Audience

Audience• Texts are constructed to appeal to certain

audiences through:– Codes and conventions– Genre– Narrative– Representation

• Texts try to position the audience – to make them respond in a particular way.

Modes of address• How do the visual and technical codes appeal

to their target audience?

Categorising Audiences

• Demographic data (objective):– Age– Gender– Income– Education– Family– Geography

• Demographic data is used to sell advertising space.

• ‘Social Grade’ classification...

ACORN consumer classification

This system categorises people by postcode:• Wealthy achievers• Urban prosperity• Comfortably off• Moderate means• Hard-pressed.

Psychographics

• This is subjective, focussing on consumers’ personalities, beliefs and aspirations.

• It may cut-across demographic groups.• The VALs model (values, attitudes and lifestyle)

categorises audiences into 8 groups.• These are measured in terms of their ideals,

achievements and ‘resources’: education, income, intelligence, health, energy & eagerness to purchase.

The Lifestyle groups hierarchy

• Innovators• Thinkers• Believers• Achievers• Strivers• Experiencers• Makers• Survivors

The advertisers McCann Erickson identified the Polo target market as “empty nesters approaching retirement”.

How do you think they define Passat buyers?

The Passat target audience was defined as “road warriors – middle-ranking business executives who spend a lot of time driving up and down Britain’s motorways.”

Early adopters• This audience segment buys new innovations

in technology when first released.

Teen groups

• The advertising agency Young and Rubicon have identified 4 attitudinal groups amongst American teenagers:– Socially driven (disposable income, brand conscious)– Diversely motivated (energetic, adventurous &

cultured)– Socio-economically introverted (like solitary

activities)– Sports-oriented (sport and home video).

How would this information help a media institution to:•Launch a new teen magazine about film?•Increase sales of video games?

Which segment would be most receptive to the above products?•Explain why they are the target market.•Identify existing products they would be likely to consume.•Identify where you would advertise your product to reach the chosen segment of the audience.

What information about the segment don’t you have that would be helpful? How might you find out the information?

Measuring Media use

• BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board) is the organisation responsible for providing the official measurement of UK television audiences.– Numbers watching– Channels and programmes watched– When watched– By whom

Ofcom

• Ofcom is the communications regulator

• To ascertain what they do log on to www.ofcom.org.uk

• Bring findings to next lesson.

Pick and mix media

• There is a lot of competition for audience attention.

• Pick’n’mix refers to the audience’s freedom in choosing what type of media to receive and when and where to consume it.

Multi-tasking

• Read Graeme Wearden’s article from ‘The Guardian’ (19.08.10) at

• www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/19/multi-tasking-media-ofcom-study/print

• Summarise they key findings with reference to audience, range of media and changes in use.

• Are you a typical member of the 16-24 audience segment described?