3.01.2012

Gender Target marketing - The Venus and Mars Question

I know a man who, when he needs a new pair of shoes, puts it off for as long as possible. When someone in his life finally insists that he can’t leave the house because his shoes are so embarrassing, he reluctantly finds a shoe shop, gets in and out of there as quickly as possible with a new pair of shoes and arrives home to imbibe a stiff drink. The whole time he looks like he’d rather be eating glass. I, on the other hand, can happily browse for shoes for hours or days at a time, buying pairs I don’t actually need but I simply must have. One day I will have an outfit that they’re perfect for.



Above: the super sucessful Old Spice ad campaign, targeting "women" to sell products to "men", for insight into the campaign creation click here

We like to joke about it, but a cliché is always based in truth. There really are some major differences between the way men and women behave psychologically, socially and as consumers. So it pays to understand those differences in more detail before committing time and money to your marketing campaign. Especially when you consider that the average consumer receives about 1500 brand messages a day. You have to be smart to stand out.

There are physical reasons for the fact that men are generally more mathematically-minded than women, why women are generally better at managing complexity, why men aren’t that great at talking about their feelings and why women occasionally suck at catching a ball. It’s all about the brain.

Men’s brains are about 10% bigger but it seems, from studies at the University of California-Irvine, that this is because men have more ‘grey matter’, which forms the brain’s different processing centres, while women have more ‘white matter’, which serves as wiring to connect the different centres. This may be why women handle complexity and multi-tasking better than men. And why men are less relational in their thinking. Men prefer black/white, yes/no scenarios while women are much more likely to say “It depends”.







Above: Very clever breast cancer awareness campaign - even super heros get brest cancer, click here for details

Men are also more left-hemisphere dominant, while women have a more even balance between the two hemispheres. So men are generally more task-oriented while women are more intuitive. The part of the brain that controls
numerical brain function is bigger in men, so they’re generally better at maths. (Not fair. ) But women have bigger limbic systems, which helps them get in touch with their emotions. And you can blame the thicker parietal region in the female brain for those ball-handling skills; it means women are less adept at mentally rotating objects and it therefore affects their spatial awareness.

But what does all this mean for marketing strategy?

Think about store layout. Men will desire and easily navigate a direct path to a product, women will be happy to browse through the whole shop and go off on tangents. Men tend to buy individual items while women think in ensembles.









Above: Highly contraversal California milk ad campaign that sparked huge debate and critism,
click here for more info


Think about key messages. Men want direct answers about a product; women focus more on how it will make them feel. Men are less likely to remember something from last year; women have better verbal memory and will recall what they’ve seen and heard about your product or a competitor’s.

It can’t be a one-size-fits-all solution. Men really are from Mars and women from Venus. Or, as the French say, vive la difference!

Grace xx
__

Further Reading:

9 differences between the male and female brain

Marketing to men

His Brain Her Brain

2.15.2012

Life’s a picture

For Melbourne photographer Tania Jovanovic, the turning point in her career came when she stopped being a rock band and catalogue photographer and followed a passion to visit Cuba.

“I’d always wanted to go there,” she told The Graceful Taylor in a recent interview. “I learned the language really fast because I wanted it so much. And I loved it.”

She took a camera, of course, but only as a travel accessory. “I had no plan to be an artist photographer.” Then, back home again and showing others the photos from her trip, she realised that she’d produced some extraordinary images.



“People encouraged me to put them into a book, so I decided to go back a second time with the intent to photograph the people. I wanted to get them working.”

She sure did that. We adore these images, from her first book Cuba Que Bolá, which is now in its third edition.







Tania has a second Cuban book, Retrato De Los Santos, documenting the year she spent living with the people who practise Santeria, or voodoo. “They were poor. It wasn’t nice. It wasn’t romantic. It was really hard. It left me with some horrible impressions, but also some amazing ones.”



Her Cuban work is “a few years ago now, but I’d like to go back. I want to take my children”.

Speaking of children, The Graceful Taylor is mightily partial to Tania’s portraits of siblings and school groups. If only there’d been a Tania Jovanovic when we were at school, we’d be tempted to bring out the old school photos with pride instead of embarrassment...






Asked how she gets such honest photos, Tania says “I take lots of shots. And I can feel that moment when they break down from the pose. That’s the moment I want. I wear them down until I get it!”



Although she says she’d prefer her kids went down a less artistic path, Tania finishes by saying that she loves “the people contact. I get to communicate with the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor. The best thing about my job is that it changes every day.” Sounds like a pretty good life!

Check out Tania’s body of work on her website. And next time you need a photo to be proud of, you know where to go.

1.11.2012

The past is the story of now

Dale Campisi, co-founder of the Melbourne-based publishing pearl Arcade Publications, has just told The Graceful Taylor why he’s so fascinated by the past. It’s “the story of now, you know; it’s the reason why.”

Clearly a fan of time travel, Dale quotes the early 1990s TV show Quantum Leap, with Scott Bakula in the role of a time-travelling Fonzie, as part of the inspiration for Arcade’s focus on the stories of Melbourne’s past. Launched in 2007 with a biography of EW Cole and his book arcade, this divine small press has found a growing niche market for its beautifully designed A6 books and related must-attend events that bring the history of Melbourne to glorious life.

Dale began Arcade Publications with fellow publisher/editor Rose Michael after they’d both spent years in the publishing industry. Keen to find their own path, they brought in designers Michael Brady and Peter Daniel and the distinguishing characteristic of Arcade’s titles took shape; their size.


Like the little gems of stories told within their pages, the A6 size of each book is a testament to the enduring pleasure and attractiveness of small things. They’re fit for devouring. And The Graceful Taylor is partial to the odd devouring...

... We digress. The size is of course a point of difference. “We ... wanted to challenge established publishing norms,” says Dale. “It’s an interesting editorial and design challenge.” The associated events also set this press apart, especially the walking tours of Melbourne that link to their published stories.

With so many fabulously quirky characters populating Melbourne’s past, The Graceful Taylor is keen to know: does Dale have a favourite? EW Cole rates a strong mention, and so does the devilishly handsome and possibly narcissistic choccy maker Macpherson Robertson. Anyone who makes chocolate gets our vote too. And, just to show that history can also be recent, the singular Don Dunstan, former South Australian Premier, appeals to Dale for the delightful fact that he resigned after sleeping 40 hours straight. And because he wrote a cookbook while being Premier.


At least it wasn’t called Sh*t on my Hands, the aptly named parenting guide which is a recent publication. We’re keen to learn what’s afoot in 2012 and excited to discover that there’ll be a title by culinary author Charmaine O'Brien on Melbourne's nineteenth century cafe scene, a verse history about a baby farmer by the inimitable Judith Rodriguez, and a biography by Jenny Sinclair about Edward Oxford, a man who tried to assassinate Queen Victoria, then moved to Australia after 20 years in an insane asylum. We did attract the right sort of people to our shores, didn’t we?


If you’ve not discovered Arcade Publications, The Graceful Taylor respectfully suggests that you hot-foot it to the website now. As Dale says, “...history for me is vivid and fun and memorable - as life should be. “ Bless.

The key to Grace

We’re very proud that Grace has just been included in a new book, Conversations with Creative Women, published by Creative Women’s Circle. So if you’ve ever wanted to know what makes our talented creative leader tick...

The Graceful Taylor even learned a few tidbits about Ms. G that we didn’t know – like there isn’t anything she can’t tell you about rubber car hoses.

Now we bet you’re interested! The book’s available in limited edition. Check it out here.

And go go Grace!




10.10.2011

Welcome to T&G’s very own art exhibition, Revamp.

The road to a final creative concept is littered with alternative routes and unforeseen sidesteps. While not to be the final destination, these detours represent the ideas that get us there.

Rather than let them languish in the archives, we’ve freshened up a selection of these designs to present as an insight into our process and a reflection of the creativity of our designers. Further pulling back the curtain, we’re presenting them in our studio, right in the heart of our engine room.

The exhibition opened last Thursday night and will run until next Thursday 20 October 2011. Please view the artworks here online alternatively call the office on 03 9416 2566 to make a time to visit the office during office hours until Thursday 20 October. Purchases can be made over the phone or in person by credit card. All proceeds will be donated to Mind Australia. For more ordering information click here

All Profits go to Mind Australia. Mind is a leading provider of consumer-focused mental health services in Victoria and South Australia. Mind works with people experiencing mental health difficulties, to help them live well in the community.

ABOVE: 18. Pride of Shoes
Illustrated by Jane Roberts and Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 15. Soul Sista
Illustrated by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 13. The Odd Couple
Illustrated by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 16. She Got The Boot
Illustrated by Jane Roberts, Art Directed by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 17. Single white female
Illustrated by Jane Roberts, Art Directed by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 02. Friends 4 Eva
Illustrated by Jane Roberts - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 30. Full Hand
Illustrated by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

28. Typefaces
Illustrated by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 27. Typeface
Illustrated by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 10. Star Jump
Illustrated by Simon Taylor, Art Directed by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 29. I Think A Lot Of Thoughts
Illustrated by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 30. Full Hand
Illustrated by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 09. Baggage
Illustrated by Jane Roberts & Grace Camobreco Media: Digital

ABOVE: 06. Christmas 02 (Also available as an unframed A1 print)
Illustrated by Jane Roberts - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 05. Christmas 01 (Also available as an unframed A1 print)
Illustrated by Jane Roberts - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 19. Wall Flower
Illustrated by Alysha Sandow, Art Directed by Grace Camobreco - Media: Mixed - Ink & Digital

ABOVE: 23. A Spot of Passion
Illustrated by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital


ABOVE: 21. Public Display of Affection
Illustrated by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital


ABOVE: 22. Rash of Emotion
Illustrated by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 07. What the Rorschach? (Also available as an unframed A1 print)
Illustrated by Simon Taylor, Art Directed by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 08. Taylored Blob (Also available as an unframed A1 print)
Illustrated by Simon Taylor - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 12. Ms Pantalette
Illustrated by Alysha Sandow Media: Digital - Media: Pencil

ABOVE: 01. Scrambled eggs
Illustrated by Jane Roberts, Art Directed by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 03. Baked goods
Illustrated by Simon Taylor, Art Directed by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 31. Round and round and round and round and round and round
Illustrated by Grace Camobreco and Jane Roberts - Media: Digital


ABOVE: 04. Deep Blue Sound
Illustrated by Alysha Sandow - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 33. Flower face
Styled and Art Directed by Jane Roberts, photographed by Andrew Gough - Media: Photography

ABOVE: 32. Bucket of Flowers
Styled and Art Directed by Jane Roberts, photographed by Andrew Gough - Media: Photography

ABOVE: 24. Girl with Kaleidoscope Eye
Illustrated by Grace Camobreco - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 26. Impossible Enigma
Illustrated by Jane Roberts - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 25. Coffee Brothers
Illustrated by Simon Taylor - Media: Digital

ABOVE: 20. The Girl in the Tucker Bag
Illustrated by Alysha Sandow - Media: Mixed - Ink & Digital