ABSTRACT
This research in advertising focuses in finding methods to understand the target audience in a design process.
In advertising, what is the most important thing to know?
The answer is very simple; it's to know the target audience. Advertising involves message, conveying to people whose business you would like to gain. It is a form of communication to a specific group of buyers. Successful communication is one the one which succeeds in encouraging or persuading an audience. This form of communication makes its audience take some action.
Following the steps of this research diary:
The answer is very simple; it's to know the target audience. Advertising involves message, conveying to people whose business you would like to gain. It is a form of communication to a specific group of buyers. Successful communication is one the one which succeeds in encouraging or persuading an audience. This form of communication makes its audience take some action.
Following the steps of this research diary:
- Defining the target audience and understanding them through existing design methods.
- Applying design methodologies on an existing practise in reverse order and formalising it.
- Analysing and evaluating the examples.
- Finally, a user centred methodology can easily be developed after completing this research. One can easily produce a good range of design intended to a specific target audience.
RESEARCH
Who is the target audience?
Before creating an effective presentation material whether it's a design or communication we need to establish who the target audience is. For instance, when you write an email you don't sit down and begin typing without first determining who the email will be addressed to. If you are emailing to your mother you will no doubt design the message differently than writing to your best friend. The execution will change and style also changes accordingly to who you are communicating to. The same holds true for your target audience. We first set criteria, although sometime subconsciously to communicate in such a way that audience will accept it. These same principles apply when you are addressing your target audience through advertising. The questions like:
DESIGN DIAGRAM
How did they help to convey the message?
Who is the target audience?
Before creating an effective presentation material whether it's a design or communication we need to establish who the target audience is. For instance, when you write an email you don't sit down and begin typing without first determining who the email will be addressed to. If you are emailing to your mother you will no doubt design the message differently than writing to your best friend. The execution will change and style also changes accordingly to who you are communicating to. The same holds true for your target audience. We first set criteria, although sometime subconsciously to communicate in such a way that audience will accept it. These same principles apply when you are addressing your target audience through advertising. The questions like:
- What kind of profession they are into?
- What are there likes and dislikes?
- What is there lifestyle?
- In what category of age they belong to?
- What kind of music do they listen to?
- What are their choice regarding products?
DESIGN DIAGRAM
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| Followed in Advertising
The above existing design methods to determine the target
audience and their visual preference.
1. It's
about problem solving issues.
2. Analyzing the brief.
3. Defining the problem.
4. Identifying audience: To communicate effectively with the
audience, the design team needs to design specific target
audience. The campaign that tries to relate with the public
at large or not as successful as those that deal with smaller
audiences.
All the suitable solution issues require different elements of
research such as fact finding, locating, recording and
collecting information. It is this stage where the design team
gets to know about the target audience: their likes, dislikes,
interests.
The divergent search thus persuades three main reasons of research:
1. Quantitative Research
The design team take the reference and assess the designs
according to its typeface, type size, and type colour, visual
imaging, ambience and colours. By identifying some
common point through the reference the first conclusion can
be drawn towards the visual language.
2. Qualitative Research
The research includes various kinds of approaches:
- Market research
- Awareness
- Costs
- Historical relevance
- Practical investigation
3. Visualising Research Target: As a part of the visual
research, design team gathers a collection of creative
reference that was designed to appeal to the audience. The
design team asks the team member to cut out images, type,
colours, anything they found appealing. They then pasted
their clippings on to the large sheet of paper to create
“mood boards”. The mood boards helps to decide colour
palette and typeface tests later on in the design process.
After this, the design team set bullet points which should be
covered as criteria, that will be followed the design process
to evaluate the creative outcome.
The first initial ideas based upon information gathered from the number of approaches are investigated on the specific target audiences. Evaluates the creative outcome and the feedback from the target audience and also includes the member of the client organisation.
Final stage, re- evaluating from the criteria and from client feedbacks.
The design team will adopt suitable working procedure to
rework and bring final outcomes.
On the other hand, taking what I have learnt from above and continuing further to identify and understand the preference and reversing it other way from an audience. I looked at one specific ad, worked upon to find out who is the target audience, which is said to be reverse engineering. Ad Campaign for Volkswagen
Aim – Different approach of understanding and communicating with the target audience. Learning outcomes – Understand the target audience and their visual preference.
DESIGN METHODOLOGY MODEL
AD1
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-
Describe: In the visual four ways of
isolated road is shown. The ad is
executed in landscape visual, showing a
remote area in a late night with a full
moon. Played with cool dark blue in the
ambience. In the middle of the road
famous pop star Michael Jackson is
standing in his dance step pointing out in
one direction.
-
Identify: Michael Jackson is standing in
the middle pointing out index finger. The
light on Michael Jackson identifies where the car is coming from.
AD2
-
Describe: In visual 3 repeating the
patterns of showing isolated road going
to four different ways in landscape
visual. A man wearing white suit is
dancing in the centre of the road and
pointing out in a direction.
- Identify: From the famous American movie 'Saturday Night Fever' actor John Travolta is dancing and pointing in a direction.
AD3
-
Describe: In visual 2 same four ways of
isolated roads is shown same in
landscape view. The ad 2 seems to be in
early morning by seeing the light source.
In the middle of the road famous British
rock band vocalist Freddy Mercury is
standing holding a mick at one hand and
pointing out somewhere from the other
hand.
-
Identify: Centre point of the road Famous
vocalist Freddie Mercury is standing
singing and directing in one direction.
Interpret/ Decode: This ad campaign focuses on a type of a product from
Volkswagen which has both navigation and music system
synchronised. As the product is meant for music and
entertainment lovers, this campaign create a very subtle
ambience in all the ads focussing on different times in a
day. In the first ad (AD1) it shows the famous pop singer
Michael Jackson who ruled the music world,with a huge fan
following, standing in the middle of the road at night in one
of his famous dance moves which also gives a feel as if he is
showing us the direction by pointing out finger.
This ad is a perfect example to understand the visual
preference of a target audience as the main characters
shown in the ad campaign are the famous music artists.
Because of which one can easily make out the general
message of the ad. All of them have a strong musical
background and they are also known for their famous
dance moves.
This ad can be related to a certain age group of people who likes to listen music of this genre. It focuses on the people would like this navigation system to be installed in their car and are also related to these singer.
This ad can be related to a certain age group of people who likes to listen music of this genre. It focuses on the people would like this navigation system to be installed in their car and are also related to these singer.
Its a challenge to demonstrate the ability on the same basic
concept of product benefit but on the other hand mapping
on a different age group.
Further getting into the ad:
If we need to reconstruct the same ad for the younger
generation especially the young drivers on the road, for the
18 year old age group, the ad will be more meaningful and
favourable to them only if I use famous contemporary music
artists who are known for their own dance moves and
music. If we do this ad campaign again specifying current
generation and by taking music artist according to their
preferences,we can achieve it by keeping the same visual of
the ads and replacing the artist.
Doing a market survey is the best way to know what your target audience is thinking and what they’ll respond to. The most effective way to know them better is to make focus groups, so consider ways to conduct individual interviews if possible. But since time period and funds don’t always allow for this, we can turn to social media instead for this type of one-on-one engagement by posting polls on Facebook and Twitter, posing questions to your LinkedIn groups, emailing and more.
Reconstructing the ad after studying the preferences of the current generation I short-listed 3 music artists and replaced in it existing ad.
Learning outcome: By understanding the current generation through market survey knowing their interests, lifestyle, likes and dislikes. The communication focus has changed by replacing the artists. Everybody might know them but its just the current generation who follow them.
SUMMARY
After completing this research I have developed methods on how to understand our target audience using different modes of communication like social networking site, personal interviews, market surveys etc. After the research stage the task is to respond to their preferences based on the market survey. One of the most important aspect in this stage is to make the design appealing so that the audience targeted can easily relate to it. A successful campaign will easily reflect on the sales of the product. I believe a combination of theme, concept and message all together contribute to make an ad successful.
LEARNING OUTCOME
Further getting into the ad:
- Rationalizing it who might buy the car
- Who can relate to these artists?
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| Moodboard |
Doing a market survey is the best way to know what your target audience is thinking and what they’ll respond to. The most effective way to know them better is to make focus groups, so consider ways to conduct individual interviews if possible. But since time period and funds don’t always allow for this, we can turn to social media instead for this type of one-on-one engagement by posting polls on Facebook and Twitter, posing questions to your LinkedIn groups, emailing and more.
Reconstructing the ad after studying the preferences of the current generation I short-listed 3 music artists and replaced in it existing ad.
Learning outcome: By understanding the current generation through market survey knowing their interests, lifestyle, likes and dislikes. The communication focus has changed by replacing the artists. Everybody might know them but its just the current generation who follow them.
After trying and testing how much the preference of a target audience matters, I have tried to analyse
what if the message is changed? To analyse this thought of mine, I have taken the ads reconstructed by
me and changed the background showing the hustle bustle life of the New York city. By doing this the
target audience just shrinks to a specific region instead of focussing on the global audience. Therefore,
it clearly proves how much a visual matters to convey the message to the audience targeted.
After completing this research I have developed methods on how to understand our target audience using different modes of communication like social networking site, personal interviews, market surveys etc. After the research stage the task is to respond to their preferences based on the market survey. One of the most important aspect in this stage is to make the design appealing so that the audience targeted can easily relate to it. A successful campaign will easily reflect on the sales of the product. I believe a combination of theme, concept and message all together contribute to make an ad successful.
LEARNING OUTCOME
-
Define the target audience and understand them through
existing design methods.
-
Analyse how the visual preference change by changing
the target audience.
-
Evaluate existing method in the design process.
