Unit 1: LO4 Understand the target audiences of media products

 Mainstream radio station: Kiss Radio
Kiss radio is a radio station aimed at a younger target audience from about 15 to 35 which is a large demographic due to there being a large number of 15 to 35 year olds. This makes it a more mainstream radio station. Furthermore, it mostly plays pop music which is very popular and appeals to a large amount of people; This helps establish it as a mainstream radio station.

Niche radio station: Landrover owners international

Landrover owners international is niche radio station because its target audience is only landrover fanatics, which is a relatively small demographic. Also it targets a smaller age range since most land rover owners are older because they are expensive and owners needs disposable income. 

If a media product is said to have a mainstream or mass audience it will appeal to a wide range of ages groups and cultures. They are often distributed by larger media conglomerates.  

Due to these factors they tend to make a larger profit due to the wide audience appeal. 

Examples:

 Movies: Harry Potter and Marvel Cinematic Universe, Friday the 13th- Most famous 

 TV: X-factor, BGT,  Stranger Things- Large young target audience, easily accessible on Netflix

Video Games: Minecraft, Pokemon Go, Call of Duty- released annually, accessible on many platforms 

An example of a mainstream media product is a blockbuster film.   Appeal to a broad audience, not made for a specific group. Large budgets to make a large profit.

Niche audiences are often smaller and target a more specific audience (based on interests, skills or beliefs)

Often have a loyal following from their target audiences. 

examples

Films: Juno and Little Miss Sunshine, Die Hard

TV: Modern Family, The Good Place- Unusual topic

Video games: Heavy Rain, Titanfall 2- Unique movement system, Loyal Fanbase

NRS: National Readership Survey - PRINT INDUSTRIES 

    Social Grades. The Social Grades provided by NRS are categorized A-E based on different job roles.      Although these social grades were developed over 50 years ago, the classification provide publishing      and print industries within the UK a means of classifying audiences in a way that is understood by          the majority of future advertisers. ABC1 is grouped together as they are similar, WRITE ABC1 NOT       A,B,C1 

     Print companies would target ABC1,   Mr Reynolds - A   Teachers - B 

RAJAR: Radio Joint Audience Research

   

BARB: Broadcasters' Audience Research Board

Demographics

Subgroups within a population.

When media producers breakdown their audience based on demographics.

 Age, Ethnicity, Gender, Class Status, Hobbies, Interests, Lifestyles

BBC Radio 1 target audiences; A broad range of young listeners with a distinctive mix of contemporary music and speech, TA is 15-29 year olds and should include some for younger teenagers.

BBC Radio 4 target audiences; Older people, Woman, Higher Educated, Higher social class, Political Interests

The station continues to have a balanced audience in terms of gender 49% M/51% F. The average age of the Radio 4 listeners is 56 years and skews towards an older audience. Our target audience is 35-54 ABC1. It continues to have an upmarket bias with 75% if listeners falling into the ABC1 demographic.

BBC Radio 5: The main target audience for radio 5 is typically younger, because its main subject is sports. This will also mean that the listeners will often partake in the same sports as hobbies, the main sport that is included on the show is football which is more popular with the male demographic. This will result in the radio station having a predominately male audience.

RAJAR - Radio Joint Audience Research

Rajars job is to collect infomation about which demographics listen to the radio, they provide this information to radio producers so they can make produce shows that appeal to the correct audiences

Jointly owned by the BBC and RadioCentre for the commercial sector. They survey over 300 stations, 55 belong to the BBC.

NRS: National Readership Survey

BARB - Broadcasters' Audience Research Board

Barbs role is to provide information about different demographics that watch the TV and provide this information to TV producers to help them create products that are appealing to the correct audiences

BARB is jointly owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky so they will use the information that BARB provides.

Change for life used it to show the advert to the intended audiences.

This will benefit radio companies because they can target shows at the audiences listening location

BARB:

Which 4 different ways are programs viewed?

TV, PC, Tablet, Smartphone

Which programme was viewed the most on a smartphone, why?

I'm a celebra-tory get me out of here, because it has a younger target audience so they are more likely to use a phone, it has a late showing so more people will watch it on demand.

Which channel had "political" shows?

BBC 1 - The news, Priministerial statement 

Which channel showed "entertainment" shows?

ITV - IACGMOOH - BGT - 

Theory's

Harley believes that institutions produce "invisible fictions" of the audience that allows them to get a sense of who they must enter relations with 

Invisible fiction of the audience of The Rock's spy movie

Denis Mcquil 1987

Uses and Gratifications

4 categories of why people use and interact with media products

Escapism: Media products help people escape reality 

Surveillance: People use media products to help them find information

Personal relationships: Using media products as talking points

Personal Identity: Media products are used as a means of shaping their own "sub cultural identity"

Media Product - Assassins Creed Odyssey

McQuill theory

  

       Escapism- This game is an open world set in Ancient Greece

       This works as a good vessel for escapism as it allows the player to become immersed in the                     ancient world and forget about their own life.