AUDIENCE ANALYSIS

Audience Analysis Memo

Effective communication depends largely on understanding your audience. Your

audience’s expectations, characteristics, knowledge level, and information needs

determine the content you choose to present, the depth of detail you provide, the overall

tone or attitude of your writing, and even the purpose you establish for your

communication.

As the Bayer aspirin examples in Chapter 3 of your textbook show, information on the

same medicine can be presented quite differently depending on the audiences’ knowledge

levels. The one designed for a general audience uses straightforward, non-technical

language, and colorful visuals to make the drug information more comprehensible. The

desk reference designed for health care professionals uses highly technical language,

complex statistics, and less visuals to establish a professional ethos of the drug.

In addition to knowing the importance of analyzing audience, you should also be able to

distinguish a document’s primary and secondary audiences.

• Primary audiences are the major intended readers for your document. In the

workplace, your primary audience is the person or persons who will understand

and act on your message.

• Secondary audiences are the other potential readers of your document. These are

people who may receive a copy of your document.

Most workplace communication has a combination of primary and secondary audiences.

For example, people attended your presentation (primary audience) might later share

information about your presentation and your handouts with people who didn’t attend

(secondary audience).

Assignment Guidelines

For this assignment, choose two (2) websites that present information on the same

subject. However, the two (2) websites should be aimed at different primary audiences.

One website should be designed for a non-technical audience and the other for a

technical/specialized audience.

Write a memo to your instructor analyzing both websites and their audiences (primary

and secondary) and explain the persuasive strategies each website uses to serve its

primary audience’s needs.

Synthesize your analysis to the following questions:

Note: You need to answer all of these questions; your failure to answer all questions will

result in point deductions.

• What primary audiences do the two websites seem to aim for? What kind of

knowledge do the audiences seem to possess about the subject matter? What are

their age(s), genders, education level, occupations, and cultural

background? (Just because a Website is available on the Internet does not

mean it is designed for everyone. You need to think carefully and find out the

specific primary audience that the Websites aim to serve.) !!!

• Who are the secondary audiences of these websites? Who else might use information found on

these sites?

• What persuasive strategies do the websites employ to appeal to their primary

audiences? Do they use claims? Do they make an effort to connect with the audience? Do they

use claims? Do they present evidence to support and strengthen the claims? How have they

established their credibility? (See pages 51-56 of your textbook for more on persuasion)

• To what extent do the websites use technical language? Do you see any

examples of jargon? Give examples

• How long is the average sentence in each website? How long is the average paragraph? Does

this tell you anything about the audience?

• How formal/informal are their respective style? Why?

• Is there advertising? If so, what do the ads tell you about the audience?

• Do the website use tables, graphs, figures, illustrations or images? How different

are they on the two websites?

Requirements

• Keep in mind that your purpose is to compare and contrast the two websites, not

merely to describe them.

• Do not simply type the questions followed by your answers. Like all professional

memos, this one should summarize and organize the information into coherent

and well-written narratives.

• Format: Use a business memo format. See Chapter 10: Memos and Letters for

examples of business memo format. You can also use a memo template in Word.

• Minimum word requirement: 750 words.

• Make sure to include the Websites’ URLs in your memo.

Submission Instructions

• Submit via Unicheck in Canvas. No assignments will be accepted over email.

Assignments incorrectly posted or submitted to the wrong location in Canvas will

receive a 10-point deduction

• Required title for final version: your last name-audience analysis memo.

• Submit the document as a PDF. You will only be able to submit a PDF.

• See Course Calendar/Course Schedule for due dates.

Evaluation Rubrics

• Completeness (10 pts.): The analysis addresses all questions for analysis.

• Organization (10 pts.): The analysis is well organized. It has a clear structure

with an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

• Comparison and Contrast (30 pts.): Your memo includes a clear analysis of

the two web sites, including comparison and contrast of the sites themselves

and their target audiences. It does not just describe.

• Support (30 pts.): The analysis is concrete in that it uses examples from the

Websites to support major points. The use of examples is selective and to-the-point. The

examples are included in order to illustrate the analysis point and

not to fill the page with words. There are no long direct quotations (defined as

more than 3 lines) from the analyzed Websites. The student explains how the

examples relate back to the analysis.

• Format (10 pts.): The memo is formatted correctly following the specified

guidelines for memos from Chapter 11. APA citation style is used when

needed.

• Grammar and Mechanics (10 pts.): Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are

correct. Minimum word requirement is met.