Demographics/Grading system analysis

Demographics are key to the creation of a magazine. This system allows journalists and editors to create a specific target audience within that demographic.

Demographics arrange people into six categories or classes.

These are:

·         Age

·         Gender

·         Social Class

·         Location

·         Sexual Orientation

·         Religion

It is said that everybody fits into this Social Class system (above), which ideally places people based on their occupation and wealth.

This is also key to the creation of the magazine as it allows the editors to choose the price and quality of the magazine based on the class they have chosen. For example: Vogue won’t be aimed towards people of a lower class as it is expensive at £4.10 and the quality of the magazine proves this.

For example: The newspaper, ‘The Sun’ aims itself at the working classes, C1, C2, D and E. This is because the newspaper is very inexpensive and the people who read it value entertainment over information. Also, most of the Sun’s advertisements are coupons or special offers that can intentionally save the readers money. These things would not be offered to people of a higher social class so those offers are targeted towards the people of a lower social class.