Client requirements and audience
Client Ethos
Client ethos is the set of values or beliefs that guides a client’s vision, direction and the products or services it creates. It is the client’s overall character and what it stands for, not just its ethics or environmental policy.
Media products made for the client, especially marketing products, should reflect that ethos so the audience sees a consistent organisation. A client with an ethos of honesty and care for animals would not use shocking or misleading images in a pet-rescue poster; it would show real animals and clear rehoming information.
How ethos constrains a project
An ethos can constrain content, operational practices, creative direction and marketing methods. That means it limits some choices and pushes the producer towards others.
| Area | What the ethos can affect |
|---|---|
| Content | What can be said or shown. A wildlife charity’s ethos might rule out a funny video that makes light of habitat loss. |
| Operational practices | How the client and production team work. A fair-trade coffee company might insist that workers are asked for permission before filming and that their pay is explained openly on screen. |
| Creative direction | The visual and audio approach. A calm, inclusive ethos might lead to warm lighting, relaxed music and captions for accessibility. |
| Marketing methods | Where and how the product is promoted. A youth support charity might use school newsletters and moderated social channels rather than a betting website. |
When you interpret a brief, identify the ethos because it affects what can be said, how it is shown and how the product is promoted. If the brief says a client values openness and community, you should plan language, images and promotion that feel open and community-focused, not just choose your favourite style.
Practise this
OCR Creative iMedia · Client requirements and audience