Categorisation (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Media Studies): Revision Note
Exam code: C680
Categorisation
How are audiences categorised?
It is important that producers understand how to select and target audiences when constructing their product
Producers also need to understand how audiences may react to the product
Audiences can be defined using two main categories:
Demographics
Psychographics
Demographics
Media organisations categorise audiences using demographics
Demographics are measurable characteristics such as age, gender, income, education, and location
These categories help producers decide what content to create and how to market it effectively
One way of categorising audiences using demographics is called people grading
It is based on social class or job
Social Grade | Social Status | Chief income earner’s profession |
|---|---|---|
A | Upper Middle Class | Higher managerial, administrative or professional, doctors and lawyers |
B | Middle Class | Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional. Managers and teachers |
C1 | Lower Middle Class | Non-manual workers. Office workers |
C2 | Skilled Working Class | Skilled manual workers. Plumbers and electricians. |
D | Working Class | Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers. Shop assistants, farm and building site labourers |
E | Unemployed/receiving benefits | Casual workers (not in regular employment), pensioners, and others who depend on the state for their income |
ABC1 audiences can be targeted specifically because they often have higher income, education, and spending power
Examples include
Luxury cars
High-end fashion magazines such as Vogue or GQ
Media producers and advertisers often target D and E audiences with products or content that appeal to everyday life, affordability, and entertainment
Example include
Reality TV shows
Budget-friendly supermarkets
Tabloid newspapers like 'The Sun'
Psychographics
Psychographics look beyond demographics to understand audiences’ attitudes, interests, lifestyles, and values
These aspects are harder to measure
Members of different social class gradings may have different interests
Example: two different people in ABC1
Media organisations make assumptions about what their audience likes or responds to, which influences the type of content they produce
Example: a teen magazine might target readers who are fashion-conscious, socially active, and tech-savvy
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Responses in the higher bands are likely to show a good awareness of how contexts (such as target audience and cultural trends) influence products, their representations and their ideologies.
Within your analysis for a longer response question, this could look like:
Contexts influence newspapers like The Sun because they shape what content is included and how it is presented to the target audience. The Sun’s C2DE audience is mainly working-class adults typically with lower levels of education. This influences the newspaper to use simple language, bold headlines and strong opinions.
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