Audience Research

Audience Research looks into the profile of their target audience. They look at their prefences and buying patterns which are important considerations for any media producer. Classifications are used to describe a media audience.

Researchers talk about audience demographics which means the way in which an audience can be classified according to a rnage of different things such as socio-economic and eprson factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, social claaa, occupation, level of education and sexual orientation.

Most companies which are involved in media research and production use a scale that puts people into different catagories according to their prefences such as their job and social class. The study that studys where people live is called Geodemographics which is important to media companys becasue it gives them an idea what they should advertise in that area.

The information about a persons lifestyle is called is called psychographics which is also very important to advertisers and media producers because it gives them an insight to peoples lives and their personal intrests.

The table

A- Upper middle class,  higher managerial

B-  Middle class, intermediate managerial

C1- Lower middle class, supervisory or clerical and junior managerial

C2- Skilled working class, Skilled manual workers

D- Working class, semi skilled and unskilled workers

E- The lowest level, people on benefits

This table is great help to media producers because it allows them to see what they should advertise at their audience e.g the price of things such as a media producer would expect the upper middle class to read papers like the gardian so in there then would advertise exspensive clothes and cars while the working class would be expected to read papers like the Sun so therefor producers would advertise things sutiable for their income.