The documents discuss research into potential audiences for a new online platform focused on topics like reality, consciousness, and the future. The research examines demographics and interests of younger people on social media like Instagram and TikTok, as well as trends in consumption among those aged 16-24 like fashion app Asos. Specific subcultures that may be interested, such as those interested in witchcraft, Wicca and crystals, are also analyzed.

1. The grid

2. Initial ideas
Our platform is a place for young people who are interested
in time, the future and illusion. We want it to have a sort of
psychedelic theme, as our topics are quite 'mind bending' and
'trippy'. The visual elements will be based on the hippy
aesthetic, using lots of swirls, hallucinogenic artwork and
warm colours. This visual theme compliments our topics as its
often associated with big questions like expanding
consciousness and questioning reality.

3. Audience research – social media
Our platform is aimed at young people, and more specificly young people who hold an interest in quite niche topics
sorrounding reality and conciousness. As we are targeting young people, I will research some existing social media platforms
that target young people like Instagram. As of October 2021, it was found that 17.9 percent of global active Instagram users
were men between the ages of 18 and 24 years. More than half of the global Instagram population worldwide is aged 34
years or younger.
As one of the biggest social networks worldwide, Instagram is especially popular with teenagers. As of fall 2020, the photo-
sharing app ranked third in terms of preffered social network for teenagers in the US, second to Snapchat and TikTok.
Instagram was one of the most influential advertising channels among female Gen Z users when making purchasing decisions.
Teen's report feeling more confident, popular, and better about themselves when using social media, and less lonely,
depressed and anxious. Social media can have negative effects on teens, which is also much more pronounced on those with
low emotional well-being. It was found that 35 percent of teenagers with low social-emotional well-being reported to have
experienced cyber bullying when using social media, while in comparison only five percent of teenagers with high social-
emotional well-being stated the same. As such, social media can have a big impact on already fragile states of mind.
In terms of gender demographics, 68% of Instagrammers are female. Overall, 38% of female internet users are on Instagram
compared with 26% of male internet users. 59% of internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 use Instagram and 33% of
internet users between the ages of 30 and 49 use Instagram. According to one study, 17% of teenagers say that Instagram is
the most important social media platform to them and 90% of users are under 35 years old.

4. Audience research – social media
Social media is often criticised for being destructive to young people, due to it promoting unrealistic standards and for things
like cyberbullying. Due to our platform's topic we want to promote acceptance and ensure it’s a place everyone feels
comfortable.
The increase in social media use over the last decade has, of course, corresponded to the huge spike in the amount of time
that people spend online. Young people are at the heart of this trend. In the EU, the time young people spend online
has doubled in 2020 compared to ten years earlier and is between two and three and a half hours every day.
This matters because it means young people are increasingly living their lives online. It means they are connecting with
friends or family, or finding information online, but they are also subject to bullying or rumour spreading and get unrealistic
views of others’ lives. One study found that young people saw as much negative as they did positive about social media.
The constant search for recognition and attention can have detrimental effects on our lives and leave us hurt or needing
more attention. Various studies have shown that a high use of social media increases the likelihood of people
feeling anxious, depressed, or lonely.

5. Existing products – BBC three
BBC three is the BBC's platform for younger audiences, specifically 16 – 34 year olds. They recently stopped airing on TV, and
made their content only available online. This is proof that BBC three is for younger people, as they are who's online the
most.
"At BBC Three we're looking to celebrate what it is to be young and British today, and all our content must appeal to a young,
diverse, UK-wide audience. We produce content aimed at 16-34 year-old audiences, with a creative focus on ideas that can
engage 16-24s year-olds by reflecting their experiences and priorities in an authentic way. We are not specifically
commissioning ‘teen content’, rather, where appropriate, stretching the appeal and suitability of our big title down to that
group." - Fiona Campbell, (controller for BBC Three)
From analysing BBC Threes idents we can see how they try to target a younger demographic. They use quite futuristic
and informal styles and there always very chaotic. When targeting a broader audience, the BBC use simple, sophisticated
idents like for the news. We can also see how they try to appeal to younger people by incorporating certain graphics that
might appeal to them, like on the third one along where they have used images of a girl waring headphones in a dress.
The audio that accompanies these idents is also trying to appeal to a younger audience, by using electronic music and
glitch sounds. Also, the use of a quirky slogan 'its three time' is trying to attract young people.

6. Audience research – consumption
To further my knowledge of who our audience are I'm going to explore what 16 – 24-year-olds like to buy. Asos is a popular online clothes shop that also has a
section for pre-owned/ vintage clothes which I think appeals to our audience.
Among women aged 18-34, its score among this group has grown from around
25% to 35% now. Similarly, among men in the same age group, its rating has
jumped from around 8% to 20%.
Instagram is of course crucial to the success of the brand among younger
consumers. On this front YouGov brand tracking data indicates that heavy
Instagram users (i.e. people that visit the app four or more times a week) have a
higher perception of ASOS across all brand health metrics, compared to non and
low users.
ASOS’ core customer is ‘the twenty-something fashion-lover: an avid consumer and communicator who is inspired by friends,
celebrities and the media.’ ASOS (no date: online). Whether it’s setting trends or simply following them, most twenty-
somethings are engaged with fashion in some way or another. Their clothing and style expresses their identity and helps them
assert their individuality. They also lead digital lives, with instant access to information, being able to communicate constantly
with friends and are able to broadcast their daily lives and thoughts across various social networks.

7. Audience research – general social media
• 4.48 billion people currently use social media worldwide, up more than double from 2.07 billion
in 2015
• The average social media user engages with an average of 6.6 various social media platforms
• Tiktok;
• TikTok active users: TikTok has 1 billion monthly active users.
• Market penetration: There are 4.8 billion internet users, 20.83% use Bytedance’s video
sharing service.
• Number of downloads: TikTok has been downloaded 3 billion times and was the most
downloaded non-game app in the first 6 months of 2021, hitting 383 million installs from January
to June 2021 alone.
• Overtaking competition: Considering it was only released in 2016, TikTok was the 7th ranked
social media app in 2021. TikTok has surpassed Twitter, Telegram, Reddit, Pinterest, and Snapchat
in monthly active users.

8. Audience research - wicca
• The influence of pop culture has made witches and witchcraft appealing to today’s teens. Growing up on Harry Potter books and
movies has further opened doors for teens to experience both a curiosity and a familiarity with witchcraft. Increasingly, towns in
the heartland of America, once known for their strong Christian heritage, are becoming hotbeds for Wicca, a pagan religion that
emphasizes the worship of nature.
• Pop culture’s obsession with the occult has motivated families to discuss what the Bible has to say about witchcraft, as well as why
religions like Wicca are growing in popularity. Why are so many young people attracted to witchcraft and Wicca, and how should
parents respond when their teens express curiosity?
• What attracts teens?
• Christian author Steve Russo has written extensively on this topic and says that understanding why teens are drawn to witchcraft is
the first key to addressing this. “Young people are looking for power, and Wicca is a belief that promises supernatural power over
their environment. Too often they see Christians around them who are leading powerless lives,” Russo says. “Films are also
marketed and packaged very effectively.”
• Marla Alupoaicei, another Christian author on this topic, agrees. “Wicca holds special appeal for women because it emphasizes the
sacred feminine combined with a passion for caring for the earth and our environment. Women are highly valued and even
worshiped in some instances.” The Wiccan religion is attracting men and women of all ages, and Alupoaicei claims that Wicca is
the fastest growing religion in America.

9. Audience research - crystals
• Demand for crystals has surged in recent years, fueled by celebrity endorsements and a New Age resurgence in major cities and
the fashion and beauty industries. Crystals have been a “mounting trend” on Etsy over the last decade.
• Though crystals first became a hot item during the 1970s, the new target consumers for crystal purveyors are in their twenties and
thirties. Brands are “repackaging the cues of mysticism and gems, connecting them to well-being products for a hip Millennial
audience,” Lucie Greene, worldwide director of trend forecaster JWT Innovation, told the Huffington Post last year. And they’re
reaching a hip, urban, and diverse clientele along with young celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry, and Miranda Kerr. In 2016, L0s
Angeles’ Crystal Matrix shop owner, Patricia Bankins, said that her predominant demographic has become “a lot of young people”
(30 years ago, “middle-aged women and a few gay guys” were the most likely patrons to attend metaphysical classes, Bankins told
the Los Angeles Times).
• Though Millennials aren’t exactly known for being religious — just half born between 1981 and 1996 believe with certainty that
God exists, while only four in 10 say religion is very important in their lives, according to a 2015 Pew study — crystals aren’t purely
a material trend. According to some experts, younger generations are opting for spiritual practices like crystal healing because it
allows them to mix elements from multiple faiths and ancient traditions into an individualized spiritual practice.
• Healing crystals date back thousands of years, according to crystal folklore. The Ancient Egyptians are believed to have used lapis
lazuli, turquoise, quartz, and topaz to anoint the tombs of the dead and to wear as jewelry and protective amulets. Ancient Greek
soldiers used hematite as protection before battle and amethyst to fend off hangovers, some lore claims; in other practices like
Ayurveda, gems like sapphires and rubies are allegedly linkedto righteousness and vitality. The current market for crystals,
however, was born from marketing tactics born nearly 40 years ago: In the ’70s and late ’80s, the New Age movement — a
collection of holistic-based therapies and philosophies that emphasized self-healing — brought crystals into the limelight.

10. Audience profile
Background:
• Go to college/ uni
• Part time job
• City suburbs
Demographic:
• 16 – 24
• 50% male
• 50% female
• 20K annual income
Key Psychographics:
• Crystal collectors
• Care about environment
• Into herbalism/ witchcraft
• Like indie music
• Like skating
• Meditates
• Relaxed personality
• Down to earth
• Open minded
• Into art
• Have many house plants
Aspirations
• Finish uni
• Live off the grid in a hippie commune
• Work in job that helps people
• Be gardeners
• Be artists

11. Visual Planning/mood board
We are going to theme our project visually around the hippie aesthetic, using lots of trippy artwork like optical illusions and a
colour scheme of bright warm colours. We intend to use the conventional 60s hippie fonts, to reiterate our theme even more.

12. Content ideas
• Posters
• Logo
• Mediation tutorial
• Idents
• Photoshoots
• Funky map of york with shrooms

13. Logo drafts
These are a few logo experiments I did to help me build an idea for what the
final one might look like. I followed our theme of the hippy aesthetic by using
bright colours, illusion artwork and generic hippy fonts. I feel these logos will
appeal to our audience due to them using the conventional styles of our topic,
and as they fit with current trends with youth culture.

14. Final logo
This is the final logo for the grid designed by Connor, another
member of my group. We can see he was influenced by the
hippy aesthetic with his use of colours and patterns. The
pattern correlates with our theme of illusion, with its chaotic
bombardment of shapes and colour. The colours fit with what
we forecasted, he's used a wide variety yet most of them are
warm colours and there all sort of pastel. The doddle style of
the font is also quite relating with the hippie aesthetic, as it
looks sort of goofy and fun. This logo appeals to all areas of
our audience, fitting with the conventional themes, but also is
quite unique and distinctive.

15. Rationale
We are going to focus our project on the hippie/ psychedelic scene. The visual style
will fit the conventions of this, with lots of illusion artwork and funky fonts. The
content will be things relating to expanding consciousness, like meditation and
healing crystals. The reason for making our project about this is our group has an
interest in it, I enjoy meditation so I will be making a meditation tutorial as a piece
of content, and the other members of the group like crystals etc. so they will make
content around that. We also feel that our content ideas fit the topics we were
given in the brief – time, illusion and the future. These topics are quite thought
provoking and relate to the big questions people often have about our world. We
also feel that with the demographic given in the brief (16 – 24 year olds from York)
that our content will appeal to a lot of them. There's a current boom in these sort
of topics with young people, and especially in York as I feel the youth culture here is
very fitting. Other cities may have a more diverse culture, with youth being into say
rap music but York is a bit less urban, and people like things like skating or hippie
culture more here.