Soap Opera Trailer Target Audiences

Who would watch the soap trailers at the times you have witnessed them on television?

At the time soap operas are on, many people will be either eating dinner or sitting down for the evening after a busy day. Soap operas are aimed at young adults - adults, therefore parents, business men/women or young teens. This is because typically, the soaps are aimed at these age groups rather that children. They are shown on the televison at this time because of the huge audiences. Soap opera trailers are normally on from 6pm onwards. This again, is because of the sort of audience that is going to be watching television at this time. Parents would be just sitting down after putting their kids to bed, and people that work all day or are at school/college might be home and ready to eat dinner. Therefore, there is a massive audience for soap trailers because they are always inbetween either well rated programmes or the soaps themeselves. This means that a huge audience would be watching, therefore making it guaranteed that people will see the soap opera trailer.

Who are the soap trailers target audience?

The soap trailers target audience are young adult+ because of the time of day that soaps are on, and the stroylines shown in the trailers for soaps. Also, they would be targeted at the people who watch soaps therefore showing the trailers either inbeetween the soap itself, or having it after a highly rated televison programme. The trailers would need to draw the target audience in therefore they would need to understand what the trailer is about. For example; if something big is happening in one of the soap operas like 'Peggy and Archies Wedding', a trailer would be made to tell the audience what is going to be happening. Trailers arent very long therefore there isnt any time for any explanation, so the trailers would be targeted are people that always watch the soaps so that they know who the characters are, and what is going to be happening in the storyline.

What programmes are the trailers shown inbetween or before/after?

Usually if it was a soap trailer, it would only be on the channel that that soap is appearing on. For example; you wouldnt find and Eastenders trailer appearing on ITV1.

Normally, the soap trailers begin when the audience are at its best so from about 6pm. They would then be shown two or three times in a night, either inbetween the soap opera or a programme, or before or after in the advert break. If it is a big storyline, sometimes the trailers could be shown three or four times. The usual programmes are the soaps because thats when you have the biggest audience. You wouldn't see an advert for a soap appear on the break of a children programme because it would only have a selected audience that would see it, and obviously the trailer wouldnt specifically be aimed at children.

Would the timing and programmes that they are shown in effect their target audience?

Normally, the trailers are ahown when all of the soaps are on, therefore they wouldnt effect their target audience because most people would be watching the tele then. It would only effect its target audience if a trailer for a soap was shown early in the morning or in the afternoon because people that watch soaps, may not be at home so thats why they show them early evening, because they are more likely to have a bigger audience.