Darren's research lesson with added target audience information

1. What is research:
What is NOT research …
… just information
… presumed opinion
… statistics on their own

2. What is research:
Research IS …
… the systematic investigation into
and study of materials and sources
in order to establish facts and reach
new conclusions.

3. What is research:
THE TWO TYPES…
Primary Research: original findings
Collecting data that does not already exist.
Secondary Research: looking at existing data
An interpretation or adaption of information
all ready ‘out there’.

4. What is research:
THE TWO METHODS…
Quantitative: “the numbers, proportions and statistics”
Or “Where the numbers live”
Qualitative: “descriptive, emotive, subjective”
Or “Where the opinions live”

5. What is research:
Primary Secondary
Interviews Reviews
(face-to-face, phone, email) Fanzine websites
Focus groups Search engine forums
Internet forums Response to news coverage
Audience panels Advertising campaign response
Own audio/video event recording
Surveys Ratings (BARB, RAJAR)
Select answer questionnaires Website hits
Circulation figures
Box office returns
Sales (CD/DVD, games etc.)

6. What is research:
THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH IN MEDIA…
Audience research:
•Audience profiling and classification
•Consumer trends and patterns
•Product preferences

7. Demographics Recap
What could you use to define a target audience?
• Gender
• Age
• Region – Where they live
• Working status
• Occupation and industry
• Marital status
• Presence of children
• Household tenure
• Income
• Education
• Social Grade

8. Demographic Recap
NRS social grade definitions

9. Other Audience Definition Techniques
AS WELL AS DEMOGRAPHICS AND CLASS/SOCIO
ECONOMICS YOU CAN ALSO USE…
VaLS: Values and Lifestyles
This catagorises consumers/audience into groups
according to values and lifestyles. For instance;
Innovators, Thinkers, Makers, Survivors & Strivers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VALS

10. Other Audience Definition Techniques
AS WELL AS DEMOGRAPHICS AND CLASS/SOCIO
ECONOMICS YOU CAN ALSO USE…
Young & Rubicam: The four consumers.
Devised by the ad agency Young & Rubicam. Similar to
VaLS and catagorizes consumers into 4 groups.
Mainstreamers: 40% of population. Like security.
Aspirers: Want status and esteem. Like designer brands
and live off credit.
Succeeders: Already have status and control.
Reformers: Defined by self-esteem and self-fulfilment.

11. What is research:
THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH IN MEDIA…
Market research:
•Who’s already out there and what are they doing?
•What’s going well, what’s missing?
•Advertising placement and effectiveness

12. What is research:
THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH IN MEDIA…
Product research:
Does it work? (Colour, look, feel, opinion)
Does it appeal to the target audience?
Is it viable as a business? (Will people buy it!)

13. What is research:
Sampling “It’s not about getting the biggest
sample, it’s getting the right ratio
(diagnostics) and demography”
“Look for trends and context”
Validity
(interpretation)

14. What is research:
Purpose of research for a drinks advert
“To create a product that a
target audience will buy”

15. Better Googling – Searching tips
• Don’t ask Google questions
• “ ” – Searches for the exact phrase not the words
separately, for example “media industries”
• site: - Only searches the pages on that site
• .. – Shows all results within the timeframe, e.g.
2009..2012
• filetype: - Only searches for results that are that file
type, for example filetype:pdf
• Define: - Word definition, for example
define:research
• Control + F, Cmd + F – Find a word on a website
quickly

16. Better Googling – Searching tips
Guardian articles about TV ratings for Strictly Come
Dancing written between 2009 and 2010.
site:guardian.co.uk "TV ratings" "strictly come
dancing" 2009..2010

17. What is research: