If you want to get inside your customers’ minds you need to do qualitative research. Qualitative research is about discovering not just what people think but why they think it. It’s getting people to share their thoughts so you can understand their motivations and feelings. This is a very useful method because it allows the media producers to be very detailed in what they want to discover from the public, questions may include such as “what is your favourite channel?” or “What is your favourite genre of documentary?” Qualitative research methods are constantly developing, as patterns and styles of human communication and interaction change. Researches may include: FOCUS GROUPS - It’s a moderator-led conversation among a group of individuals, typically one to two hours in length. A focus group discussion often includes from two to ten respondents, they can also be lead remotely in different ways such as teleconferencing, videoconferencing, or through chat etc. IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW (IDI, ONE-ON-ONE) - Interview with an individual, typically lasting from 30 minutes to an hour. It’s usually conducted at a research facility, the respondent’s home or workplace or by telephone etc. DYADS, TRIADS - In-depth interviews with two or three people, who represent associates of the same family or business team, making decisions together. PAIRED INTERVIEWS - Interviews with two people who decide to purchase a product or service together, such as husband and wife or parent and child etc.

Quantitative research is about asking individuals for their opinions in an organised way so that you can produce hard facts and figures to direct you. This is useful method that allows media producers to gain precise results for any research i.e. BARB is research facility that researches TV viewing figures. Quantitative research methods include: SURVEY RESEARCH - Survey research uses interviews, questionnaires, and sampling polls to gain precise answers. This is typically expressed as a percentage. Survey research can be led around one group exactly or used to compare several groups. CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH - Correlational research analyse for the relationships between two variables. In correlational research the survey is conducted on a minimum of two groups. CAUSAL-COMPARATIVE RESEARCH - Causal-comparative research exposes a reason and effect relationship. This study is not led between two groups on each other. It tries to recognise how diverse groups are affected by the same condition. EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH - This method is where by questions may be modelled in the other forms of research; experimental research is directed precisely by a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a statement to be proven or disproved. Once the statement is made trials are begun to find out whether the statement is true or not.

Socioeconomic status is an amount of an individual’s or family’s economic and social position in relation to other, based on education, income, and occupation. The method is used to find the correct economic class audience for their target audience. This is method is useless to a media producer hence the media producer is only trying to find a target audience to promote and persuade their product. Traditionally the socio economic status falls between three classes which are upper class, middle class and working class. Upper class is made up of people who are wealthy, well born or both. Middle class consists of people who fall between upper and working class. Working class are people with low paying jobs.

Psychographics is a study on social class, lifestyle, personality & characteristics. It is based on the theory that the types of products an individual purchases will replicate that persons characteristics and style of living. Media producers regularly use psychographics to help profile their audience because they are very detailed and also offer a larger variety of audience to choose from. Psychographic categories include: Redesigned Struggler Mainstreamer Aspirer Succeeder Explorer Reformer

Geo-demographics are the classification of people by area according to the characteristics of those areas. This method is very beneficial to media producers because they have a much larger variety of choice for finding their target audience and also helps them to appeal their show to a certain area as well.

Media producers need to have the target age and gender decided first before they can describe their target audience any further. This research depends on what the producer is trying to sell. For example if a producer was trying to find a target audience for a cartoon on superhero’s they would go for a target audience age of between 8-14 years old because superhero’s and fictional cartoons would appeal to these type of audiences.

Mainstream audiences are people, activities, or ideas that are part of the mainstream, who are considered as the most characteristic, usual, and straight-forwarded because they belong to the same group as most others.

Alternative is the foundation of an advert contrary to mainstream taking a more fundamental approach that will sooner or later become mainstream once it has become commonly adopted by the public. The main aim is to hit as many people as possible by selling more copies and to generate a larger audience.

Niche is designed to target a smaller market aiming on less popular or well- advertised themes ranging from gentlemen’s clubs to operas. This method of narrowcasting allows media producers to have a more direct audience for their messages.