Research into Audiences

NRS – The National Readership Survey provide the authoritative and detailed research into the use of print advertising trading in the UK. Their surveys cover over 250 of the UK’s most used and accessed newspapers, magazines and print publications, and are able to produce statistics as to the size of the audiences they can achieve. Some data is available for free from their website, but for more detailed information, people who are interested can subscribe to their service.

ABC – the American Broadcasting Corporation are the leading broadcasting station in America. The company survey people in target audiences who may be interested in programmes they are producing, and by also looking at their viewing statistics, they can see which programmes will be most popular to audiences at which times, allowing them to schedule programmes to get the maximum amount of coverage to the people most interested. For example, their programme ‘The Chew’ is on at 1:00pm, as the company have obviously used data they have researched will show that the programme will be most popular to people watching at this time.

BARB – Broadcasters Audience Research Board, provide weekly viewing figures for UK television channels, and provide the official measurements of UK television audiences, for key events such as the London Olympics and the Royal Wedding. They obtain viewing estimates by using a panel of privately owned TV viewing households, taken as a sample of each BBC and ITV television region. Each home represents, on average, around 5,000 homes across the UK. The survey can measure demographics and TV viewing equipment of each home viewing a certain channel, which can be useful data for a TV company. They continuously survey householders, conducting around 53,000 interviews a year, using face to face and computer aided interview techniques. The random probability survey used means that every house in the UK stands a chance of being selected for interview.

Bookseller – The Bookseller provide information and news about the book industry, which is being ever replaced by online services, such as websites and social networking. The company analyses how the economic crisis and the move into digital technologies is affecting sales of books, and also the usage of public libraries, which are often being forced to close down as a result. This means that print-based advertising, in publications such as newspapers and magazines, is becoming less effective, and with less organisations choosing to advertise using these methods, less revenue is being raised.

Demographics

There are six groups of demographics, listed and detailed below:

· Group A – people in highly paid jobs, including politicians, bank and large business managers, doctors, lawyers, scientists and well-paid professionals.

· Group B – people who are still well paid, but not as well off as people in Group A, including teachers, middle managers and civil servants.

· Group C1 - includes junior managers, bank clerks, nurses and others in ‘white collar’ professions, who have a certain skill

· Group C2 – includes ‘blue collar’ and skilled trades, such as electricians, plumbers, carpenters & gas technicians

· Group D – people who complete manual work such as builders, drivers and post office sorters

· Group E – includes people who are on very low/no income, such as the young, the elderly and people who are unemployed

Psychographics

There are seven different types of Psychographics, listed and detailed below:

Mainstreamers – seek security. Tend to be domestic, conformist, conventional, sentimental – favour value for money family brands. Nearly always the largest group.

Aspirers – seek status. Materialistic, acquisitive, oriented to image and appearance, persona and fashion. Attractive packing more important than contents. Typically younger people, clerical and sales jobs

Succeeders – seek control. Strong goals, confidence, work ethic and organisation. Supports stability. Brand choice based on self-reward and quality. Typically higher management and professionals.

Resigned – seeks survival. Rigid and authoritarian values. Interested in the past and tradition. Brand choice stresses safety, familiarity and economy. Typically older people.

Explorers – seeks discovery. Energy, individualism and experience. Values difference and adventure. Brand choice highlights satisfaction and instant effect. The first to try new brands. Younger demographic – students.

Strugglers – seeks escape. Alienated and disorganised. Few resources beyond physical skills. Brand choice involves impact and sensation. Buys alcohol, junk food, lottery tickets. D & E demographic

Reformers – seeks enlightenment. Freedom of restrictions and personal growth. Social awareness and independent judgement. Anti-materialistic but aware of good taste. Has attended higher education and selects products for quality.