Niche Vs Mainstream Audiences

Mainstream Market -

The mainstream Market is a very specific market due to the fact that the products in this market are aimed at everyone and not just one demographic, mainstream audiences will be harder to please due to the fact that the designer will have to take into consideration everyone else' wants and needs therefore the product will need to be more broad and wider appealing which could sometime make the product unappealing. 


Niche Market -

The Niche Market can be defined as a market that is very particular to a certain type of audience, the products in this market are very focused, this market/audience can be a better market to aim at due tot he fact when something is specific you can cram a lot of quality and detail into it as the developer/designer will only have one audience to aim for and only have to keep them happy. where as mainstream will try to please everyone.

Examples of mainstream Market material/products -

JD Sports

HMV

X-Factor

BBC

Examples of Niche Market material/products -

Pantera

The Inbetweeners

BBC 3

With two different types of market and audiences there will be different style of people who fit into either one or the other. I will define these Social Value Groups and state if they would appeal to the niche market or mainstream.



KEY =

M = Mainstream
N = Niche

Passive/Active Audiences

Passive/Active Audiences

Passive Audience - a Passive Audience in a media text is where they have no control of what its going to happen next. An example of this would be programs such as: Eastenders, Holly oaks and coronation street. Passive audiences tend to be programs such as soaps.

Active Audiences - a Active Audience in a media text is when the viewer has some control in what happens next. An example of this would be X-Factor or Big Brother.

with these two different type of audiences they each have their own advantages and dis advantages. other types of media texts that force the audience to interact are as followed:

• Newspapers/Magazines/Books
• Internet
• Gaming for example Nintendo Wii
• Arcade Machines

Passive Audience:

Advantages		Disadvantages
Production will be easier		Fans may not be as loyal
Will be able to film well in advance		The media text will need a good narrative structure
The viewer will be in suspense because they don’t know what will happen next		The viewers may not like the decisions made via the director
The director will be in full control

 Active Audience:

 

Advantages		Disadvantages
Make money from phone/ text entries		Not all fans may agree with each other
Will have more loyal fans as they would feel they have made a change in the story		Could limit the directors ideas
Audience choose what they want to see		Audiences can be fickle
Will take some pressure off the director to make the next move

However active audiences can not always be obedient and do what is best for the situation they are given to influence for example in the X Factor this year there is a contestant called wagner. Now wagner is not a great singer, has no talent what so ever but on the other hand he is entertaining to watch and for that simple fact he has beaten off other contestants who are a lot more talented than he is.

Some of the comments left on Wagners page on the official x factor site

 

Seven Days ( Channel 4)

 Seven days is a program that has just been introduced to channel four, seven days follows numerous people who range from young to old, rich and not so rich although there is more with money than without, different ethnicity and even a dog! However the characters in this program are 18 years old and older due to the fact that if there was some one who was younger than 18 they may not be able to deal with the feedback they receive on chatnav. Once people have watched seven days they have the ability to leave feed back on the channel 4 website and then the person they leave feed back on will then have the opportunity to influence the persons decision. 

  

http://sevendays.channel4.com/

 

The advert for this show was very pleasant to watch how ever it did not persuade me enough to watch the show of my own back. the advert that I seen can be viewed if you Click Here. 

When watching this program I feel that the target audience varies dependent on the character the show is deciding to show that week. how ever the shows target audience in general has took a change in direction via advertising, the reason I think this is because the adverts have changed over the 3 weeks it has been running so far, for example:

Week Two: 

• Times Online - London, Established People, legal straight, Conservatives.
• Revlon Luscious Lashes - Older, Middle aged women
• 2 Very bland car adverts.
• Exxon Mobile.

Week Three:

• Glade - house wife's.
• Revlon Luscious Lashes - Older, Middle aged women.
• tena-lady - 50 years old +.
• Exxon Mobile.
• Absolut Vodka - 18 years old - 40 years old.
• Snickers - working man/women.
• Australia. 

so as you can see the target audience in the adverts has changed therefore the original target audience for the show has changed as well. 

My View on the target audience of the show:

I feel that the closer you live to Noting Hill the more the viewer will be able to late because with different areas there are different life styles but I feel that the target audience spreads even further because we are able to relate with some of the characters and the situations they are in. Seven days also appeals to a wide audience because everyday people like to watch other everyday people live their lives ever since the likes of Channel 4's reality series such as Big Brother, Ship Wrecked etc.

 

reviews of the show so far:

Denise Deering at 11:01AM on Sep 23rd 2010

What a crock of ****! I watched this show through to the end telling myself, this has to get better - unfortunately, it didn't! In my opinion this show does not show a true reflection of the many local residents who maybe are not so priviledge to be able to property develop or take over Mummy's business. What about the family run stall holders who are out there in all sorts of weather trying to make a living for example? Having lived in the area for over 40years now, as a white Irish single mum who left school at 16 without any qualifications but has managed to hold down full time employment all of my life whilst bringing up a beautiful and intelligent mixed raced daughter (now 25) who was the first in my family to go to and work her way through college and then Uni, graduate with First Class Honors and who is now a Qualified Accountant, I feel the show needs to get real if it wants to hold viewers interest for more than 5mins! Many of us residents have truely worked hard to make something of themselves and support their children! Why not show the true Notting Hill instead of the so called "stereotype Notting Hill" people seem to think it is?

REDNDEAD at 12:56PM on Sep 23rd 2010

Yes, I particularly hope they get rid of that wrinkly with the wannabe girlfriend, who, cause he's such a nice guy (nothing to do with TV) is giving/selling a 's flat to an employee, and he's SO STRESSED!!!! Aaaaahhh, diddums

Night at 9:48AM on Sep 27th 2010

My brother was in this and he honestly said if he wasn't he wouldn't have watched it. It's messed up!!

Official Reviews.
 Links: beehive city The Guardian Daily Mail

Beehive city suggest that the reason for the last minute schedule change was an attempt to boost viewings and they say the program is in "ratings ignominy, after the latest installment left the show with just over half of its opening audience" this is showing that the program is not doing as well as it may have seemed when in the advertisement stage. Beehive city seem to think that this was an attempt to be the next Big Brother!




The guardian give facts about the competition that Seven Days have against them these are as followed:

BBC1's Lost Land of the Tiger had 3.48 million (14.6%)
123,000 (0.5%) watched on BBC HD.
BBC2's Britain's Youngest Boarders (1.814 million/7.6%)
ITV1/ITV1 HD's Midsomer Murders (4.925 million/20.8%)
Channel 4's Grand Designs (3.178 million/13.4%, including C4+1)
Channel 5's NCIS repeat (907,000/3.8%).

After reading this on The Guarding i cant help but think is it time for them to possibly change time slots again and try get a less dominant competition?

The Daily Mail 

The Daily Mail have claimed that the show is "Down the pan" as the viewers watch

hairdresser John unblocking the toilet of his Notting Hill salon. 

With all these negative reviews I begin to wonder is it the place they are filming ? the people they have chose? or the concept in general?

The show has changed days recently due to the fact they may have competition with the likes of programs such as "The Only Way Is Essex" and CSI: New York, The only way is essex being the main competition due to the nature of the show is very much like seven days however The Only Way Is Essex can be seen to be Seven Days on steroids as it is more in your face and somewhat more entertaining

ACORN system within Seven Days

Within the series seven days there are many different characters that are definable using the ACORN system the categories range from Wealthy Achievers to Hard-Pressed with 56 different sub categories and 5 main categories. an example of some one in one of the wealthier categories is the character called Hannah, Hannah would be categorized into the Second category of the ACORN system called Urban Prosperity and come under type 16 - Prosperous young professional, flats. Seven days have took a polarisation approach with the range of ACORN types within the program and unfortunately they must of picked the wrong type of people because the show is not doing very well in comparison to the new reality TV show The Only Way Is Essex. the reason why i think that The Only Way Is Essex affected Seven Days' viewings and ratings is because The Only Way Is Essex offers the same viewing that seven days dos how ever it is a lot more exciting and there is more "action" so to speak.


The Only Way Is Essex is an ITV2 reality television show based in Essex. It shows "real people in modified situations, saying unscripted lines but in a structured way." It debuted on October 10, 2010, it follows the lives of young adults: Mark Wright, Jessica Wright, Kirk Norcross, Amy Childs, Lauren Goodger, Sam Faiers and their friends. The show is primarily filmed in Brentwood close to London and shows their lives as young, rich Essex boys and girls.
The show is filmed only a few days in advance and Series 1 ran initially for four weeks weeks, with two episodes a week. It is narrated by Denise Van Outen. The show has been described by the Daily Mirror as Great Britain's answer to The Hills and Jersey Shore.

Critical Theory - The Hypodermic Needle

            The Hypodermic Needle -

The hypodermic needle is a model of communications. The hypodermic needle can also be known as the Magic Bullet or The Transmissions-Belt model. The hypodermic needle suggests that information given from media text passes into the mass consciousness of the viewers which will later lead to vast changes in behavior and personality. Overall this theory influences the actions of a mass audience via media texts that often use propaganda.

"The hypodermic needle theory implied that mass media had a direct, immediate and powerful effect on their audiences."

   

 

Uses and Gratifications

The Uses and Gratifications theory is extremely popular way to appeal to mass communication. The method was originated in the 1940s but was only expanded recently in the 1970s by blumler and katz (who also was involved with the two step theory). When they originated this method they claimed that those who use this method would use it for:

Diversion—Escape from routine and problems; an emotional release.

Personal Relationships— Social utility of information in conversation; substitution of media for companionship.

Personal Identity or Individual Psychology— Value reinforcement or reassurance;

self-understanding, reality exploration.

Surveillance—Information about factors, which might affect one or will help one do or accomplish something

This model works on the theory that when an audience actively seeks out media, they are typically seeking it in order to gratify a need. For example, in social situations, people may feel more confident and knowledgeable when they have specific facts and stories from media to add to conversation. By seeking out media, a person fulfils a need to be informed.

 

Two Step Theory

The Two Step theory was introduced by 3 different people: Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson and Hazel Gaudet , the theory was then elaborated by Elihu Katz. This theory was introduced in 1944.

The theory was used for a study focused on the process of decision making during a presidential election campaign.

The two step flow theory makes sure that media moves in two ways. The first is for the individuals who can also known as opinion leaders, who look at mass media in great detail and pay attention to the messages. They can then add their own understanding to the actual media content. Therefore when the opinion leaders pass their pass their own understanding on their opinion will stick with the person it is passed on to. 

Reception Theory.

Reception theory is a version of reader response literary theory that emphasizes the reader's reception of a literary text. The Reception theory can also be known as Audience Reception, it will more likely be referred to Audience Reception when dealing with analysis of communications models. Reception theory originated from Hans-Robert Jauss in the late 1960s and it was very influential during the 1970s and early 1980s in Germany and USA. Overall reception theory is “A basic acceptance of the meaning of a specific text tends to occur when a group of readers have a shared cultural background and interpret the text in similar ways. It is likely that the less shared heritage a reader has with the artist, the less he/she will be able to recognise the artist's intended meaning, and it follows that if two readers have vastly different cultural and personal experiences, their reading of a text will vary greatly.”

Quote from wikipedia