Demographic – Examples

Example 1 – Mario Lanza Be My Love

An example of this is an album by Mario Lanza called be my love which was my nans favourite song. It can be argued that the main demographic for this recording would belong to socio economic group A (upper class and upper-middle class) within the 5-7 age group (27-70) and skewed toward the female gender. Mario Lanza was a popular operatic singer who made a number of films and whose own operatic hero was Caruso. Opera has often been considered the domain of the upper and upper-middle classes which is often cited for the expense of the productions and the cost of seeing a performance. Further many operas are sung in their original language (often Italian) and are not adapted/translated for the country in which they are being performed. The psychographics typical person who might be associated with this product would be wealthy and enjoy the lifestyle of that wealth.

Their interests may include theatre, opera, art and ballet and socializing on a grand scale for example expensive/exclusive restaurant. Activities could include flying, sailing and shooting. Sports such as golf, tennis, croquet, polo and cricket could also be popular. Health spas and exclusive club could also be considered an activity this social group may enjoy. Opinions within this group would generally be conservative as few would wish to change a system which engenders their privileges. Wealth tends to shepherd the directions of political reforms in a manner that will benefit rather than damage it. Localities enjoyed by the wealthy range from country homes/estates to expensive city residents and foreign homes. Opera has often been regarded as a niche product because of the language and associated costs. However, it could be argued that it is much more main stream than its given credit for. Many of the public would recognise, and enjoy, music from various operas without knowing it’s heritage. The world cup in Italy created a popular interest in a number of operatic performers thanks to the use of Puccini’s Nessun Dorma exceret being identified with the tournament. Indeed Mario Lanza was criticized for singing popular arias rather than performing complete operas in the theatre. It appears some would wish to retrain the exclusivity of operas rather than recognise its historic appeal to the masses.

 

Example 2 – Comic Book Super-Heroes

 

A magazine seeking to encompass sci-fi, super hero movies and Manga/anime enthusiasts is clearly wide ranging in its aspirations. This could be defined in the title by reference to the size of the demographic it hopes to reach i.e. Countrywide, worldwide etc. Alternatively it could be straightforward such as comic book super-heroes or CBS for short. No wait, someone’s already using that. Galactic Guardian might fit the bill instead. Galactic suggests something on a huge scale which is not bound by earth but by galaxies. Clearly indicative of a super hero like superman i.e. from another planet. Guardian can be construed as its literal meaning a protector but also has the association of news journals carrying the same name. So a journal and a protector. Most important the name is short and easy to identify. The cover would require a logo to identify the brand and also pay homage to the fact that all super-hero’s have a logo/symbol. The typeface chosen is important as an identifier e.g. Star Trek has its own typeface but must be easily readable. Invariably the cover will have pictures and descriptors off the important content inside. Therefore, manga/anime images will mix with sci-fi and super-hero boxes to create a visual appendix of the content. A prime image will provide a backdrop for the other stories with the magazine title at the top, price, barcode, and issue number are relatively small and often in the bottom right corner. The use of colour banners to promote information or advertising can be placed around the edges of the magazine. Free gifts and offers often use a star or other symbol to highlight them. The layout of the cover will tend to be replicated each week with the content changing but the look being identifiable colour schemes tend to be followed for continuity of brand identity and are often bright and bold in magazines to create a strong visual impression. In order to get feedback from their readers the magazine can take a number of approaches. It can pay for an independent survey where purchasers of the magazine are asked to pick a multi choice answer to specific questions.

However, this approach can have limited value as the questions can be constructed to elicit the required response and often don’t allow for true opinions. A focus group can be bought together to give opinions on what they (the reader) like or don’t like about the magazine and how it can be improved. The advantages of this are that opinions are being sought rather than a tick box answer. However, an episode of the Simpsons depicted the flaws in focus groups where two opposing opinions can receive unanimous support depending on how a subject is broached. Creating a letters page website will result in some feedback particularly if there is a reward for the best responses. Creating a members club for the magazine and attending conventions may also provide useful feedback for the magazine. However, the best feedback is an increase in sales as they are the quantifier of the success of the magazine.