Target audience factors to consider

Target audience factors to consider

1. Socio-economic

   • This is concerned with how much an individual earns, together with their class: upper, middle or working.
   • Generally, the higher your income the higher your social status.
   • In modern society this means that as people gain better jobs that pay higher wages, the ability for them to move through the class structure increases. This is known as social mobility.
   • In relation to media products, the higher the income that an individual has then the higher their disposable income. This then means that they can afford to consume a greater variety and quantity of media products.
   • An example would be longines would be aimed at someone with upper class, not for the working class because of how expensive the watch is

2. Age

   • The age that an individual is and the age group that they associate with greatly affects a product's development.
   • For example, the age of the target audience will define the complexity of a product, in relation to how it is controlled in terms of a computer game, or the language used in a comic or graphic novel.
   • Age groups can be clearly defined in specific groups, such as 12-16 years old or 17-25 years old, or in wider descriptive groupings such as teenagers, middle-aged or senior citizen

3. Gender

   • Gender related preferences are not always clearly defined. A general assumption has always been that males and females have different interests, such as computer games and sports for males and fashion and romance for females
   • However, in modern society these interests are changing, with interests and preferences being shared across all genders, whether male, female or transgender.
   • With media products, this affects what product is targeted at which gender group and also how the product is styled to appeal to different gender groups.

4. Ethnic groups

   • Migration and the internet have meant that media products are now accessible by a far wider range of ethnic groups.
   • As people and technology have spread, the cultures, heritage, race, religion and language that need to be considered have also grown
   • Failure to take such diversity into account could cause offence to one group or another.

5. Psychographics

   • This is a psychological factor that affects an individual's perception of themselves in relation to others.
   • It affects their opinions, attitudes, interest and lifestyles. these views are subjective and the data is collected through the use of questionnaires, with statements and opinions that and individual is asked to agree or disagree with.
   • Through careful anaylsis, a clear, 'lifelike' picture can be built up of a target audience.
   • Combining this with socio-economic factors can then help with targeting of a media product at a specific user 'type'.
   • Groupings include: resigned; struggler, mainstreamer, aspirer, succeeder, explorer, and reformer

6. Geodemographics

   • This factor is based on the location of the target audience and its effect on the feelings they have for their nationality or region
   • This can affect the style of a media product and also the language that is used within the product

7. Sexual orientation

   • The users sexuality, whether they are heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual or other, can affect a media product
   • Not only can the preferences of different groups affect who the product is targeted ar, but also the style or language and imagery contained within the product
   • Often, media producers try to ensure that no offence is taken by any of the contents of the product
   • The target advert with two men holding hands so close to each other is saying that they sell to anyone including homosexuals

8. Mainstream versus niche

   • This factor relates to the purpose of the media product being created.
   • Is the product being created to appeal to a wide range of people, often referred to as the 'mainstream'
   • If so, what is seen as conventional tastes ideas and thinking need to be considered. If the product is being targeted at a small group of people, a 'niche' market, then an analysis of the preferences of this group needs to be carried out.
   • This can then influence how the product is styles and marketed so that it appeals to the niche market often means that the quantity that will be sold will be lower than if a product was targeted at the mainstream.
   • This results in niche products often being marketed as 'exclusive' to increase their desirability.