How does Kim Kardashian target her audience?

How does Kim Kardashian target her audience

Kim Kardashian created a highly successful game in June 2014. Through the use of proven theories and focussing on her target audience the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game has made millions of pounds.

Kim Kardashian's game demographic is targeted towards teenage girls, this is due to many girls this age aspiring to become rich and famous, as well as in the future wanting to be successful. Furthermore, teenagers are desperate to keep up with the trends and be accepted into social group, this tapping into the hierarchy of needs love and belonging. Additionally, the use of slang ‘Hey Bestie’ is common in youth culture, it connotes best friend and is used frequently by younger girls. Also through the diegetic sound, Kim’s Voice, the user feels like they are actually talking to KIm and makes a more realistic atmosphere.

The hypodermic needle model theory is in play throughout the game, the message being to make your life happy and complete money, fame and popularity is needed, therefore passive audiences believe that through playing the game this can become a reality or a fantasy that they can enjoy. Users who do not experience these aspects in daily life feel like they can try it out and feel important as well as needed.

Furthermore the 2 step flow method can affect the audience's opinion on the game, through a positive review made by the opinion leader their fans feel obliged to download the game. Opinion leaders are often seen as trustworthy and honest, if they like it the fans believe that they would like it as well. In addition opinion leaders usually have a strong fan base who feel like by enjoying and owning the same products they can be more connected.

Uses and gratifications of the media text has also made the game successful. This could be through the user wanting to escape from everyday life, and by feeling powerful and important in this game the audience may feel a release from everyday struggles. Additionally, Kim's game could be a way for the user to create personal relationships, through the game being extremely popular users can connect in reality through comparing avatars and levels.

Following on from this is the cult vs mass theory. Kim has an extremely large and loyal fanbase, these people can be very obsessive and want to emulate her life. Through the creation of this game her fans feel the need to download the game and play it, this could be a way to connect with Kim. Also fans of hers want to live her life and become friends with Kim, this could be the closest way for them to do so.

Finally is the reception theory by Stuart Hall, this being a dominant/preferred, negotiated or oppositional reading. Producers have encoded messages amongst the the game this being that fame and fortune is important, this is pictured through the objective of the game; going from an a lister to and e lister, this is then decoded by the audience and therefore making the audience continue to play the game to go higher in the ranks. The negotiated reading of the text could include the audience not interested in being famous and rich or disliking Kim, however the user could still enjoy the game and find it addictive. Furthermore, the oppositional reading is the complete opposite thought that the producers intended. Through the shallow game objective; promoting that popularity is needed to create happiness, or that money is the main focus of life, and even the fact that there is only one choice of body shape suggesting that it is the ideal to look this way. Certain objectives/ taglines which Kim Kardashian has incorporated into the game can also be portrayed in a negative light ‘date someone rich and famous’.