Factors involved in defining TARGET AUDIENCES

Based on ideas from the world of Advertising and Marketing,TargetAudiencesare defined in a number of ways:

age

  • >15
  • 15-24
  • 24-35
  • 35-55
  • 55>

YOUNG & RUBICAM’S 4 consumers (lifestyle/taste/attitude)

  • Mainstreamers

Like popular TV, films and music

Nothing too offensive or challenging

Those that want security and like routine

  • Aspirers/ Social Climbers

Want to be like characters or stars

See them as role models

Way of bettering self / achieving goals

Those that have strong materialist drives and like Status symbols (expensive cars, Expensive jewellery and clothes etcetra)

  • Succeeders

Have status, believe they are successful and have all they want / need in life

  • Reformers

Like alternative, different media and things that are a little challenging

Personal growth and influencing social change are important

May aslso be concerned for welfare of others and believe in caring and sharing

PRIMARY & SECONDARY AUDIENCES

Occupation / salary:

AHigher Managerial

BIntermediate Managerial

C1Supervisors or Junior Managerial

C2Skilled Manual Workers

DSemi-skilled and unskilled manual workers

ECasual labourers, unemployed, pensioners

Some Media theories define audiences in more detail, suggesting that all of the following are important when thinking of the media we consume:

Self Image – who you think you are and how you see yourself

Gender – male or female

Age Group – as above

Family – how important family is to you, how your own experience will define you. For example people from divorced families may have different views to those who are closer to their parents and brothers sisters

Class – whether you are working class or middle (or even upper?) will also affect your taste in media products

Region - where in the country you live - London, tiny village in Wales, Manchester, Yorkshire, Bristol, Cornwall etc

Nation / culture - UK, Ghana, USA, France, Nigeria, India, China, Russia, Brazil, Congo, Jamaica,

Ethnic group - Black, Asian, White, Latin American, Middle Eastern

Religion - Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh, religious belief at all

Education - A levels, GCSE's, Degree, Higher Degree

Explain who the target audience is for:

  • E4,
  • BBC4,
  • Sky Arts 1
  • National Geographic
  • And 3 other TV CHANNELS

The audience will be represented in the programme / channel

START by defining your audience as either:

Mainstreamers Aspirers Succeeders Reformers

And then define your arget audience by using the factors we discussed earlier- age, gender, lifestyle, salary.

Also consider if in any of the idents / channels are any of the following relevant - if so why?

  • education
  • ethnic group
  • religion
  • nation
  • region

CHANNEL –

add images of idents

Circle whichever you believe your media text appeals to (could be more than one)
Mainstreamers Aspirers Succeeders Reformers
what is it within the channel / ident that tells us who the target audience is?