Client requirements and audience
Audience Segmentation
The target audience is the particular group of people a media product is aimed at, not everyone who might see it. Audience segmentation divides a broad audience into smaller groups with shared characteristics. The eight categories cover age and gender; occupation and income; education and location; and interests and lifestyle.
Segmentation categories
| Category | Groups people by | Example group |
|---|---|---|
| Age | age band or life stage | teenagers preparing for GCSE exams |
| Gender | gender characteristics or gender identity | a women's walking group |
| Occupation | job, work role or employment status | nurses working night shifts |
| Income | earning level, disposable income or ability to pay | households with little spare money |
| Education | educational level, qualifications or current study | adult learners returning to study |
| Location | where people live, work or spend time | commuters in a large city |
| Interests | hobbies, activities or topics people care about | amateur birdwatchers |
| Lifestyle | habits, values and ways of living | people who batch-cook meals at the weekend |
Combining categories
You can combine categories to define a more precise target audience. For example, a weekend climbing course aimed at students aged 18 to 25 who already climb indoors combines age, education and interests. This is sharper than saying 'people who like sport'.
Why it helps
Segmenting an audience helps a product focus on a particular group rather than trying to appeal to everyone. A product aimed at everyone often ends up bland and suits nobody well. Segmentation helps planning, design and production decisions about content, style, tone and media choices. A money-saving guide for young adults on low incomes might use short videos, plain wording and social media; the same topic for retired people might use larger print and a leaflet in a library. Each choice fits the group's characteristics.
Practise this
OCR Creative iMedia · Client requirements and audience