Advertise / Promote
advertisers use media products to try and sell something to an audience e.g. a printed advert, TV advert, radio advert, website banner. Promotion is subtly different to advertising and may attempt to change habits / behaviour e.g. healthy eating campaign by a government
Educate
media products might be used to increase a person's knowledge, skills or understanding of a particular subject e.g. YouTube video tutorials, audio podcasts, educational apps, ebooks for a particular qualification
Entertain
media products that are enjoyable ways to pass some time eg watching TV, listening to the radio, reading a comic, going to the cinema, playing a computer game
Inform
media products provide information on something based on facts and guidance eg a government information film on preventing Covid spreading or a poster with location and opening times of a museum
Influence
media products used to change or strengthen a person’s thoughts and opinions on something e.g. posts on social media, propaganda, leaflets and TV broadcasts for a political party. Can have a positive or negative influence depending on the aim of the author/creator
3 main considerations when thinking of style, content, and layout.
- What is the type of product?
- What is the intended purpose of product?
- Who are the intended audience?
Colour
Different colours have different meanings see 2.5 They should suit the target audience and intended message. Text and background colours must also contrast effectively eg dark text colour on a light background colou
conventions of genre
e.g. futuristic/genre
formal / informal language
if purpose is to entertain language may be informal but if to inform an older audience would use formal languag
tone of language
important to have an awareness of the target audience and how you want them to engage with the content
positioning of elements
consider how to position elements in order to catch peoples’ attention and promote the product effectively
Style of audio representation
important to know what the key message(s) you want to get across eg in a radio advert / podcast etc
Style of visual representation
links to conventions of the genre chosen – video adverts often have a 3 part structure
Things to think about with style, content, and layout
- colour
- conventions of genre
- formal/informal language
- tone of language
- positioning of elements
- style of audio
- style of visual