Target audience theories

Burton's theory of socially and media grouped audiences states that there are 3 ways in which an audience can be seen;
1) where they are described by a particular product for example a 'Guardian' reader
2) where they is a specific audience for a type of media product for example a computer magazine reader
3) where audiences belong to pre-existing groups

'where audiences belong to pre-existing groups' links into another theorist. Hartley described 7 different elements that then create the social position of an individual. these are;

1. Self
2. gender
3. age group
4. family
5. class
6. nation
7. ethnicity.

Another theorist 'Fiske' added;

1. education
2. religion
3. political allegiance
4. region
5.  urban versus rural background.

We can as media producers uses these 'categories' to target an audience we can fit certain individuals into group that fit into the elements described by the product; for example the product of 'mens health magazine' would fit in with only the male gender of an age between 20-60 for example and they need to have certain hobbies and interests in order to want to buy the product. institutions need to take this into account when designing their product for a specific audience.

There are two main methods that Mcquail made to measure the audience for a particular product these are the 'Emperical method' and using a 'Social group'

The Emperical method involves waiting til the product has been consumed then counting the amount of people who have consumed the product and then getting the details of the groups and sub-groups who have consumed the product. This would not be an appropriate method for my product as I want to create the product for the specific audience rather than altering it afterwards or making the market fit in with my product rather than my product fitting in with the market.

Choosing a particular social group to target your product at means taking all of the 7 elements described by Hartley into account and finding a mass or niche group that your product targets. there will be a specific age range specific or mixed gender and will be targeted at people with specific beliefs or interests.

I have now researched into what I need to take into account when deciding upon my target audience so I will now be able to gather together an idea of what the individual will be like who would buy my media product.

Audiences are not blank sheets of paper on which media messages can be written; members of an audience will have prior attitudes and beliefs which will determine how effective media messages are. (Abercrombie)