1. The Strategic Content Alliance SCA workshops: audience research theme

2. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 210 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance SCA Workshops Specialist theme: audience research Dr Claire Davies Curtis+Cartwright Consulting Ltd

3. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 310 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Overview of this session 1:00 – 1:10 Welcome, briefing and introductions 1:10 – 1:20 Warm-up session 1:20 – 1:50 Presentation: audience research in practice 1:50 – 2:10 Coffee 2:10 – 3:10 Group scenario session 3:10 - 3:30 Debrief of group session 3:30 – 3:50 Review of the audience analysis guidance 3:50 – 4:00 Round-up

4. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 410 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Initial briefing

5. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 510 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance What is audience research? The process of planning and conducting a programme of work to better understand audiences and audience behaviour Online content, services and audiences add a new dimension to traditional audience research Knowledge about your audiences can provide evidence to help you answer the following questions –What are the key audiences of your service/research? –How do your audiences use your digital content? –What is the relationship between your digital and non-digital services? –Are your services meeting your audiences needs?

6. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 610 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance SCA guidance The Guide to Researching Audiences –practical guidance for non-experts –the basic principles of audience research –real-world case studies –sector-specific briefings highlighting key issues and resources –visual tool Available at the SCA blogSCA blog

7. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 710 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance What do WE want you to get out of this session? This session has been designed to –Improve your understanding of audience research –Provide an opportunity to use the guidance –Get you thinking about how you could use audience research –Allow you to provide feedback on the SCA guidance Hands-on session – please join in!

8. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 810 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance What do YOU want you to get out of this session? Warm-up activity –What do you want to get out of this session? –What do you want to know about your audiences? –How will knowledge about your audiences improve your service? –What are your main concerns about researching your audiences? Use the wall space and your post-it-notes Discuss with each other

9. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 910 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Main presentation

10. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 1010 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Digital services Driven by –Government policy –Huge investment –Rising expectations of the public Potentially new audiences Audiences are more remote Coexistence is an interesting consideration

11. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 1110 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Why might I want to research my audiences? Knowledge about your audiences can be used to –develop a product or service –evaluate a service or project –demonstrate accountability to funders –inform business planning –support a bid for project funding –inform sustainability planning –...and much more!

12. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 1210 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Successful use of audience research Case study: redesign of the BBC iPlayer (2008) BBC iPlayer –originally launched in 2007 –a service that lets you watch BBC television programmes from the last week over the internet Redesign aim –to launch a version of iPlayer that integrated the delivery of on-demand TV and radio The redesign relied on extensive user engagement –to test the design and usability of the new design of iPlayer –to check that existing users would not react negatively to the new design –to find out how perceptions of the design might affect audiences’ attitudes towards the BBC as an organisation and content provider in the 21st century digital world

13. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 1310 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Successful use of audience research Case study: redesign of the BBC iPlayer (2008) Key research methods –moderated ‘audience labs’ –in-depth individual interviews Conclusions of the research –response to the design generally positive –modifications to address concerns and further enhance the benefits Relaunch of iPlayer was successful BBC continues to research its audiences –to monitor the success of the new iPlayer –to inform further service development

14. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 1410 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance The stages of audience research The basic principles in the lifecycle –1. Target audience: describe and define the target audience –2. Plan: plan your research –3. Research: collect the data –4. Analyse: model your audience –5. Apply: exploit the evidence The principles are the same as for non-digital services, however –additional research techniques are available (eg web statistics) –there are potentially new audiences –how digital and non-digital services exist together is an interesting consideration

15. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 1510 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Step 1. Describe and define the target audience Knowing who you would like your audience to be is vital –You may have more than one distinct audience with different needs Defining your target audience doesn’t need to be a difficult exercise –Picture an ideal audience member… –Their occupation, gender, interests, technological expertise… –…Start thinking about categories for audience segmentation For example, your audience segments might be group-oriented –Students in full-time education –Members of local family and history societies –Leisure users

16. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 1610 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Step 2. Plan your research Set clear objectives for your research –What do you want to know about your audience? –Why do you want to know it? Reach, uptake, quality and impact – what are your priorities?

17. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 1710 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Step 2. Plan your research Plan your research to meet your objectives Quantitative, qualitative, ethnographic research? –do you need statistically valid conclusions? –are you more interested in exploring attitudes and motivations? –does your data need to be representative? What methods are appropriate? –determined by the type of information you want about the audience –pragmatic considerations (eg available time and money) –common to combine methods Don’t forget that investigating non-users is also important Start by using informal knowledge about your audiences and other people’s research

18. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 1810 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Step 3. Collect the data In-house research or commission a research agency? –Most techniques can be adapted by non-specialists –Consider time, resources and available expertise –You can choose to outsource specific elements Data collection methods –Focus groups –One-to-one interviews –Quantitative surveys –Web statistics –Web analytics –User observation techniques (ethnography)

19. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 1910 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Step 4. Model the audience from your data Analyse and interpret the data –Will be easier if the research was well planned and conducted –Techniques will depend on the type of data and purpose of the research –The data should provide evidence for any statements you make The analysis should improve your understanding of your audience –address the specific research questions –build up a better understanding of the audience and their interactions with the service

20. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 2010 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Step 5. Make use of the research Evidence from audience research can help make informed decisions –Service development and audience development –What are the wider implications of the work? Consider the conclusions of the research –Were the specific objectives met? –What lessons can be learned for future work? Plan follow-up and future research!

21. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 2110 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Key points Audience research does not need to be perfect to be useful Even a small audience research project is worthwhile Audience research should be seen as an ongoing process Understand your limitations (expertise, time and money) Many techniques can be implemented quite cheaply or adapted to a shoestring budget Commitment and support from senior management helps

22. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 2210 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Group scenario session

23. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 2310 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Session overview Scenario –You have been appointed as a project manager at the SCA museum –The SCA museum provides an online collection of archived ephemera created 4 years ago –The funding body has asked for a review of this online collection and has development money available for enhancements Activity –You have been asked to find out what your current users think of this service and how to develop it in the future –Work in groups of 3-4 people to design an approach –Presentation and discussion of your approaches at the end No right or wrong answer –Start thinking about audience research in practice –Chance to use the guidance in anger

24. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 2410 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Session overview Think about… –What are your research objectives? –What information do you need to find out about your audiences? –What types of questions do you need to ask? –What methods will you use to collect this information? –What elements of the research will you outsource and what will you do yourself? –Timescales and costs Use the information provided –Background to the service –Menu of options –SCA guidance

25. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 2510 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Example… digitisation of museum collections What are your research objectives? –To gather evidence to inform the prioritisation of spend on digitisation What information do you need to find out about your audiences? –Who uses your current collections, and what for? Physical and digital.. –What other collections would they like to have access to digitally (from a select list)? –Who would use it? What methods will you use to collect this information? –Available statistics (physical and online access) –Helpdesk information –Focus groups –Online survey

26. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 2610 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Evaluation

27. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 2710 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Please tell us what you think… SCA guidance - use the walls and post-it-notes to leave feedback –Usefulness –Attractiveness –Legibility –Pitch –Further work Today’s session – simple form on your desk –What did you get out of it? –Was it useful? How could it be improved?

28. www.jisc.ac.uk/contentalliance| Slide 2810 October 2015 The Strategic Content Alliance Offline feedback SCA Director –Stuart Dempster –s.dempster@jisc.ac.uks.dempster@jisc.ac.uk SCA Programme Manager –Sarah Fahmy –s.fahmy@jisc.ac.uks.fahmy@jisc.ac.uk