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