Audience Research

In researching potential ways to categorize demographics, I found a few different methods which could help to give an insight into my audience.

ABC1 C2DE - Demographic Profiling

The first way of identifying a demographic I found was the ABC1 C2DE form, which bases different groups upon the social class of the audience. Applying this to the genre of rap music, I think that it would focus most upon the C2, D and E sections. This represents the working class section of the system. The reason I think that this would apply particularly to rap music is because a big part of rap is talking about the money you've made and often how hard you worked to make it. This would clearly resonate more with the working class, who would struggle more with money and can relate to the messages shared in the song.

However, one flaw with this method of profiling is that it is quite vague and even the most specific category can encompass a wide range of different people from different cultures. A method of profiling which is more specific and could help to identify a target market more precisely is The Four Cs (Cross-Cultural Consumer Characteristics). This method has four different groups:

Mainstreamers - Largest demographic, made up of those who prefer well-recognised brands.

Aspirers - People who are looking to improve themselves; often associating themselves strongly with the ideologies of high status brands, almost hoping that people will connote this high status with them.

Succeeders - People who feel in control and reinforce this feeling through their music

Reformers - 'Idealists' who buy into brands that are environmentally responisble.

A development of this is the individual; somebody who expects high production quality from the brands they buy into.  

Evaluating these, I don't think any of the demographics are a perfect fit to the genre rap, but I think there are elements that can still be useful when developing the idea of our demographic. For example, mainstreamers will overlap with rap often, as the genre has broken into popular culture amongst young people; the use of the word yolo was popularized through a rap song. Aspirers partially apply too. The idea of people looking to improve themselves is something rap listeners may be able to relate to. Although, succeeders arguably fit best. The genre of rap is something that can often be very empowering and this could help to create a feeling of control.

Another method of profiling demographics is the Life Matrix segments. Unlike The Four Cs, in this case one particular category stood out to me as far as the rap genre goes. The struggling singles category (high aspirations, low economic status) seems to fit in perfectly with the demographic of rap, which is in my mind ambitious young people in adverse situations, 

To summarize, one thing that my audience research has taught me is that a very strong demographic for rap music is the working class. Furthermore, the ideas of rap listeners wanting to improve themselves and having high ambitions is something that also fits in with my understanding of the rap genre. Therefore, adding elements to my video which appeal to these desires may help to make it more successful. A simple way to do this which is seen in most conventional rap videos is to have money shown in the video, and if suitable this would be a good way to appeal to my demographic.