Handling Multiple Demographic Appeal

How do you look at attracting audiences from various niches, and bringing them together with what your work has to offer?

For example, I have Such-and-Such. I put in fanservice for the nerdy males — technology/gun porn and boob focusing on hot chicks, but I don't want to scare away the girls also; I offer very developed female characters who share equal screentime with the mengs. Throw in relationship dramas, and some love to make it all dandy.

Then I want to attract the snarkers. What can I try? I toss in subtle absurdities and enough black comedy to give Dr Strangelove a run for his money. Oh, speaking of absurdities, I throw in a few symbolism moments to have Mind Screw fetishists explode in their pants. Last but not least, le Übermensch in a tight tux suit (because some people have this strange, perverted fascination with Absolutes(TM))

What would you have to say on appealing to several audiences at once? How might this be handled as to not make it seem 'imposed'? What might be some pitfalls to doing this?

edited 11th May '11 9:02:38 PM by QQQQQ

Look at shonen and how it attrachs teen girls in America. There's action, hot guys, good story...

It mostly just comes down to the characters. Just have a variety really(which I'm surprised that a lot of people find difficult). The setting is the next important thing. But I just suggest and Urban Fantasy where some governments have secret technology would be best.

The biggest pitfall I can see is that it is insincere. My personal philosophy is that you should always write for yourself. If you're writing something for other people that you yourself don't fully enjoy, then it's not going to be enjoyable to anybody else.

You can't expect to make a soup by dumping in a variety of ingredients that you know will appeal to some people, because in the end, some ingredients don't mix.

The only audience you should be aiming for is any audience in which you fall into. If you fall into several different audiences and decide you want to create something that appeals to all of your interests, that's fine, as long as the end result is something you know you'll enjoy. If, instead, you decide writing for genres or niches that you don't fully understand or enjoy, then how are you going to make sure anybody else is going to understand or enjoy it? It's insincere to just lump everything together in a cluttered mess just to attract the larger audience, and it will show. I recommend not doing it.

Spontaneously I have to think of the old school Disney cartoons which can be watched by both kids and adults. Asterix did in my opinion also a good job as I enjoyed it back then as a kid and now as a grown up man even more.

From what I can gather is that you seem to focus on a juvenile audience and the only conflict I see for now is fanservice for the nerds VS appealing to a female audience. Even when you try to reach a multiple demographic appeal you should set your priorities.

edited 12th May '11 12:54:57 AM by AdeptusAlpharius

And I'm going to go ahead and object to the idea that nerds either need or want fanservice. No, thank you.

What everyone else said. Actually I'm guilty of, you know what everything, so I can't give anyone advice for anything, but ask yourself this; "Is there are any reason why I want to do this?", "Is this something I will enjoy doing?", "Would this intefere with the core aspect of the story?"

Ok, maybe those two overlaps, but if you can satisfy those questions, it wouldn't be matter.

Now for something completely retarded:

An ultimate MDA bait: an action/drama with plenty but subtle homosexual subtext between very attractive males that has lot of explosions and highly efficient and realistic fights with some Genius Bonus related to various pop culture/science/philosophy.

Your result may vary.

Of course not. *g*

So it's Brokeback Mountain meets Teppu?

edited 12th May '11 3:49:17 AM by AdeptusAlpharius

I can see the former but the latter? Today's the first time I ever heard of it.

Hm, you ring some truth there. I'm aware you can't just dump random aspects into a work, hoping to create something jaw-droppingly awesome. It'll seem like blending a strawberry smoothie with BBQ ribs. (Although maybe that could work someday.. hm.)

Then again, why not do it should you get the chance? If the opportunity to appeal to adults outside of children comes, why not take it? You can give your work more longevity this way — of course, the goodly-written story and characters come first.

I suppose you can let this trope come naturally if you're striving for your own vision, not pandering to some base. Who knows what an aptly-named "Dirnsitz" can offer?

I think it's okay to try to appeal to an outside audience, as long as it's something you know you'd enjoy. The important thing is to stay true to yourself as a writer.

As for writing kid shows to appeal to adults, I don't see why not. As long as you put some actual effort into it, there is no reason a wider audience can't enjoy it. My belief is, if you're a good writer, you will always get the larger audience, because regardless of who you are and what you're interested in, most people like good writing. Focus on the story and the characters and make sure that they are genuine and entertaining, and demographics shouldn't even matter.

Oui.

Personally I think in order to appeal multiple demographics you must find out what is the same for all of them. If you can find similarities, then learn how to write those better.

So how are all of the demographics you want to appeal to similar?

From what I know, 99% of the human population likes comedy as long as it's done well.

I think it's more how these (paradoxical) aspects of a work complement each other, like putting a hint of cherry in with dark chocolate. I'm curious how to handle blending them together well, such that I create something new for everyone — and it doesn't feel contrived.

In that case the setting seems to be the only difficulty. But as I said Urban Fantasy with some secret high techs work best.

As for the characters, can you come up with a variety? Can you balance their air time and spotlight? If so you won't have much of a problem.

edited 13th May '11 5:42:23 PM by PsychoFreaX

I agree with whoever said that it was really important that you write for yourself. You would be suprised at how many different demographics honesty can reach.

A majority of the best works—be it television or literature—come from people that wanted to write something for their own enjoyment. The had a story that they felt they needed to tell, or characters that they really wanted to use while incorporating aspects from genres and forms that they liked. That is how different people get drawn in.

And besides, it is hard to write with potential readers in mind. It's fun to think about how people will respond to something that you have finished, but trying to write to appeal to people can come as trying to manage how they will respond or it will feel like you are pandering to a certain audience.

Now you mention it, I much prefer if I can write my own, original vision — of something you don't usually see anywhere else, and see how the readers feel. You don't risk the vision's purity for the sake of what the audience might think. That is one of the greater satisfactions of creating.

Of course, if you happen to be writing a series, or a movie meant to appeal for a mass audience, say Titanic, you might wonder how you can woo with both a romance story and the frenzied adventure escape.

I would just suggest not writing for a demographic at all. Focusing on what a demographic wants is likely to produce a very narrow work (think summer blockbusters), and of course producing and marketing such things to that demographic makes it a cycle. Just write something good.

Maybe it is best if a writer creates his or her own work to satisfy themselves, while keeping in mind what demographics may like such a story and how they compare to each other.

The writer makes the original story, the readers at large enjoy the work, and genre readers get to add another well written story to their collection. Everybody wins! *

Damn me for being an idealist, an optimist, and a perfectionist! :P

My goal when writing most of my stories is to write as if I'm doing it for one demographic (in most cases, boys in the 12-18 range) and let the others flock naturally (the girls for obvious reasons, the adults for the story...)