Audience Classification

As a group we have been looking at ways that audiences are classified.

Audiences are defined into different categories to help target media at the right group.

The Registrar General’s Social Scale

The Registrar General’s Social Scale is the way the British Government defines the populace through their occupation:

Group	Occupations
A	Professional Workers (lawyers, doctors etc.), Scientists, Managers of large-scale organisations.
B	Shopkeepers, Farmers, Teachers, White-collar workers.
C1	Skilled Manual (i.e. hand) workers – e.g. high grade, e.g. master builders, carpenters, shop assistants, nurses.
C2	Skilled Manual – low grade, e.g. electricians, plumbers.
D	Semi-skilled Manual, e.g. bus drivers, lorry drivers, fitters.
E	Unskilled Manual, e.g. general labourers, barmen, porters.

A benefit of the Registrar General’s Social Scale is that it can help companies to target audiences. However, the scale has been criticised for being both crude and rigid.

Values, Attitudes and Lifestyles (VALS)

Possibly a better way of defining audiences is by categorising them by the values and attitudes they hold and the lifestyle they have; these are psychographic (psychographics is the study of personality, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles) variables.  For example, one of the better known systems is the Values, Attitudes and Lifestyles (VALS):

·         Actualisers: Successful, wealthy, dynamic people for whom image is important as an expression of their individuality.

·         Fulfilleds: Mature people who are well-educated professionals. This group values order, knowledge and responsibilities.

·         Achievers: Successful and career-orientated people.  They are politically conservative and value the status quo.  Image is important to them and they tend to buy established, well-known products.

·         Experiencers: Young, impulsive and rebellious.  They like new products and styles but soon tire of them and search for new novelties.  They spend as much as they can afford on clothing, fast food, music and films.

·         Believers: Conservative people who believe in traditional institutions, such as the Church, and in the importance of the family and community.  Their lifestyle tends to be very routine.  Their income is small but sufficient.

·         Strivers: Tend to be unsure of themselves and have a low income.  They are striving for approval from others, which they feel they could gain by ownership of possessions, most of which they cannot afford.

·         Makers: Makers are do-it-yourself enthusiasts and tend to live a conventional, family life.

·         Strugglers: Strugglers are on the lowest income and tend to be loyal to their favourite brands.

Significance

We discussed as a group and decided that the Registrar General’s scale is very broad and difficult to our target audience, as most 15-24 years are in education rather than a full time job. However VALs is a much more specific as it categories audiences by personalities and lifestyles which is easier to apply to our target audience.

After looking at the BFI statistical yearbook we found that gone girl was the most similar film to ours. This was the second most popular in the AB category, so we are to also aim our own opening at this category.

We also looked at VALs categorising system and decided our audience best fitted experiencers.   These are Young, impulsive and rebellious.  They like new products and styles but soon tire of them and search for new novelties.  They spend as much as they can afford on clothing, fast food, music and films.