AS1:Task 7: Audience Information

How to gain audience information?

In order to gain information from an audience, audience research must be conducted appropriately. This is in order to see what the key audience want from the product, and to learn how to alter this product to fit their requirements. To begin this process, a key audience has to be constructed depending on age, gender, race, location, or all of the above.

Why conduct audience research? 

• Audience research is undertaken in the initial stages of a communication campaign. This is to understand the key audiences needs, knowledge, behaviours and attitudes. 
• In order for the television advertiser to determine the types of incentives and barriers that the audience see with the product,  audience analysis is carried out.
• This form of research also reveals the target audiences viewing habits, and divides them into groups of similar info and preferences. It selects the best TV advert for this audience. 

Audience Engagement 

This section of the research describes how the audience interacts with a media text. Different types of people react in different ways to the same advertisements. Even though the advertisement is meant to be appealing to the key audience, it doesn't necessarily mean they're the only people who could possibly see it. For example, if a child is watching television with their parents in the room, although the adverts are aimed at the child, their mum or dad may also see it. 

This advert in particular is aimed at the child, with bright colours, imaginary characters, a catchy yet simple song, and modern fashion.

Audience Expectations

This is the advance ideas of what an audience may have about a media text or product. Usually, there's a situation involved that makes the product look like a life saver, or at least vital to those who may need it.  Adverts sometimes have to show what is expected from the company in order to maintain the companies reputation. For example, in the SpecSavers advert below, an extreme situation is shown to present the outcome of the product as greater.

However, some companies like to challenge what is expected of them in order to overcome their stereotypes and strengthen their value over contenders. For example,in the May 2015 Iceland advert, the production value is a lot higher in order to travel around showing where the fresh products come from before they're frozen. This would encourage more people to shop there, as an audience may have previously thought that frozen didn't mean fresh. 

Audience Identification

This is where the company produce their advert to fit this key audiences expectations accurately in order to reflect their lifestyle. For example, the Garnier Nutrisse hair dye advertisement featuring celebrities Holly and Davina would appeal to middle aged women who can identify with the celebrities and want hair like theirs. 

AS1:Task 6: Methods of Research

Primary Research

The research of an organisation arranges or takes part in themselves, in order to find out answers to specific questions. Examples of primary research are questionnaires,surveys,internet forums and group interviews.

Advantages:

• The ability to explore the secondary research already performed by other researchers. 
• Greater Control: How the information is collected and focus on specific issues.
• First hand comments from the key audience.

Disadvantages:

• Costs a lot of money.
• Time consuming
• Not everyone answers honestly

Secondary Research 

This form of research uses outside information collected by other media sources, which means the information already exists for the company to use. The information is usually published in pamphlets, news letter, trade publications, magazines and newspapers therefore making the companies research a lot easier. 

Advantages: 

• Less time consuming
• Less expensive

Disadvantages:

• No evidence of who did the research so it might not be honest.
• Can be biased and inaccurate.  

Quantative Research

This research focuses more on the number of people rather than the quality of their answers. Questionnaires are usually used to gain these numbers. It develops and employs measurable and info rather than opinions as it is based on actual gained data. This is in order to determine how big or small the audience is going to be for this product or company, and who the target market is. 

Advantages:

• Allows the researcher to measure and analyse data
• More objective

Disadvantages: 

• Don't always get accurate answers if 'yes' and 'no' are the only options.
• The person filling in the questionnaire might not have a full understanding of what it is they're answering, they may not be honest and accurate.

Qualitative Research

This form of research includes qualitative surveys, focus groups and one to one interviews which are used to gain opinion rather than numbers when approaching an audience for a product.

Advantages: 

• Quality information 
• Can ask subsidiary questions 

Disadvantages :

• Relatively  small sample
• Doesn't ensure accuracy the way quantitative research does. Opinions are biased and far more likely to lead to false results.
• Group is small so doesn't have a fair representation of what the entire audience may think.

Audience Research

There are 4 types of audience research:

• Descriptive research: Describes the audience and their characteristics e.g their age and location.
• Analytical research: Tries to gain knowledge of 'how' and 'why'. What are the audiences motives and what causes them
• Predictive Research: Considers 'what if' e.g. what will happen if we change factors
• Tracking research: Long term research that monitors change taking place over time e.g. how have tickets for bands sold over the years.

AS1:Pencil Advert

AS1:Task 5: Regulation in Advertising.

Why is it important? 

Advertising is important to companies to promote their schemes or products. In 2011 alone, companies, charities and the government spent £16 million on advertisement, which just shows how big the advertisement industry is. Regulation ensures that the advertisement is suitable, accurate and not misleading as to what you're going to receive (or give if charity) from the company. Without regulation, information given may either miss out aspects or not be accurate at all.

OFcom/ASA

The Office Of Communications is the government approved regulatory organisation that take authority in broadcasting, telecommunication and postal industries in the UK. They have most of the power in advertising as they have the duty to represent the interests of the consumers and citizens by protecting the public from what could be offensive, like a filter, but also to present the idea of competition. Some of the main areas of OFcom are codes and policies, competition, licensing research and ensuring that the radio spectrum is clear of abuse.
The ASA are connected in advertisement. Ensuring that the advertisement can be trusted for over 50 years now is where the Advertising Standards Authority come in. They're in control of all forms of media, this including: newspapers magazines, billboards, radio and the internet. By monitoring these they can be sure it is legal, decent and honest advertising, and if they fail to conform to these terms the advert is either changed or taken down. However, they do not control sponsorship, phone calls, press releases or shop windows amongst many other things.

Some products are put under specific rules when advertised as to how they can be shown to the consumer, including alcohol, gambling. food and drink, health and beauty products and tobacco. For example, adverts for alcohol always have the 'drink responsibly' disclaimer at somewhere in view as directed by monitoring industry. There are also rules against the obvious offensive concepts such as racism, misleading claims and misuse of children in advertising.

The ASA are also obliged to accept complaints made on advertising and have to run an investigation yo check the decency of the ad. In 2011 over 31,458 complaints were filed for about 22,397 different adverts. It is estimated that 4,591 ads had to be changed or withdrawn with nearly 94% of complaints coming from members of the public. These adverts are judged by the ASA based on the rules of the UK Advertising Code.

In the 1930's a cigarette brand called 'Craven A' released an advertisement photograph that back then would seem appropriate, however was later discontinued when the correlation between smoking and illness was made.

This advert would now be seen as offensive as it promotes the idea that smoking is good for your health: 'For your throats sake smoke Craven A'. The woman in the picture is clearly sporty and healthy, which is a dishonest representation of a true smoker, as they wouldn't necessarily be unhealthy, but they may struggle with ongoing exercise.

1965: Cigarette advertisements banned on TV (cigars and loose tobacco continued to be advertised until the early 90's)

1975: New rules for other types of cigarette adverts introduced along with pre-vetting.

2003: Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 prohibited the promotion of tobacco products, not including rolling papers or filters. 

Other rules of advertising include no promotion of alcohol or sex before 9pm and no false use of actors in the advertisement.

AS1:Task 4:Analysing an advertisement in detail.

ADVERT: Very.co.uk 2013- Definitions
MUSIC: Fineshrine- Purity Ring

In 2013, Very.co.uk released an advert using the style of surrealism to present their new autumn line. This was also one of their stand alone adverts, as Very are known for using fresh ideas every season to keep their company unique, however sticking to their overall concepts. Miss Very, the companies representative figure, is said to have specific characteristics like bright and bubbly, which are portrayed through their advertisements to keep them true to the company. 

As shown by the activities being carried out in this advertisement, and the general age of the people partaking, Very's target audience is young adults looking for the latest fashion to wear when going out for both every day and night activities. 

Overall, the advert doesn't provoke any emotional response as much, but rather the impulse to buy more clothes! When the audience see the women in the last scene outside of a mini cab chain, it may cause association with acts such as going clubbing or out for a meal, therefore they may feel the need to buy a new outfit for the occasion to look as glamorous as the women shown. 

Celebrity endorsement is used here by using famous models who have been in many of their shoots as the main focus in the advertisement. Also, the music used is by popular duo Purity Ring, which would make the advert stand out to their fans (Like meeee). 

In this advertisement, the camera angles are in a swooping motion to show a change of scene. The camera angle used in each scene focuses on a character doing an activity wearing an outfit devised of the companies clothing, whether the angle is face on or from the side, it always has this main focus. Wide angled shots are also used to show others in the background wearing fitting outfits and carrying out their part in the activity.

AS1:Task 3:Styles of TV Advertising

Humour 

The aim of a humour advertisement is to amuse the audience into remembering the company or product. This could be through using animation, a funny storyline or a drastic situation, for example the old spice deodorant adverts, in which we see Terry Crews in funny situations to prove the strength of the product. These adverts are exceptionally amusing due to their drastic content and memorable situations. 

Parody

In parody adverts, an important event, well known music video or a moment in history is usually mocked or recreated in an interesting and generally amusing way to grab the interest of the viewer. Usually these adverts go 'viral', which means they spread around social media quickly, therefore capturing a wider audience and increasing popularity for the product or company. An example is the advertisement for T Mobile which recreates the royal wedding using look a likes in a dance off.  

Shock

Shock advertisements display a complete contrast to the last two examples on this blog. Common concepts in shock advertisements are death, drastic realisations and the general idea of things going wrong. These adverts are usually shown after 9pm due to their explicit content and disturbing images, some even with viewer warnings at the start. An example of the is the MND awareness advert. By using the concept of a young woman slowly becoming more and more disabled, it would encourage awareness to the viewer and convince them to donate to help individuals like Sarah. Warning: this advert is graphic.  

Surrealism

Surrealism adverts are based around the idea of the unrealistic, the shocking and the out of this world concepts to advertise the product. These advertisements bend our reality to give the impression that the product is more than what it is, that it is greater than its contenders. The lynx chocolate body spray is an example of this, as the man in the advert turns into chocolate after using the product, making him 'irresistible' to women. This, of course, doesn't actually happen when you use it. 

Intertextuality 

In these advertisements, a popular character or famous face is incorporated into the advert as themselves using or representing the product. This is to show that the product is appreciated by a higher audience, therefor making it seem more superior and attracting a wider audience. Also, these adverts are memorable for example to Yoda VodaFone Advert. Yoda is used to present the strength of the provider and bring humour, which adds to memorability. 

Repetition 

The idea behind repetition advertisements is to assure the name of the product is stuck in the consumers mind so that when they are in a shop, the first thing they think about when they see something associating with the product is the products name. This can be achieved by showing the product multiple times on one advertisement, or repeating sections of the advert over the course of an ad break. Coca-Cola do this is a majority of their modern advertisements, which of course adds to it's already ridiculously high popularity. 

Sex

You know what they say, 'sex sells', and these advertisements take this concept very seriously. Of course, these adverts aren't allowed to use straight up sexual content, so instead they use the power of suggestion and at worst, subliminal messages. SpecSavers created a parody of a famous Lynx advert, which shows a flock of attractive women in bikinis running to a man who is dousing himself in body spray. By showing these women in skimpy bikinis, it would attract the attention of the intended audience, which is young people in need of glasses, as most people would watch the advert carefully for obvious reasons. 

AS1:Task 2: Forms of Advertisement

Advertisement unit 30 BTEC

Ipod Advert

The Ipod shuffle advert appears to be based around the idea of joy through music, as it shows people dancing and having fun whilst listening to an upbeat tune. My initial reaction to this was positive, as I too enjoy listening to music.
My favourite part of this advert is the idea of using silhouettes as it an original idea and also can be used to show more drastic dance moves, like the guy doing a flip. However, I’m not a fan of the song used in the advert, as I think it would’ve been better to use a more catchy and well-known song to make it memorable.

Realist Narrative

Realist Narrative adverts are created to show a realistic scene of the product being used and present the audience with a ‘realistic feel’.  An example of this is the vintage fairy liquid adverts, which show a mother and her daughter doing the washing up together in a fairly basic kitchen.

Anti-Realist Narrative

The aim of an anti-realist narrative advert is to present the audience with a situation that is clearly ‘made up’ or ‘unreal’.  This could be achieved by using animation, forced situations or set in a different time zone or universe.  An example of this is the Muller Rice advert, which shows a man sitting in his office chair typing when a talking bear appears at his side. The bear then begins to sing a song about the Muller rice pots, before giving the man one, which is clearly a made up situation. This advert is effective as it includes a memorable situation and a catchy slogan.

Animation Adverts

The term ‘animation’ can range from anything to 2D extras and CGI. Animation is widely used to show an impossible situation and to create an unbelievable scene to express the product or company.  The animation usually includes the product within in, for example the Kellogg’s Frosties advert, which features a tiger called Tony attempting to do a high dive. When he is pulled back by his tail and fails to complete the dive, he turns to his ‘emergency’ stash of cereal. Not only does this advertisement make the product seem great, but also it would appeal to mothers and children who eat the product, thus creating a better market.

Documentary Advert

Adverts that focus on more serious situations or a practical product usually use the style of documentary. Documentary is used to document reality, so for example a charity advert would show you the conditions that the sufferers are living in or a sad situation like an abandoned dog to convince viewers to donate. An example of this is the RSPCA advert, which shows a cat locked out of it’s home. The aim here is to pull on the audience’s heartstrings to make them donate to save a cat like the one shown.

Talking Heads 

In talking heads adverts, the person speaks directly to the camera. This is commonly used in charity adverts to make an impact and emphasise what the person is saying and to make them appear more genuine to encourage donations. Mostly, these adverts are widely used to raise awareness and encourage others. The advert below was created by The British Heart Foundation and uses animation and talking heads to create impact. 

Stand Alone

A stand alone advert is used to represent a product using a completely different concept each time. For example, companies use different concepts for every new Christmas advert in order to make it memorable and stand out from the rest. This to me is one of the strongest forms of advertisement as it shows individuality through fresh ideas and presents a concept in a fun way. 

Series

Some companies prefer to use a series of familiar characters and catchy slogans to advertise their product. This means that each new 'episode' presents the product in a unique way, but also can show progression in deals, such as a free teddy when you purchase the companies product.

The Compare the Market adverts are iconic as they have been active on television for over 2 years and are still progressing on, with new concepts each time.

After a few episodes with baby Oleg shown as the main character, the company then progressed on to new offers for a wider audience. 

AS1:Task 1: Introduction.

Hello! This blog is part of my first year of BTEC media and will discuss, explain and criticise adverts,  and help me to create an advertisement at the end of the second section. This is interesting as I will gain the skills needed to go into the advertising industry, which is my fall back if I decide not to become a director.