Early in the process of developing a transmedia project, it is important to identify the audience and some of its key characteristics. There question can serve as a starting point for audience identification.

  • What are the demographic characteristics of the transmedia narrative’s audience (age, gender, urban/rural/suburban, income level, price sensitivity, time sensitivity, favored brands, etc.)? (Transmedia Project Design Level)
  • What is the psychographic profile of the audience? Can this profile be broken into meaningful audience segments/user profiles? (Transmedia Project Design Level)
  • What type of content consumers are the users (single story consumers, single media consumers, or transmedia consumers)? How can single story or single media consumers be presented with a complete story when using only a portion of the transmedia narrative? (Transmedia Project Design Level)
  • What are the gratifications (GS) the user is seeking from the transmedia narrative (i.e. information seeking, aesthetic experience, monetary compensation, entertainment, personal identity, and social integration and interaction)? (Transmedia Project Design Level)
  • What user gratifications (GI) does the author intend the transmedia narrative to meet (i.e. information seeking, aesthetic experience, monetary compensation, entertainment, personal identity, and social integration and interaction)? (Transmedia Project Design Level)
  • What are the gratifications (GO) the user actually obtained from the transmedia narrative (i.e. information seeking, aesthetic experience, monetary compensation, entertainment, personal identity, and social integration and interaction)? (Transmedia Project Design Level)
  • Is there a gap between the users’ gratifications sought (GS) and gratifications obtained (GO)? If so, what is the gap and why has it occurred? (Transmedia Project Design Level)
  • What media does the transmedia narrative’s audience use (i.e. websites, social networks, TV programs/movies, etc.)? (Transmedia Project Design Level)
  • What technology does the transmedia narrative’s audience use (i.e. mobile phone, mobile devices, computer, Internet access, etc.)? (Transmedia Project Design Level)