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Introduction to an Audience
1. a) Define the terms target audience, niche audience and mass audiences
b) Give an example of films that were made for each of those audiences
b) Give an example of films that were made for each of those audiences
z Target Audience: a specific group of customers most likely to respond positively to your promotions, products, and services (in this case you film/media product). It is fairly broad and targets a large bracket of customers who may be interested. For example, your target market may be based off demographic groups such as age, gender, incomes, geographical location etc. Defining your target audience is about establishing relevancy. If what you offer and the media you present match what your audience is looking for, you’ll be more likely to gain a customer. A movie produced for a target audience would be Despicable Me.
This movie was generated for the genre of children which is a broad specification of the demography of age.
Niche Audience: A niche audience is a subgroup of a company’s main targeted audience. This specific audience is a selective group of people who have specific wants, needs and interests. Niche audiences are so valuable because they are often more engaging, and attract a response in users due to the fact that the product are tailored specifically to them. The media is increasingly zeroing in on precisely defined racial and gender groups. In doing so they cut advertising costs to such a wide audience, and are more able to successfully lure their specified audience in ways that are appealing to that category of people. For example the movie, The Duff is targeted specifically at teenage girls. This specialisation of both age and gender allows the produces to analyse exactly what their market preferences are. The trailer of the movie may have been projected before YouTube clips, considering that a lot of teenagers watch YouTube. If other audiences such and older women and men viewed this movie also, then the movie studio would have counted this as an extra, and would have been majorly relying on the movies success within teenage girls.
Mass Audience: A wide audience that is comprised of many subgroups, such as differentiated niche audiences, that are all subject to watching and engaging with one product of the media. The size of audiences for the same content in any mass medium has been dramatically reduced with the widespread diffusion of technological developments such as the web and satellite broadcasting. Achieving a mass audience has become increasingly hard due to the diversity of choice and specialised media content. Movies that have achieved such mass viewings are called mainstream or blockbusters. One may include the movie Aquaman (2019) receiving worldwide returns of $1,146,894,640, with a production budget of only $160,000,000. Its genre was action/adventure and its rating was PG-13. This is a movie that attracted a wide audience including families, teenagers as well as adults of both males and females.
2. Name and define the generations for audience study (Gen Y, Millennials etc)
3. Think about the culture and world each generation is growing up in and analyse how you think technological developments may impact on their viewing habits and how they consume media (provide examples).
Baby Boomers (1946-1964)
Consumerism and size of market:
The generation that often gets overlooked is that first one—baby boomers! This generation was aroused by the boom in births following World War II. After the war finished, families wanted to restore order and a sense of stable normality and the solution for this was found in raising families. This resulted in the arrise of the Baby Boomer generation. (Qu2)
When it comes to the 50+ demographic, only 10% of marketing budgets are used to reach this generation. With a population of 111 million, the 50+ demographic is the number 1 consumer-age demographic in the world. This sizable group will increase by 16 million over the next decade, more than triple the pace of younger demographics. In fact, not only are Boomer numbers growing exponentially, but they are living longer, better and more youthful than any of their predecessors. Retirement homes, for example, are providing more and more activities catered for the ever thriving, social network of the older generations. In America, 63 percent of all financial assets are owned by Baby Boomers, making them a serious economic force to be reckoned with. The 50+ generations accounts for half of all consumer expenditures, so overlooking the 50+ demographic is a major marketing mistake.
Trends In Media Consumption and Key Characteristics:
Baby Boomers are known for sticking to their roots, but are surprisingly open to new formats. of media networks. Baby boomers were raised in an era where resourcefulness was a necessary trait. Many of their parents lived through the Great Depression. Adapting to any new available resources and scrapping together very limited resources became normalised. This is why this generation who started off their lives with limited technology, has become quickly adapted to current changes in society and technology. As such, this generation can squeeze every ounce of usefulness out of the online activities, exercises, and tech tools.
Unlike more recent generations, baby boomers know how to keep their minds focused on a particular subject or topic. They have amazing attention spans, which enables them to stay on track when they are engaging with media sources. This also means that they may take a bit more time with an online context such as news websites, recipes instructions etc., as they painstakingly pay attention to every detail.
Another of the Baby Boomers' strongest characteristics, is their strong sense of community. They thrive in social, team orientated environments. This is partly why they are adapting faster and faster to technological networks that provide social interaction such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.
According to a study by Google, boomers and seniors spend more time online than they do watching TV. 82% of boomers who use the Internet have at least one social media account. As of 2017, about 75% of baby boomers actively use Facebook. Further more, out of its two billion monthly active users, 10% are boomers, while only 3% are from the younger demographic.
Despite Baby Boomers' quick adaptation, they have been proven to be very selective in the use of new and emerging technologies. This generation is very interested in assisting technology such as personal assistants and connected intelligence that are aware of their needs and improves their daily lives. They are unsurprisingly more cautious in adopt new technologies, particularly those which have a profound impact upon traditional approaches to interaction. Google statistics present that only 15% of Baby Boomers perceive new technologies as a beneficial advancement.
In advertising to Baby Boomers, in order to get their attention, it is best to cater to them visually through videos. Boomers are more likely to act on what they see online and are more likely to respond to product and service advertisements. According to the Google study, three of every four online video watchers have taken action after watching a video. They are therefore one of the most responsive to advertising, and leaving out Baby Boomers in promotional efforts would be far from wise.
Marketing to Boomers(Qu4):
In order to successfully capture senior audiences, the best way to do so would be through visually simplistic videos. This is because Boomers often struggle with information overload when it comes to watching things online. Facebook is the biggest online network being used by Boomers so if I were to advertise my filming to Baby Boomers, I would pay to advertise film trailers into Facebook YouTube is also the number one site that Baby Boomers stream videos off. Furthermore, YouTube videos are integrated into a diverse array of other network platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Therefore I would create trailers for the beginning of videos, such as documentaries, or news articles, that an older generation tend to have a liking to. Due to Boomers' long attention spans, I wouldn't be afraid make my trailer a little more drawn out and simplistic, than if I were advertising my film to younger generations such as Gen X'ers. Ontop of these strategies, I would market my film adds in the early morning to the late morning (5-12 am). This is the time (unlike other generations) where Baby Boomers are most active online. It is also likely to be the time hen advertising is cheapest, as the majority of demand will be advertising in the evening when Millenials and Gen X'ers are most active.
Gen X
Characterisation and Trends:
Researchers and modern media critics typically use birth years ranging from the early-to-mid 1960s to the early 1980s to define Gen X ers (now ages 35 to 55-years-old). There are around 50 million Gen X'ers, while both the Baby Boomers and the Millennials each have around 75 million members. Although Gen x'ers comprises a small part in society, they are crucial in economy with a whopping 31% of total income dollars. Gen Xers are on the brink of taking over companies and politics from the Boomers, meaning they hold an enormous amount of influence both at home and in the workplace. Gen X has more spending power than any other generation. For this generation, the work-life balance is especially important, as they find time more valuable than money.
Despite this, they are known as the 'samwitch generation', as they bridge between Boomers and Millennial and are therefore so often forgotten about by marketers. However because they bridge these generations, Gen Xers have more influence than marketers even realise, due to the fact that they are financially supporting both ageing parents as well as young adults.
Generation Xers were children during a time of shifting societal values and as children were sometimes called the "latchkey generation". They had reduced adult supervision as children (compared to previous generations), due to increasing divorce rates and maternal participation in the workforce. Child neglection was also because they grew up prior to widespread availability of childcare options outside the home. This may have resulted in rebellion of any Internet restrictions when the Internet surfaced in 1983, when Gen Xers were teenagers, which may be why so many of Gen X consider themselves as tech savvy/ tech natives, and because they turned towards technology to fill the gap of family interaction (broken families were very normal in they time).
More than any other generation, Gen X likes to research while shopping online.They are characterised by there insatiable curiosity's. They read more reviews and visit more opinion sites than any other generation. Due to their keen curiosity, Gen X'ers are the best educated with 29% obtaining a bachelors' degree.
Generation X values sincerity, authenticity, and independence. They approve of companies that acknowledge that every consumer is different and they do not respond well to a generic marketing approach. In fact, Gen Xers want retailers to provide a personalised brand experience. This is why when consuming media content, they sway towards tailored niche markets. This is also derived from their key characteristic of having high levels of scepticism, and a 'whats in it for me', attitude.
Gen X'ers have been studied to use there desktop and TV far more than their cell phones. Only 40% use their cell phones for more than one hour each day compared to Gen Y/ Millennial where 60% of people use their cell phones more than one hour each day.
Members of the generation X are known to be more resistant towards current trends, however, they support altruistic values of companies. Therefore, they are more likely to support a company that offers products and services that somehow benefit the society, communities or the environment.
Our research revealed that, although they aren’t typically considered digital natives to the extent that millennials are, Gen X economic leaders are just as likely to be comfortable integrating technology in the workplace. Nelsen (a professional market researcher) found that Gen Xers use social media 40 minutes more each week than millennials. They were also more likely than millennials to stay on their phones at the dinner table and spend more time on every type of device — phone, computer, or tablet. There curiosity and desire for knowledge, leads them straight to the Internet, which is the richest and most accessible source of information.
Marketing to Gen X'ers(Qu4):
Due to this generations' family instability during childhood and economic turmoil , their scepticism to media marketing will be abnormally high. They can sniff out a sham, or dishonesty a mile away. Therefore, I will have to overcome this trait of scepticism with authenticity. I would make sure the shorts to my film would be short, yet accurately portraying the heart and climate of the film, so they get a precise advert.
By knowing that Gen X spend a lot more time watching TV than using their cell phones, I would advertise my media productions on the television. Gen X'ers have more traditional values than millenials. Therefore they are less likely to respond positively towards email marketing and social media advertising in favour of adds on TV, Youtube, websites and other informational networks.
I would perhaps tie in the social benefits in my film advert, such as 'a great film when you want to take some down time away from the hustle and bustle of life'. Knowing that the main source of content that Gen X engages with pertains to healthy living, they will want to know that what I have to offer will benefit there well being.
Due to the fact that Gen X are bigtime into their research and reviews, I would encourage people to send positive reviews after viewing my film. I would perhaps create a rating chart (out of five stars) to pop up after my film. I would also request my pears to post reviews on popular websites such as IMDB.
Millennials/Gen Y (1982-2002)
Consumerism and size of Market:
Researchers and modern media often classify 1980s as starting birth years and early 2000s as ending birth years. Millennials are sometimes referred to as "echo boomers" due to a major surge in birth rates in the 1980s and 1990s, and because millennial are often the children of the baby boomers. Millennials, whom we define as ages 20 to 35, numbered 71 million in 2016.
Millennials grew up in an electronics-filled and increasingly online and socially-networked world. They are the generation that has received the most marketing attention, and since being exposed with all sorts of traditional market methods since a young age, they grew up immune to these pitches. Salesmen, and market agencies needed new, ingenuitive ideas to lure the newest generations into expenditure.
50% of Millennial college students say they don’t need a physical classroom. (10) 53% believe that online colleges are reputable. And 39% view the future of education as being more virtual. [According to Millennial Branding]. In growing up with the Internet, this generation changed societies' use of technology. They normalised it as a tool, and source of entertainment that can be relied upon and Incorporated into everyday use.
Studies show millennials rely heavily on trending articles and major headlines on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. They have the highest average number of Facebook friends, with an average of 250 friends vs. Generations X's 200. Due to their diverse array of information from technology, Millenials chose which media views they believe/ trust and are therefore very influential on their childrens' perception of things such as political affairs.
As the most ethnically diverse generation, Millennials tend to be tolerant of difference. Now more than ever, diversity in ethnics, race, upbringings, and even gender equalities, are being represented in the media due to the influence of this generation. Many were encouraged to 'follow their dreams', due to their parents' perception of there being much more opportunities and resources nowadays that they never had (such as better education, job pathways, and technologies). This is why Millenials are known for their tenacious confidence and optimism. Optimism has lead to even further advancements in technology such as advanced smart phone technology, space travel etc. It has enabled millenials to push the limits of what thought capable for human civilisation.
Millenials tend to adjust readily to new programs, operating systems and devices and to perform computer-based tasks more quickly than older generations. However in saying this, when technological problems do arise, tech savvy Gen X ers, are much more suited to sorting out the problems. This because when new technologies came out, Gen Xers were used to assembling parts by hand, whether the millennial, growing up with technology, have had no such experience.
Although it’s been proven that multitasking is not usually an effective way to work, Millennials may be the employees that are most likely to pull it off. Since being bombarded with devices since an early age, millenials attention spans are shortening by the second, and this has resulted in excessive multitasking. Whether flicking from screen to screen, or switching from device, to homework, back to devise.
Millennials are generally comfortable with the idea of propagating their whole life open to online inspection. Privacy, in the Millennial eye, is mostly a concern of functional settings limiting who sees their online shares. This comfort with social media means they are good at self-promotion and fostering connections through online media. They are also 54.7 percent inclined to sharing memes than Baby Boomers. Millenials use cell phones to view content more than any other previous generation, and 7 in 8 millennials own one. Millenials spend 25 hrs per week online. Out of these twenty five hours, millenials spend on average, 03:34hrs browsing the Internet, 03:12hrs on social media, 02:19hrs watching live TV, 01:47hrs playing video games (according to The Wallstreet Journal).
Over 2 in 3 (68%) of millennials said that promotional emails impacted their purchase decisions at least on a few occasions(Fluentco, 2017).
Most millenials spend time consuming content in the late evening (8:00-11:59pm)
Millenials, whilst stray from traditional ways of consuming content, engage most highly with shows that are non-fragmented (continuous) and have to be watched from start to finish. These include dramas, sitcoms and shows which require a viewers attention throughout. They also do anything in their power to adapt content to fit their schedule, this may mean recording TV programs, or even switching to networks such as Netflix or Lightbox that require a fee, but allow the viewer freedom to when they choose to view content.
Marketing to Millenials(Qu 4):
If I were to market my film to millenials, I would create my trailer and place it across multiple platforms. This is because millenials utilise the most diverse array of networks daily. I would also put my promotional content onto networks that can be easily accessed on a desktop, since this is were millenials spend most of they screen time.
Due to the fact that they majority of millenials are much familiar with technology, I would probably integrate my film into links on adverts. For example, I would create a social media platform (since millenials spend on average 3:12hrs per week on social media), with a aesthetic visual promoting the look and feel of our film with an easy to access 'click the link' attached to the visual.
Due to the fact that millenials have been inundated with technology since childhood, and their attention spans have decreased due to the variety of media content available, I would make any video adds for my film very brief and full of action, in order to capture their attention.
Millenials are very open to new programs/ creative pathways in technology, and therefore I may branch out with my advertising, straying from ineffective traditional promotions. I may add in a fading effect to short film promotions to encourage viewers to view my content before it fades away.
Or perhaps Ill interact with my audience by creating a platform where they have to swipe the add either into a trash can or into binoculars (if they want to actually view our film). In creating something extraordinary, I will lure my audience, who are more often than not readily accepting to new creative promotions.
For future films, I would scout out the possibility of show casing our movies into cinemas, due to the fact the millenials are the highest generation likely to visit the cinemas, spending 1:15hrs per wwek on average at the cinemas. (According to the Wall Street Journal).
Gen Z
Gen Z is the newest generation to be named and were born between 1995 and 2015. They are currently between 4-24 years old. They comprise of roughly 25% of the population, which is the largest generation ever.
Fast Company suggests that “Gen Z have a carefully tuned radar for being sold to and a limited amount of time and energy to spend assessing whether something’s worth their time. Getting past these filters, and winning their attention, will mean providing them with engaging and immediately beneficial experiences.”
Like there parents, Generation Z have used the Internet since a young age and are comfortable with technology and social media. While Gen Z follows millennials closely, these two generations are not entirely identical when it comes to the social media networks they visit, the devices they use and how much TV content they consume. Firstly, Gen Z consume 13.2 hours of TV content per week—significantly less than boomers and Gen X. Where Millenials main media consuption was from desktops, Gen X ers mainly consume media through their cell phones. The generations also differ in their demands. Many studies have suggested that millennials are looking for great experiences, not great products. But the same is not necessarily true for Gen Z. A study by Deep Focus showed that 60% of Gen xers are looking for a cool product over a cool experience.
Other Statistical Facts
- Gen Xers spend around 1 in every 3 minutes spent online is devoted to social networking and messaging, with digital consumers engaging for a daily average of 2 hrs 40 mins among 16-24s.
- On average, Gen Z uses their smartphones 15.4 hours per week—more than any other type of device. (Vision Critical)
- Gen Z consume 13.2 hours of TV content per week—significantly less than boomers and Gen X.
- Platform research's incites suggest that the majority of stories that Gen Z ers post is on Snapchat.
- 72% of high school leavers wish to start their own business one day.
- 70% of Gen Zers use YouTube for two hours per day
According to an infographic from Upfront Analytics, Gen Z customers respond to edgy and visual marketing tactics. Videos—especially short ones like those created via the social network Vine—work particularly well with young customers. However, Gen Xers not only consumer media, but this “post-internet generation” help create and shape it.
Wilder expands further by saying that, Gen Zers,
' Are empowered, connected, empathetic self-starters that want to stand out and make a difference in the world. They have created a new Cultural Currency that values uniqueness, authenticity, creativity, shareability and recognition. What’s different for this generation is not as simple as the internet or technology. Technology is an important component, but what’s changed is this generation’s relationship with culture.'
Furthermore, 80 percent of Gen Z say finding themselves creatively is important. Over 25 percent post original video on a weekly basis, while 65 percent enjoy creating and sharing content on social media.
As 'digital naives', a large majority of Gen Z will be connected online for atleast one hour, and close to half Gen Zers use the Internet for a whopping ten hours a day! Their total hours online may be the result of having five screens available to them: smart phones, TVs, laptops, and tablets which are used simultaneously. This is why the attension spans of Gen Zers average at 8 seconds.
Generation Z who is most receptive to influencers. According to a report by Google, 70% of teen YouTube subscribers see their favourite YouTube influencers as more relatable than traditional celebrities. For Gen Z, influencers are more than just afternoon entertainers. Like their predecessors before them, Gen Zers can sniff out in-authenticity a mile away, especially when it comes to marketing. They are the most likely generation to install add-blocking software, and hate more than ever to be pestered by adds. So how do marketers sell their products to Gen Zers most successfully? They use Influencers who appear more genuine, they carry their own loyal audiences and the content they produce tends to outperform the content most brands create internally.
Marketing to Gen Z(Qu4):
In my marketing approach, I would firstly aim to raise finance necessary to promote my film through using influencers. Special mentions in Youtubers videos, or Instagrams stars' comments. I would also write a blogg, of create an Instagram to inspire fellow Gen Zers into creating videos, like we have done. Inspiring their creativity, I hope to positively engage them, and thus, they will view our film as an example of what is possible for the teens of today. It will also evoke an authenticity if consumers know a bit of our back ground and how we have come together to assemble such films.
I would create a short video to promote our film, since videos are the most common form of media that Gen Zers connect with. I would make it less than 8 seconds (the expanse of our attention period). Instead of just showcasing a short video of the footage itself, I ould add snippets of behind the scenes.This will ensure again that they are engaged with the creativity of the product, not just how the product can entertain them, which is very hard considering their saturation of exposure to all sorts of professional short films.
The major networking program that Gen Zers are progressively using, is Snapchat, so I would aim my marketing to Snapchat. I may also create my add to be blinking with a time limit, to which if they fail to click on the content, they miss out on viewing it. This will hopefully create a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) that will encourage Gen Zers to click on my content. I would also play short video promotions before Youtube videos that are specifically targeted towards Gen Zers who are interested in creating media, such as before Premiere Pro tutorials, and other media editing software technologies. This will ensure that I successfully target Gen Zers who are more likely to view my film than other Gen Zers, saving my promotional/advertising costs, and making sure any promotional costs are utilised in the most effective, cost efficient ways.
