Alex Newell-Media Studies
UK Tribes - Introduction
UK tribes is an initiative set up by Channel 4 in collaboration with the research and strategy agency, Crowd DNA, which aimed to gain a better understanding for youth between the ages of 16-24 and provide the broadcaster with a better understanding of their most active audience demographic. This was done by launching a survey for over six million people within this demographic, the ultimate aim was to then divide the respondants into different 'tribes' depending on interests, hobbies and other topics. These tribes include; Emos, Hipsters and Scene Kids.
The text below was taken from the channel 4 website as it provides a general overview of the project:
'UK Tribes is a long-standing study of British youth culture. Established by Channel 4 and Crowd DNA seven years ago, it looks to capture an authentic and fluid feel for the passions (most often music, fashion, sport and technology) around which young people gravitate and build identity, bringing to life the personality and energy of each tribe. '
Indie scenesters is the closest tribe to my target audience as they show a keen interest in Indie Rock bands and feel the need to search for the newest music. Evidently, their lives heavily revolve around music. The text below is sourced from the official UK Tribes website and provides an overview for the 'Indie Scenesters' Tribe.
Spending hours trawling through records, Indie Scenesters have their fingers on the pulse on the current artists du jour…
Indie Scenesters are dedicated to finding the newest music, exploring all avenues to get there – online, print, record shops, club nights and word of mouth. Staying ahead of the curve is a must, but it’s borne out of a genuine love for music – and this is what separates them from those more fickle dabblers and dilettantes, the Hipsters. For Indie Scenesters, there’s nothing better than discovering new artists and spreading the love.
Guitar music has seen its cool usurped by the rise in electronic-synth based music in recent years, and Indie Scenesters have broadened their musical tastes as a result. It’s no longer just about indie rock bands like Vampire Weekend – Indie Scenesters have embraced experimental, genre-blending artists like Four Tet. Yet, the Indie Scenester approach remains the same – it’s about championing independent artists rather than a specific genre, especially before the masses get in on the act.
Potentially having their own music blogs and club nights (or at least dreaming of it), Indie Scenesters are more concerned with building up their vinyl collections than conspicuous consumerism. The sounds of the moment are ever changing, but currently include Youth Lagoon, Beach House, Animal Collective, Kendrick Lamar and John Talabot, as well as old favourites like Caribou and Thom Yorke.
Boys and girls are rocking similar looks – skinny jeans, vintage and Converse/Vans. Their high street staples focus around the functional and unisex – Uniqlo, Cheap Mondays and American Apparel.
This section of text is taken from UK Tribes as it describes the 'Creatives' tribe which forms part of the basis for my target audience who are a mix of both 'Indie Scenesters' and 'Creatives'
Meet the multi-talented, super productive Tribe that are leaving their mark on creative fields
Creatives are motivated by the desire to produce original content and pursue their dreams as a ‘career creative’ – it’s not just a hobby, it’s a way of life. This Tribe unites various disciplines including (but not limited to) fashion, art, design, music, photography, dance and drama – with members collaborating on projects to get their work out in the world.
Creatives sit in the middle of the planning segments, drawing members of both sexes from diverse backgrounds unified by their inventiveness. It takes time to be a true Creative and develop the confidence, skills and connections to actively participate in the scene – so members tend to be over 20. United by their open-minded outlook, Creatives will often seek inspiration in the most unexpected of places, from a weekly shop at Sainsbury’s to Les Sapeurs, an African style tribe.
The Tribe mentality is all about developing their skills and working hard – even when this means living on a budget. Similar to the Get Paid Crew, Creatives are driven by success and are one of the best connected and hardest working Tribes – many funding their studio rents with part-time work. They aren’t bothered by fleeting trends and have no time for throwaway culture – attracted to provenance and brand histories that reflect their own values.
To get a better understanding of my target audience I created a survey asking about favourite artists, clothing brands, and other questions such as whether they have been to a concert recently.
Below are the responses for my survey which meet most of my expectations for Indie Rock fans:
Question 2
From the ten responses I recieved for the survey, all of them were male, which suggests that Indie Rock is more popular among males.
Question 3
The most popular artists overall include; Alt J, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, The 1975.
Question 4
A number of respondants mentioned having recently attended a concert to see artists such as The 1975, Coldplay and Paramore.
Question 5
The most popular methods of finding new music out of the ones mentioned are; YouTube, iTunes and Soundcloud.
Question 6
Out of all the clothing brands mentioned, the ones that were listed the most are; Hollister, Topman, Urban Outfitter and Superdry.
Question 7
Despite the majority of respondants having no further involvement with music other than singing along, some have stated that they produce their own, play an instrument or occasionally write their own music.
Question 8
A short list of possible magazine titles were given and the top two favourites after collecting all the results are Indie invasion (recieving 5 out of 10 votes) and Indie Now (recieving 4 out of 10 votes).
Photos of Target Audience/Clothing and Accessories
 This coat is a great example of the type of clothing an Indie Rock fan would wear, as it is simple and functional, but also mimics the style of Noel Gallagher who features on music magazines these fans would be interested in. |  This coat also mimics the style of Noel Gallagher who is often seen wearing more casual clothing to reflect his laid back personality. |
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 Indie Rock fans tend to wear simple clothes and outfits that could include these styles of shits as well as plain white t-shirts underneath. |  This shows one of the possible outfits my target audience is likely to wear, yet again there is a focus on casual clothing without the look of overcomplicating what they are wearing. |
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