Production Research

Production Research is the collection and analysis of information for the content and production of a media product. This type of research is essential to the production of a media product, as it provides things such as content, commercial viability and helps to plan the post-production phase. The thorough research and production planning ensure that the sages of work run smoothly and efficiently.It also allows members of the research team to know what resources are needed for the end product and if it would be profitable. Researchers will gather suitable information in the area that they are looking into, for example if they are looking at the budget of a production they will analyse financial documents and look at how another media production phase has handled its finances.If the media product is a game, film or TV production research will involve looking for appropriate content that would appeal to who it is being aimed at. Production research helps the producer think of things to act upon and change during the production phase. The research also allows one to see the types of factors that could affect the production and whether they are controllable or uncontrollable. Some controllable factors are pricing, distribution and content whereas uncontrollable factors are loss of production crew, technology upgrades, competition and economic changes.

Production Research can be conducted through many different research methods including primary, secondary, qualitative and quantitative. A researcher will usually have to conduct it first hand, as the production phase will have to be tailored to suit the needs of the media product being produced. However, if a company has already produced a very similar products they will look at old records and documents to see how to complete the production phase again. However, if the production of a past product they have produced didn't go very well, they may make changes to make the process faster and smoother. While checking to see if there is a good reason to launch a product, they may conduct research such as quantitative and qualitative, asking consumers and researchers about product viability. An example may be during the production of a video game. Researchers will go out and ask people about their opinions on a game while also seeing how other products have done on the market. They will thoroughly analyse all aspects of the production phases, such as money, content and the creation process. This may involve hiring certain people, perhaps who have previously worked on successful games.

The main advantage of production research is that producers gain the knowledge of the resources they will need and how to coordinate the production process. They can also ensure they will not go over budget, break copyright laws or assign incorrect information. Disadvantages of production research is that the sources may be old and unreliable and the production crew may be inexperienced. This along with things such as resource and supply issues could affect the deadline date and the entire production process from going smoothly.

Audience Research

Audience Research is the collection and analysis of information about the target audience for a particular media product or segment of the media industry. Effective and successful media companies will target the right audience and connect/engage with them in an effective way. It is extremely important for a media company to know their target audience and their interests, needs and concerns. This can help them create better content which is more appealing to their consumers. It also involves investigating the extent to which potential customers know of a their particular product or service, or any other similar things on the market.As audience research is looking thoroughly into a target audience the information gathered usually involves details about their attitudes, knowledge, interests, preferences and behaviour. Researchers may also look at a wide range of things including gender, age, ethnicity and income.

 It can, depending on what is being researched, go into even more depth looking at things such as marital status, life cycle stage, class, religion, demographics and geodemographics. Before beginning a project it is essential to conduct audience research to know what appeals to people and if the project is worth taking any further. Due to its extensive nature (usually using primary, qualitative research such as focus groups and surveys) audience research can be consume lots of time and money and so has to be done effectively and be concluded with all answers.

Audience research can change how a product is being created, as results from the research may result in drastic changes which will appeal to more people. The production may then adjust things such as the way it is advertised, created and distributed. Audiences are usually researched using primary methods as they will need to look at the specifics and up-to-date opinions and thoughts. Quantitative research may be needed if the audience is a large portion of people such as a population of a city or country, though qualitative will normally be used if the product is being aimed at a niche market.

Audience research involves looking into the preferences and buying patterns of their target audience, through different types of profiling. A number of classifications are used to describe a media audience. Demographics is used to describe people according to factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, occupation, social class and sexual orientation. Geodemographics are a way of describing a group of people based on where they live such as town, city or even by their post code. A large international organization may even use countries to describe people. Psychographics is a way of describing people based on their attitudes, opinions and lifestyle.

An example of each:

Demographics: Many companies will use this way of describing people as it helps a company narrow a group down to their intended specific audience. As they can implement as many factors as they want, a company will usually be able to gain as much information as possible from this profiling technique.

Geodemographics: If an individual or company is looking to create something such as a regional radio station or newspaper they will look at people in that area and their interests, issues and things such as community relations so, they can subsequently create content that will appeal to the right target audience.

Psychographics: This provides information about a persons lifestyle and their attitudes and opinions about various topics. So, a sports magazine may look at people with healthy lifestyles and who regularly keep fit through different means. They will then try to create content which appeals to as many people as possible.

The advantages and disadvantages of audience research depend on the technique h that is being used to collect it, such as primary, secondary, qualitative and quantitative. It depends on what specifically is being researched about an audience-and its size- that determines which type is used. The main advantage is that it gives a researcher crucial information regarding an audiences likes and dislikes, so they can change their media product or service accordingly. Other advantages include the information being new and giving an up-to-date representation of what is being profiled. The information may also give detailed answers which can be used to create better content. Disadvantages can include things such as the information being out of date or unreliable. More about advantages and disadvantages of research types can be found under their respective titles on this blog.

An example of the class system; a social hierarchy within the UK. Researchers will use this when referring to demographics.

Market Research

Market research 

Market research is where a company/individual gathers information about the market of a product. This generally involves researching about a consumers needs and preferences in the current market. A company looking to launch a new product will look at competitors and what their products are like, including seeing if their is a commercially viable reason to launch it. They will want to make sure their is an economically sound reason to launch something new, so they may look at sales statistics and from that make a rough estimation of what potential revenue is available.Companies that are interested in what the market looks like, will often employ media producers who may then commission companies to undertake research on their behalf. If their are too many products currently aimed at a certain audience, a company may still launch their product as they may believe their's to be superior, offering something that other products do not. A key to launching a 'brand new' product is to see if their is a 'gap in the market', which means that their are no other similar products available and that their is a market for it with significant demand.

An example of where market research would be used is when a company may look to launch a new magazine or newspaper. Unless replacing a newspaper or introducing a subsidiary, a company would not typically launch a new newspaper as all fields are generally covered (tabloid, middle market, broadsheet). In recent years the Sun on Sunday has launched as a large scale tabloid Sunday newspaper was needed (there was a gap in the market) following the closing down of The News Of The World. The newspaper 'i' has also launched as their was a market for a cheap,compact broadsheet newspaper. If I was going to launch a magazine I would look a the current market. An example of two types of magazines are women's gossip and musical-based ones. Depending on the type of magazine, it can be harder to obtain a good position in the market. Many woman's magazines have similar themes and people will most likely buy a magazine that they have bought regularly before. This also applies for musical magazines as they have earned themselves a reputation over the years and are very likely to have a strong, loyal reader base.

To find out the sale figures of a type of a magazine or newspaper, a company could hire someone to research them or find them themselves. This is an example of secondary research. Most of the statistics will be quantitative and only deal with the numbers, but some sites may have more qualitative data which includes things such as demographics, ages and locations. To gain qualitative research a company may do some primary research and use focus groups, interviews and questionnaires to find out what consumers like and
what they want.

A advantage of Market research is that you can see what is currently on the market and if there is a viable reason to launch something. A disadvantage is that in some circumstances some statistics may not be a reliable reason to conclude on the state of a market. For example, there may be many types of music magazines currently on the market but, none have a USP (unique selling proposition). This means that if someone launched a music magazine with a uniqueness and superiority over others on the market, it may waiver current readers from current magazines.

Newsagents sales figures from http://www.betterretailing.com/retailer-resources/top-100-magazines/ . This is a site which aids retailers in what magazines sell best but, a company could use this as market research.

Market research is essential in the media industry if a company wants their product to do well. Without knowledge of the market you are entering and whether or not their is a place for your product will condemn a company to failure.

Quantitative Research

Quantitative Research is a type of research that deals with the quantities of things and involves measuring an amount of data. This type of research involves both primary and secondary research techniques, with results including ratings, circulation and viewing figures. It is usually undertook when a large number of answers are needed and is easier than qualitative research. A researcher will typically ask specific, narrow questions hat require small answers that can be summed up and generalized. This may be in the form of tick boxes or giving short, definitive answers. The results of quantitative research will be useful for understanding relationships among variables found, while also helping to identify common trends. Due to the nature of the research type, the results and data will be easy to analyze. If the type of research is asking people their opinions it must be in a structured way, so that it can produce hard facts and statistics to guide you. To ensure that the results are reliable it is essential to survey people in large numbers, to ensure they are a good, quality representative sample of a target market. The research results can be presented in numerous ways such as tables, graphs and pie charts.

It will often be used to display statistics, which it will do through different methods. These can include short surveys involving closed questions, tally charts and other numerical counting methods. An example of a closed question is below. It is from a Sky Sports News poll asking about the cricket: Will England avoid a series whitewash in New Zealand?

Companies may also conduct quantitative research to see how many people watch their Television Channel or read their newspaper. The former are known as 'ratings' while the latter are known as 'figures'. The NRS (National Readership Survey) covers over 250 of Britain's major newspapers and magazines, showing the size and nature of the audiences they receive. This would help a company looking to start a newspaper/magazine, as they could look to see what is already on the market and how successful they are and whether there is a good reason to launch it. RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research) covers the world of radio, providing listening figures for all major radio stations in the UK. BARB (Broadcasters Audience Research Board) analyzes television viewing figures for over 275 TV channels. It shows the top 10 and also provides summaries for certain topics. For each of the three research companies, much of the data is free but to access certain results, one must subscribe to the website. Below are the results from RAJAR's quarterly listening figures, for the period ending March 2014.

An advantage of quantitative research is that it is much easier to conduct than qualitative research and is subsequently cheaper and less time-consuming. It is also easier to analyze, present and explain due to the data usually being numbers-based or with closed, simple answers. Whenever the data is gathered it can easily be quantified and so can represent a larger population. Disadvantages are prevalent however, as though it isn't as time consuming as qualitative research, it can still take a lot of time to calculate the figures, which usually need to be added up. The type of research also doesn't provide researchers with some essential details, though this can depend on what is wanted. As surveys are short and quick, it is not necessarily going to represent a large population as people may be bias, such as living in a place where they think differently about certain topics such as immigration, politics, sports etc. 

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research involves producing information based on the opinions, views and preferences of different people, appropriate to  the research. It is used to find out what certain individuals and groups think about a media product. The research involved is thorough and seeks to gain as much information from the participating party.  qualitative research is a form of primary research, as it is conducted first hand and isn't gathered through a third party. It may also help with quantitative research as the extensive nature of qualitative research may uncover results which lead to more questions, which can then be relayed to a wider range of people. Examples of types of qualitative research methods are open questions, surveys, focus groups and interviews. These research methods are the type that will gain as much information as possible, as they promote more thoughtful and informative thinking. Qualitative research is a form of primary research as it is being conducted first hand and is usually tailored to fit something specific, so it is nearly always impracticable to use secondary research. However, a researching company may open an old survey or questionnaire that has already been conducted, as its results may be very similar to the ones that they need.

Due to the questionnaire being about beliefs, feelings and individual thoughts, unlike quantitative research, qualitative research cannot be generalized and therefore not quantified. It researches the how and why of answers, not just what, where and when. As it involves looking in depth at how people feel, the research may uncover underlying feelings among the general population which would help the researcher/s get more of an insight into what people want. An example of qualitative research in use is during film preview screenings. An example is from the Ridley Scott film 'Blade Runner'. An early screening had negative responses from the audience and so the film was modified before general release. Subsequently, the edited film became critically acclaimed and remains a very successful use of qualitative research. Qualitative research may also involve giving feedback in the form of a questionnaire to a company or organization. Hospitals are always trying to find out what people want and how they thought of the building and service. Questions will then be reviewed and any concerns which appear commonly will be assessed.

An advantage of qualitative research is that it is thorough and leaves no stone unturned in its quest for answers.This is its main strength- uncovering more about peoples experiences and understanding more about why things are the way the are. It looks deeper than quantitative research by analysing the attitudes, feelings and behaviour of respondents. It allows researchers to look deeper into the target audience and gain a better understanding of the things that they are researching, as the questions allow for more detailed and thoughtful answers. Another benefit of qualitative research is the low cost. As less people are being questioned and undertaking research, the cost wont be as much as less resources will be required. 

A disadvantage is that it may be unreliable in the larger picture, as a small sample of people's opinions ma be biased and not represent the wider populations feelings. However, this can depend on what the research is about and who is taking part. 

Secondary Research

Secondary Research is the collection of data that has already been collected/researched, as opposed to primary research, which involves gathering information first-hand. It is usually conducted by someone else and can be used in conjunction with primary research, as they can support one another depending on the type of research. For example someone may use secondary research to investigate the population of a City 100 years ago and primary research to find out what it is today. Secondary research can be gathered from a  a variety of sources, including newspapers, magazines, journals, the internet, government statistics and libraries. These are examples of external sources. However, if someone has to gather a company's data, he will use internal sources, such as sales reports, accounting records and other documents. What sources a person is using to gather data and information will depend on what they are researching. Government websites also contain data on a wide range of things, such as domestic and international markets, company stock and ratings for radio and TV. Some companies will purposely collect data for a wide range of things to then sell (this will change the research from primary to secondary for the purchasing participant).

Secondary research is used when a researching individual or group requires data that is readily available and is more useful than conducting primary research. All secondary research is from the past and so in many cases is used to compare more modern data (primary research). Some examples of this are various statistics about a country such as mortality rates and population size. A company may also review its monetary situation by comparing older financial reports to newer ones. The NRS (National Readership Survey) is a company that publishes the size and nature of the audiences for over 250 of Britain's biggest newspapers and magazines. It provides the most valued print-based research in the UK. The estimated readership figures can be very helpful for someone looking to launch a new magazine or newspaper, as they can see if there is a 'gap in the market', by looking to see how many similar titles are currently being sold and how well they do.

      A huge benefit of secondary research is that it has already been conducted - saving money and time for the researcher. It is also very easily to get as there are many resources that allow this, such as the internet, libraries and old magazines and newspapers. Some information may also be only available from certain sources and impossible for someone to obtain on their own, such as historical statistics relating to a wide range of things. Most of the research- depending on the source, is usually reliable and accurate. Secondary research may also directly answer and provide information for something that is being researched. This can depend on the level of detail that is needed and the type of secondary sources that are being used.

      However, there are many disadvantages to secondary research. One is that it may not be very reliable, though this depends on the source. If someone is researching information to represent the present, the data may be out of date and too old to accurately represent something. The sources must always be checked for secondary research as they could be biased. Inaccuracies cannot always be checked however, as if the data is years old the resources to check its reliability may not be available. The data may be vague and not clear on what it is saying and so must not be used as a definitive information collection.

This is an example of a statistics table from the NRS covering the website and print of national and regional newspapers.

This is an example of a downloadable slide from the website, displaying statistics in a graphic style.

Primary Research

Primary research is the use of original research to obtain new information. It is used for a specific purpose, as the researcher is trying to get original data.  The style and nature of the research type will involve the researcher going into the market/field to conduct techniques such as surveys, interviews, both in-person and over the telephone/internet and focus groups. Alternatively, a group may pay someone to do the research for them. An individual may even gather research on their own for an extensive range of things, which they will then sell to someone (this will change the type of research from primary to secondary for the purchasing person/group).  Primary research involves getting brand new information, so many companies will use the research method because it generally offers a huge benefit to them. The research is usually conducted once others types of research such as secondary have been expended and there is still a need for more information. The benefit of primary research is that questions in interviews, surveys and questionnaires can be tailored to fit the need of the researcher.

An example of where Primary research would be used is when a company or individual goes out to find out what people want for a certain thing. A representative from a council may go out to find out local people's opinions on a proposed law such as a smoking ban or speed-limit change. From interviewing many people they may be able to decide whether it is appropriate to continue with their law or may change it to lessen the affect it has on the opposing public. Another example of a primary research technique is a focus group, in this case watching the film 'Blade Runner'. After viewing the original cut and not liking it, the director, Ridley Scott, was then able to edit it accordingly to better suit their tastes. This is done as a focus group will feature many people with many likes and dislikes so they will represent the wider viewing public. From this Ridley Scott will be able to make the film appeal to more people. During another unit as part of my course, I along with two students planned a pitch for a TV show, researching similar shows currently airing and their channels, broadcast times and ratings. We created a survey to see what types of shows people watched and enjoyed. We used open questions and questions that required participants to select a detailed answer, as we wanted to gain as much information as possible:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CQZDQK7


An advantage of primary research is that the researching individual or group can tailor questions to fit their exact criteria, so to gain as much relevant information as possible. A researcher can also decide on how to collect their information as may not be the choice with secondary research. They may choose to use questionnaires, surveys, focus groups or interviews depending on what is easiest and most appropriate for the research they are conducting. As you are researching on your own you don't have to rely on other peoples work and can interpret your findings however you see fit. The research will also be up to date and accurate for the location, time and situation the researcher is in.

Disadvantages of primary research involve the fact that it is very costly and in some cases difficult to conduct. This can be seen for things such as surveys as people may not be answering honestly. Also, people's answers may vary depending on the situation they are in. For example if they are involved in a one on one interview they will most likely answer honestly, whereas if they are answering a questionnaire in a busy street with friends, they may answer either quickly with rushed answers or answer questions inappropriately. Primary research can be very time-consuming as it may take a while to compile an appropriate amount of information to a good standard. It can be very costly as many sheets of paper will be need to print off questionnaire and organisation and planning for focus groups will take time and money. Also, depending on the type of research, the results may be out of date by the time the research has been finished.