming popular with this Tribe – ‘raving’ with the Chavers is fast becoming a favourite pastime.

Indie Scenesters

Spending hours trawling through records, Indie Scenesters have their fingers on the pulse on the current artists du jour…

Indie Scenesters are dedicated to finding the newest music, exploring all avenues to get there – online, print, record shops, club nights and word of mouth. Staying ahead of the curve is a must, but it’s borne out of a genuine love for music – and this is what separates them from those more fickle dabblers and dilettantes, the Hipsters. For Indie Scenesters, there’s nothing better than discovering new artists and spreading the love.

Guitar music has seen its cool usurped by the rise in electronic-synth based music in recent years, and Indie Scenesters have broadened their musical tastes as a result. It’s no longer just about indie rock bands like Vampire Weekend – Indie Scenesters have embraced experimental, genre-blending artists like Four Tet. Yet, the Indie Scenester approach remains the same – it’s about championing independent artists rather than a specific genre, especially before the masses get in on the act.

Potentially having their own music blogs and club nights (or at least dreaming of it), Indie Scenesters are more concerned with building up their vinyl collections than conspicuous consumerism. The sounds of the moment are ever changing, but currently include Youth Lagoon, Beach House, Animal Collective, Kendrick Lamar and John Talabot, as well as old favourites like Caribou and Thom Yorke.

Boys and girls are rocking similar looks – skinny jeans, vintage and Converse/Vans. Their high street staples focus around the functional and unisex – Uniqlo, Cheap Mondays and American Apparel. 

I have chosen to use the 'Indie Scenesters' as my audience as my magazine will have a different and quirky edge. My magazine will have the 'vintage look' and my artist itself is modelled around those such as Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) and Miles Kane, who both have looks from the 1960-1980 and are styled around those such as Paul Weller. 

I believe that this is a wise and logical choice to make as my artist is of an 'Indie Rock' genre of music. Justification of my choice of audience are the brands chosen, such as Converse and Vans and street labels such as American Apparel, who all fit 'the look' for my magazine.