LO4 - UNDERSTANDING THE TARGET AUDIENCES OF MEDIA PRODUCTS

Mainstream audience

An audience that consumes a product that appeals to a wide range of age groups and cultures.

Niche audience

The audience of a specialist interest media product that may only appeal to a small number of people or those that fall within a specific demographic profile (for example, ethnicity or age).

NRS social grades

A method of classifying demographics based on occupation and income, developed by the National Readership Survey (www.nrs.co.uk).

RAJAR

The acronym for Radio Joint Audience Research, which collates listening figures for over 300 radio stations across the UK (www.rajar.co.uk).

BARB

The acronym for the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board, which collates viewing figures for all the major UK broadcasters such as BBC, ITV and Sky (www.barb.co.uk).

PAMCO

The Publishers Audience Measurement Company (PAMCo Ltd), is the governing body which oversees PAMCo audience measurement for the published media industry.

Demographics

The breakdown of target audiences based on variables in age, ethnicity, gender, economic status or class, level of education, hobbies and interests, and lifestyle choices.

Imaginary entity

The concept that media producers have a specific target audience or demographic in mind before planning a media product.

Psychographics

The profiling of audience members is based on their personal beliefs, values, interests, and lifestyles. This theory was created and coined by Young and Rubicam.

Audience profile

The specific demographic variables of an average target audience member for a given media product based on age, gender, income, ethnicity, and interests, that makes them desirable to advertisers and commercial companies.

Geodemographics

A profile of audience members based on the area where they live and how much they earn.

Social Grade

Audience based on the NRS social grade system (ABC1C2DE) - Based on job / income

Demographic Data

Specific audience data based on someone's traits such as age, gender, class, ethnicity, etc.