Audiences for media products

Audiences for media products

Understanding Audiences:

  • An audience refers to a group of people who consume particular media products. They are classified based on a variety of factors like age, gender, and socio-economic status among others.
  • Demographics is the study of audiences based on quantifiable statistics like age, race, or income.
  • Psychographics is the classification of audiences based on their psychological characteristics such as attitudes, aspirations, or other psychological criteria.
  • Audience segmentation is the process of dividing a large audience into smaller groups based on shared characteristics.

Evaluating Audience Appeal:

  • Mainstream audiences are large groups with varied demographics and psychographics. Mainstream media products aim to appeal to these broad audiences.
  • Niche audiences are smaller, more specific groups, which share certain demographic or psychographic characteristics. Niche media products are designed specifically to appeal to these audiences.
  • Audience expectations influence the success of a media product. They include genre conventions, star appeal, narrative styles, and promotional strategies.

The Role of Feedback in Serving Audiences:

  • Audience feedback can be positive or negative and is used by media producers to refine their products and better serve their audiences.
  • Methods of collecting feedback include reviews, online surveys, audience tracking, social media comments, and focus groups.
  • Understanding feedback helps to address audience needs, improve future products, and increase audience satisfaction.

The Influence of Technology:

  • New technology, particularly digital technology, has significantly changed the way audiences access media products.
  • On-demand platforms and streaming services have diversified the ways in which audiences consume media products.
  • Advancements in interactive technology have also shifted the balance of power, with audiences now able to influence the content, form, and delivery of media products.
  • The Internet and social media have broadened access to media products and allowed for real-time audience feedback and engagement.

Remember, understanding audiences and their behaviours is key in producing successful media products. By carefully considering demographics, psychographics, and technology trends, you can predict what kind of media a particular audience will be most likely to consume.