Audience BINGO

Activity by Andrew Moss

Description (for Instructors)

This in-class activity asks students to consider and articulate how audience analysis manifests in their Introductory Email to a Mentor. The activity is formatted like a game of BINGO, in which students try to be the first to “check off” their BINGO boxes in a strategic orientation (i.e., diagonally, horizontally, vertically).

During the activity, the instructor calls out different elements of students’ Introductory Emails to a Mentor. To check off a box, students must make a connection between the called-out element and the aspect of audience analysis found in said box.

The elements of audience analysis students must look for are as follows:

  • Customers
  • Employees
  • Media
  • Partners
  • Globalization
  • Complexity
  • Competitors
  • Investors
  • Regulators
  • Law
  • Technology
  • What kind of and how much power does your audience have? In other words, define its social role and social authority.
  • How does an audience decide what is right or wrong? Think about and research its values and morals.
  • What does your audience know about the problem you want to solve?
  • What words (or diction) does your audience use to describe things? How technical is it?

To run this activity, instructors should do the following:

  1. Provide students with copies of their BINGO cards, found here: Audience BINGO.xlsx.
  2. Prepare a list of elements from students’ Introductory Emails to a Mentor that intersects with the above-listed aspects of audience analysis.

Explanation (for Students)

1. Objective

The goal of Audience BINGO is to be the first to “check off” your Audience BINGO.xlsx boxes in a strategic orientation (i.e., diagonally, horizontally, vertically).

2. Instructions

  • During the activity, your instructor will call out different elements of your Introductory Email to a Mentor.
  • To check off an Audience BINGO.xlsx box, you must make a connection between the called-out element and the aspect of audience analysis found in said box.
  • Use any method to fill in the square.

3. Materials