🎯 Chapter: Targeting Media Audiences (9257 Syllabus 3.5.4.3)
Hello Media Studies students! Welcome to the crucial chapter on Targeting. This is where we learn how media companies go from knowing who their audience *is* to actually making sure that audience *buys* or *watches* their product.
Think of it like this: If Audience Segmentation (Chapter 3.5.4.2) is deciding which continent you want to sell ice cream on, Targeting is designing the specific flavour, the packaging, and choosing the exact street corner to set up your stall!
1. The Core Concept of Targeting
Targeting is the specific process media organisations use to aim their products and marketing efforts at clearly defined groups of consumers.
It ensures that the right product reaches the right people, maximising profit and minimising wasted effort.
Quick Recap: Who Are They Targeting?
Targeting relies entirely on the categories media industries use to define us. Don't worry if this seems tricky at first—just remember the three main ways they segment us (group us) before they start targeting:
- Geographic: Where you live (local, national, global).
- Demographic: Measurable statistics (Age, Gender, Class/Income, Ethnicity).
- Psychographic: Your personality, lifestyle, values, and interests (e.g., are you a thrill-seeker, a health fanatic, or a loyal fan?).
Example: A video game publisher might target Demographics (males, 18–35, high income) with Psychographic traits (loves competitive, high-strategy challenges).
2. Targeting Through Product Design: Genre and Narrative
Media products are designed from the ground up to appeal to a specific audience. They don't just hope someone finds their movie or magazine; they use established conventions (rules) to guarantee appeal.
A. The Role of Genre Conventions
Genre is one of the most powerful tools for targeting. Producers use established codes and conventions (the expected look, sound, and themes) because they assume the audience enjoys those conventions.
If you like horror, you expect jump scares, low-key lighting, and monsters. The producer targets you by including these elements in the product itself.
- Predictability = Safety for Producers: If a film is clearly a superhero genre product, the producer can rely on a built-in global fanbase (the target audience) to buy tickets.
- Example: A magazine targeting teenagers (Demographic 14-18) will use vibrant colours, short articles, and celebrity content—these are the genre conventions of teen magazines.
B. The Role of Narrative Conventions
How the story is told (the narrative) also targets audiences, often appealing directly to their psychographics (their values and desires).
- Simplicity vs. Complexity: A children's cartoon targets its audience with simple, linear narratives (easy to follow). A complex prestige TV drama targets an adult audience seeking "cerebral pleasure" with challenging, non-linear storylines.
- Values and Ideology: A movie’s narrative structure might focus on the triumph of good over evil, targeting audiences who value traditional moral codes.
Key Takeaway: Targeting isn't just marketing; it's weaving the audience's preferences directly into the fabric of the media product using genre and story structure.
3. Targeting Through Marketing Techniques
Once the product is made, media organisations use specific techniques to catch the attention of the segmented audience. These techniques are often designed to generate "buzz" or make the audience feel like they are part of an exclusive group.
A. Guerrilla and Viral Marketing
These two techniques focus on unconventional, low-cost methods designed to create maximum impact and spread quickly.
1. Guerrilla Marketing
This involves using surprising, unconventional, and often physical methods to advertise a product in public spaces. It aims to catch people off guard and generate word-of-mouth discussion.
- Characteristics: Usually low budget, high creativity, unexpected placement.
- Analogy: Putting a temporary, branded 'crime scene' outline on a street pavement to promote a new detective series.
- Targeting: Often targets specific local geographic audiences or young, urban demographics who appreciate irony and creativity.
2. Viral Marketing
This occurs when the audience voluntarily shares the marketing material (video, meme, hashtag) themselves. The term "viral" suggests it spreads rapidly like a virus from person to person (usually online).
- Characteristics: Relies on user enthusiasm and digital sharing. It must be highly engaging, funny, or emotionally resonant to succeed.
- Targeting: Digital platforms (social media) make viral targeting highly effective, reaching specific psychographic groups (e.g., fans of a particular meme format or interest group).
- Did You Know? Many media industries deliberately design their marketing to be easily shareable (e.g., making short, punchy clips specifically for TikTok).
B. Trailers, Tasters, and Teasers (The 3 T's)
These are standard promotional materials used primarily in film and television (Video) and E-media (Video Games) to build anticipation and showcase the product’s genre.
1. Teasers
- Purpose: Shortest and released earliest. They give almost no plot information, focusing instead on establishing the tone or brand identity.
- Example: A 15-second clip showing only a logo or a famous actor's silhouette, often designed only to signal that *something* big is coming.
2. Tasters
- Purpose: Often used for ongoing series or TV/podcast products. They provide a "taste" of the content, like a free sample. For TV, this might be the first five minutes of an episode or a short mini-episode released online.
- Targeting: Used to hook viewers and encourage a subscription or commitment to a new series.
3. Trailers
- Purpose: The most detailed promotional tool. It gives key elements of the narrative, shows off production values (CGI, special effects), and explicitly states the release date.
- Targeting: Trailers are often targeted by placement (e.g., placing a horror movie trailer only before another horror movie). They function to reduce ambiguity about the product, reassuring the audience it matches their expectations.
4. Understanding Producer Assumptions About the Target Audience
Targeting isn't just about selling; it’s about media organizations making calculated guesses about what their chosen audience wants.
These guesses are called assumptions.
Producers spend vast sums on market research to ensure these assumptions are correct. They assume they know:
- What they will pay for: (Assumption: Teens will not pay for monthly magazine subscriptions but will view ad-supported content online.)
- What cultural values they hold: (Assumption: An audience targeting older generations expects traditional, linear representations of gender roles.)
- What platforms they use: (Assumption: Gen Z audiences consume video content primarily on mobile devices, necessitating vertical format design.)
- What pleasures they seek: (Assumption: Fans of fantasy genre want 'aesthetic' pleasure from stunning visuals and 'visceral' pleasure from exciting battle scenes.)
If a media product fails, it usually means the producer's assumptions about the target audience were wrong—either about what the audience wanted or how they wanted to consume it.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't confuse segmentation (grouping people based on data) with targeting (the active strategies and techniques used to reach those people).
✅ Quick Review: Key Takeaways on Targeting
Targeting is the bridge between the producer and the audience. It is achieved in two main ways:
- Product Design: Using established genre and narrative conventions to create built-in appeal.
- Marketing Strategy: Employing techniques like the 3 T’s (Trailers, Tasters, Teasers) and creating buzz through viral and guerrilla marketing.
Ultimately, successful targeting depends on whether the media organization correctly understands the assumptions it makes about its audience’s needs, values, and consumption habits. Keep practising this analysis by looking at the trailers and marketing campaigns for your own Selected Media Products (SMPs)!