AUDIENCE REASEARCH

A target audience is a particular group of people that the production is centered around. It is important that analyse the target audience in order to determine what the magazine should include to appeal to the reader.

There are various ways to categorize people to determine the target audience for the magazine. The process of analysing the audience is called audience reasearch

ABRAHAM MASLOW - 

Maslow created the 'hierarchy of needs' in 1943. It is a pyramid shaped table that categorizes human needs. Maslow used this table to help understand what motivates people.

Physiological - food, water, warmth, rest
Safety - Security, safety
Love/belonging - Intimate relationships, friends
Esteem - Prestige and feeling or accomplishment
Self-Actualization - Achieving one's full potential, including creative activities.

By determining what the majority of the target audience is categorized under, you can add information that directly appeals to their human needs. This can include specific advertisement, competitions and pictures.

LIFESTYLE - 
The lifestyle of the consumer also greatly effects the target audience. I discovered that creating a magazine that directly relates and mirrors the attitudes and lifestyle of the chosen audience, you can engage them in to the magazine and attract new readers that share similar norms and values.

PSYCHOMETRICS - 
A very important measurement used in audience research is that of Social Class. Psychometrics or British Social Grading Scales are used by magazines in order to determine the demographic classification of the readers. This market research is commonly used by magazines in order to determine what content the magazine should include to attract the largest social class. The system is graded as follows:

For example, if the majority of the audience is grade 'A', you would include specific content related to upper middle class citizens. An example is including classical music or jazz in the magazine as the media stereotypes this social class to listen to this music.

PSYCHOGRAPHICS-
Psychographics is the classification of people depending on their attitudes and values.


Sucseeders - People that are successful in what they do and because of this they are self confident
Carers - People that have a social conscience
Reformers - Seen as caring people that do not have a brand conscience.
Aspirers - People that just get on with life.
Mainstreamers - Conformists that buy branded products in order to stay safe


These characteristics can help determine a target audience. For example, you could include advertisement of large brands in the magazine in order to appeal to the mainstreamers if the majority of the audience is this.

From this research I am now able to understand what audience research tactics I can carry out to determine the target audience for my product.