Key Concepts - Audience

L.O learn concepts and terminology connected with Media Audiences

Starter: Why is it appropriate to talk about media audiences rather than audience?

VERULAM MEDIA STUDIES

Learn about Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs

Learn about different audience reception models

G EA R S

MARS

U & G Hypodermic needle

Audiences can be defined by their “GEARS”

GenderEthnicityAgeRegion, Nationality

Socio-economic group

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

VERULAM MEDIA STUDIES

Watch VW The force http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0 2012 TV / cinema Ad made by the agency Deutsch

This is a perfect example of

INTERTEXTUALITY

Target audience? Use GEARS/MARS

How does it appeal to audience? Greed? Flattery? Envy?

Is there a link to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

Hypodermic Needle Model Uses & Gratifications Model

Audiences are passiveEasily led, influenced & manipulated

Gullible, sheep-like fashion-followers

Media consumption influences the attitudes and behaviour of audiences

Sometimes called ‘magic bullet’ theoryLinked to propaganda & advertising

Behaviourist models of human behaviour

PIES

Audiences are active in choosing media for their own ‘gratifications’ (pleasure)

Links to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Developed by Blumler & Katz

Main reasons for using media:

Personal Identity – to define who we are(sometimes called self-surveillance) InformationEntertainment – includes escape, distractionSocial Interaction – to help us socialise with like-minded people

AS LevelWatch 3 adverts and analyse which of Maslow’s needs is most relevant. There may be more than one

A2 Can Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs be applied to areas of media other than advertising?

Pros and cons of the Model

How does Maslow’s Hierarchy relate to the Uses and Gratifications Model of Media reception.

Case study: How would Maslow’s ideas fit into TV comedy such as ‘Outnumbered’?

The traditional segmentation model

(Young & Rubicam’s 4Cs model) cross cultural consumer characterization model

Young & Rubicam 4 Cs model Cross-Cultural Consumer Characterisation model

A more useful audience segmentation model than the traditional ABC1 categorization.

It acknowledges the global nature of media audiences

Divides audiences into 7 types of consumer

4 main categories are (MARS)MAINSTREAMERS, ASPIRERS, REFORMERS, SUCCEEDERS

The other categories to be added to this are (ERS) EXPLORER RESIGNED STRUGGLER

It takes the following as consumer motivations: SECURITY, CONTROL, STATUS, INDIVIDUALITY, FREEDOM, SURVIVAL and ESCAPE

Clear links with Maslow

Click here for more info on Maslow, 4Cs and audience segmentation

AS – use the BA’ To Fly to Serve’ TV advert and work out which of the 7 4Cs audience categories is being targeted

A2 Use 4C’s to do an audience segmentation analysis of two contrasting ads e.g. Skoda Fabia ‘Full of Lovely Stuff and the later Skoda Fabia ‘mean green’

What are the advantages of the Young and Rubicam 4C model?Outline some of the disadvantages.

Other audience segmentation models

Can you make up any of your own?

Market research companies often come up with other ways of segmenting audience/ consumers

Another Lifestyle type model for audience demographics