Media A1:
Audience:
Understanding audience is an important aspect of media studies. Every media product has a target audience.
GEARS is an acronym which stands for...
Gender
Ethnicity
Age
Region
Socio-economic
Task:
To create an audience research survey linked to radio consumption. To do this you will apply the socio-economic model (GEARS) to devise a ten question survey. Your task is to find out how different social groups listen to the radio and for how long. You will determine what proportion of the audience listen to an agreed list of radio stations which you think might be targeted to younger and older listeners. You must as part of the survey include Radio 1. Whilst two separate groups will devise the questionnaire you will combine the best questions as one group questionnaire.
We are all different, yet some how we share common interests according to our age, ethnic background, nationality, gender, etc.
Media companies therefore develop their content to suit a particular audience. The criteria by which they separate people into different interest groups is called the audience segmentation.
(Young & Rubicam’s 4Cs model) cross cultural consumer characterisation model:
Examples:
Louis Vuitton- The Aspirer
Apple- The Mainstream/The Aspirer
Kellogs- The Mainstream
Ethical Brands (Fairtrade)- The Reformer
Survey Results:
Once collecting the results for the 'Radio Consumption Patterns' survey I studied the answers, hoping to find a pattern within them.
As a group we collected 40% of the answers from people in the age range of 13-17, this being due to us being in that age range and would be the result of us asking our peers to complete the survey.
Over half of the results were completed by the female gender mainly because our class has many more girls than boys. This difference being roughly 15% between the total of males and females participating in the survey. Therefore, more information being gathered by girls and their peers (usually being other girls).
Just under 90% of the participants identified themselves as a White British, which may be based on the reason of a large majority of this class being White British, hence having White British family members who primarily would have answered the questions in the survey. Also, being located in the region of Essex where the majority of people are White British. This is also being presented in the question asking people what their region is.
A total of 80% answered that they do listen to the radio, whereas 20% claim that they do not. This being due to in today's society people using more modern apps on their phones to listen to music. Therefore not as many people listening to the radio.
Once gathering the information we found that most of the participants were either working class or middle class with a rough 5% between the two, the highest amount being working class. This is due to most of the people in this class being working or middle class, once again creating the participants being family member and friends to then answer that.
Also, the working class are primarily commuters which may be linked to the high percentage of participants that claim they listen to the radio in the car whilst they are commuting to and from work.
The highest amount of people listening to the radio expressed that they listen to Capital, Heart and Radio 1. Both Capital and Heart are considered to be much more modern radio stations which would link to the higher percentages of the younger age group being participants in this survey. Whereas the other higher amounts of people answered that they didn't listen to the radio or that they listened to another station that wasn't listed in the survey.
A large amount of the participants answered that they listen to the radio everyday or a few times a week. This relating to the high amount of working class participants usually listening to the radio in the car weekly whilst their commuting. The second largest category voted that they never listen to the radio which links to the modern apps that music is being played on in today's society.
After collecting the information from the surveys I researched two different radio stations targeted for younger and older generations to compare and analyse the patterns. Capital FM is considered a modern and new station that the younger generation listens to. Whereas Magic FM is known as a popular radio station for the older generations.
The presenters of the Capital FM radio station are Roman Kemp, Aimee Vivian, Jimmy Hill and Marvin Humes. These are all relatively young presenters, all under the age 35 years, which then attracts the younger generation and can link to the type of music played on the station. The younger generation are going to want to listen to more modern music that will be played by the people of a simialr age. Capital FM also plays the very recent and modern songs that attract the younger people to keep up to date with the recent songs being released.
However, the presenters of Magic FM are Harriet Scott, Emma B and Richard Allinson who are all over the age of 45 years, considered to be of an older generation. This may indicate why this radio station is mainly listened to people of an older age, due to the presenters being apart of the same generation. Unlike Capital, Magic FM often plays much older songs that may be considered to have been new and recent when the older generation were younger, therefore creating them to feel young again when listening.
Furthermore, both stations and their patterns link to the 'Uses and Gratification Model' theory that both music brings different generations pleasure when listening. There is a sense of excitement caused when listening to the music on Capital FM for the younger generation as they stay new and modern when listening. Therefore, the same effect is created for the older generation as they listen to Magic FM and the songs that were new and modren when they were of a younger age.