COP 3 Reading: Gender Dimensions of Brand Personality

Gender Dimensions of Brand Personality - Bianca Grohmann

Masculine and Feminine dimensions of brand personality:

‘Brand personality is ‘the set of human characteristics associated with a brand’ (Aaker 1997, p 347). It is multidimensional and multifaceted construct (Aaker 1997) that enables consumers to express themselves along several dimensions’

‘Consumers associated human personality traits with brands because they relate to brands as they would to partners or friends (Fournier 1998), because they perceive brands as extensions of their selves (Belk 1988)’

‘the marketing literature suggests that the need to express masculinity and femininity through brand choices is based on the notion that gender is part of consumers’ self-concept (Freimuth and Hornstein 1982)’

‘gender dimensions of personality appear to be especially relevant to brands that have symbolic value for consumers attempting to reinforce their own masculinity and femininity’

Construct Definition:

‘Caprara, Barbaranelli and Guido (2001) failed to replicate the Big Five model of human personality (Goldberg 1990) for brands and concluded that human personality characteristics may not translate directly into brand personality traits’.

Summary and Implications:

‘marketers can shape gender dimensions of brand personality through their choice of masculine and feminine spokespeople featured in advertisement’

‘behavioural consumers responses positively when they are congruent with consumers’ sex role identity and thus enables consumers to express an important dimension of their self concept’ 

Managerial Implications:

‘gender dimensions of brand personality affect brand-reflated consumer responses, including brand extension evaluations when the extension category is associated with specific gender perceptions. These effects are especially important to the management of brands that speak to the enhancement of consumers’ sex role identity, such as brands of personal care products’ 

Theoretical Implications and Further Research 

‘brand personality is multidimensional and comprises masculinity and femininity’

‘these dimensions are independent and mirror the orthogonality of masculinity and femininity as human personality traits’

‘consumers indeed map human personality traits onto brands’

Grohmann, B. (2009). Gender Dimensions of Brand Personality. Journal of Marketing Research, 46(1), pp.105-119.

COP 3 Reading: The Social Construction of Gender - Judith Lobber

Lorber, J. (1994). Paradoxes of Gender. Yale University Press. pp. p13-114.

The Social Construction of Gender - Judith Lobber

‘gender is so pervasive that in our society we assume it is bred into our genes’

‘individual gender construction starts with assignment to a sex category on the basis of what genitalia look like at birth’

‘Babies are dressed or adorned in a way that displays the category’

‘a sex category becomes a gender status through naming, dress and the use of other gender markers’ 

‘once a child’s gender is evident, others treat those in one gender different to those in the other, and the children respond to the different treatment by feeling different and behaving differently’.

‘As a social institution, gender is on of the major ways that human being organise their lives’ 

‘the process of gendering and its outcome it legitimated by religion, law, science and the society’s entire set of values’ 

‘Western society’s values legitimate gendering by claiming that it all comes from physiology - female and male procreative difference’ 

‘gender and sex are no equivalent’ 

‘social statuses are carefully constructed through prescribes processes of teaching, learning, emulation and enforcement’

For Individuals, Gender Means Sameness:

‘Individualised are born sexed but not gendered and they have to be taught to be masculine and feminine’ 

‘for human beings there is no essential femaleness or maleness, femininity or masculinity, womanhood or manhood, but once gender is ascribed, the social order constructs and hold individuals to strongly gendered norms and expectations’

‘individuals may vary on many of the competence of gender and may shift genders temporarily or permanently, but they must fit into the limited number of gender statuses their society recognises’

C -  no matter what specific gender you portray yourself as you still have ti fit within the specific associations with that gender, masculinity and femininity 

‘Gendered social arrangements are justified by religion and cultural productions and backed by law, but the most powerful means of sustaining the moral hegemony of the dominant gender ideology is that the process is made invisible; any alternatives are virtually unthinkable (Foucault 1972; Gramsci 1971)’.

For Society, Gender means Difference:

‘In the social construction of gender, it does not matter what mens and women actually do; it doesn't not even matter if they do the exact same thing. The social institution of gender insists only that what they do is perceived as different’ 

C - men and women could act the same way however due to stenotypes and bias’s created by society they will be perceived as different, when a women is confident/takes charge she’s seen as bossy when a man has confidence or takes charge he’s seen as powerful .

‘If gender differences were genetic, physiological or hormonal, gender bending and gender ambiguity would occur only in hermaphrodites, who are born with chromosomes and genitalia that are not clearly female or male. Since gender differences are socially constructed, all men and all women can enact the behaviour of the other, because they know the other’s social script’ 

Gender as Process, Stratification and Structure:

‘In social interactions throughout their lives, individuals learn what is expected, wee what is expected, act and react in expected ways and thus simultaneously construct and maintain the gender order’ 

‘gender norms and expectations are enforced through informal sanctions of gender-inappropriate behaviour by peers and by formal punishment or threat of punishment by those in authority, should behaviour deviate too far from socially imposed standards fro women and men’

‘Everyday gendered interactions build gender into the family, the work process, and other organisations and institutions, which in turn reinforce gender expectations for individuals’ 

‘Because gender is a process, there is room not only for modification and variation by individuals and small groups but also for institutionalised change (J.W.Scott 1988)’

C - because gender is a social construct created by society, we should theoretically be able to alter and change these assumptions and associations to create less rigid gender norms/stereotypes in order to aid gender equality

‘women and men are segregated on the job and each dos work considered ‘appropriate’

‘spacial superstation of women and men reinforces gendered differentness and identity and ways of thinking and behaving (Coser 1986)

Summary:

Throughout this chapter Lorber discusses the idea of gender as a social construct, how it developed and continues within todays society. She also discusses the idea that we should be able to change the stereotypes associated with gender based on the idea that current gender associations have been created by society therefor we should be able to alter those perceptions. Lorber also discusses the idea that no matter what women and men do they will be perceived as masculine or feminine even if they perform the same task. This is interesting when looked at in comparison to Bulters’ idea that gender is created through performance, therefor how we act defines our gender based on societies perception of our actions. 

Textual Analysis: A beginners guide.

Textual Analysis: A beginners guide.

Representations isn't just who's reading but the interaction between reader and writer.
Visual grammar is the conventions of how things are communicated within a particular context, help analyse how effective visual communication is.

p3:
Thinking about how multiple interpretations can be made and how they might be relevant to our audience. There sis no set meaning, multiple interpretations of a text can be created with non being correct as all interpretations are valid.

P4:
Different people and circumstances can influence how a text is interpreted, with no set interpretation being correct. Easy to fall into the trap of  that the designer intended to communicate that message so that is the correct interpretation.

P5:
In a commercial sense our primary motivation is to embellish reality in order to sell to the consumer, this is interesting in relation to the representation of people. The term reality in relation to the author, the term is problematic as we need to think how we want communication to represent this reality as there is no set definition of reality.

P6:
How our interpretation of the world is presented within our communication. Historically difficult to define a concrete reality, starting from perspective that reality is created within the things we produce, visual culture and language. Explained how different news papers represent the same news article/topic.

P7:
How we represent certain people, we might create a favourable way however this doesn't necessarily mean this representation is correct, its just the version we agree with. Communication is always evolving therefor we need to be careful about how we chose to represent things.

P8:
Primary task is thinking about audiences and the impact the things you produce impact the audience, start thinking about how other people may receive certain versions of communication. Talking audiences can not be as reliable as it puts the audience in a certain mindset that they need to interpret communication in a certain way, when you make someone think cognitively about an experience the organic reaction is lost as they audience feel they need to provide more. The audience however can give you new ways of thinking about certain things, can help but not as reliable.

P9:
Audience research produces more text, another thing to be interpreted.

P10:
What audience will think about what you want them to say which can inhibit there responses.

P11:
Generating Interpretations
Thinking about the context in which things are viewed in, looking at a possible way something could be interpreted in a relation to certain factors such as age, geographical location, job role etc. What is the area your interested in relation to research, these provide parameters for questions you ask. So many aspects/factors to look at, have to decide which aspects to look at.

P13:
Contexts in which your example is situated, range of aspects it relates to. Questions to ask when thinking about context:
Rest of text:
Looking at how aspects relates to type, colour layout etc not just looking at physical representation of people
Genre of Text:
If looking at brands, look at other brands within that sector. Important as certain brands collect value in relation to others they are superior or less
Context in which communication is circulated:
Wider context is relevant to communication, can receive mix interpretations. May produce logical representations but they may not be contextually relevant, looks like works on surface but doesn't reflect those receiving the visual communication.

P15:
How do you break down complex structure of communication:
Depends on subject and what you want to gain
Can focus on small aspect but must keep in mind wider context when considering interpretation

P16-17
Content analysis, visual analysis into quantities/numbers, however still relies on interpretation.

P22:
Understanding other examples within the same genre, may focus on positive examples but also look at how those relate to each other. Looking at wider context of visual culture and how a certain aspects sits within tradition.

COP 3 Essay: Initial Essay Plan

Establish clear definition of gender and sex and the difference 

• what is gender, what is sex 
• importance of defining each/how they are different 
• Butler, Freimuth, Frieden (2013)

Gender roles and characteristic:

• how ideas of femininity have been established
• gender stereotypes pre vs post war  
• Storey, Sullerot (1992), Frieden (2013)
• how ideas of masculinity have been established 
• Cohen, Alexander, Brannon, Kimmel 
• Connell - hegemonic masculinity 
• Beynon  

Gender as social construct 

• how it has been established 

Burkitt, Butler and Lorber

• arguments for the social construct of gender 

Burkitt, Butler and Lorber CHECK HOW TO REFERENCE!!! (2018) within a book 

Branding: 600-800s

how gender influences branding 

• Stylish Hard Bodies: Branded Masculinity in Men's Health
• Beyond Pink it or shrink it

Image Analysis: 1200-1500

how gender is portrayed in media 

• Storey, Mulvey, Goffman 

Gendered packaging in skincare

how those targeting gender neutral market work 

the ordinary -500 

aesop - 500 

Conclusion: 500

group discussion together 

what have found 

is gendered packaging necessary 

COP 3 Practical: Existing Brands - NGS (non gender specific)

About:
NGS was started by Andrew Glass after he became frustrated at the segmentation within the beauty industry whilst working for a men's skincare brand. He was also frustrated with the amount of products needed for an effective skincare routine, so started to create a brand for everyone, with no gender boundaries and products that cover a wide range of skin concerns and deliver exceptional results. NGS promotes less consumers waste by creating multi-functional products so you don't need multiple products in your skincare routine. NGS prides itself on being a brand for all humans. 

non gender specific. (2018). Our Story. [online] Available at: https://www.nongenderspecific.com/our-story/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2018].

Branding:
The branding for NGS is very simple and draws inspiration from the scientific and ingredients focus nature of its main product (see figures 1-2). The use of black and white throughout website (see figures 3-4) eliminates gender associations through colour. Furthermore the simple, clean and clinical aspects of the website further add to the lack of gender association within the branding, whilst still creating a professional and luxury feel to the site. The use of a slim modern sans serif typeface further adds to the simplicity and modern aesthetic (see figure 3). In addition the scientific inspired aesthetic of the branding adds authenticity as well as adding to the gender neutral aesthetic due to its clinical nature. 
This clinical and scientific inspired approach to branding seems to be used throughout a lot of gender neutral skincare brands due to the authenticity it creates, however I think it can become repetitive and loose impact on the consumer as they become used to seeing skincare in the same way. Furthermore although the lack of colour helps eliminate gender associations it can also lack shelf impact if the design is too simple. 

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

COP 3 Practical: Existing Brands - Jecca Makeup

About:
Jecca Makeup originated when Jessica Blackler recognised the lack of trans makeup services after receiving queries about makeup for transgender women. Jessica saw a big opportunity to help the transgender community by applying her skills from the media industry. She understood the need to get to know her potential clients and understand their need which was a vital part in creating her brand. She spread her brand by wokring with LGBT charities and attending trans events, she wanted to spread the word that she offered more than a make-up service and create a positive impact on the LGBTQ+ community as she believed in the transformational power of makeup and that everybody has a right to feel fabulous. Encouraged by these conversations, JECCA expanded by creating a unisex product range that fulfils the makeup wishes of the transgender community, while welcoming all wearers who want to stand out from the crowd, feel confident, and celebrate their uniqueness.

Jecca-makeup.com. (2018). About Us – JECCA Makeup. [online] Available at: https://jecca-makeup.com/about-us/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2018].

Branding/Packaging:

Jecca's logo is very neutral due to the simple sans serif typeface used, which is accentuated by the use of colour within the logo which depends on the shade of concealer, foundation etc (see figure 1). This use of colour relating to the product removes gender associations based on the classic pinks and purples generally associated with female makeup brands (see figures 1-2). Throughout the website some pastel colours (see figure 2) are used but these tend to take inspiration from shades found within the products sold by Jecca Makeup. There a subtle influences of femininity through the use of display type within the website however this is more a reflection of the target market as those interested in makeup tend to have feminine interests, this reflects the personality of the audience rather than the gender. 

Figure 1

Figure 2

COP 3 Reading: Social Selves Ian Burkitt

Burkitt, I. (2009). Social selves: Theories of Self and Society. London: Sage, pp.p121-131.  

Chapter 5 Gender, Sexuality and Identity:

Performance, power and context in the production of sex and gender

p121:

‘Butler has a performative theory of gender, which is to say that gender is understood as nothing more or less than the performance of actions, behaviours, and gestures that have gendered characteristics’

‘there is no essence of male or female at the heart of our own selves which is expressed in these performances. It is the performance itself that creates the illusion that each one of us has a natural sex’ 

C -  gender is a social constructed showcased through our actions. Our actions / performance identifies our gender rather than our gender determining our actions 

‘normative regulations that compel the bosses to signify in terms of the discourse on gender’ butler 

‘Butler’s overall aim is to use the concept of discourse to tie the performance of gender to power, showing sex… is produced as discursively regulated performances’ 

‘gender is the apparatus by which the production and normalisation of masculine and feminine take place’ 

p122

‘As an ironic commentary, drag can be subversive as it not only illustrated the performative nature of gender, it also hints at its instability by showing the possible slippage between the supposedly bounded categories of male and female, straight and gay’

‘like Kessler and McKenna, and also Goffman, Butler is saying that the performance creates the sense of male and female as natural facts, using a Foucauldian analysis she is arguing that performances are compelled by regulatory norms and the overlapping networks of knowledge and power’ 

‘it is this normative regulation that actually produces gender performances, which are both iterative and improvisational’ 

‘In performing as women or men in everyday life we do exactly the same thing, by quoting the gender norms that are standard in society, or ‘gender-bending’ in some way by mixing together male and female signifiers’

‘she recognised that we do not simply conform to a set of normative regulations in a self-conscious or cynical way, but are somehow deeply inscribed by these norms, which animate our bodies in their performances, creating our own sense of identification’

‘in my terms, Butler wants to understand how we in-habit gender and sexuality with our bodies’

‘in being compelled to identify within a framework of norms that say you must identify either as male or female, gay or straight, this identification involves a repudiation of its opposite’

‘men will often fee ashamed of their more feminine inclinations and feelings, thinking that they make them less masculine, while women may feel their more masculine aspects will be frowned on because they make them less feminine’ 

‘gender, sex and sexuality are all interlinked, produced by the regulatory apparatus that keeps in place the heterosexual order’ 

p124 

‘social categories signify subordination and existence at once’ 

p127

‘Butler’s theory fail to capture; that alongside the difficulties, struggles and conflicts that can occur in expressing gender and sexuality, there are also to be found the pleasures of bodily fantasies and desires, involving joy and abandon with others’

p128

Goffmans 

‘in his view it is not so much the overall character of the gendered power structure… but certain context-specific features relevant to an audience’ 

p129

‘context and alignment, then, are hugely important in the meaning and style of performances, as well as in the selection and mixing of ideal or iconic images of masculinity and femininity used in gender displays in certain settings’

p130 

‘Freud did not seem to refer to gender or sex as being an identity, but saw masculine and feminine as ‘attitudes’ that could be adopted by both boys and girls’

p131

‘Freud’s concept of identification was rather indistinct, yet he made clear that identification does not have to be with a whole person but could be with a treat, an act, with speech, an organ, or with the whole world’

‘to survive in this world, a person’s sex has to be in some way readable and intelligible to others otherwise they are liable to be cast into a non-existence or non-recognition by others’

‘the major problem in Butler’s work,… are to do with the lack of a historical and context specific understanding of sex and gender’

Comments:

Throughout this subsection Burkitt discusses gender and performance in relation to Butler, in which he discusses the idea that gender is a social construct established through performance. He discusses how a persons performance/actions determine their gender rather than a persons actions being pre-determined by gender. He also discusses Butler in relation to Freud in order to establish issues within Butlers theory. 

COP 3 Tutorial 1: Feedback/Advice

In order to gain a better focus within my research and planning both Simon and I discussed what I had already read to gain an idea of what I need to look at further. He suggested I look more at social constructions ideas of gender which looks at how gender has been established through social practice and performance based on the idea that 'gender' is a performance as we act as men and act as women. I plan to look into this further by reading Social Selves by Ian Burkitt and also look more widely at gender in visual culture by looking at Gender in Media by Rosslin Gill. We also discussed my research into branding and emotional brand attachment which simon felt wasn't necessary to focus on within the essay as it would of been to much to try and analyse within the word count. 

Next Tutorial Needs:

Working document:

• Intro/abstract 
• Structure 
• subjections for what going to write 

Write Practical Brief:

• Disrupt clear cut ideas of what masculine and feminine looks like 
• Exciting, vibrant appeal to all 
• original source 
• Scientific - looks legit not only approach 

COP 3 Practical: Existing Brands - The Ordinary

The Ordinary:
'The Ordinary is an evolving collection of treatments offering familiar, effective clinical technologies positioned to raise pricing and communication integrity in skincare. The brand was created to celebrate integrity in its most humble and true form. Its offering is pioneering, not in the familiar technologies it uses, but in its honesty and integrity. The Ordinary is born to disallow commodity to be disguised as ingenuity.' 

Feelunique.com. (2018). The Ordinary | Skincare | Feelunique. (online) Available at: https://www.feelunique.com/brands/the-ordinary (Accessed 24 Oct. 2018)

Inclusivity is key to The Ordinary's brand identity as the main basis of the company was to make high quality skincare products at a low price, making it accessible to all. They became popular after releasing retinol based products at a fraction of the price of many competitors. The products have been developed based on common skin concerns meaning you can shop based on your issue and find the right solution for you. Furthermore since branching into make-up in the past year their foundation currently comes in 21 shades to try and match all skin tones. The packaging and branding definitely reflect the clinical approach to skincare, explaining the active ingredient within the product and how this will help the specific issue from acne to oily skin.

COP 3 Practical: Existing Brands - Aesop

Aesop:
Aesop is an Australian personal care brand established in 1987 and has since spread worldwide due to it high quality products that are made up of a mixture of plant based and laboratory made ingredients. Its aim is to create high quality skin, hair and body care products with the focus on the quality ingredients used and what the products can do for the consumer.

Approach to Production:
Aesop's customer orientated production process means that products address issues consumers are currently facing, paired with the research based production allows for high quality customer driven products to be created for maximum impact of customers.

'We source ingredients from the most reputable suppliers across the globe, then marry contemporary technology with long-established scientific practices. We launch new products only in response to genuine needs expressed by our clients, and only after extensive research delivers formulations of the highest quality and efficacy'.

Approach to Design:

'A respectful approach to function and setting'. This approach can be seen within the scientific inspired labels which inform the consumer about the product and how to use. The packaging itself is specifically designed for ease of use and aesthetic value. 

Overall Aesop's branding fully represents there functional and quality focuses approach to production and design as the packaging is simple to read and understand. The aesthetic represents their scientific approach to production representing ingredients made within a lab. The introduction of colour into some products add variety into the range of skincare offered, allowing products to stand out from each other on a shelf/online. The neutral colours throughout the website helps the products stand out due to the contrast created by the dark bottles but also aid the quality approach to production by creating a luxury aesthetic throughout.

Aesop.com. (2018). Aesop - A meticulous passion. (online) Available at: https://www.aesop.com/uk/r/philosophy-to-products (Accessed 23 Oct. 2018)

COP 3 Research: Applying Theory

Structural Analysis 

Textbook
Meaning: Words and Images

• Intro: outlines what plans to discuss, introduces sources 
• Explains what different aspects of semiotic analysis 
• Relates sources back to graphic communication 
• Explores different levels of meaning, how relates to graphic design based on sources used 
• Discusses theory, relates to imagery and analyses 
• Conclusion: pulls elements together, summarise 

Media as Manipulation: Marxism and Ideology

• More complex ways ideology imbeds its-self into mass communication 
• Discusses how knowledge is generated and develops over times 
• Discusses knowledge and theory first and then introduces case study, not much visual analysis more as a means to showcase point/theory 
• Uses multiple sources to showcase point and explain theory 
• Looks at multiple approaches, cultural and political economy to explore theory further
• Arguments and criticisms: draw out debate if there is conflicting opinions within a theory, acknowledge debates within a theory.

Journal Article 

Exploring the First Momentary Unboxing, Experience with Aesthetic Interaction 

• Explores the process of unboxing, enjoyable nature of the process. 
• How does this influence packaging/design. 
• Aesthetic interaction - combines theory and design. 
• Takes a theory and develop ideas to produce various packaging outcomes. 
• Use previous research to introduce study and outline what they want to achieve. 
• Theory is introduced and discusses what aspects they have used within their study. 

The Graphic Thing: Ambiguity, Dysfunction and Excess in Designed Objects 

• Defining key concepts/ideas within introduction in order to explain stance taken within the article, helps explain theory discussed throughout.
• Theory explained in detail before the discussion around graphic design, due to the complex nature of theory a large amount of detail needs to given to the concepts.
• Introduces examples of how theory relates to graphic design. 

COP 3 Reading: Dimensions of Brand Personality

Aaker, J. (1997). Dimensions of Brand Personality. SSRN Electronic Journal.

The Brand Personality Construct:

‘brand personality is defined formally here as the set of human characteristics associated with a brand’ 

‘product-related attributes, which tend to serve a utilitarian function for consumers, brand personality tends to serve a symbolic or self-expressive function (Kelly 1993)’

‘the strategies used by advertisers to imbue a brand with personality traits such as anthropomorphism, personification, and the creation of user imager. Through such techniques, the personality trait associated with a brand, such as those associated with an individual, tend to be relatively enduring and distinct’ 

 ‘greater the congruity between the human characteristics that consistently and distinctively describe an individual’s actual or ideal self and those that describe a brand, the greater the preference for the brand’

‘empirical exploration of this hypothesis has been handicapped by a limited conceptual understanding of the brand personality construct and the psychological mechanism by which it operate’

C:

Although brand personality traits exist and are an effective ways to connect with the consumer limited research is available to determine how successful this approach is as it’s difficult to define certain personality traits in relation to a brand as human personality traits don’t necessarily correspond to a brand exactly, making it difficult to measure the impact of brand personality traits. However there is examples of strong brand personality traits that make companies stand out and remain strongly linked to the consumer actual or ideal self, such as Coca-Cola which is seen as cool, all american which allows the brand to stand out against competitors such as pepsi who may not hold such a strong association with its consumers.  

Antecedent of Brand Personality:

‘human and brand personality traits might share a similar conceptualisation (Epstein 1977), they differ in terms of how they are formed’

‘human personality traits are inferred on the basis of an individual’s behaviour, physical characteristics, attitudes and beliefs, and demographics characteristics (Park 1986)’.

‘Perceptions of brand personality traits can be formed and influenced by any direct or indirect contact that the consumer has with the brand (Plummer 1985)’

‘personality traits come to be associated with a brand in a direct way by the people associate with the brand - such as the brand’s user imagery…employees… endorsors’

‘an indirect way through product related attributed, product category association, brand name, symbol or logo, advertising style, price and distribution channels’

‘brand personality includes demographic characteristics such as gender, age, and class’

‘demographic characterises also inferred directly from the brand’s user imagery, employees, or product endorsors’

C:

Personality traits are formed from direct and indirect contact with the brand based on association and experience.

General Discussion / Summary of Research 

‘consumers perceive that brands have five distinct personality dimensions: sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication and ruggedness’

‘brand personality increases consumer preference and usage (Sirgy 1982), evokes emotions in consumers (Biel 1993) and increases levels of trust and loyalty (Fournier 1994).’

COP 3: Presentation and Feedback

Feedback:

• Look more into queer theory rather than hegemonic masculinity. 
• Good focus, identified universal product than is highly gendered.
• Bare in mind that not all are opposed to gender, some find comfort in gendered products - be aware that people like the element of choice

Response/Considerations:

• Consider how gendered products work within skincare market, why consumers relate
• How successful is targeted male skincare, is it intimidating
• Would a gender neutral brand be more successful in targeting men and women within skincare rather than specific gendered products. 
• How gender ideals have influenced the skincare market, how has it become so gendered?

COP 3 Reading: Gender-less or Gender-more

Although this article is largely opinion based article it was interesting to read about the issues of gendered product branding from someone who is affected by highly gendered products. Throughout the article Thompson discusses how androgynous aesthetics are becoming more mainstream as the demand for neutral products increases as brands that are highly gendered being to seem old fashioned and out of touch.Throughout the article Thompson looks at gender within product branding across a wide range of products from football teams to beer made specifically for women. Thompson also highlights the issues with brands creating more harm than good when creating products specifically aimed at women such as Aurosa (beer for women) which implies that women aren't capable of drinking normal beer. In contrast Cards Against Humanity created a humorous campaign selling 'Cards Against Humanity for Her', the traditional game sold in a pink box for $5 more to draw attention to discriminatory pricing against women. Within the article Thompson quotes Kate Moross who discusses the important role designers within gendered product branding 'designers and brands alike are in a prime position to influence and make change, by promoting acceptance, tolerance and tackling some of these issues head on, rather than undermining them'. Furthermore the article discusses how brands are alienating entire communities for whom gender isn't black and white which needs to change as gender fluidity becomes a growing choice for consumers. 

Thompson, G. (2017). Gender-less or Gender-more? Addressing gender in product branding.It's Nice That. Available at: https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/gender-in-design-130917.