Who would be the audience for your media product?

Who would be the audience for your media product?

After examining what techniques media researchers use to work out their prime audience, we are going to use the same techniques to find out what audiences our thriller should be aimed at.

We are trying to tap into the mass-audience as a broader demographic. Our thriller will appeal to more people. However we do not want to water down our ideal to fit a blockbuster pattern purely for the sake of it, so this will limit our demographics to a certain degree

Approximately, our Audience demographics are from C1 down (with a slight overlap into B) as we're hoping to appeal to everyday situations (along with the codes and conventions). The high-concept ideals may appeal on a more academic level.

Psychographics- there are 3 categories that we're aiming at:

Mainstreamers - This is the largest group, if we're successful then others will conform to see our thriller.

Strugglers. SEEKS ESCAPE - alienated and disorganised. Few resources beyond physical skills. Brand choice involves impact and sensation. Buys alcohol, junk food lottery tickets. D and E demographic.

Explorers - SEEKS DISCOVERY. Energy, individualism and experience. Values a difference and adventure. Brand choice highlights satisfaction, and instant effect. The first to try new brands. Younger demographic - students.
Although within marketing and demographics there are other issues that will need to be considered.

As media consumers we use or are entertained by media products on a literal daily basis. However, each of these media products has been marketed to appeal to us (even if on a generic basis). There are several means by which consumers are grouped as different types of audience.
A slightly more detailed way is through 'Audience Demographics', which are based on financial income:

'Group A - lawyers, doctors, scientists, managers of large-scale organisations - well paid professionals.

Group B - teachers, senior managers, some middle management - fairly well paid professionals.

Group C1 - 'white collar' junior management, bank clerks, nurses.

Group C2 - skilled 'blue collar' workers such as electricians, plumbers carpenters.

Group D - Semi and unskilled manual such as drivers, post sorters.

Group E - students, the unemployed, pensioners.

'However this does rather base upon very broad stereotypes, a more accurate but more time costly method is 'Audience Profiling'. Audiences can be defined by the following factors;

'-Age

-Gender

-Demographic (in this instance meaning where they live, regionally)

-Profiling (An example of this is the 'Tesco club Card' where all purchases accompanied with this card are registered to data system where vouchers are then sent to your address with vouchers to encourage you to purchase products tailored for you)

-Values, attitudes and lifestyles (this is more niche sections of the media product)'

This then leads onto demographic profiling which works on the same simple process calculating approximately through a consumer’s age, class, gender, geographical area, class, economic status and religion.

The most interesting of all these methods however must be 'psychographic profiling', where marketing executives do not merely define their consumers by age or region, but see what makes consumers want their product and, play on it to maximise its potential. It works out an average personality trait for different types of people. These are as following:

'Mainstreamers - SEEK SECURITY. The products they consume are domestic, conformist, conventional, sentimental-favour value for money family brands. Nearly always the largest group.

Aspirers - SEEK STATUS. Materialistic, acquisitive, orientated to image and appearance, persona and fashion. Attractive packaging more important than contents. Typically younger people, clerical and sales jobs.

Succeeders - SEEK CONTROL. Strong goals, confidence, work ethic and organisation. Supports stability. Brand choice based on self-reward, and quality. Typically higher management and professionals.

Resigned - SEEKS SURVIVAL. Rigid and authoritarian values. Interested in the past and tradition. Brand choice stresses safety, familiarity and economy. Typically older people.

Performers. SEEKS ENLIGHTENMENT - Freedom of restrictions and personal growth. Social awareness and independent judgement. Anti-materialistic, but aware of good taste. Has attended higher education and selects products for quality.'

Having examined how consumers are depicted and used within marketing, our group will need to replicate this as it will help make our thriller more appealing to our potential audiences.

(with quotes embedded from http://www.4cs.yr.com/ and http://www.nrs.co.uk/)


Written by Tim Mcniven, Edited by Peter McLaughlin. Further editing and formatting by Joseph Lawrence.