Which audience analysis measurements principles and techniques are most effective and why?

Making a correlation between an audience and the message that you are trying to create is an important aspect of being successful in this particular industry. There are so many forms of media today that in order for one to stand out from another it needs to be creative and different from its competitors. There are many different methods of analyzing an audience, polling and surveying are amongst the most effective and commonly used. Also factors such as demographics are used to better understand a target market. Without researching and analyzing an audience media wouldn't be as successful as it is today.