What is narrowcasting

Narrowcasting is a tool for sharing multimedia content within the field of marketing.

There are different forms of communication that are aimed at specific sectors of the audience.

They are defined as "targeted diffusion" advertising and are distinct from “mass diffusion”, also called broadcasting, which is directed at a mass audience.

The goal of this communication is to make the recipient of the message interact with the source that emits the communication.

In the context of narrowcasting, marketing has the function of intercepting the consumer during the purchasing process through i  means of communication (television, radio, print, billposting), to direct it towards the choice of a specific product .

How to communicate through narrowcasting

Communicating with narrowcasting means directing advertising at a limited audience.

One of the tools used by narrowcasting are specialized magazines, which target a smaller audience compared to traditional daily newspapers.

In terms of TV, however, the tool used by narrowcasting is pay per view, a type of television that allows viewing specialized channels on various topics only with a subscription: Mediaset Premium or Sky.

The revolution of narrowcasting in the music field has been brought about by Spotify: namely, a music platform that has changed the way artists make music.

In the realm of the web, obviously, social media communicate through narrowcasting.

Take the example of Instagram, where it offers content that is divided into several categories based on the “likes” left by the user. This leads to a longer time spent on social media and allows for directly reaching one's target audience.

In essence, each platform specializes and focuses on a narrow circle of users, who then become regulars.

Difference between broadcasting and narrowcasting

As we have already mentioned, broadcasting and narrowcasting are two different methods of communication.

Broadcasting communicates the message through mass communication, while narrowcasting uses specific communication. 

These two types of communication are differentiated by marketing: 

• Broadcast: corresponds to the strategy of mass marketing, that is, a unidirectional market that exploits advertising through mass media. Therefore, the customer lands on the company's webpage thanks to one of the many random advertisements presented to them, becoming a casual customer who probably, after making a purchase, will not return to that webpage;
• Narrowcast: corresponds to the strategy of relationship marketing, namely a multidirectional market, where the company meets all the client's requests, creates a trust relationship, in order to allow them to return for future purchases.

In conclusion, narrowcasting is therefore a targeted diffusion of information and content that is broadcasted to an audience genuinely interested.

The user accesses information on the web, fills out a contact form, selects and receives audio and video transmissions, thus allowing those who use the network to obtain news and content both audio and video in real time.