2. Defining an Audience
Quantitative Audience Research:
Quantitative Research is all about the mathematical side to research it results around figures and statics.
Quantitative Research involves more of numerical and Computational techniques. It allows research to be
expressed in numbers and is able to estimate future events and quantities.
Quantitative Data can show in statics how many people may watch a TV show, read a magazine or have
bought a certain type of music album. The data can be represented in fractions, percentages and decimals.
A pie chart is a popular way in which Quantitative data can be presented. It is also presented in
Tables, Reports and Graphs.
Quantitative Data is very useful for sales for example when a Magazine is released the publishers will use
Quantitative data to find out how many copies of that magazine were sold that week/month also a Box
Office sales will use Quantitative Data to find out what films were the most popular that week/month. They
will gather up all the figures from the number watches that each film had over that week and then put them
in a Pie chart or Table which then compares which film was the most popular and had the most watches.
Quantitative data has some strengths and weaknesses to it. Its not a research technique that is suitable for
all types of audience research. Quantitative data doesn’t really go into detail about an audience it mostly
focuses on a professional numerical side with figures and statists. From this type of research the audience
likes and dislikes are not found and you could not target an audience purely using this method of research.
For instance if you was setting up a magazine and you wanted to know what kind of magazines teenagers
and into reading than you could look at the figures side with this method showing how many Celebs
magazines are bought by under 18’s etc but you wouldn’t be able to find the interests of the teenagers and
what they are finding in trend at that point which the Qualitative research becomes more useful..
Creative Media Production 2012
2
3. In the UK there are two major companies that provide us with Quantitative Research.
NRS (national readership survey) Amongst other things, the NRS provides estimated readership and
circulation figures for the print media industry. The also create socio-economic breakdowns of audiences.
This is a NRS Table for Adults 15+ Magazines and their Websites…
AS Media Studies 2012
3
4. Defining an Audience
Qualitative Audience Research
Qualitative research helps you understand your audience for your product, this will tell you
things like; what they like, what they dislike, how much they earn and live, etc.
There are three ways to collect qualitative research, these are:
oFocus Groups
-Group of people placed with the product, asked questions about it gives honest opinions,
beliefs, attitudes and perceptions back to be developed on.
oQuestionnaires
-Written questionnaires can be done on the street or when submitting on a
competition. Depending on who you get to do your questionnaire may cause the
answers to be biased.
oInterviews (Face-to-Face)
-Open questions given to the public, can expand on views asked with open
questions.
Time consuming, costly.
It is useful finding out research using qualitative research so the product can be improved on
the views and opinions given to gain the correct audience and improve sales. Quantitative
data will just provide you with figures and numbers but qualitative will give you the
information to improve those figures. Using this research to create your magazine will give
you greater information on your audience and who is interested on the topics inside the
magazine and what will make it sell.
Creative Media Production 2012
4
5. Profiling an Audience
Socio-economic:
Socio-economic status is the measure of a individuals or Household/family’s economic or
social position in relation to other peoples economic or social position. It looks at the financial
state of family’s. The factors that its includes the most are Income, education and occupation.
These factors can show the social and economic position of households as a household
who’s children attend a private school most likely have a high income going into that
household and in a higher social position.
Social- economic status can tell you a lot about the audience from the interests that they are
into to how much money that audience are earning and the types of jobs that they are doing.
It shows the class of that audience and is good for advertising. SES is usually broken down
into three categories the NRS brake it down into six categories.
The SES has some advantages as you can understand the audience in a lot of detail and it
can tell you a lot about the audience only using one factor. It shows the audience in a lot of
depth in which you can work with this to create something that is completely appropriate for
the people your targeting. This disadvantages to this would be that. PB magazine can use
this to create the magazine that can be aimed at people in a more higher/lower class position
so they are able to choose and include content that people in a certain class will be most
drawn to.
Creative Media Production 2012
5
6. Profiling an Audience
Psychographics:
Psychographics focuses on interests, attitudes, activities, and the personality of a person. It
was developed in the 1960’s by Grey Advertising in which 7 categories were created to
describe each person. And by knowing what your audience likes the easier it is to keep them
happy with what you know they’ll enjoy.
Resigned
Rigid, strict, authoritarian and chauvinist values, oriented to the
past
Struggler
Struggler, disorganised, heavy consumer of alcohol, junk food,
lotteries and trainers.
Mainstreamer
Domestic, conformist, conventional, sentimental. Part of the mass
favor, favouring big and well-known value for money ‘family’ brands.
Largest group.
Aspirer
Materialistic, acquisitive. Cares about image, appearance, charisma
and fashion.
Succeeded
Strong goal orientation, confident, work ethic, organised.
Explorer
Energy, experience, challenged, new and adventure.
Reformer
Freedom from restriction, personal growth, social awareness, values
for time, independent judgment. Curious and enquiring.
Creative Media Production 2012
6
7. Profiling an Audience
Psychographics:
Labeling people from their traits suggests their position in society. For example being labeled
as an Explorer; having energy and up for trying something new, they will most likely be
students and all these people in the same categories are most likely to have the same
interests. So for the Explorer category they will have things aimed at them like music, fun
events and entertainment.
It is useful because it gives companies an idea on what type of person to target their product
for and the 7 category model gives the producers a model to work along about the people
they are aiming for.
The direct mail you get uses psychographic as they can guess what kind of person wants to
know about a certain product and event. More entertainment will be sent to someone who is
more energetic like an Explorer and a fashion/clothes leaflet for an Aspirer.
Creative Media Production 2012
7
8. Profiling an Audience
Geodemographics:
Geodemographics/ postcode is a method where they use geographic research from the national census.
This method has the idea of people living in the same neighbourhood have the same kind of lifestyle and
interests and spending tendencies. The Geodemographics allow advertisers to target people in areas
where the people are more likely to buy the product or magazine. It gets advertisers in particular to target
the right kind of people.
What it tells you about the audience is where they live and what kind of person they are. It tells you what to
target at the audience for example people in the country side will need different products and needs than
people in a city. Using Geodemographics advertisers can target there products to areas where the
audience will most need that product for example a Farmers magazine would be advertised in a more rural
environment.
For a magazine this method of research allows them to put there magazine in shops where the people in
that area are mostly likely to be interested. Or advertise their magazine where people are most likely to buy
it. As you could advertise a magazine about high fashion in an area where people in that area have the
kind of money to buy that kind of fashion so looking at the Geodemographics factors you would look at how
big the house they live in and if the area is a more expensive area to live.
This method would work well for specific magazine interests e.g. Tractors, Hunting, Boats etc…
This method of research for a magazine publisher isn’t as useful compared to other research like
Qualitative research. This is because it shouldn’t matter on where the person lives or is from to what they
Want to read or what to buy. Its useless for magazines for a research because it mostly helps people who
are advertising. It doesn’t really tell the magazine about their audience and it doesn’t go really into depth
about the audience they want
Creative Media Production 2012
8
9. Profiling an Audience
Age:
People with similar ages generally have similar likes and dislikes. Although it may not apply to
everyone it does for the majority.
For example 20 year olds are more likely to be living at home or renting while 40 year olds will have
a settled job and lifestyle with mostly a mortgage. They are most probably going to have teens
living at home. Therefore advertisements can be placed through doors and in the areas that these
ages will most likely be living, going back to geodemographics.
With this knowledge of ages and their similar likes towards products, they can be targeted at
certain ages. It could also suggest how much money they have. Pensioners not having much to
pay for and their children will have grown up and paying for themselves therefore they may be
willing to pay more than someone younger and paying for university.
Although targeting for a product for a certain age may illuminate another age range.
PB Media can use the knowledge and research of age to target similar ages and their likes. For
example if you were to do a music magazine you would not put classical music in with a genre
aimed for 18 year olds. The music would be popular dance music and popular music in the charts
so they can be up to date.
The way products are access has changed and the different ages have different ways they’d prefer
to get their print media. For example younger people are more likely to subscribe online and get
their magazines on the internet while older people will still want to buy the physical copy.
Creative Media Production 2012
9
10. Profiling an Audience
Gender:
Gender is two very main categories when thinking about what the target audience is. How
you present one product to how you present the other product is very different. So getting the
gender your targeting is very important. It is a very effective but way also its very simple there
is only two categories and it is very straight forward into which what category a product will
fall into.
Knowing the gender your product will be aimed at makes the product more appealing to the
audience. For example if you was to create a fashion magazine and aim the fashion
magazine at girls you would include girls fashion in the magazine and include female
fashions icons. The colour scheme would be using feminine colours and the articles would be
girl related. The advantages of using the gender makes the magazine very clear on who the
target audience is which appeals to the audience more which results in more people buying
the magazine and more money being created
PB magazine can use gender to know the audience to decide on what type of elements they
can include in their magazine and what will be advertised if you chose a mostly male gender
gender audience they can make the magazine masculine to appeal to that gender and have
advertisements like football and beer that appeal more to men than women.
Creative Media Production 2012
10
11. Profiling an Audience
Mainstream:
Mainstream is attracting a large audience mainly the majority people. Even if people are not
interested they are still aware of the product. For example block busters and chart music are
mainstream.The hit Gangnam Style was a worldwide mainstream hit. This was a mainstream
hit as the majority people had seen it around the world, all ages, genders and social
backgrounds.
A large audience is needed for a successful mainstream product. Mainstream is the ‘in thing’
to be involved in. It is the music everyone is listening and talking about and gets around a lot
by word of mouth after something interesting has happened. To produce a mainstream
product it is extremely hard and you need to research into others cultures and ways for a
regional or even worldwide mainstream product.
Mainstream is great for the company if they can get into it but it means a lot of advertising
and marketing where the majority of people will find them. It needs to interest most people
and get them talking which is what Gangnam Style did with a dance and music video.
Creative Media Production 2012
11
12. Profiling an Audience
Niche:
A niche audience is a really specific audience. They are a small audience to one product or piece of
media. The advantages to a niche audience that by using a specific audience which is a lot smaller
than a mainstream audience as a company you can capture a larger share of it. Whereas in a
mainstream audience you may capture 1% of that audience compared to capturing 80%. In the
long run a niche audience has potential to make you more money.
It can tell you a very specific interest of that audience and using this interest/topic a magazine can
be created that only has content involving this topic. For example a niche audience would be for
people who are interested in indie/rock music knowing this is the topic that the small audience
share, a magazine can have the content of different indie/rock bands that are upcoming and
popular and include interviews and articles about this. The band Alt-J is a indie-rock band who have
a niche audience of people that are into that kind of music. If a magazine wanted to make an
indie/rock magazine they would include a band like Alt-J in one of their articles.
A niche audience would be good for the PB magazine because it would allow the magazine to
focus on one topic and really get to know the audience really well. It is good because you don’t
have a wide audience to understand and get to know. There is limited people so there is more
understand to that audience which results in more people being happy with the magazine and more
money being made as its appealing to a lot more people in the long run. More money can be made
from a niche audience comparing to a mainstream audience where there is a lot more people to
understand and its so varied to what your content could be.
Creative Media Production 2012
12
