1 How does the media know its audience? Information is gathered regularly by all forms of media. Media Audience

2 The music industry, for example, collects record sales data on a weekly basis so that the record charts can be formulated. Media Audience

3 The charts show audience behaviour within a given week. That behaviour equals sales. Sales equal profit. Profit is the main reason for being in business. Media Audience

4 Singers and bands that are rising in the charts will find that they are invited to perform on the top music television and radio programmes. Media Audience

5 Audience loyalty is very important too. Once a consumer has decided that they like the music of a certain band or singer, they are likely to return to buy the next album when it is released. Is there an artist or group whose albums you will usually buy/download? Media Audience

6 Audiences, however, are not easy to predict. Sometimes they opt to turn an unknown singer into a success overnight. At other times, well-known artists do not achieve the success that they anticipated in the music industry. Media Audience

 Open up the 2009 album sales figures document and save it to your own area.  Highlight the most successful albums of Why do you think these albums were so successful?  Underneath the sales figures tables, explain why you think the top selling albums of 2009 were so successful.

AlbumArtistReason The FameLady GagaThe Fame tour Essential Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael’s death and the controversy surrounding it 3 WordsCheryl ColeCheryl goes solo I Dreamed A Dream Susan Boyle Susan shocks the UK on BGT

Producers have little control over these but they do make use of them to milk the sales of the artists!

10 Audience research in all forms of media is absolutely vital. There is little point in producing a multi-million pound film, releasing it and only then finding out that there is little interest in it. Media Audience

11 Tracking audience behaviour is important. We know that by using credit and debit cards in shops, computer technology can build up a profile of our lifestyle. That’s right folks, this information about you is KEPT and USED!!! Media Audience

12 A supermarket receipt gives away many clues about the consumer and his/her family: he/she has a dog uses a certain toothpaste is vegetarian likes hot chocolate eats Stinking Bishop cheese buys boxes of chocolates occasionally and the list could go on. Media Audience

Fish fingers and cornflakes means it’s more likely to be someone buying for a family More expensive toilet paper means they have a reasonable income, but Asda is a lower cost supermarket so not high income Quorn beef means either a vegetarian in the family or careful with their health (Quorn is healthier and less fattening) 9 items so not a big shop, likely to be essentials bought on the way home from work.

 You have been handed a copy of a supermarket receipt.  Use the receipt to create a profile of the audience member:  What can you discover based on the receipt?  Does it give you any information about what sort of media products the audience member would be interested in?  Don’t just consider the products – think about the total cost, the supermarket visited and the time (if shown) as well.

Without an audience the media industry would not remain alive and the numbers that it can attract is reflected in the profit that it generates.

So it is important that a media text is able to communicate with the type of audience for whom it is created.

There are different types of audience: Mass audiences consume mainstream media, such as soaps, sit-coms or reality TV shows. These are large in number.

Niche audiences Niche audiences are smaller in number and are more specialist in their interests. These niche audiences tend to be very loyal, since their interest in topics, such as farming or gardening, can be life-long interests.

 Who is the mass audience member and who is the niche audience member?

 Open your glossaries and write in the following terms:  MASS AUDIENCE: Large in number and consume mainstream products such as soap operas, pop music and blockbuster films.  NICHE AUDENCE: Smaller in number and have more specialist interests. Tend to be very loyal because their specialist interests (e.g. Farming, gymnastics, electronics) tend to be life long hobbies.