SAGE Journal Articles
In an increasingly fragmented media landscape where “narrowcasting” is more often the norm, it is important to teach today's students how to best understand and serve niche audiences. This case study of a Spanish language radio newscast examines student-reported learning and content outcomes, to demonstrate the value of this type of experiential learning about niche audiences. Among the findings, students reported a heightened sense of awareness of topics that are relevant and suitable for their niche audience, and commented on the experiences or tools that best helped them to understand their audience and how to best serve these listeners.
While the ethical credentials of advertising in regard to young people have been questioned for some time, it is intriguing that the same scrutiny has not been directed at the practice of segmentation. Market segments are usually assumed to exist quite independently of the targeting process and are thus not considered within the same agenda as advertising. But what if advertisers influence the formation of segments? In this postulate, firms are not creating a product for a segment but instead are creating a segment for a product. Advertising and segmentation become interlinked and the ethical concerns expressed over advertising must also be applied to segmentation. The article highlights the link between advertising and segmentation and presents empirical evidence that adolescent attitude/value-based segments can be influenced by advertising.