Unit 2 (Certificate), 1.1 "Outline ways in which a media industry identifies audiences with its products"

Unit 2 Certificate, 1.1 - "Outline ways in which a media industry identifies audiences for its products."

Creative Media industries couldn't exist without us, the audience, consuming their products. But how do they know what kind of products to sell to certain demographics? From age, to race, to gender, to sexual orientation, we are pigeon holed into certain sections in society when it comes to what attracts buyers unfortunately, and this is the basis of most media industries. If they know the kinds of formula that works for a certain age for example, and it makes them a profit, they'll follow this formula while it is still producing revenue.


A perfect example of a way in which the media industry can identify its audience is through television. Audience measurement keeps an eye on all kinds of things when it comes to TV and who is watching what. The most interesting thing about measuring the kinds of viewers watching specific programmes is the demographic that is used (pasted as follows):

• P2+ = Persons aged 2 or more
• P12-34 = Persons aged 12 to 34
• P18-49 = Persons aged 18 to 49
• A18-34 = Adults aged 18 to 34
• Men 18-34
• Women 18-34

Another example of a way of identifying an audience for a product can come in the form of sales. Let's take the phenomenon that is Twilight, predominately, a book that has been read/is still read by pre-teen or teenage girls. Knowing this was the demographic for the saga, when the film versions of the books were released, the marketing for these adaptations were blatantly directed at this group. (See said poster below):

Sales of certain products, especially when it comes to considering adapting something for the big screen is important. On creative terms, you still want to attract that audience (because, at first, the fans are the ones who will be seeing the film), and on a commercial level, you want to attract those followers of the book/comic/whatever it is but still garner people who may not have necessarily heard of the original source material. 


Before social networking got to where it is today (something I am going to speak about in a minute), getting feedback through consumer questionaries was another way in which a media industry could identify an audience. 

These questionaries would take place usually face-to-face, but now, they can be done online as well.

Social networking is also another main aspect to how media industries identify audiences. Twitter and Facebook have become prominent in setting 'trends' and things that people 'like'. The more something is tweeted the higher it moves up the ranking on Twitter and becomes a 'trending topic'. The same method is used for 'liking' something on Facebook, too. 


All kinds of companies involved in different media industries are going to be searching these websites, seeing what is the 'hot' discussion topic, because they'll know that if something has become a trend, that is in fashion, it is a perfect thing to cash-in on because it is a free, easy way to find out what people are 'in to' at the moment.  


The thing about fashion is, it only sustains itself for a certain period of time before we end up moving onto something else. That is why companies such as those that work in advertising and so forth, will be checking these sites, seeing what kinds of people will buy into these things that they are speaking about, and figure out how to play this into a profitable product.