Who’s Your Target Audience? Media Studies 120

Creating a position statement *Remember: All media messages are “constructed” (created, built or assembled) by media makers. Media makers want to send a clear message that is evident in both words and images. Sometimes these messages are called Position Statements.

Target audience They must also identify a target audience— or the people most likely to have an interest in their message. When identifying a target audience it is important to get as many people as possible to value your message as you can.

What kind of audience are we? We all have plenty of experience as media audiences. As children you may have watched programs like Sesame Street, Big Comfy Couch or Blues Clues. As you got older you switched to watching news, sitcoms, drams or reading magazines and listening to songs you chose to download to your iPod. There are two ways of looking at ourselves as media audiences. The first is as consumers of media products, or what is described by the media industry as “target audiences.” The second is as active participants, each of us making sense of media in our own way.

Target Audiences Have you ever become hooked on a television series only to have it cancelled half way through the season? The show probably disappeared because it did not bring in its target audience. The media deliver audiences to sponsors, and those sponsors pay for advertisements to be shown within the media texts. The money earned from advertising pays for making the media texts. As target audiences, we are part of a numbers game. For example, a television series needs at least 10 million North American viewers to stay on the air. If the audience numbers drop, the show is cancelled. If the audience grows a large enough the show will be renewed for another season. As a program becomes more popular, the cost of advertising during that show increases, as do the number of people who see the ad. Advertisers are very concerned by the size of their media audiences.

Active Audiences Have you ever disagreed with a friend about the interpretation of a movie or a TV show? Are you a fan of a performer or rock band that many of your peers dislike? Each of us can get many different and unique meanings from a media text. Our age, gender, social and financial position, family and life experiences (all elements we carry in our “invisible knapsack”) shape our responses to media. Young fans who listen to rap or heavy metal music usually respond quite differently to what they hear than would their parents. Every time we see or hear a media text, our response is based on the unique elements of our personality and background. For example, many women read Harlequin Romances despite the common belief that these books are sexist and demeaning to women. Researchers have discovered that some women read the books selectively, ignoring stereotypical behavior and focusing on the moments when women take charge and assertive themselves. On a more controversial level, during the highly publicized trial of OJ Simpson in 1994-5, surveys found that the majority of blacks believed that Simpson was innocent while the majority of whites believed he was guilty. Examples such as these tell us that everyone at times is capable of “oppositional readings.”

Ideology When we receive a message from the media, we interpret it through our personal ideology. Ideology are the beliefs that shape our fears, hopes and desires, as well as our views on issues such as the roles of men and women, discipline in schools, and the importance of authority figures such as government leaders, police and teachers. We use our own set of beliefs to define happiness, success and morality. Individual groups of people have unique ideologies. For example, a church group will have a very different set of beliefs from a gang of bikers. The people who produce, own and control the media also have their own ideologies. Many of these people are upper or middle-class men. What kind of messages do we receive through the media from this “dominant group”?

Preferred and Oppositional Readings When we receive a message from the media, we interpret it through our personal ideology and values. If our interpretation of the messages agrees with the dominant view, this is called a “preferred reading.” It is important to note that “preferred” in this sense does not mean “better.” If our interpretation disagrees with the dominant view, this is called an “oppositional reading.”

Why study media audiences? Audience study helps to explain how and why important issues are seen differently by different people, according to their gender, race and class. If we understand the principles of audience response, we will more easily understand and empathize with other people’s way of thinking. We may also understand the complexity and contradictions of our own responses to media texts.

VALS & Psychographics Researchers have discovered that magazine readers spend little more than two seconds glancing over a page. On TV, a typical commercial spot is 15-30 seconds long and many viewers “flip” or “channel surf” through commercial breaks. In order to connect quickly with consumers, advertisers often create strong emotional appeals based on psychographics; an analysis of people’s attitudes, beliefs, desires and needs. They use a system called VALS (Values & Life Styles) to group their target audiences.

The World According to VALS There are five basic groups of citizens: Belongers Emulators Emulator-Achievers Societally Conscious Achievers Need Directed

Belongers A traditionalist; a cautious and conforming conservative; believes in God, country and family. They desire a secure, stable and structured society; their consumer profile reflects old-fashioned views. She/He usually drives a Dodge or Plymouth, drinks Coke, Pepsi or Budweiser; She/he eats at Mcdonald’s and loves Jell-O.

Emulators Small but impressionable group of young people in desperate search for identity and a place in the adult world. This demographic will do almost anything to fit in; confused and vulnerable they purchase products from advertisers who offer solutions to their dilemmas. Advertisers prey on their insecurity.

Emulator-Achievers These are the materialists; and they’ve already made it. They own a Mercedes,; they feel most comfortable with “uptown” brand names like Dom Perignon, Tiffany or Gucci an they have the latest in high-tech toys. Despite their relative affluence, 3/4 of them fear their ability to attain their goals. Madison Ave. cheers them up with commercials that transform everyday items in to symbols of accomplishment, success and taste.

Societally Conscious- Achievers The flower-children of the consumer culture. They care more about inner peace and environmental safety than financial success and elegant surroundings. They are experimental – they will try anything – from acupuncture to Zen– as long as it fits with their uncomplicated lifestyle. They often drive smaller foreign cars– Mazda, Honda, Volvo or Subaru. Lighter wines or herbal tea, and fruit juice are preferred.

Need-Directed The survivors; the people struggling to sustain themselves on paltry incomes. Mostly are welfare recipients or minimum wage earners; they aren’t consumers in the true sense of the word. They’re busy trying to make ends meet; they’re not concerned about the type of beer they drink or the image projected by the cigarettes they smoke. They aren’t driving new cars, buying computers or eating out.

Ad #1 Levi's Ad Who is the ad targeted to? What are the clues in each ad that reveal who the ad is trying to reach? Other than the product itself, what idea or message is the ad trying to sell? Can you identify any emotional appeals in the ad? In what ways does this ad effect our ideas, attitudes or beliefs?

Ad #2 Dairy Milk Who is the ad targeted to? What are the clues in each ad that reveal who the ad is trying to reach? Other than the product itself, what idea or message is the ad trying to sell? Can you identify any emotional appeals in the ad? In what ways does this ad effect our ideas, attitudes or beliefs?

Ad #3 Zoolander Heineken Who is the ad targeted to? What are the clues in each ad that reveal who the ad is trying to reach? Other than the product itself, what idea or message is the ad trying to sell? Can you identify any emotional appeals in the ad? In what ways does this ad effect our ideas, attitudes or beliefs?

Ad #4 Chivas Ad Who is the ad targeted to? What are the clues in each ad that reveal who the ad is trying to reach? Other than the product itself, what idea or message is the ad trying to sell? Can you identify any emotional appeals in the ad? In what ways does this ad effect our ideas, attitudes or beliefs?

Ad #5 United Way Ad Who is the ad targeted to? What are the clues in each ad that reveal who the ad is trying to reach? Other than the product itself, what idea or message is the ad trying to sell? Can you identify any emotional appeals in the ad? In what ways does this ad effect our ideas, attitudes or beliefs?