Critical Approaches Brief

Assignment number and Title - Unit 6: Critical Approaches to Media Products
Assignment Title - How do Media Producers think about their audiences?
Assignment number - 1

Date of issue - 29th September 2013
Hand in date - 21st October 2o13, 4pm 

Assignment Task;

In the form of a sketchbook, preferably A4, examine these topics and display your findings and thoughts in your own style and words (typed). Use visual images from newspapers, magazines, websites etc. to reinforce your explanations and ensure your work is clear and detailed. Ensure you define all of the key concepts that have been explored this term. Be certain to cover the following:

• Definition of niche, mainstream and alternative. Use examples.
• Define demographic and psychographic. Use examples of Media Products that are aimed at both.
• Design the front cover of a magazine for a specific demographic/psychographic target audience. Explain who the audience is and justify your design choices and how they meet the needs of your target audience.
• Explain Selby's Psychographic Clusters. Use examples of advertising which would appeal to each group. Good/bad way of classifying audience?
• Explain the VAL's system. Use examples of media products to illustrate your understanding.
• Explain how audiences are segmented using Socio Economics. ABC1 C2DE.
• Define the term Stereotype. 
• Explain Geodemographics.
• Discuss how the BBC segments its audience and provide different types of radio stations for them. Use examples.
• What do BARB, RAJAR and NRS do? Give a brief outline and whether you believe this to be helpful to Media Producers when it comes to segmenting audiences.