L02 Be able to interpret client requirements and target audience considerations

Types of clients brief and how to analyse them

The client brief, containing the instructions that outline what the product is to be, can be given to the media production company in a variety of ways. Table 2.2 shows the different types of brief and how they can be created.

Table 2.2 Creation of client briefs

Once the brief has been agreed then the media producer has to read and analyse it before deciding how to proceed. Within the brief there will be different requirements that need to be met. These requirements will fall into a number of types, as shown in Figure 2.1 below.

During the process of interpreting the product brief, it is vital that you are clear about what is required by the client. Where any interpretation is required, there is always the danger that you will misunderstand what the client actually requires. To help stop this happening constant communication with the client is required. It is better to get this clearly set out at this early stage before you start producing the digital media product, when any changes that need to be made can be costly in terms of money, resources and time.

Tools to use

When analysing the client's brief there are a number of tools that we can use. Using these tools allows us to take a systematic approach and break the brief down into easily understandable sections. These tools also allow us to organise our thoughts so that nothing is missed out. Here is a list of commonly used tools and their descriptions:

◦            Mind map - A document used during the initial phase of planning, where thoughts and ideas can be linked together off a central hub.

◦            Mood board - A collection of images, materials, words, fonts and objects that are used to create a
'feel' for the project. This is used to show possible colour schemes for a project.

◦            Blue-sky thinking - A group of individuals get together with an empty piece of paper or a whiteboard. Having read the brief, any thoughts, words and colours are written down. No idea is discounted or criticised at this stage.

◦            SWOT analysis - This stands for 'Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Using these four headings you can reduce your initial ideas down to one idea that you can take forward

Requirements

·      Implicit

These will be inferred from the brief; you have to interpret what is said.

·      Open

There is some freedom for you to make decisions about how to best create a successful product.

·      Constraints

These are boundaries that the project must work within, e.g. legal, ethical, time, cost, etc.

·      Explicit

These are clearly stated and must be met when producing the product.

Target audience factors to consider

Media production companies spend a lot of time and money ensuring that they define the audience for a product correctly. They must also ensure that the product does not cause offence to any individual or group. This is a key aspect of the planning phase of a product's development; if the product is aimed at the wrong target audience, then it will not be successful. This process involves the profiling of the audience by looking at different demographic factors, which are combined to create a picture of the actual target audience for the product.

Socio-economic

This is concerned with how much an individual earns, together with their class: upper, middle or working. Generally, the higher your income the higher your social status. In modern society this means that as people gain better jobs that pay higher wages, the ability for them to move through the class structure increases. This is known as social mobility. In relation to media products, the higher the income that an individual has then the higher their disposable income. This then means that they can afford to consume a greater variety and quantity of media products.

Age

The age that an individual is and the age group that they associate with greatly affects a product's development. For example, the age of the target audience will define the complexity of a product in relation to how it is controlled in terms of a computer game, or the language used in a comic or graphic novel. Age groups can be clearly defined in specific groups, such as 12-16 years old or 17-25 years old, or in wider descriptive groupings such as teenager, middle-aged or senior citizen.

Gender

Gender-related preferences are not always clearly defined. A general assumption has always been that males and females have different interests, such as computer games and sports for males or fashion and romance for females. However, in modern society these interests are changing, with interests and preferences being shared across all genders, whether male, female or transgender. With media products, this affects what product is targeted at which gender group and also how the product is styled to appeal to different gender groups.

Ethnic groups

Migration and the internet have meant that media products are now accessible by a far wider range of ethnic groups. As people and technology have spread, the cultures, heritage, race, religion and languages that need to be considered have also grown. Failure to take such diversity into account could cause offence to one group or another.

Psychographics

This is a psychological factor that affects an individual’s perception of themselves in relation to others. It affects their opinions, attitudes, interests and lifestyles. These views are subjective, and the data is collected through the use of questionnaires, with statements and opinions that an individual is asked to agree or disagree with. Through careful analysis, a clear, lifelike picture can be built up of a target audience. Combining this with socio-economic factors can then help with the targeting of a media product at a specific user type. Groupings include Resigned, Struggler, Mainstreamer, Aspirer, Succeeder', Explorer' and 'Reformer'.

Geodemographics

This factor is based on the location of the target audience and its effect on the feelings they have for their nationality or region. This can affect the style of a media product and also the language that is used within the product.

Sexual orientation

The user's sexuality, whether they are heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual or other, can affect a media product. Not only can the preferences of different groups affect who the product is targeted at, but also the style of language and imagery contained within the product. Often, media producers try to ensure that no offence is taken by any of the contents of the product.

Mainstream versus niche

This factor relates to the purpose of the media product being created. Is the product being created to appeal to a wide range of people, often referred to as the

'mainstream'? If so, what is seen as conventional tastes, ideas and thinking need to be considered. If the product is being targeted at a small group of people, a niche market, then an analysis of the preferences of this group needs to be carried out. This can then influence how the product is styled and marketed so that it appeals to the niche market. Producing a product for a niche market often means that the quantity that will be sold will be lower than if a product was targeted at the mainstream. This results in niche products often being marketed as exclusive to increase their desirability.