Audience Theory Research-

Demographics and Psychographic.

Demographic:

Demographic means the information that is used by media markets to classify an audiences age, gender,

race and multiple other categories. These demographics are separated into particular bands and people are categorised into different bands

depending on their jobs or status.

The Different Bands people can be categorized in:

A Higher management, bankers, lawyers, doctors and other professionals.

B Middle management, teachers, creative and media people e.g. graphic designers.

C1 Office supervisors, junior management, nurses, specialist’s clerical staff- white collar workers.

C2 Skilled manual workers, plumbers, builders- blue collar workers.

D Semi-skilled and unskilled manual workers.

E Unemployed, students, pensioners, casual workers.

Psychographics

The different psychographics are divided into different groups which is based on social class,

lifestyle and personality characteristics. Individuals base psychographics on assumptions that different

types of products or brands people purchase tend to reflect that individuals characteristics and patterns of

living.

Psychographics categoriesMainstreamers Seek Security. Tend to be domestic, conformists, conventional, sentimental- favour value

for money family brand. The largest groups.

Aspirers Seek Status. Materialistic, acquisitive, orientated to image and appearance, persona and fashion. Typically younger people.

Succeeders Seek control. Strong goals, confidence, work ethic and organisation. Typically higher management and professionals.

Resigned Seeks survival. Rigid and authoritarian values. Interested in past and tradition. Typically older people.

Explorers Seeks discovery. Energy, individualism and experience. Values difference and adventure. Typically a younger demographic.(students)

Strugglers Seeks escape. Alienated and disorganised. Few resources beyond physical skills. Buys alcohol, junk food, lottery tickets. Typically lower demographic.

Reformers Seeks enlightenment. Freedom of restrictions and personal growth. Social awareness and independent judgement. Anti- materialistic but aware of good taste.

Applying these theories to gangster films

I think films with a gangster genre/ theme will be aimed at women and men from the ages of 15+ and could be aimed towards any of the bands from the demographic

and psychographic categories as most gangster films tend to try and cover a wide demographic so get more audience into the cinema. However I think it would be

aimed more towards men as they would watch gangster movies more because they tend to enjoy the narrative, action and violence within the film more as they have

more of an interest towards films that contain action and violence.However not all gangster films apply to everyone because not everyone may enjoy

watching a movie with such aesthetics because they don’t see it as interesting . Furthermore not all the people from the different demographic bands may enjoy or

even understand a gangster movie. This is also the same with the psychographic bands as people from the different bands may not find gangster films appealing for example mainstreamers may not find gangster films enjoyable as they don’t posses characteristics in their personality that would find a gangster film interesting. Also as they are more family oriented they may enjoy more family friendly films without

violence or action such as Disney movies.