Audience Segmentation Research Articles

Evaluating connections between personal well-being and adoption of landscape best management practices: An audience segmentation study

Integrated pest management and outdoor water conservation comprise key practices encouraged by nonformal educators who work with the public to address significant issues related to water quality and availability. Disconnects among diverse audiences and educational programs pose challenges in achieving the goals of these types of programs. To discern a potential nonformal educational programming strategy, we conducted audience segmentation research incorporating residential environmental landscape best management practices and compared resulting subgroups' characteristics. We explored this paradigm through the context of Extension education and used a nationally-distributed electronic survey instrument to measure well-being and landscape management perceptions and practices in the United States. We collected 2601 complete survey responses and employed cluster analysis to divide the respondents into homogenous subgroups, followed by analysis of variance and chi-square analyses to identify differences among the subgroups. The group that indicated the highest level of engagement with water conservation and IPM practices also had significantly higher well-being, demonstrating the potential to align IPM education with more commonly promoted conservation practices. Membership in the highest IPM and water conservation group was related to several socio-demographic characteristics, including age, homeownership, and homeowners’ association membership. This group was also most likely to engage with educational programs. Understanding these indicators of engagement in landscape best management practices and nonformal education, along with higher well-being, may be useful in determining target audiences and potential engagement with nonformal education programs.

Managing Demand-Side Water Conservation in the United States: An Audience Segmentation Approach

The availability of fresh water affects public health and living standards around the globe, yet water resources are being rapidly depleted by unsustainable human activities. Strained freshwater resources will perpetuate unless the public is made aware of the severity of water scarcity issues. Audience segmentation, used frequently by environmental communicators to target unreached groups, is a social marketing strategy that segments audiences with shared characteristics to inform the development of effective communication messages. The purpose of this study was to determine characteristics of audience segments based on their level of water conservation behaviors. An online survey of the United States general public captured levels of water conservation behaviors based on how consumers prepare to vote on policy and intent to engage in water conservation behaviors. Cluster analysis resulted in two audience segments: lower water conservation and higher water conservation. Further analysis indicated significant demographic differences between the segments. The lower water segment presented less education, more moderate or conservative political beliefs, and lower family income levels than the higher water segment. Communication messages for the lower water segment should align with these characteristics, including using less scientific verbiage, linking moderate and conservative perspectives with water conservation, and emphasizing economic gain/loss.

Is It Digital Entrepreneurship? Designing a New Sport through Audience Ethnography

In designing a brand-new sport, do basic tenets of digital entrepreneurship such as ‘solve a user problem’ apply? How is it possible to understand who the potential audience might be for a product and experience that does not yet exist in a Culture Industry such as sports? The paper examines the beginnings of an Australian startup with an early-stage product in the sports and entertainment industry and its use of digital ethnography to investigate key audience segments. The process of audience development occurred alongside the prototyping and testing of a high-tech product that is central to the sport. As the product underwent iterations of development and release, audience interaction with the product was tracked through social media. Discourse analysis of audience engagement with the product on Facebook was conducted to inform a series of user personas that indicated a heavy male bias in the future audience. In exploring the intersection of sports, Cultural Industries and digital entrepreneurship, the paper concludes with observations of how this case challenges each of those notions through the process of ‘starting up’.

More than a Modern Day Green Book: Exploring the Online Community of Black Twitter

The Negro Motorist Green Book was a tool used by the Black community to navigate systemic racism throughout the U.S. and around the world. Whether providing its users with safer roads to take or businesses that were welcoming to Black patrons, The Negro Motorist Green Book fostered pride and created a physical network of safe spaces within the Black community. Building a bridge between this artifact which served Black people for thirty years and the current moment, we explore Black Twitter as an online space where the Black community navigates identity, activism, racism, and more. Through interviews with people who engage with Black Twitter, we surface the benefits (such as community building, empowerment, and activism) and challenges (like dealing with racism, appropriation, and outsiders) on the platform, juxtaposing the Green Book as a historical artifact and Black Twitter as its contemporary counterpart. Equipped with these insights, we make suggestions including audience segmentation, privacy controls, and involving historically disenfranchised perspectives into the technological design process. These proposals have implications for the design of technologies that would serve Black communities by amplifying Black voices and bolstering work toward justice.

Predictors of Anti-Asian Xenophobia During Covid-19: Towards Developing Targeted Intervention Campaigns

Anti-Asian xenophobia (AAX) spiked during Covid-19, exacerbating health disparities among affected groups. This study uses data from a national survey to identify predictors of AAX to enable targeting of audience segments and effective messaging to counteract Anti-Asian attitudes and behaviors. Using Intergroup Threat Theory (ITT) to pinpoint possible predictors, we find that situation specific variables such as favorability toward Trump and information seeking and avoidance behaviors consistently predict higher levels of AAX. Individual differences like being female, well-educated, and having a high tolerance for ambiguity are negatively related to AAX.

Post-Legalization Drug Communication: Examining a Colorado Cannabis Campaign

Colorado legalized marijuana use for recreational purposes by adults over 21 in 2012. Our goal is to examine the first major communication campaign (called Good-To-Know) mounted by the state government with the objective of informing the public regarding regulatory and safety precautions surrounding newly legal use. Methods: We assess the content of campaign’s central messaging qualitatively by comparing its major themes in terms of criteria developed from the literature and the campaign’s own goals. Results: With minor exceptions (lack of audience segmentation; limiting the focus to generating knowledge) Colorado’s Good-To-Know campaign rates well when assessed against specific criteria for effective drug communication campaigns as well as its own goals. Conclusions: We conclude that although there were minor limitations to this campaign, policy makers and activists should think proactively about messaging content in states where legalization is imminent. And that more research on legal drug use messaging needs to occur.

Структурные основания взаимодействий в онлайн-играх

The article examines the structural foundations of interactions between gamers in online games on the example of the youth segment of Russian audience of computer games. The analysis of the main elements of in-game mechanics structuring the communicative interactions of gamers in online games is carried out on the basis of the B. Latour’s actor-network theory, allowing us to consider the game as an actor of socio-technical interactions. According to the results of the author’s research conducted in 2019–2020 by means of online questionnaires, the mechanisms of long-term and short-term association of players in online games are highlighted and the structural bases of their interaction are characterized: the dominant and secondary motives of group formation in video games, the factors of prolongation of contacts between players. It was revealed that gamers give preference to short-term gaming teams with a free exit. A long-term play group is recruited from people who know each other, with whom they maintain contacts in everyday life while playing is perceived as a form of joint leisure. It is shown that an online game creates a field for active construction of new social connections between the members of the gaming community. The potential of the possibilities of including game mechanics and “non-human” actors in new forms of gamification of education is outlined.

Framing Youth Vaping Prevention Messages: The Role of Uncertainty Tolerance

ABSTRACT Vaping is the most prevalent form of tobacco use among youth in the United States. Motivated by the certainty effect in prospect theory, this study investigated the role of uncertainty tolerance as a potential moderator of the effects of gain- vs. loss-framed text messages for youth vaping prevention. Youth susceptible to future vaping (N = 536) were randomized to view a series of eight gain- or loss-framed text messages about the health consequences of vaping. Cognitive and affective responses to the messages as well as beliefs, attitude, and intentions about vaping were assessed post-exposure. Results showed an overall advantage of the loss frame on several outcomes. Additionally, an interaction between framing and uncertainty tolerance was observed for most outcomes such that the loss frame was more effective for those high in uncertainty tolerance, while the gain frame held a slight edge for those low in uncertainty tolerance. Findings from this study have implications for further engaging prospect theory in message framing research. They may also inform audience segmentation and targeted message design for youth vaping prevention efforts.

A new approach to audience segmentation for vaccination messaging: applying the anger activism model

PurposeThis study aims to use the anger activism model as an audience segmentation tool in the context of the anti-vaccination movement.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional survey was conducted with a national purposive sample (N = 438).FindingsThe group with high anger, strong efficacy (i.e. “activists”) was found to be more likely to engage in information seeking and was more accurate and defense-motivated when examining information about anti-vaxxers compared to other groups. Importantly, activists were more likely to engage in both low and high commitment behaviors to change vaccine policy.Originality/valueAs anti-vaxxers have proven to be difficult to change attitudinally, future campaigns are more likely to succeed if they leverage pro-vaccine audiences to fight for change. However, the understanding of the various segments within the pro-vaccination audience is limited. The data are discussed regarding leveraging high anger, strong efficacy audiences as change agents in future persuasive campaigns.

Using Social Marketing to Promote Preventive Behaviors Related to COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus, a newly discovered coronavirus, the best strategy to deal with the infection is prevention aimed at reducing transmission in the community. This article aimed to using effective behavior change strategies are needed to control COVID-19. Social marketing facilitates the acceptance, rejection, modification, abandonment, or maintenance of particular behaviors by groups of individuals, often referred to as the target audience. The six-benchmark criteria for social marketing interventions include Behavior change, Customer research, Audience segmentation Marketing mix, Exchange, Competition. Social marketing can promote healthy behaviors. Perceived benefits of the preventive behaviors can be considered. Besides, media, advertising, and other methods to reach out to the consumers to inform and encourage them should be considered. For this purpose, a slogan and a logo should be designed and installed in all educational interventions and media such as posters, pamphlets, face-to-face training sessions, group discussion sessions, telephone counseling, and videos. Advertising using celebrities covering their faces with masks can persuade people to wear face mask. To promote health behaviors, professionals should pay attention to the segmentation of the target audience before providing any service. All plans should be piloted before implementation. Besides, information sources should be organized, and media that should be used to inform the target audience should be identified.

Reaching racial/ethnic and sexual and gender minorities with HIV prevention information via social marketing

The Pre-exposure Prophylaxis, Data to Care, Implementation, and Evaluation (PrIDE) multi-site demonstration project utilized a cluster evaluation approach and identified six funding recipients that evaluated similar media evaluation questions (Baltimore, Los Angeles County, Lousiana, Michigan, New York City, and Virginia). All of the evaluated social marketing campaigns were developed in collaboration with health department staff, external marketing firms, and community advisory boards (CAB) aiming to produce changes in PrEP outcomes by reaching racial/ethnic and sexual and gender minorities. Jurisdictions demonstrated changes in PrEP awareness, knowledge, willingness to take PrEP, and/or PrEP literacy following initiation of the campaigns. In data from four sites, PrEP awareness significantly increased from 72 % at baseline to 86 % at mid-project, and to 90 % post-campaigns. The campaigns illustrate the importance of partnerships and stakeholder engagement, audience segmentation, and intentional evaluation planning. As PrEP services mature, evaluating PrEP demand and PrEP use resulting from campaigns, will be necessary. Also, future campaigns for racial/ethnic and sexual and gender minorities should identify the best channels to reach each group based on their input, disaggregate data by priority group, and determine campaign effectiveness.

Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, intentions and behaviours of Australian Indigenous women from NSW in response to the National Cervical Screening Program changes: a qualitative study

Background: Indigenous women in New South Wales Australia are nearly four times more likely to die from cervical cancer than non-Indigenous women due to lower screening rates. We aimed to understand Indigenous women's cervical screening awareness, behaviours, knowledge, perceptions, motivators and barriers since the December 2017 National Cervical Screening Program changed to HPV testing, new screening age and screening interval, and introduced the new self-collection test.Methods: A qualitative study was conducted with 94 Indigenous women 25 to 74 years of age across metropolitan, regional and remote New South Wales. A team of six specialist researchers conducted the fieldwork, analysis and reporting. All data were coded thematically.Findings: Participants showed limited awareness of the renewed cervical screening program and the role of cervical screening in cervical cancer prevention, with most having a strong negative attitude towards cervical screening. Several motivators and behavioural barriers to screening were identified into four audience segments based on key characteristics. Most participants eligible to self-collect were unwilling to, due to concerns they would administer it incorrectly, injure themselves or have to return for a more invasive test.Interpretation: This study demonstrates the complex and heterogenous nature of attitudes and behaviours, among Indigenous women and highlights the intrinsic negative attitudes and social norms that are currently shaping community discourse and ultimately limiting screening. Our findings support the need for enhancing positive sentiment and community advocacy.Funding: Cancer Institute NSW Cervical Screening Program

Can an indigenous media model enrol wider non-Indigenous audiences in alternative perspectives to the ‘mainstream’

This paper offers a theoretical model to analyse an example of Indigenous media through an Indigenous lens and discusses its potential to increase audiences in other alternative media. Adapted from New Zealand Māori filmmaker and philosopher Barry Barclay’s idea of the ‘fourth cinema’ and a metaphorical ‘communications marae’, 1 the model has been applied to New Zealand’s Indigenous broadcaster, Māori Television. This article discusses the model and suggests that the ‘communications marae’ has the potential to be used by non-mainstream media providers to, not only address their own audiences, but also to enrol wider communities in alternative perspectives to the ‘mainstream’. Research has demonstrated how Indigenous broadcasting can serve its own audience while also attracting wider, non-Indigenous audiences. However, this paper’s focus is a case study of migrants engaging with Māori Television because it is migrants who frequently operate outside of established power relationships and represent an often unrecognised niche audience segment in mainstream media. The model demonstrates the potential pedagogical role of the broadcaster and how its content can make a positive difference to migrants’ lives and attitudes towards Indigenous people through its ability to counter the, often negative, representations of Indigeneity in mainstream media. Outside of Māori Television, migrants have limited access to an Indigenous perspective on the nation’s issues and concerns, which calls into question both democracy and migrants’ ability to engage in civic society. Migrants need information to negotiate and weigh up important tensions and polarities, to understand multiple perspectives inherent to democratic living and to evaluate issues of social justice and to solve problems based on the principles of equity. Indigenous media, as in all alternative media, has a role to play in questioning or challenging accepted thinking and to present counter hegemonic discourses to all citizens in participatory democratic societies.

Technical content marketing along the technology adoption lifecycle

This article provides an overview of technical content marketing and examines the audiences and messaging for technical product messaging, which differ from general consumer products. Notably, technical products, particularly those in innovative categories, require a varying marketing strategy throughout the technology adoption lifecycle as products appeal to customers with different attitudes towards technologies. Especially, content marketing for innovative technologies requires an understanding of the technical consumers' (or audiences') psychological motivations and needs, which have yet to be reviewed in the technical communication literature. In this article, the foundations of marketing innovative technical products are explored, with a specific focus on the messaging strategies as it changes to educate and persuade different categories of technology consumers during different phases of the technology adoption lifecycle. For new technical products and categories of products, the messages and channels of information evolve as the technical innovation progresses from the early market to a mainstream market, with both requiring adaptation to different audience segments and in response to emerging competitive pressures. For the majority of technical innovations, the technical content marketing strategy and messaging is a long-term investment for change to reach different consumer groups at the appropriate stage of the technical product life cycle.

Using social media audience data to analyse the drivers of low-carbon diets

Low-carbon lifestyles are key to climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and keeping the Earth in a safe operating space. Understanding the global feasibility and drivers of low-carbon lifestyles requires large scale data covering various countries, demographic and socioeconomic groups. In this study, we use the audience segmentation data from Facebook’s advertising platform to analyse the extent and drivers of interest in sustainable lifestyles, plant-based diets in particular, at a global level. We show that formal education level is the most important factor affecting vegetarianism interest, and it creates a sharper difference in low-income countries. Gender is a strong distinguishing factor, followed by national gross domestic product per capita and age. These findings enable upscaling local empirical studies to a global level with confidence for integrated assessments of low-carbon lifestyles. Future studies can expand this analysis of social media audience data to other consumption areas, such as household energy demand, and can also contribute to quantifying the psychosocial drivers of low-carbon lifestyles, such as personal and social norms.

Understanding the luxury purchase intentions of young consumers: a qualitative analysis

PurposeThe study intends to investigate the key purchase drivers of luxury brands in India. Given that a major segment of this target audience is the young consumers, the study focuses on determining these antecedents of luxury purchase from a young Indian consumer lens.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses an interpretive research position, employing qualitative techniques in the form of in-depth interviews. In total, 62 respondents were interviewed, and later the transcribed interviews were analyzed using content analysis.FindingsThe study identifies the three main value dimensions that contribute to the final purchase decision: functional, social and emotional. The study also highlights the importance of Internet and web for luxury brands and how young Indian consumer consumes luxury online.Originality/valueResearch on luxury brands is still at a nascent stage. Though variables such as economic value, brand origin, social identity, prestige, self-congruity and so on have been examined in the context of luxury brands in prior studies. However, these studies are restricted because either they were product-specific or actual users of luxury brands were not approached as the sample. Most importantly none of these studies reflect the purchase behavior of young consumers in an emerging market, especially India. Given the growth of luxury brands in India, it would be worthwhile to investigate the factors influencing the customer purchase intention of luxury brands in emerging markets.

Communication Strategy of Relationship Chat Account Manager in Managing the Follower

Each social media account created by users has its own purpose and meaning,. That is to attract the sympathy of the audience, Just like in real world, humans cannot live without socializing and interacting each other. This research was designed to find out the communication strategy of social media account managers in managing followers. This study used an interactional communication strategy with qualitative descriptive method. The results showed that the communication strategy used to manage the "chat relationship" account is the interactional communication strategy. This model had been used because followers have different backgrounds, knowledge, experiences, and cultures that affect each person in interpreting message. There are many factors as key success to running an online-based business through social media "relationships chat" account in order to increase followers loyalty in accordance with the strategy adopted by the account managers. Several management strategies had been applied such as a presentation to the audience, audience segmentation, consistency in providing entertainment to the audience, consistency of the characteristics and features needed, constantly looking for the latest entertainment innovations, communicating directly with consumers to support activities, and creating cooperation between account managers are being the key success to gain sympathy and loyalty from followers.

Chileans, climate change and the natural environment: An audience segmentation study

Hasta la fecha, en América Latina, las investigaciones sobre las dimensiones humanas del cambio climático son aún escasas. Para aportar a este campo, se realizó un estudio de segmentación de audiencia en Chile, que buscó explorar distintas perspectivas sobre este tema, utilizando datos de una Encuesta Nacional (n = 2170). Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría de los chilenos expresan altos niveles de preocupación y están de acuerdo en que el cambio climático está sucediendo y es causado principalmente por acciones humanas. Por otro lado, se encontraron diferencias en cosmovisiones, comportamientos, y percepciones de control, entre otros factores, permitiendo la identificación de tres grupos: pragmáticos, neoliberales y ambientalistas. Estos resultados pueden contribuir a diseñar estrategias de comunicación más efectivas para aumentar la concienciación y la acción climática.

Factors that Affect the Satisfaction of Viewers Watching TVRI

The dynamics of the television industry require each TV station to display the best programming to bind its loyal viewers. TVRI as public television continues to strive to tie the loyalty of viewers by presenting the best programs. However, efforts to present the best programs on TVRI caused some problems later in life. This study aims to analyze TVRI audience satisfaction based on tvri viewers' direct assessment, by measuring satisfaction levels, analyzing factors that affect satisfaction, and analyzing tvri audience performance levels and interests. The indicators used to measure satisfaction in this study are program, motivation fulfillment, broadcasting quality, and program packaging. The results showed that respondents were satisfied with TVRI's performance with a satisfaction rate of 88.82%. Factors that significantly affect satisfaction are motivational fulfillment and program packaging. Meanwhile, although the program is a product sold by TV stations, in this study the program had no effect on viewer satisfaction. The main focus that must be improved by TVRI is the packaging of the program, which is the form of studio set display, supporting properties, and presenters. TVRI must also adapt to the needs of the audience in packaging the show, namely with the latest look, fresh and innovative creative ideas to provide a new experience for the audience, not only the broadcast of nostalgic programs that are repackaged, in order to achieve the target audience segment. Keywords: Factors, TVRI, Viewer Satisfaction.

Looking into individual choices and local realities to define adaptation options to drought and climate change

Climate change adaptation choices defined by local communities reflect individual risk perception and contextual factors. This study examines how local contextual environmental factors contribute to individual choices for adapting to water scarcity in three locations in central Spain. The study evaluates citizens' choices by audience segmentation and explore the role of geographical location in segments’ engagement with adaptation and adaptation measure preference. The results of the analysis of the effect of local experience support the findings of other studies that suggest that local experience is linked to risk perception but does not necessarily drive adaptive behaviour. The results suggest that respondents from most degraded areas show a higher local risk perception, but do not show homogeneous commitment to adaptation. The results also indicate differences over adaptation measure preferences across locations. Respondents of less degraded areas have a lower risk perception and show individualistic responses as compared to respondents in water stressed communities. These results highlight the relevance of local experience-driven risk perception in support to adaptation actions. Spain exemplifies many countries in southern Europe and North Africa, where drought is already a challenge to society and it is affecting an increasing number of people.