Task 1 - defining audiences
Defining Media Audiences
An audience is defined as a mass group of people who collectively consume a piece of media. Different forms of media will attract different audiences, videogames will attract a different audience to a radio broadcast; however there will be samples of each audience within other audiences because personal interests are not usually taken into account when defining large audience.
The most common categories that audiences are defined into are: Age, Gender, Race and Sexuality. Age however, is the most common generalization when it comes to audiences simply because age will tell what products to aim at who. Almost anything can be aimed for a young 14-18 audience by sparking their interest on social media or the Internet medium. Using gender to separate audiences is also common but poses some problems because it usually means stereotyping the gender. For example, aiming shows about cars, racing, construction or DIY towards a male audience (found in shows on the Discovery Channel) or shopping, relationships and family orientated drama towards women (shows like Sex and the City or Desperate Housewives). Of course this is not 100% accurately true because there are samples of either gender in each audience.
Sexual orientation is used for more niche products. If a channel decides to create a show following the lives of gay people, it is going to specifically aim at gay people, this being their primary audience with straight people secondary. Depending on the type of show depends on whether it’s aimed at gay men or gay women. For example HBO’s Looking and Channels 4’s Queer As Folk are aimed at gay men whereas Showtime’s The L Word is aimed at gay women. However there are a few shows like Will and Grace that are family orientated and aimed at gay people in general. It is more difficult however to define an audience through sexual orientation because it can be harder to define someone as gay rather than either man, woman, 18 or 30.
Media studios/companies will use many research techniques in order to separate and quantify an audience. This type of research must be conducted frequently as the markets are constantly changing, thanks mostly to social networking and the rise in Internet use. The change in market means that more people are exposed to the media and there is a chance to hook a wider audience. The influence of social networking however has helped gain broader audiences, for example newspapers are now available online and mostly for free meaning that they will be available to younger audiences.
There are different types of research that can be carried out when researching. ‘Quantitative Research’ is a type of research consists of analyzing data and statistics; for example, measuring audience activity. An example of this would be sending out large surveys or questionnaires to the public and then analyzing their responses.
The other type of research is ‘Qualitative Research’. This type of research draws data from audience responses and feedback. This type of research is used to discover the quality of the audience response and experiences. The BBC or any broadcasting channel will have a contact page on their website. This can be used to send feedback to about what has been broadcasted. For example, the stillborn baby storyline of Eastenders received thousands of complaints and as a result, the storyline was shortened and finished earlier before because the audiences did not like it. This is an example of how the audiences’ response to the story influenced the BBC to end it.
They types of research can greatly vary depending on the form of media itself. In the US, the Nielsen Box records and monitors the viewing habits of homes across the country. The company uses Set Meters that connect to the TV and transmit the data collected through the phone line back to the company. This gives the company a way of creating statistic models, which give an idea of the audiences for different shows. This is then converted into ratings and shares for each program which then help channels decide whether or not to continue producing their programs or not. Covert Affairs was cancelled due to a decline in ratings after 5 seasons; CSI has been cancelled after 15 years due to changes in scheduling, meaning a decline in ratings and Helix cancelled due to a 60% drop in ratings in its second season. Declining ratings are usually the biggest reason to cancel a show because it means the shows target audience is no longer watching the show or because the company has re-worked their broadcasting schedule the show does not play during a ‘prime-time’ for their intended target audience.
The UK equivalent, Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB) delivers the official TV ratings for the UK. The company recruits a number of private households across the country and installs devices on TV’s within the house and each member of the house above the age of 4 is given a special button to press whenever they enter a room with a TV on or begin watching it. The data received each day is processed at 2am by a subsidiary company Kantar Media. The data is released at 9:30am the next day to the broadcasting companies. The information received by each individual company like BBC and ITV are then broken down and sorted out so that they can see which demographic is watching what show. This helps them to then begin developing new content for certain audiences. For example, a documentary on the BBC at 9pm might gain a high viewership rating from an audience of 30-40 year olds. This would then suggest to the BBC that there is a market for documentaries at that specific time and likewise a comedy sitcom style show might gain a large viewership between the ages of 12-40 year olds at 7pm, meaning there is a market for family orientates shows around that time.
There are also some alternative systems that allow channels and producers to get an idea of the audience for their shows. Twitter allows for he channel to see who is watching the show through hash tagging and mentions and because the more tweets it receives the higher chances are that it will end up trending on the site to be seen around the world. The show Pretty Little Liars was the most tweeted show of the year for two years running until The Walking Dead came out at took the spot. This tells channels that their show is reaching its intended young audience and they are responding well to it because of the level of interest in it.
Large production companies like HBO know that their audience is adult because of the subscription needed for the channel. This means that they can create shows directed directly at adult audiences, meaning more graphic and mature content. Although there are sister channels like HBO Family, which aim to show content for younger audiences, the primary audience is for mature users as measured by a Nielsen box (HBO can be monitored through this service).
Film studios have a vast number of audiences to play to. Some companies like Twisted Pictures and Hammer are going to produce content for an 15-18+ audience because they mostly produce horror films, whereas Disney and DreamWorks will be appealing to a younger audience between 3 and 12 (based on the lowest age rating given to a film U and the highest given to a film from this company 12). Film studios tend to look at the most likely audience to offer a profit; clearly seen by the number of horror films given a PG-13 rating to attract the most popular younger audience. However
Overall defining an audience is important because it helps companies and studios gear and creates their content specifically for their intended audience. However it is also important to know that most audiences are defined by age and gender demographics and do not account for individual tastes and interests. Although they’re as companies that produce media for more niche audiences, the larger companies do not as it could damage profit or see a shift in market. There are always exceptions to the rule.
An audience is defined as a mass group of people who collectively consume a piece of media. Different forms of media will attract different audiences, videogames will attract a different audience to a radio broadcast; however there will be samples of each audience within other audiences because personal interests are not usually taken into account when defining large audience.
The most common categories that audiences are defined into are: Age, Gender, Race and Sexuality. Age however, is the most common generalization when it comes to audiences simply because age will tell what products to aim at who. Almost anything can be aimed for a young 14-18 audience by sparking their interest on social media or the Internet medium. Using gender to separate audiences is also common but poses some problems because it usually means stereotyping the gender. For example, aiming shows about cars, racing, construction or DIY towards a male audience (found in shows on the Discovery Channel) or shopping, relationships and family orientated drama towards women (shows like Sex and the City or Desperate Housewives). Of course this is not 100% accurately true because there are samples of either gender in each audience.
Sexual orientation is used for more niche products. If a channel decides to create a show following the lives of gay people, it is going to specifically aim at gay people, this being their primary audience with straight people secondary. Depending on the type of show depends on whether it’s aimed at gay men or gay women. For example HBO’s Looking and Channels 4’s Queer As Folk are aimed at gay men whereas Showtime’s The L Word is aimed at gay women. However there are a few shows like Will and Grace that are family orientated and aimed at gay people in general. It is more difficult however to define an audience through sexual orientation because it can be harder to define someone as gay rather than either man, woman, 18 or 30.
Media studios/companies will use many research techniques in order to separate and quantify an audience. This type of research must be conducted frequently as the markets are constantly changing, thanks mostly to social networking and the rise in Internet use. The change in market means that more people are exposed to the media and there is a chance to hook a wider audience. The influence of social networking however has helped gain broader audiences, for example newspapers are now available online and mostly for free meaning that they will be available to younger audiences.
There are different types of research that can be carried out when researching. ‘Quantitative Research’ is a type of research consists of analyzing data and statistics; for example, measuring audience activity. An example of this would be sending out large surveys or questionnaires to the public and then analyzing their responses.
The other type of research is ‘Qualitative Research’. This type of research draws data from audience responses and feedback. This type of research is used to discover the quality of the audience response and experiences. The BBC or any broadcasting channel will have a contact page on their website. This can be used to send feedback to about what has been broadcasted. For example, the stillborn baby storyline of Eastenders received thousands of complaints and as a result, the storyline was shortened and finished earlier before because the audiences did not like it. This is an example of how the audiences’ response to the story influenced the BBC to end it.
They types of research can greatly vary depending on the form of media itself. In the US, the Nielsen Box records and monitors the viewing habits of homes across the country. The company uses Set Meters that connect to the TV and transmit the data collected through the phone line back to the company. This gives the company a way of creating statistic models, which give an idea of the audiences for different shows. This is then converted into ratings and shares for each program which then help channels decide whether or not to continue producing their programs or not. Covert Affairs was cancelled due to a decline in ratings after 5 seasons; CSI has been cancelled after 15 years due to changes in scheduling, meaning a decline in ratings and Helix cancelled due to a 60% drop in ratings in its second season. Declining ratings are usually the biggest reason to cancel a show because it means the shows target audience is no longer watching the show or because the company has re-worked their broadcasting schedule the show does not play during a ‘prime-time’ for their intended target audience.
The UK equivalent, Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB) delivers the official TV ratings for the UK. The company recruits a number of private households across the country and installs devices on TV’s within the house and each member of the house above the age of 4 is given a special button to press whenever they enter a room with a TV on or begin watching it. The data received each day is processed at 2am by a subsidiary company Kantar Media. The data is released at 9:30am the next day to the broadcasting companies. The information received by each individual company like BBC and ITV are then broken down and sorted out so that they can see which demographic is watching what show. This helps them to then begin developing new content for certain audiences. For example, a documentary on the BBC at 9pm might gain a high viewership rating from an audience of 30-40 year olds. This would then suggest to the BBC that there is a market for documentaries at that specific time and likewise a comedy sitcom style show might gain a large viewership between the ages of 12-40 year olds at 7pm, meaning there is a market for family orientates shows around that time.
There are also some alternative systems that allow channels and producers to get an idea of the audience for their shows. Twitter allows for he channel to see who is watching the show through hash tagging and mentions and because the more tweets it receives the higher chances are that it will end up trending on the site to be seen around the world. The show Pretty Little Liars was the most tweeted show of the year for two years running until The Walking Dead came out at took the spot. This tells channels that their show is reaching its intended young audience and they are responding well to it because of the level of interest in it.
Large production companies like HBO know that their audience is adult because of the subscription needed for the channel. This means that they can create shows directed directly at adult audiences, meaning more graphic and mature content. Although there are sister channels like HBO Family, which aim to show content for younger audiences, the primary audience is for mature users as measured by a Nielsen box (HBO can be monitored through this service).
Film studios have a vast number of audiences to play to. Some companies like Twisted Pictures and Hammer are going to produce content for an 15-18+ audience because they mostly produce horror films, whereas Disney and DreamWorks will be appealing to a younger audience between 3 and 12 (based on the lowest age rating given to a film U and the highest given to a film from this company 12). Film studios tend to look at the most likely audience to offer a profit; clearly seen by the number of horror films given a PG-13 rating to attract the most popular younger audience. However
Overall defining an audience is important because it helps companies and studios gear and creates their content specifically for their intended audience. However it is also important to know that most audiences are defined by age and gender demographics and do not account for individual tastes and interests. Although they’re as companies that produce media for more niche audiences, the larger companies do not as it could damage profit or see a shift in market. There are always exceptions to the rule.
defining_media_audiences.docx | |
File Size: | 20 kb |
File Type: | docx |
task 2 - audeince specific content
How media companies create content for specific audiences
Media companies have a large responsibility when it comes to creating content for specific audiences. Different genders, ages, races, sexuality and social classes (not limited to) will all find different content appealing. For example, men who are into fitness and exercise will be attracted to Men’s Fitness whereas women in fitness will be more attracted to Women’s Fitness. Both magazines use plain white backgrounds, featuring a model for that specific issue but the men’s issue features blues and reds whereas the women’s uses pinks and yellows (stereotyping colours to gender is a common practice despite controversy). Magazines are only one form of media but one that companies must work vigorously to appeal to its target audience.
When it comes to film, it is a little easier to create audience specific content because the biggest thing film companies want to see is a profit. This means that expanding its reach to another audience is unlikely, so production companies will aim their products at overall fans of the specific genre; horror, action, comedy, thriller etc. Films like Transformers and Pacific Rim are big budget action sci-fi films specifically aimed at a mass audience of people who are more likely to watch action, sci-fi films which according to the IMDB ratings-breakdown were Males between 18-29, whereas Nymphomaniac and Only God Forgives are smaller budget art-house films with the aim of telling a story against experimental filming and directed at a niche audience. Art-house films are not overly made to make a profit but instead to experiment with film itself.
The audience also has the power to change a film before it is finally released. For example, Final Destination played to a small select group of individuals before release. After the film the audience was given a questionnaire about the film and their response caused the filmmakers to go and re-shoot the ending because the audience did not like it. This also involved removing a romantic subplot and a sex scene earlier in the film. This is a good example of the production company listening to the audience and responding to their responses.
There have been examples of when companies haven’t listened to their audience and it has affected the final product; for example the recent Fifty Shades of Grey sacrificed an NC-17 rating for a more commercial R rating, meaning that the graphic and infamous sex scenes had to be watered down and some removed entirely, causing some backlash from fans. This example shows how a company is making products for the sole purpose of raking in a profit and sacrificing content just so the largest audience possible will see it.
Media companies have a large responsibility when it comes to creating content for specific audiences. Different genders, ages, races, sexuality and social classes (not limited to) will all find different content appealing. For example, men who are into fitness and exercise will be attracted to Men’s Fitness whereas women in fitness will be more attracted to Women’s Fitness. Both magazines use plain white backgrounds, featuring a model for that specific issue but the men’s issue features blues and reds whereas the women’s uses pinks and yellows (stereotyping colours to gender is a common practice despite controversy). Magazines are only one form of media but one that companies must work vigorously to appeal to its target audience.
When it comes to film, it is a little easier to create audience specific content because the biggest thing film companies want to see is a profit. This means that expanding its reach to another audience is unlikely, so production companies will aim their products at overall fans of the specific genre; horror, action, comedy, thriller etc. Films like Transformers and Pacific Rim are big budget action sci-fi films specifically aimed at a mass audience of people who are more likely to watch action, sci-fi films which according to the IMDB ratings-breakdown were Males between 18-29, whereas Nymphomaniac and Only God Forgives are smaller budget art-house films with the aim of telling a story against experimental filming and directed at a niche audience. Art-house films are not overly made to make a profit but instead to experiment with film itself.
The audience also has the power to change a film before it is finally released. For example, Final Destination played to a small select group of individuals before release. After the film the audience was given a questionnaire about the film and their response caused the filmmakers to go and re-shoot the ending because the audience did not like it. This also involved removing a romantic subplot and a sex scene earlier in the film. This is a good example of the production company listening to the audience and responding to their responses.
There have been examples of when companies haven’t listened to their audience and it has affected the final product; for example the recent Fifty Shades of Grey sacrificed an NC-17 rating for a more commercial R rating, meaning that the graphic and infamous sex scenes had to be watered down and some removed entirely, causing some backlash from fans. This example shows how a company is making products for the sole purpose of raking in a profit and sacrificing content just so the largest audience possible will see it.
how_media_companies_create_content_for_specific_audiences.docx | |
File Size: | 17 kb |
File Type: | docx |
task 3 - audience responces
How audiences respond to products
Audiences can respond to media in a variety of ways for either good or bad. Deciding to continue watching something or reading something and deciding not to is a basic response to a product because it has either attracted you to it or turned you away from it. Critical success of a film by critics and fans can influence you towards buying a product; this is an example of how audience response can influence others.
Thanks to the Internet, it is much easier for production companies to hear from audiences directly. Years before the internet had an impact on the media industry, ratings and shares were the biggest way for companies to know how their produced faired week to week. If the ratings were high, it was being received well enough for it to be watched and if they felt it wasn't performing well enough, leading to cancellation. However there have been notable incidents in which audience responses have caused renewal for show; Family Guy was after its third season for two years. However, due to a high ratings on Cartoons Network Adult Swim and a huge sale in DVD's it was renewed for a fourth season becoming the first ever show to be revived because of DVD sales. This is an example of how an overwhelmingly good response can have an impact on company decisions.
Audience response is not only limited to the final film product. Due to the constant update from production thanks to the Internet, we are able to see what is happening throughout the entire process. The recent Suicide Squad gained a huge fan backlash after it was revealed that The Joker would be having tattoos all over his body, something not seen in the comics. Ben Affleck’s casting as the new Batman also garnered backlash, similar to Heath Ledger being cast as The Joker in The Dark Knight. The recent decision to cancel the anticipated sequel Tron 3 has gained a 10,000-signature petition (which is still climbing) aimed directly at Disney to go forward to the sequel. The decision to cast Scarlett Johansson as the Japanese lead character in Ghost in the Shell caused racist backlash and has inspired fans to address Disney and asking them no to whitewash Mulan in her upcoming live-action adaptation; a similar thing occurred when Rooney Mara was cast as the native American Tiger Lilly in the new Pan.
Since the rise of Internet usage, fans were able to exhibit their reactions digitally instead of physical action. In the 70’s and 80’s there are several notable and notorious incidents in which a film caused mass panic, backlash, protest and/or anger. The Exorcist is an early example of a film that gained a large controversy and wide audience outrage for a number of reasons. The graphic depictions of the young girl in bloody scenes, sexual situations and the graphic language she uses, religious implications, the nature of Satan possessing an innocent child and the overall horror of the film caused all sorts of reactions from the audiences including, walk-outs, passing out, throwing up, protests and even a lawsuit in which a man sued the company because he fainted and broke his jaw on the seat in front of him. Despite the great controversy, the film is a financial and critical success and was even nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards (though it did not win). The film was also banned in several cities in the UK, prompting something called ‘The Exorcist Bus Trip’ which saw people being taken to the nearest town showing it by travel companies. Other films gaining audience reactions like this include A Clockwork Orange, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Evil Dead.
The use of protests has diminished over the years since the Internet came into play. While most protests do not work in getting films removed from theatres, Silent Night Deadly Night was successfully removed from circulation after families protested its use of Santa Clause as a serial killer and that it harmed children’s perception of him. Recently though, Fifty Shades of Grey received several protests from groups saying it glamourised domestic violence however this was unsuccessful in its attempt to sway viewers or remove it from circulation as it went on to gross $569 million and is the 3rd highest grossing film of 2015.
Despite a lot of negative audience response to many films out today, there are examples of films gaining a positive response. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire inspired the protesters in Thailand to use the 3-finger-salute in the film that represents silent protest. Donald Sutherland, who plays President Snow in the franchise, has publicly stated he hopes the film will inspire a youth revolution against corrupt leaders and governments in the world. These demonstrations and the one mention previously show just how effective audiences can be, not only for financial reasons but also for cultural impact and social change.
Audiences can respond to media in a variety of ways for either good or bad. Deciding to continue watching something or reading something and deciding not to is a basic response to a product because it has either attracted you to it or turned you away from it. Critical success of a film by critics and fans can influence you towards buying a product; this is an example of how audience response can influence others.
Thanks to the Internet, it is much easier for production companies to hear from audiences directly. Years before the internet had an impact on the media industry, ratings and shares were the biggest way for companies to know how their produced faired week to week. If the ratings were high, it was being received well enough for it to be watched and if they felt it wasn't performing well enough, leading to cancellation. However there have been notable incidents in which audience responses have caused renewal for show; Family Guy was after its third season for two years. However, due to a high ratings on Cartoons Network Adult Swim and a huge sale in DVD's it was renewed for a fourth season becoming the first ever show to be revived because of DVD sales. This is an example of how an overwhelmingly good response can have an impact on company decisions.
Audience response is not only limited to the final film product. Due to the constant update from production thanks to the Internet, we are able to see what is happening throughout the entire process. The recent Suicide Squad gained a huge fan backlash after it was revealed that The Joker would be having tattoos all over his body, something not seen in the comics. Ben Affleck’s casting as the new Batman also garnered backlash, similar to Heath Ledger being cast as The Joker in The Dark Knight. The recent decision to cancel the anticipated sequel Tron 3 has gained a 10,000-signature petition (which is still climbing) aimed directly at Disney to go forward to the sequel. The decision to cast Scarlett Johansson as the Japanese lead character in Ghost in the Shell caused racist backlash and has inspired fans to address Disney and asking them no to whitewash Mulan in her upcoming live-action adaptation; a similar thing occurred when Rooney Mara was cast as the native American Tiger Lilly in the new Pan.
Since the rise of Internet usage, fans were able to exhibit their reactions digitally instead of physical action. In the 70’s and 80’s there are several notable and notorious incidents in which a film caused mass panic, backlash, protest and/or anger. The Exorcist is an early example of a film that gained a large controversy and wide audience outrage for a number of reasons. The graphic depictions of the young girl in bloody scenes, sexual situations and the graphic language she uses, religious implications, the nature of Satan possessing an innocent child and the overall horror of the film caused all sorts of reactions from the audiences including, walk-outs, passing out, throwing up, protests and even a lawsuit in which a man sued the company because he fainted and broke his jaw on the seat in front of him. Despite the great controversy, the film is a financial and critical success and was even nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards (though it did not win). The film was also banned in several cities in the UK, prompting something called ‘The Exorcist Bus Trip’ which saw people being taken to the nearest town showing it by travel companies. Other films gaining audience reactions like this include A Clockwork Orange, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Evil Dead.
The use of protests has diminished over the years since the Internet came into play. While most protests do not work in getting films removed from theatres, Silent Night Deadly Night was successfully removed from circulation after families protested its use of Santa Clause as a serial killer and that it harmed children’s perception of him. Recently though, Fifty Shades of Grey received several protests from groups saying it glamourised domestic violence however this was unsuccessful in its attempt to sway viewers or remove it from circulation as it went on to gross $569 million and is the 3rd highest grossing film of 2015.
Despite a lot of negative audience response to many films out today, there are examples of films gaining a positive response. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire inspired the protesters in Thailand to use the 3-finger-salute in the film that represents silent protest. Donald Sutherland, who plays President Snow in the franchise, has publicly stated he hopes the film will inspire a youth revolution against corrupt leaders and governments in the world. These demonstrations and the one mention previously show just how effective audiences can be, not only for financial reasons but also for cultural impact and social change.
how_audiences_respond_to_products.docx | |
File Size: | 4 kb |
File Type: | docx |