Audiences

Audiences

Mainstream Vs Niche:

• An audience that consumes a product that appeals to a wide range of groups and cultures. (An example of a mainstream media product targeting a mass audience is  Doctor Who.)

• The audience of a specialist interest media product that may only appeal to a small number of people or those who fall within a specific demographic profile, for example age, ethnicity. (An example of a niche is a media product that it targeting a small target audience is a fishing magazine.)

Chris Anderson: Long Tail Theory

• Concerns mass vs niche products and audiences.
• Popularity decreases as more products increase, develop and evolve. 

• BBC (1922), ITV (1955), Channel 4/5 (1982), Sky (1990), Free View (2002), Streaming (Netflix, Youtube, BBC Iplayer, ITV Player)

Key Terms: Demographics and Psychographics

Demographics:

• In which media producers study the breakdown of their target audiences based on variables in age, ethnicity, gender, economic status/class, level of education, hobbies and interests,and lifestyle choices. 

Psychographics:

• Profiling of audiences based on personal beliefs, values, interests and lifestyles. 

Target Audience - NRS :

• The NRS social grades are a system of demographic classification used in the UK. They were originally developed by the National Readership Survey in order to classify readers, but are now used by many other organizations for wider applications and have become a standard for market research.

• The grades are often grouped into ABC1 and C2DE and these are taken to equate to middle class and working class respectively. Only around 2% of the UK population identifies as upper class and this group is not included in the classification scheme.

BARB Data :

• BARB stands for Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
• The collate viewing figures for all the major UK broadcast such BBC, ITV Sky.
• BARB data can then be used by television companies to assess how well a television series is performing. Compared with previous series, for example rival shows like strictly and X-Factor.

Analyzing BARB Data:

On the Diagram above it shows that between the years 2012 and 2016 the number of channels watched per week changed, some dramatically some not at all. for example in 2012 children at the ages of 4-15 watched 8 channels per week, however then in 2016 that decreased to 6.5 channels per week. This is most likely due to them having access to streaming services, such as BBC Iplayer, ITV Player, Netflix and illegal streaming using websites such as putlocker. 

On the diagram above it shows that the TV screen use by type of viewing changes throughout the day, some dramatically some very little (year-on-year changes (2016 v 2015).

On the diagram above it shows the kind of devices that are driving the unmatched viewing. For example it shows that children mostly use games consoles for unmatched viewing. Whereas people the 35 and over don't use games consoles. They use TV (integrated tuner and smart TV apps) and other methods, such as smartphones, laptops or tablets. This is mostly likely due to the fact that they can afford to buy themselves smartphones, laptops and or tablets.

Audience needs:

Whats meant by the term 'audience needs'?

• Audience needs may be wants, deficits, conditions, or other gaps between skills/knowledge audiences already have and those they want. Sometimes audiences request programs.

Why do we consume certain types of media?

• We consume different types of media for different types of pleasures (Uses and Gratification). For example we watch a reality TV show, such as X-Factor for entertainment purposes and to feel enjoyment. We also consume information from media for general knowledge purposes, like watching the news so we know what is currently happening in the world. We also consume media so that we can keep up with current trends, for example in 2018 the TV programme Love Island became a high trending show that everyone watched.

Are there times you might consume certain types of media, while at other times discount them?

• There are time that you may consume a film like avatar in a cinema but then you might disregard when you re-watch it on a TV, because of how you consumed it the first time and the experience you had watching it in the cinema. 

How can you be an active or passive audience member?

• Active - An active model instead suggests that audiences interact with the text to create meaning. The active audience theory argues that media audiences do not just receive information passively but actively involved. It often happens when they are making sense of the message within their personal and social contexts. For example someone consuming the news may think about the message behind it, and what it is trying to convey.
• Passive - A passive model of consumption suggests that texts have an effect on the audience. A passive audience is an audience that merely observes an event rather then actively responding it. For example someone who reads or watches the news but don't consider the message and just believe what they read.

The Uses and Gratification Theory

The Uses and Gratifications Theory assumes audiences actively seek out media to satisfy individual needs.

The Uses and Gratifications Theory looks to answer three questions:

1.What do people do with the media?

2.What are their underlying motives for using said media?

3.What are the pros and cons of this individual media use?

Why/How do we consume Media?

• Information
• Personal Identity
• Integration and Social Interaction (personal relationships)
• Entertainment
• Education
• Escapism

Information:

• Finding out about relevant events and conditions in immediate surroundings, society and the world
• Seeking advice on practical matters or opinion and decision choices
• Satisfying curiosity and general interest
• Learning; self-education
• Gaining a sense of security through knowledge

Personal Identity:

• Finding reinforcement for personal values
• Finding models of behavior
• Identifying with valued others (in the media) 
• Gaining insight into ones self

Entertainment:

• Escapism, or being diverted, from problems
• Relaxing
• Filling time
• Emotional release
• Sexual gratification

Integration and Social Interaction:

• Gaining insight into circumstances of others; social empathy
• Identifying with others and gaining a sense of belonging
• Finding a basis for conversation and social interaction
• Having a substitute for real-life companionship
• Helping to carry out social roles