Audiences (Long tail, Barb, Uses and gratifications)

LO: to investigate the target audiences for media products

Mainstream - the audience which consumes a product that appeals to a wide range of groups and cultures. Generally the conventional ideas/ attitudes as regarded by society.

Niche - the audience of a specific/ specialist media product which may only appeal to a small number of people or those who fall within a specific demographic profile (e.g. this could be age, ethnicity).

Narrowcasting - aiming programmes at specific and specialist audiences as apposed to broadcasting to 'mass' audiences

Chris Anderson: The Long Tail Theory

Barb data 

• Broadcasters' Audience Research Board 
• Collate viewing figures of all major UK broadcaster. Includes ITV, BBC and Sky
• Used by television companies to assess how well a series is performing in comparison with pervious series and competing shows 
• Demographics - target audience is broken down based on variables in age, ethnicity, gender, ecumenic status/ class, level of education, hobbies and interests, and lifestyle choices 
• Psychographics - profiling of audiences based on personal beliefs, values, interests and lifestyle 

NRS social grades

This report from 2017 records when and on what device online TV is viewed. The report shows a rapid increasing in minutes viewed from 6pm until 9pm. This could be due to the typical hours of a 9am to 5pm working day as individuals may only have the opportunity/ freetime to watch TV after they finish working and return home. During this time (6pm) and onwards, online viewing on a tablet and smartphone is higher than previously. This could be due to numerous factors such as TV being available to view on handheld devices during commutes. As well as this, individuals may only have access to tablets at their homes - therefore creating a spike in tablet viewing after a 9am till 5pm working day is over.
Online viewing decreases drastically between 10pm and midnight this is due to individuals sleep pattens. PC usage also decreases between this time, this could be due to PCs not being handheld.

This report from 2017 shows the average number of channels consumed by different ages and social grades per week. Children (ages 4-15) watch an average of 6 different channels per week, this is lower than any other of the listed groups. This could be due to children consuming media not just on TV, they may stream shows and movies on sites such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. The number of channels watched by those 16-24 is only slightly higher than those aged 4-15, other than these two age groups the number of channels consumed by other groups is distinctly higher. For example, adults aged 55-64 watch 11 different channels per week. This could be due to them having more free time, possibly because of retirement, or they may not be able to access online streaming sites.
Overall there has been a decrease in the number of channels consumed weekly since 2012 (bar those aged 65 onwards who consume one more channel on average). This decrease could be caused by the new popularity of streaming sites and on demand as now all programmes can generally be found in the same place.

Uses and gratifications theory

Audiences actively seek out media to satisfy their individual needs. The theory looks to answer three questions:

• What do people do with the media?
• What are their underlying motives for using said media?
• What are the pros and cons of this individual media use?

How and why do we consume media?

Information

• Finding out about relevant events and conditions in immediate surroundings, society and the world
• Seeking advice on practical matters or opinion and decision choices
• Satisfying curiosity and general interest 
• Learning and self education 
• Gaining a sense of security through knowledge 

Personal identity 

• Finding reinforcement for personal values
• Finding models of behaviour 
• Identifying with valued others (e.g. celebrities)
• Gaining insight into ones self

Entertainment 

• Escapism, being diverted from problems 
• Relaxing 
• Emotional release 
• Sexual gratification

Integration and social interaction 

• Gaining insight into circumstances of others - social empathy 
• Identifying whit other and gaining a sense of belonging 
• finding a basis for conversation and social interaction 
• Having a substitute for real life companionship 

My media consumption