Glasgow Grows Audiences LtdT. 0141 248 6864

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Solutions Marketing Research Knowledge
Skills Audience Development

Crafts in the eyes of the public
Glasgow Grows Audiences Ltd T. 0141 248
6864 Suite 1/1 F. 0141 248 4090 6 Dixon
Street E. info_at_gga4arts.co.uk Glasgow G1
4AX W. www.gga4arts.co.uk
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Crafts Audience Research

The Rationale The audience is women aged 40,
social class ABC1 Those researched have attended
events What about those who havent been? What
do they think about crafts? Key Questions What
do they perceive crafts to be? How do they define
crafts? How should it be defined? What are their
perceptions of crafts? Where do these opinions
come from? What have they bought and how did they
buy? What and how would they purchase in the
future? What about craft events? Who do they
appeal to and why?
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Crafts Audience Research

What we did - 4 focus groups Group 1 females
aged 25-34 social class B/C1 Group 2 females
aged 25-34 social class C2/D Group 3 females
aged 35-45 social class B/C1 Group 4 females
aged 35-45 social class C2D All had not
attended a craft event in the last year but had
shown in interest in crafts
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Key Findings
Topics Covered Awareness definitions of
crafts The term crafts Likes dislikes Crafts
Scotland Buying crafts Craft events General
Themes Differences between younger and older age
groups No apparent differences between social
class groups Is it a hobby or an occupation? Is
it something you make or buy?

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The Good.
You would put a bit of you in it Younger C2D
It makes me think of someone whos got a bit of
skill Younger BC1
Someones inner personality is coming out in
what theyve made Older C2D
Its better quality than something thats been
stuck through a factory Older C2D
Its something that you are not necessarily good
at but you enjoy Older C2D
I find craft fairs quite appealing as I think
you would get something different Older BC1
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And the Bad
It can look like junk Younger BC1
When you say crafts, it sounds old, you think of
grannies Younger C2D
I associate it with someone whos retired and
have the time to do it Older BC1
Sometimes I imagine people who are into crafts
have too much time on their hands Older C2D
Craft is an old fashioned word Younger C2D
Sometimes you buy something that someone has
made and its not perfect, you feel ripped off
Older BC1
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Awareness Definitions
What is crafts? Making with hands Artistic Creatin
g something Therapeutic Homemade One
off Individual Achievement Personal Flare

Crafts is having a flare for something
naturally, some people are just good at these
things Older BC1
Crafts is your inner personality coming out in
what youve made Older C2D
Crafts is arty stuff Younger BC1
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Types of Crafts
What is crafts? Basket Making Ceramics Furniture
Making Glass Making Lettering Metalwork Jewellery
Woodwork Musical Instruments Textiles

Younger groups - smaller pieces of furniture are
crafts, bigger pieces are trade or art
Younger groups - smaller pieces of furniture are
crafts, bigger pieces are trade or art
Confusion. Art? Calligraphy. Crafts? Carving
onto wood
Older groups small pieces craft, bigger pieces
trade
Too specialist to be craft
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Art v Craft? Hobby v Livelihood?
What is crafts? Younger groups hobby, could
not see crafts as a livelihood Small v large
objects Older groups could see as both Art
and craft are linked, tied in with small v large

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Crafts
Crafts Old fashioned Retired Good descriptor
but old fashioned connotations Stuffy Contemporar
y Fine Craft Expensive Posh Exclusive High
Quality Delicate

It makes you think about old grannies doing
their cross stitch Younger BC1
C2D groups
Would make it twice the price, too Sunday
Herald Older C2D
C2D Groups
I could never imagine going into a shop and
asking for that Younger C2D
BC1 Groups
It sounds more expensive, but worth it - Older
BC1
Sounds more appropriate if you were doing it for
a living - Younger BC1
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Crafts
Made Art Pieces Nursery school Clumsy Descriptiv
e Handmade Art Smaller pieces Accessible Unique
ness More appealing

I would go to my sons nursery and expect to see
that Younger C2D
C2D groups
Sounds more appropriate, says more about what it
is, it makes it more interesting and appealing
being handmade - Younger BC1
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Likes Dislikes
Likes Favourites Special Finishing
touches Trinket Boxes Presents more thought
into it Story behind it Unique Effort Thought

Ceramics, jewellery, wooden trinkets
C2D groups
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Likes Dislikes
Dislikes Old fashioned Time
consuming Junk Expensive Tacky, cheap Arty
Farty Boring Rip off Not exclusive

Sometimes these things can look like a junk
stall Younger BC1
It can be tacky, these wee cheap things that
fall to bits you wouldnt mind paying for it if
you knew it was going to be good Older C2D
C2D groups
Handcrafted jewellery and cards are always more
expensive Younger C2D
You see something that you think is unique and
pay a lot for it, then two minutes down the road
you see the same thing for cheaper, you feel
ripped off Older BC1
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Crafts Scotland
Traditional Handed down Generational More
accessible Scottish heritage Contemporary Still
Scottish Important for industry Would pay more
for Scottish crafts

Crafts are no more part of our heritage than
they are for any other country Older BC1
Some crafts are traditional, some are
contemporary, they will all appeal to different
people Younger C2D
C2D groups
Crafts are in our heritage but we dont think
about it, generations are very important Older
C2D
Its part of my history rather than my present or
future Older BC1
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Buying Crafts
Younger Groups Did not associate with
something they would buy Crafts are something
they would make Sometimes see crafts to buy on
holidays struggled with being defined as
crafts Would buy to make themselves craft
kits Jewellery and small trinket items
purchased Personal or small gifts Pay more for
quality handmade No specific driver to
purchase craft items seen as gifts, trinkets,
impulse buys

C2D groups
I suppose its nice to have something no one else
has- Younger BC1
I dont think I would go out thinking I was
going to buy something crafty, I would just go
out and if I saw something I like then I would
buy it, if it happened to be craft then fine
Younger C2D
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Buying Crafts
Older Groups Small items Jewellery, trinkets,
small furniture items Price and quality factor in
purchase decision More open to purchase on
holidays mementos/more time to browse

You wouldnt really buy craft things for your
house, these days people change their décor so
often that you buy cheaper things so its easier
to change your mind Older BC1
Its nice to have a wee thing that will last and
you know no one else will have Older C2D
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Buying Crafts
Younger Groups Older Groups Markets Small
shops Ebay Fairs DeCourceys
Arcade National Trust Tourist
spots Christmas markets Stalls in shopping
centres Car boot sales Museums Haberdashery
shops

Its nice to see someone demonstrating how they
make things at these markets and you get to talk
to the person whos made it Older BC1
There are no places to buy things like there are
on holidays, its nice when there are wee markets
that you can go and have a look round Younger
BC1
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Craft Events
Craft Fairs Low levels of attendance limited to
school craft fairs (rip off) Not appealing to
younger groups - junk More appealing to
older Time factor Paying to get in seen as a
risk

You just expect these things to be boring
Younger BC1
It appeals to people who are into that sort of
thing, you would need to have a lot of time to
browse Older C2D
Would appeal to older people with more time to
fill Younger C2D
Would need to catch your eye, and I would have
to have the time, if you listed it not as crafts
but as the different types of crafts Younger
C2D
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Craft Events
Other Craft Events Attendance at farmers and
Christmas markets had never viewed as craft
event Merchant Square Glasgow highlighted by
older groups More appealing to all as packaged
with other activities Finding Out About
Events Local communications Local paper Posters
in shops Local radio

The German market makes you feel like you are on
holiday as you wander around in the street and
look at the stalls, its sociable, personal
Younger BC1
It would be local stuff because youre not going
to travel very far to go to one of these things
Younger BC1
You would really just be passing by I think
Older BC1
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Buying More Crafts
No specific driver If I see something I like I
will buy Crafts considered small items so no
decision making process linked with
purchase Would buy more if saw more craft items
related to how crafts is defined Time to browse
pleasure on holiday as part of experience Class
divide access to crafts Paisley v Byres
Road

Some peoples houses are all clean lines and
others are full of knick knacks, you either like
stuff like that or you dont Younger C2D
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Solutions Marketing Research Knowledge
Skills Audience Development

Thank you
Glasgow Grows Audiences Ltd T. 0141 248
6864 Suite 1/1 F. 0141 248 4090 6 Dixon
Street E. info_at_gga4arts.co.uk Glasgow G1
4AX W. www.gga4arts.co.uk