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Easy as A B and C1's
A really quick introduction to what demographics are and the existing ways they are divided up.
Understanding demographics is a key to getting an idea of what your target audience wants.
All kind of groups use demographics to help focus products to certain markets. At basic level they group by sex, age and income. But actually demographics work better when you look at less quantitative groups - attitudes and aspirations.
A simple way of measuring people is to use the National Readership Survey's social grade definitions, which are now widely used for all sorts of reasons. These definitions are A, B, C1, C2, D and E - and range from professional (in its true sense) as A through to the lowest grade workers and pensioners at E. Although these are primarily a measure of income, they also help define the different values of different groups; A, B and C1s are far more likely to buy a broadsheet newspaper than those who fall in C2, D and E categories.
If you take these measures at face value then students would probably fit in the D or E category. But a lot of students come from families who fit in A, B and C1 categories and share the same values as them. And it's worth look at their earning potential, which would class them in those higher-end groups.
I wouldn't spend ages worrying about classing your listeners into those particular groups, but it's worth bearing in mind the demographic you are targeting. Commercial radio generally targets the C1, C2 and D categories - they are the ones who are most likely to respond to direct-sell advertising (people in A and B categories are far more likely to research various options before parting with their cash).
Lower socio-economic groups are far more likely to be worried about "keeping up with the Joneses" and therefore are far more likely to spend on credit and take out loans to buy goods and services. Again, less confidence in dealing with money and a higher demand for instant gratification means they are less likely to shop around or research the true cost of financial products on offer. It is aspirational, and advertisers targeting these groups will often play on this fact.
Higher socio-economic groups are more likely to be interested in savings and investments - this is why you'll find extensive Money sections in the weekend broadsheets which are taken up with adverts for ISAs and Unit Trusts.
A and B types are far more likely to take foreign holidays regularly, especially short breaks. However, C2, D and E are likely to be aspirational in this area, and are more likely to watch holiday programmes. But these groups are more likely to own caravans and go to UK holiday camps.
A health warning: demographics are about making generalisations, so it doesn't necessarily mean that everyone in category D and E will own a caravan, take out extensive credit and have nothing invested. With a huge rise in the numbers of people going to university, and better education, the way we view the various social classes is changing.
It has long been argued that the standard ABC1 type demographics are useless - and there are other, perhaps more useful, ways of categorising people. Personally I don't think they are fantastic, but they can provide a rough guide to who we are talking to.
You can find a very useful guide to demographics here.