Target Audience & Demographic

The target audience is a particular group at which a product such as a film or advertisement is aimed. Meanwhile a demographic is relating to structure of populations or a particular sector of the population. 'Audience' is a key concept throughout media studies, because all media texts are produced with an audience in mind. 

An idea can be formed by merely just trying to appeal to a certain demographic, and this can include the following:

• Race
• Age
• Gender
• Sexuality
• Location
• Hobby/Interest
• Religion

Twilight is a good example of media texts being written and produced for teens and young adults. It was based off of a series of books that later translated to the big screen.

This website will help in researching target audience and demographics in the UK. These statistics show weekly, monthly and yearly audience viewings. This week's top ten viewed programs on BBC One consists of The Great British Bake Off, as well as Eastenders. The most popular program from this week so far (in the UK) is The Great British Bake Off. Views are at approximately 13,290,000 million.

Based off these statistics, the best programming from August was that concerned with the sports genre, as the Olympics is having its aftermath affect, as well as other programs like Question of Sports making its mark.

In media terms the audience is any group of people who receive or consume a media text. They receive the text via media carriers such as newspapers or magazine, as well as TV, film, radio, internet etc. Audience is a part of the media equation - a product is produced and an audience receives it. TV producers need an audience for their programs, so they can finance them and make more that the audience likes. Advertisers need an audience who will see or hear their adverts and then buy their products. 

A media text is planned with a particular audience in mind. They must think of the age, gender and what their interests of their target audience is. The TV audience varies throughout day and night, and both TV and radio broadcast 24/7. How do we know who is listening or watching at any one time? This is where audience research becomes important. A media producer must know who the next potential audience is, and know as much about them as possible.

GUARDIANS - Trailer

Opens with a 6+ indicating that this movie is indeed attempting to appeal to children as well as teens and young adults. The action sequences and modern music, as well as it being a fantasy sci-fi also appeals to teens. It looks like an X-Men trailer, more or less. The title is similar to that Marvel's Guardian's f he Galaxy, with an ensemble set of superheroes, only that they are Russian. With it being dubbed due to it's Russian dialogue, it may put-off some viewers internationally.

The Great Wall - Trailer

Matt Damon stars, giving the movie instant star power and making it appeal to an international audience, as well as it being a historical-fic, action drama in China, which furthers its world-wide appeal. This will be mostly drawing in a older target audience, from adults to perhaps middle-aged people. Game of Thrones actor Pedro Pascal also appears in the movie. The slow-build up in action will also draw in an audience that prefers that sort of play on the product. Coming off of the critically acclaimed role he had in The Martian, Damon will no doubt bring in his fan base who want to see him in his next project. Demographic would be around 25-45 years of age.