Target Audience

Audiences can be identified in many ways e.g. through demographic research by Govt. Departments – the Population Census

Media institutions e.g. Web Designers, the Advertising and Magazine Industry use this information when targeting/segmenting audiences

1. Some Media organisations still use old fashioned socio-economic categorisation to estimate ‘notional spending power’

A – Land Owners, Royal Family

B – Doctors, Lawyers

C1 – Teachers, Nurses, Supervisors

C2 – Skilled manual

D – Semi-skilled/unskilled manual

E – Unemployed/Prisoners/Pensioners/Students

Vogue Magazine would have - ABC1 target audience (middle class/upmarket)

Capital Radio would have a C2, D and E target audience (working class)

2. An alternative categorisation = Psycho-Graphic research (Young and Rubican Advertising Agency, 1974) based on personality type.

Succeeders – think of themselves as powerful/in control (e.g.Mercedes Adverts)

Aspirers – want a better life (e.g. Loan/Car/Perfume adverts, Sex and The City...)

Carers – have a social conscience (e.g.Charity Adverts)

Mainstreamers – prefer to be like other people (e.g. The Sun, Capital Radio...)

Individualists – prefer to be different (e.g. Miami Ink, Specialist Magazines)

No audiences are formed entirely on the basis of the above two ways – shifting trends/social changes/historical developments/technological progress affects audience identification.

3. Demographics is a much more sophisticated way of targeting audiences developing detailed criteria e.g.

Age	Geographical Location	Media Accessed
Gender	Lifestyle	Attitude
Sexuality	Religious Beliefs	Financial Status
National Identity	Marital Status	Body Shape
Social Class	Education
Race and Ethnicity	Family Background
Occupation	Hobbies and Interests
Income	Ability/Disability