Target audience for my A2 media products.

1. T A R G E T
A U D I E N C E
P R O F I L E

2. A G E A N D G E N D E R
Before determining the primary target audience for our music video and associated ancillary products, we constructed a
questionnaire related to pop music and shared it on Facebook. It was requested that people were only to complete it if they were
fans of pop music to ensure not only that the data wasn’t affected by responses from people who don’t like the genre, but that we
would be able to gain a better understanding of the existing audience for our chosen genre.
Of the 38 people who responded to our questionnaire, 22 were aged between 16 and 24, 8 were aged between 25 and 39, and 8
were aged 40 or older. 30 of the respondents to our questionnaire were female, with 17 aged between 16 and 24, whilst only 8
were male, with 5 aged between 16 and 24.
After reviewing the statistics gathered from our questionnaire, we decided that our products will be predominantly targeted
towards a female audience aged between 16 and 24, as there appears to be a well-established audience for pop music within
these demographics. This decision was not only influenced by the feedback we received from our questionnaire, but by the fact
that within our products, it’s likely that there will be a large focus on the appearance of the artist himself in accordance with pop
conventions, which we feel will be most likely to appeal to this particular group of people.
In addition to identifying the age/gender demographics for our primary target audience, we recognised that our products are likely
to appeal to several small, secondary audiences as well due to the nature and popularity of our chosen genre. It was identified that
a male audience between the ages of 16 and 24, and a female audience aged between 25 and 34 would be likely consumers.

3. L I F E S T Y L E
Due to the age demographic identified for our primary audience, it’s likely that the vast majority will be studying in a form of higher education,
whether that be sixth form, college, university/open university, or as part of an apprenticeship scheme. When analysing the results from our
questionnaire, it was found that 10 of the respondents stated that they were currently students, and therefore our findings support this idea. As the
vast majority of our primary target audience will still be studying in higher education, their socio-economic category will be that of their family
household. It was decided that members of our target audience will most likely fall into the socio-economic categories B, C1, C2, and possibly D.
Many members of our target audience are likely to have a part-time/weekend job in the retail or hospitality industry in order to fund not only their
studies, but leisure activities, such as shopping, meals with family/friends, parties, and attending concerts, as well. Members of our target audience are
likely to have an active social life, both offline and online, regularly choosing to meet up with friends, and access social media sites such as Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube in their spare time. Again, evidence from our initial audience research provides some support for this idea,
as it was found that 22 of the 38 respondents predominantly use the internet to access social media.
In terms of clothing, members of our target audience are likely to keep up with the latest high-street fashion trends, and avoid clothing considered too
‘alternative’ or ‘outlandish’. High-street stores such as Primark, New Look, H&M, Topshop, Miss Selfridge, and River Island, and online stores such as
ASOS, Missguided, and Boohoo will most likely be the most visited.
Members of our target audience who regularly watch TV shows are likely to watch shows such as ‘Dinner Date’, ‘Naked Attraction’, ‘Come Dine With
Me’, ‘Hollyoaks’, ‘The Inbetweeners’, ‘Fresh Meat’, ‘Family Guy’, and ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S’.
When it comes to other music interests, members of our target audience will most likely listen to tracks/albums from other pop artists/bands such as
Olly Murs, James Arthur, Justin Timberlake, Adele, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Mcfly, Sam Smith, and Lady Gaga. However, members of our target audience
may listen to indie pop artists/bands such as Birdy, Lorde, Florence and the Machine, Bastille, and Lana Del Rey, and/or indie rock artists/bands such as
Hozier, Imagine Dragons, Kodaline, Arctic Monkeys, and Gabrielle Aplin as well, as these genres bear some similarity to the pop genre.

4. C R O S S C U L T U R A L
C O N S U M E R C A T E G O R I E S
T H E A S P I R E R
“These people are materialistic people that are driven by
others perceptions of them rather than by their own values.
These respond to what others see as being superficial (e.g.
image, appearance, person and fashion). While most would
look at the contents of a pack, these would focus on the
attractiveness of it. These people represent consumerism and
hedonism and may be seen by some people in a negative light
due to them wanting to please other people and caring too
much what other people think about them. These type of
people’s core in life is for status.”
T H E M A I N S T R E A M E R
“These people live in the world of ‘the everyday.’ They go
about their lives according to a daily routine which is a main
part of their life and the way they live. When looking at their
life choices they adapt a rather ‘we’ than ‘me’ attitude, so
they are united with other people. They are mainstream
within society and are the largest group of people evidently.
They respond to ‘family’ brands and look for value for money
to stick to what they know and live like the majority – money
saving. Their core need in life is for security.”

5. T R I B A L I N F O R M A T I O N
In 2005, Channel 4 commissioned Crowd DNA to run a project called TV Glue, with the aim of measuring how
TV could act as “a unifying force in the midst of media fragmentation.” One aspect of the project studied
youth culture, and offered a tribal breakdown based on the ‘social glues’, such as music, sport, fashion, and
technology, that draw young people together; this became extremely popular. Out of this small aspect of a
bigger project, the UK Tribes were created in order to honestly explore youth culture of the 21st century.
Currently, 5 primary tribal categories exist: Alternative, Mainstream, Leading Edge, Urban, and Aspirant. Each
of these overall tribal categories are further divided into 5 sub-categories. Young people can be assigned to a
category after completing a short, tribal questionnaire about their personal interests.
After conducting further research into each of the tribes and their respective sub-categories, it was decided
that our primary target audience will most likely fall into either the ‘Mainstream’ tribe, or the ‘Aspirant’ tribe;
‘Mainstream’ members of our target audience would most likely fall into the sub-categories of “Townies”,
and “Fangirls”, whilst the ‘Aspirant’ members of our target audience would most likely fall into the sub-
categories of “Trendies”, “Vloggers”, or “Hipsters”. When Jack and I completed the Tribes questionnaire
individually, we were both assigned to the “Townies” sub-category of the ‘Mainstream’ tribe. Upon receiving
these results, it was decided that it would be best to tailor our products to appeal predominantly to this
particular tribal group, although we will not ignore the others we have identified.

6. M A I N S T R E A M
“The Mainstream forms the backbone of tribal society – where most young people start out and some never leave. The key is in sticking with
what you know – chart music, prime time TV, local nights out and a bit of booze. Looking to commercial entertainment channels for
influence, Mainstream Tribes prefer to stick with what’s safe rather than rock the boat. There’s little desire to hunt down underground
fashion and music – they are more than happy with readily available ‘high street’ influences. Think Capital FM and Radio One, Miss Selfridge
and Burton, Heat magazine, FHM and Nuts. There’s a strong emphasis on conformity across all Tribes and ages. Siege mentality makes
Mainstream Tribes wary of those standing out, anything that’s too ‘out there’ is sure to elicit disparaging remarks – nobody likes a show off!
Yet, Mainstream Tribes are among the most loyal of all – both to their friends (often keeping the same group from school) and family. They’re
also fiercely proud of their local area. Townies are among the most resilient of Tribes, proud to be ‘normal’ in a world of change. They want to
stay local and live for the weekend, shun adventure and enjoy creature comforts – topped off with a big annual holiday with mates!”
A S P I R A N T
“Living for the moment, Aspirant Tribes know the look, music and lifestyle they want – and will spend big in order to get it! Attuned to what’s
happening in Leading Edge circles, it’s about keeping up with what’s cool but without all the hard work of creating it themselves. These Tribes
will be found in Student Unions across the UK, from UE to Loughborough. Social butterflies, they are spending summer holidays hitting the
festival circuit – from Bestival and Secret Garden Party in the UK to Croatia’s Outlook and Serbia’s Exit festival. Whether it’s the latest pop-up,
food truck, concept store, art gallery or nightclub, they want to be the one to have seen it first – and post it on social media. Experience seeking
drives the Aspirant segment, and introducing the newest fashion and music to their friendship group motivates Tribe members. From the
ubiquitous gap year alpaca jumper, to the MacBook Pro, Ugg boots and Hershel backpack, Aspirant Tribes are big consumers with strong brand
affiliations. Brands trying to crack the Aspirants need to work hard to prove their cool credentials. They need to be in the right place, at the
right time, with the right people – although appealing to them may be challenging, those who do are rewarded with surprising brand loyalty.”
T R I B A L I N F O R M A T I O N

7. U S E S A N D G R A T I F I C A T I O N S
Within the media industry, the ‘Uses and Gratifications’ theory focuses on the
reasons why people choose to consume particular media texts, rather than on the
content of the media texts themselves. It presents the use of media in terms of the
gratification of the social or psychological needs of the individual (Blumler and Katz
1974). Gratification may be obtained from a medium’s content, from genre familiarity
within a particular medium, from general exposure to a medium, and/or from the
social context in which a medium is used/consumed.
U&G theorists argue that the needs of an individual will influence how they use and
respond to a particular medium, and that the needs of an individual are affected by
personality, stage of maturity, background, and social role. For example, Zillmann
demonstrated the influence of mood on media choice: boredom will encourage the
selection of exciting content, and stress encourages the selection of relaxing content,
and therefore the same medium may gratify different needs for different people.

8. From a typology of common reasons for media use constructed by Denis McQuail, we have identified the following as reasons our target audience may
choose to consume our music video and associated ancillary products:
I N F O R M A T I O N
Satisfying curiosity and general interest – Members of our target audience are likely to have a pre-existing interest in pop music, and will be familiar
with the conventions of the genre. As a result, it’s probable that they would consume our products as a way to satisfy this area of interest.
P E R S O N A L I D E N T I T Y
Identifying with valued other (in the media) – Members of our target audience may identify with our artist through the lyrics of the track, or through
the persona established across all three of our products.
I N T E G R A T I O N A N D S O C I A L I N T E R A C T I O N
Identifying with others and gaining a sense of belonging – Members of our target audience may not only identify with the artist, but with other fans of
the artist as well, and as a result may become part of a new community. It may be that a ‘fan-base’ will be established, although this is unlikely to be
the case due to the age demographic of our audience.
Finding a basis for conversation and social interaction – Members of our target audience may be able to bond with others who have a similar music
taste (e.g. they may bond with someone who likes a particular artist/track that they do), as pop music is very popular in today’s society.
Enabling one to connect with family, friends, and society – Members of our target audience may form stronger connections with friends/family/other
people in society who share similar music interests.
E N T E R T A I N M E N T
Relaxing - Members of our target audience are likely to consume pop music for the purpose of relaxation/enjoyment whilst completing schoolwork,
hanging out with friends, and/or in their spare time.
U S E S A N D G R A T I F I C A T I O N S