Audience

Analysis
Session Objectives
Appreciate the importance of audience
segmentation in communication
planning.
• Analysis - Who are they? How many will be there?
• Understanding - What is their knowledge of the subject?
• Demographics - What is their age, sex, educational
background?
• Interest - Why are they there? Who asked them to be there?
• Environment - Where will I stand? Can they all see & hear me?
• Needs - What are their needs? What are your needs as the
speaker?
• Customized - What specific needs do you need to address?
• Expectations - What do they expect to learn or hear from you?
Explain the various ways of
audience segmentation

• Socio-economic
• Socio-political
• Access to media
• Behavior and needs
Be able to select, define and
describe a segment.

• Audience selection
• Desired change
• Audience profile
Main Idea

To communicate effectively, we need

to put ourselves in our audience’s
shoes and see things from their point
of view.
Key Ideas
Know Your Audience
We need to segment our audiences
because:
1. We may not have adequate resources.
2. There is a trade-off between reach and
intensity.
3. Different people may have different
needs.
To understand human behavior, we
need to understand both the
individual and social contexts.
Content
How to Analyze Audiences

Step 1 - Audience selection

Select a segment based on your vision and
assessment of the communication situation.
Step 2 - Change Desired
Describe the change you wish your audience
will make.
Step 3- Audience Profile
Describe the audience segment that you
selected.
What is audience segmentation?

Audience segmentation categorizes

audiences into logical groups to
enhance a better fit among
• Audiences
• Messages
• Media
• Service or products
Why segment audiences?

1. Limited resources
2. Trade-off between reach and
intensity
3. Different people may have different
information needs
Different information needs

“One size may not fit all!”

A single campaign may not meet

everyone’s needs.
Audience Segmentation:
Young People in Country X
100

75 Erroneous assumption
Percent
50
All young people are
the same
25

0
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Adapted from Kenya
Age in years DHS1993

(Audience Analysis) CCP CL // ##

Audience Segmentation:
Young People in Country X
100

75 Not Sexually Active

Percent
50

25 Sexually Active

0
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Age in years
Adapted from Kenya
DHS1993
 Audience Segmentation:
Young People in Country X
100

75 Conservative
(Not Sexually Active)
Percent
50
Vulnerable
(Not Sexually
25 Active Sexually Active
Yet)

0
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Age in years Adapted from
Kenya DHS 1993
 Audience Segmentation:
Young People in Country X
100

75 Conservative
NOT SEXUALLY ACTIVE

Percent 50
Not Married
Vulnerable
(Sexually
25 Active)
Married
(Sexually Active)
0
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Adapted from
Age in years Kenya DHS 1993
Effective Communicators

• Identify clearly the specific

audience segments that they aim
to reach
• Seek to understand what their
audiences know, feel and do
Effective Communicators

• Define the perceived benefits

that can move specific audiences
to act.
• Put themselves into the shoes of
their audiences.
What we need to unlearn

1. Health is for all and everyone

should behave the same way.
2. Everyone has the same
information needs.
3. People who behave in the same
way have the same motivations.
Alternative thinking

1. Health is for all but there are many

paths to better health.
2. People may have different
information needs.
3. Similarity of behavior does not
imply similarity of motivation.
Who should be our audience for
maternal health campaigns?
1. Everyone
2. People of reproductive age
3. Married people of reproductive age
4. Females of reproductive age
5. Males of reproductive age
6. Pregnant woman
7. Husband of pregnant woman
8. Father/Mother-in-law
9. Others????
How do we analyze audiences?

1. Audience Selection - Select a

segment.
2. Change Desired - Define segment
change desired.
3. Audience Profile -Describe our
segment.
Select a segment

Who do we want to reach?

Hierarchy of Communication
Effects
90
80%
80
70
60%
60
50
40%
40
30
20%
20
5%
10
0
Exposed to Understand Approve Intend to Act
Message Message message Act
Effective Communicators

• Identify clearly the specific

audience segments that they aim
to reach
• Seek to understand what their
audiences know, feel and do
 Components of Analysis

Situation Shared Vision

Analysis

Current Situation

Program Audience
Analysis Analysis
Components of analysis

What we want Shared vision

The present Current situation

Why the difference? Program analysis

Audience analysis
What is the team trying to achieve?

1. What is the team’s shared vision?

2. What is the current situation?
3. Why is there a difference?
4. What do we need to change to make
the shared vision happen?
5. What key moves do we need to do
to achieve the strategic objectives.
Conventional Segmentation

Socioeconomic Status
• Gender
• Age
• Income
• Education
• Religion
• Urban-rural residence
Conventional Segmentation

• Social-Geographical Units
• Political units
- Towns/Cities
- Provinces/Districts
- Regions
• Language groups
• Ethnic groups
Media Behavior

• Access to media
• Media habits
Innovative Segmentation

• Behavior
• Needs
• Values and Life-styles
Audience Needs and Solutions
Audience Situation
Low knowledge
Low approval
Low individual incentive to act
Low group incentive to act
Low reinforcement
( high dropout rates)
Low client support
Type of campaign needed
Knowledge campaign
Persuasion campaign
Individual behavior change
campaign
Group behavior change campaign
Behavior reinforcement or
maintenance campaign
Client support/advocacy
campaigns
Summary and Conclusions
Main Idea

To communicate effectively, we need

to put ourselves in our audience’s
shoes and see things from their point
of view.
How to Analyze Audiences

• Select a segment based on your vision

and appreciation of the communication
situation.
• Describe the change you wish your
audience will make
• Describe the audience segment that
you selected
Know Your Audience
To understand human behavior, we
need to understand both the
individual and social contexts.
We need to segment our audiences
because:
1. We may not have adequate resources.
2. There is a trade-off between reach and
intensity.
3. Different people may have different
needs.
The weaknesses are in the teams!

In practice, those who do the

analysis usually come from the
research unit. Those who design the
strategy come from the planning unit.

When they do not communicate well,

the whole project suffers.