Unit 4: Media Audiences & Products

1 Know how a media industry identifies audiences for its products

2 Understand how media products are constructed for specific audiences

3 Understand how audiences can respond to media products

Unit 4: Media Audiences & Products

By the end you should have produced:

• Task 1: A 500 word report on two existing media products.

• Task 2: Create a Music Video for a specific target audience.

• Task 3: A 300 word evaluation.

AUDIENCES

What is an audience?

MEDIA AUDIENCE

…The CONSUMERS of mass media texts.

Media audiences can be a group (cinema) or

individual (reader). Consumption can take

place in public or private and can be

domestic, leisure or work related.

MEDIA TEXTSThese include all things which can be “read” within the Media such as:

FilmVideo

NewspapersMagazines

Mobile Technology/ InternetRadio

Video GamesAnimationAdvertising

PhotographyTelevision

DEMOGRAPHY

is the study of human population.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Demographics is the filtering or identifying

people by a category:

• RACE SEXUAL ORIENTATION

• CLASS JOB

• GENDER RELIGION

• AGE DISABILITY

DEMOGRAPHICS

The 5 Demographics we most commonly consider in Media are:

• Race

• Interests

• Age

• Gender

• Class/ Income

DEMOGRAPHICS

RACE/ ETHNICITY- Country/ Cultural Origin i.e. Caribbean, African, Caucasian, Asian etc…

INTERESTS- i.e. fishing, sports, films- this helps in identifying WHO buys certain products/ watches certain programmes. For example, men that likes film often like gadgets. Men that like cars quite often like football…

AGE- We usually split into RANGES i.e. UNDER 16, 16-19, 19-25, 25-30, 30-45, 45-60, OVER 60

DEMOGRAPHICS

GENDER-

TV advertisements are mainly target towards women. 70% of household products are brought by women.

Men are often split in to 2 segments:

• Degree of success achieved.

• Balance between “new” man and the more traditional “old” man.

DEMOGRAPHICS

CLASS- We divide class into 5 categories: • A: Upper Upper Class: i.e. Royalty/ PM etc• B: Upper Class: MPs, Consultants, Lawyers,

Headmasters, Bank Managers• C1: Upper Middle Class: Teachers, Secretaries,

Solicitors, Architects• C2: Lower Middle Class: Plumbers, Electricians,

Mechanics• D: Upper Lower Class: Unskilled workers i.e. Shelf

stackers, road sweepers, rubbish collectors• E: Lower Class: Unemployed, Homeless, Non-income

Target Audience

Advertisers know this…there is no point advertising a flashy new car with GPS, blue lights, original design to someone who can barely afford to live. If they need to buy a car, they will want to know how it can get them from A-B to help them make a living.

A)

B)

1. White, British, Middle Aged, Upper Class Men interested in Politics and Golf.

2. Young Male teenagers of ethnic descent living in London, interested in girls, having fun and spending time with their mates.

3. Young Middle Class males, interested in film.

4. Middle aged, Upper Middle or Upper class housewives with children, interested in family, shopping and gossip.

5. Lower class, working woman with children interested in gossip and neighbourhood friendships.

6. Lower class, working men interested in football and drinking with mates.

MATCH (magazine)

Kidulthood (Film)

The Proms (TV) –Classical Music Festival

Queen’s Speech (TV)

Evening Standard (Newspaper)- Life Style

The Sun (Newspaper)

Take A Break (magazine)

Spiderman (Film)

Sense and Sensibility (Film)-Romantic Drama

Coronation Street (TV)

Neighbours (TV)

Trinnyand Suzanna (TV)

Match of the Day (TV)

Loose Women (TV)

Now look at this list of programmes/ magazines and newspapers- which ones would you match with each audience group.

• Now try and explain why you picked the different programmes/ newspapers and magazines for the different audiences.

• Why is it important that Producers are aware of audience trends and what different people want to watch?

ANSWERSMiddle Aged, Upper Class Men interested in Politics and Golf.

The Proms Queen’s Speech Evening Standard

Young Male teenagers of ethnic descent living in London, interested in girls, having fun and spending time with their mates.

MATCH (magazine) Kidulthood (Film) 2 Fast 2 Furious (Film)

Young Middle Class males, interested in film. Empire (Magazine) City of Lost Children (Fr) (Film) Spiderman (Film)

Middle aged, Upper Middle or Upper class housewives with children, interested in family, shopping and gossip.

Loose Women (TV) Sense and Sensibility (Film)

Lower class, working woman with children interested in gossip and neighbourhood friendships.

Take A Break (magazine) Coronation Street (TV) Neighbours (TV) Trinny and Suzanna (TV)

Lower class, working men interested in football and drinking with mates.The Sun (Newspaper) Match of the Day (TV)