Unit 1 - Media Products and Audiences

 LO5 - Evaluate research data used by media institutions.  When a product is very successful, it is likely to have a spin off or several sequels. This helps for the audience to watch new shows with similar interests and expands the market possibilities. However, this is reliant on audience feedback. Products with spin offs or sequels: Twilight - 4 other movies Doctor Who - Torchwood, Class, Sarah-Jane Adventures Toy Story - 1-4 Finding Nemo - Finding Dory  Jumanji - remake

LO5 - Evaluate research data used by media institutions Using social media for audience feedback: Pros - lots of people talking about it, brings more attention, helps to gain specific improvements from biggest fans Cons - criticisms may discourage people from watching the film Marvel Trailer for Black Widow The Marvel teaser trailer for Black Widow was released on their YouTube channel on December 3rd 2019 and has gained over 44 million views with 1.5 million likes but 45 thousand dislikes. The comment section within this trailer allows for people to talk about their excitement about the film - clearly being marvel fans and recognising Black Widow from previous films. Furthermore, due to the movie being postponed because of coronavirus, jokes are made in the comment section about the movie being pushed back while allowing people to interact with each other about the excitement and create more hype. When Black Widow is searched into YouTube, the majority of the review videos are posit...

 LO5 - Evaluate research data used by media institutions. Primary Research - research collected by the media researcher for the sole purpose of the media product. eg. survey, interview, questionnaire, focus groups Secondary Research - collecting summaries based on other research eg. articles, online research, reports, published data Research is conducted by media producers to answer questions about the audience profile in order to target the media product more closely. This helps the media product to become as successful as possible. Allows you to know your audience better. Primary Research Pros - specific groups, up to date, specified data, Cons - expensive, time-consuming Secondary Research Pros - cheap, quicker,  Cons - may not be as specialised Qualitative data is written detailed data useful for gaining as much detail as possible. Quantitative data is numerical statistics useful for comparison and graphs.

LO4 - Use a real example to look at how audiences are targeted.  Deadpool uses a wide range of traditional and digital advertising, here are some examples: Along with these traditional and digital methods of advertising, the videos that go alongside the advertising campaign are also effective as they advertise anywhere and everywhere to guarantee that everyone sees them. This is good as it allows different audiences to be drawn in from areas such as social media ie. Ryan Reynolds fans that may not have watched the movie if he was not posting about it so much. By having such a huge advertising campaign, it promote Deadpool further as people remember seeing it in other places and therefore think about it and talk about it more often - creating the snowball effect.  The marketing campaign for Deadpool utilises traditional methods of advertising such as posters and billboards in order to extend it's target audience outside of the digital world and ensure that everyone has seen it ...

 LO4 - Understand the target audience of media products. Denis McQuail identified four categories under the broader heading 'uses and gratifications' that offer an insight into why audiences use and interact with certain media products. These are: Escapism - people use media products to get away from reality. Surveillance - people use media products to find out information. Personal Relationships - people use media products as talking points. Personal Identity - people use media products as a means of shaping their own 'subcultural identities.' Applying the Uses and Gratifications Model

 LO4 - Understand the target audiences of media products. Who might buy the products? toy shops parents teachers/schools collectors grandparents people with interests historians Audience Profile - Small Handmade Engineered Toy Company Michael, 50, has always been interested in the middle ages era - ever since he was a child. Now he has grown up and has children of his own, he is keen to push his interest onto them - telling them old tales of the middle ages, cooking up old stews and including the middle ages into every part of his lifestyle.  Above this, the only thing that Michael is missing are the toys for his children. While there are thousands of different toys he could give them, none of them are realistic and appropriate enough for the middle ages he knows and loves. Michael has been searching for years for accurate and working toys willing to pay any price for them. Historical accuracy is the most crucial thing. He includes the middle ages era in every aspect of his li...