[AUDIENCE/RESEARCH] Institution Research

For this product, my fictional artist is "signed" to Island Records, which was founded in 1959 and exists as a division of Universal Music Group (UMG). As a well-established institution in the music industry, the mere label of the corporation is enough to provide an artist with credibility and the assurance that they will deliver impressive music. This was the image I wanted to provide my artist with - reliable and, ultimately, talented.

Some notable names included in the label's UK roster includes those of a similar genre to my fictional artist, "Sydney Stone", such as:

• Aquilo
• Ben Howard
• Hozier
• Laura Aquilina
• Mumford & Sons
• Of Monster and Me

The aforementioned artists are all typically of an acoustic indie/alternative indie genre, which is the direction in which my artist's music and music video is geared towards.

Upon further inspection of the record label's website, it is implied that their intended demographic is young adults aged 16-24. This is, firstly, evident from the types of artists they have listed which are signed to them but also from the graphic design of the website. The layout is grid-like, making it easy to navigate, and vibrant, reflecting their youthful audience.

Moreover, there is a banner across the top of the screen which depicts a shelf of vinyl records. The notion of vinyl records correlates with the indie genre and reflects "reformer" youth in the 20th Century, which mirrors the retro aesthetic of my artist's music video in terms of the filters and styling used.

Overall, from the research I conducted, Island Records was the most suitable label to have my artist partnered with.