LFTVD - Targeting Audiences

Who are the target audiences of our set texts?

Deutschland 83: 14-49 age demographic, more popular among men and Millennials/Gen X
Stranger Things: 18-29 age demographic. More popular among Millennials which fits with the nostalgic, 80s theme.

How do media producers and distributors market long form television dramas to its audiences?

LFTVD's use similar production techniques to mainstream films to try to attract global audiences:

- use of Hollywood stars such as Winona Ryder in Stranger Things.

- high budgets and production values

- use of mainstream genres to increase accessibility. Stranger Things is a thriller/horror/sci-fi, and comedy (hybridised genre=maximised audience)

Deutschland is a crime-style/military show.

- use of generic hybridity to maximise audience attraction

- development of franchises, so LFTVD's apply as they have multiple seasons.

Do media producers need to use a demographic or psychographic approach to targeting their audience?

Possibly, media producers would need to keep in mind, most significantly, their audience's demographic, so they know what age and gender they are appealing to, and so they can maximise their efforts within this sector, based on the genre and age rating of the media product.

Psychographics are more based on an individual's personality and their values, more than their external attributes that connect an audience.

It is more difficult to appeal to a large audience if people have very different psychographic profiles.

Within the world of marketing, there is a move away from thinking of audiences as fitting into general demographics to thinking of audience as having a psychographic profile.

What five things make up demographics?

Age, gender, race, occupation, social status

What five things make up psychographics?

Values, interests, lifestyle and personality.

Stranger Things

• Predominantly targeted to American audiences.
• Also needs to attract a global audience to maximise profit and justify high budget.
• Therefore, ST uses similar tactics as mainstream Hollywood movies to attract worldwide audiences.
• Stranger Things Politics: Liberal - the show itself does not align with any one political agenda so would not alienate right wing fans.

Deutschland 83

• a Co-production between RTL (German) and Sundance TV (USA)
• First German-language programme to air on American Network
• Relatively high-risk to pitch a foreign-language LFTVD to American audiences but there is precedent in success of dramas like 'The Killing'
• East Germany in the 80s would be an exotic setting for modern American audiences who were brought up on free market capitalism and anti-socialist notions.
• However, the anti-American perspective of both East and West German characters in the drama would appeal to liberal Americans.
• The US 'won' the Cold War.
• The programme offers sophisticated cultural, political and historical tourism for Americans and UK audiences.
• In the UK, shown on Channel 4 at 9pm on Sunday - 1.5 million watched episode 1 live and 2.5 million on catch up.
• This made it the highest-rated foreign language programme.

Targeting LFTVD audiences

• While psychographic audience profiles allow media producers to think more specifically about what their target audience is interested in, they still might need to think about the wider picture that a demographic perspective offers.
• As one of the 'flagship' dramas on Netflix, Stranger Things needs to appeal to a mass audience and therefore, their audience profile better fits a demographic than a psychographic approach.
• Netflix can offer more niche programmes once audience members have been lured into paying the subscription fee to watch Stranger Things.
• Stranger Things appeals to a wide variety of people with generic conventions from sci-fi, horror, romance, teen movies, drama, mystery, action-adventure, social-realism, comedy.
• The show uses 80s culture to attract older audiences looking for nostalgia but also fashion-conscious younger audiences with interest in retro culture.
• As a co-production between commercial broadcasters RTL (Germany) and Sundance TV (USA), the producers of Deutschland 83 still have an interest in making profit.
• However, they can take a more psychographic approach to tailor the show to a specific audience.
• Deutschland 83 is more obviously targeted at men who have an interest in politics, history and sports.
• Predominant focus on spy genre, references to football, anti-American sentiments.

For each trailer, list 5 things which appeal to the drama's target audience:

Stranger Things trailer

1. 80s music radio applies to the nostalgic 80s element for older audience members such as millennial.
2. 80s fashion worn by characters
3. David Harbour talks about the crimes in Hawkins, which hypes up the crime/mystery genre to the audience.
4. Winona Ryder is the star Hollywood actor that will capture the audience's attention and make them want to watch.
5. Non-diagetic sound creates this element of mystery/horror that excites and creates trepidation.

Deutschland 83

1. The use of the 80s song, Blue Monday by New Order, will interest those who like the 80s pop culture.
2. The text used, 'spy' will engage those who like the spy genre. 
3. Attracts their audience by showing them that this show will include subjects such as Capitalism and Communism, and therefore appeals to those who like politics, and this applies internationally.
4. Slight flashes of action creates excitement.
5. Includes historical references that also will appeal to those who enjoy that element in shows.

How do long form television dramas attract a target audience?

LFTVD producers rely on TV channels (Deutschland uses All 4, a PBS) or streaming services to market the programmes (Netflix for Stranger Things), often using cross-promotion from similar programmes. The marketing will have a similar aim to that of film- to create a hype around the programme, word of mouth culminates in the opening of the series (for TV channels) or the availability of the series (for streaming services). However, unlike film, TV channels have a degree of audience loyalty to their ethos and brand image, so they know that the correct scheduling of a new programme will guarantee a certain size and type of audience.