Gender Free Diet by Annabel Lee

Strategy and Planning Document Annabel Lee

Fashion Communication FA6015 4489 words

CONTENTS

4

Concept

6

Research and Analysis

20 Outputs 36 Tactics 44 Timeline 46 Finances 51

Social and Ethical Responsibility

APPENDIX 52 Refrences 53

Survey Responses

58

Informed Consent Forms

CONCEPT Gender Free Diet is by and for trans community. It started as an Instagram account busting myths about Non-Binary identities and has developed into a digital community hub focusing on promoting genuine stories by and for trans people including news, creative projects and educational resources. Gender Free Diet is a home for trans joy.

Having started the Gender Free Diet Instagram in late 2020, it immediately got positive reaction and a good number of interactions considering I didn’t promote it at all. I believe that developing the Instagram further into a website with associated social media accounts will work best because there is a lack of websites dedicated to the trans community and most social media accounts tend to be personal or meme accounts.

Within the last few years, the trans and Non-Binary community has received much wider public recognition both positive and negative, however the media has generally come from the perspective of cisgender people and mainly addressed the political debates. I think there should be an online space for people to come; both trans and cis, to learn about and be more involved within the community from people who identify as transgender or Non-Binary.

Especially so as the public is becoming more and more aware of bias in the news and demanding more inclusive and appropriate representation.

RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS Current Market

The market of LGBT+ media is quite saturated as of recent years because of more representation in the general media and the demand to have more specifically LGBT+ news and content sites by and for the community.

Some of these sites include • Gay Times • Advocate • LGBTQ on Buzzfeed • Pink News • Autostraddle • Attitude • Diva • and more.

However, none of these websites is focused on transgender and Non-binary people, whilst they do at times report on the news about the community, they tend to be written by cisgender people and tend to report on political news and people coming out, whereas there’s much more variety when these sites report on LGB+ news.

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4 C’s of Marketing CUSTOMER VALUE • The trans community generally join online into exclusive spaces such as Facebook groups, subreddits, discord servers, etc, specifically to be around other trans people so there is a desire to discuss trans subjects with only other trans people • Many allies and people who just want to understand more about being trans for either themself or for the sake of being a better ally want to know what they can do but value hearing the opinions of actual trans people

COST • Website and all social media platforms will be free to access • Could potentially develop a paid-for section such as a Patreon style, subscription for more content, and BTS looks • Cost of time, the consumer pays with their time to read the articles, watch the videos, etc

CONVENIENCE • Having a multi-platform approach will support consumers with diverse needs and time.

• Instagram will be heavily image based with strong pull quotes and captions and will have a link to the website in bio. Will also utilise IGTV for longer videos that will be filmed specifically in portrait to cater to mobile users • Facebook will have longer excerpts of articles as the platform allows for longer and easier read text posts • Twitter will be less of a focus and have short pull quotes linking to articles and videos

COMMUNICATION • I will be starting to post on the social media accounts a couple of weeks in advance before the website launch to create interest • There will be a newsletter released around twice a month with a round-up of the latest content that has been released to bring back people who have already been to the site and signed up • There is the potential to send out a PR package to more prominent figures in the community, this would have to be very personable and tailored to the person to accurately reflect the brand • Paid ads, the best places for paid advertisements are Facebook and Instagram as Facebook has a higher click-through rate of any social media, however, Instagram has more users within the target demographic 1

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RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS Current Market PEST Political • The GRC has been updated recently to be at a lower cost, this change and the lack of other changes is making frequent news. 2 • There is a government petition to have Non-Binary as a legally recognised gender, it has received enough signatures that it must be debated in parliament 3 • A judge has thrown out the leader of the LGB alliances request to review the 2010 Equalities Act’s laws on single sex spaces 4

Economical • Rise of crowdfunding as a community action tool, now more than ever people are donating time and money to other individuals as opposed to charities or organisations.

This could mean that people are more likely to financially support a small independent website.

Social • The trans community is becoming more and more visible in mainstream news and media both in positive and negative lights, this is going to mean more people are searching for related content and information • People are more and more socially conscious and want to be educated about subjects such as racism, sexism, fatphobia etc and this includes transphobia and trans rights

Technological • With the international lockdowns, people moved essentially all their entertainment, education and socialisation online so there was more people online for longer than ever, however as places open up, people are wanting to get back to in person contact and entertainment so there could be a dip in digital engagement

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SWOT Strengths • It’s still an untapped market that is constantly growing in numbers and representation • Strong network and community, being Non-binary and working within the community for a few years now have given me a level of authenticity that someone outside of the community and culture wouldn’t have. This also has given me access to more than most because people already trust me to talk about their personal experiences.

Weaknesses

• Lack of funding, having to self-fund to begin with is difficult as there are much more limitations with website development, compensating people for their content, PR, and marketing, etc than if there was a larger budget.

• The current climate unfortunately places the trans community in quite a risky position as there is a lot of transphobia within the UK that doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

Talking about these subjects can be considered quite controversial and open the site up for transphobic targets.

Opportunities • This would be one of the first, at least in the UK media sites dedicated to the trans community which is a large benefit as there’s minimal competition.

• Currently, there is lots of media attention in mainstream news regarding trans people, and whilst this isn’t positive news a lot of the time, it will still boost the number of people searching for related topics.

• Because the common thread within the target audience is being trans, Non-binary, GNC, or being an ally to these people, it leaves a wide demographic across a large span of age, gender, race, social class, etc. This will allow me to develop a wide array of content and have more opportunities to find a following.

Threats • An overly saturated wider market, whilst there aren’t any sites specifically for trans people, there are thousands of media sites and now social media platforms sharing news and stories too.

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RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS Search Trends

Using Google Trends for interest and related searches for ‘trans’ ‘transgender’ and ‘nonbinary’ I’ve found that there is a consistent number of searches for these, especially so for ‘trans’ however this is slightly an outlier as whilst a lot of the top related topics are around transgender celebrities, there are also rising searches for completely unrelated topics such as trams and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Regardless of the outliers, the popularity of the searches is positive, and it shows there is a lot of interest, specifically about transgender celebrities and learning about the community. This shows that I really should develop the education side of the site and answer some of these questions, especially as when I Google something like ‘transgender meaning’ all the first pages nearly everything is from very formal and impersonal sources such as Wikipedia, BBC News, Planned Parenthood and Health Line. Whilst all of these have their place, there is also a need for a more casual and personal explanation which is the tone of voice and market that Gender Free Diet is going to address.

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Interest during 2020

trans

transgender non binary

Rising Google searches for ‘trans’ BO BO +800% +350% +60%

what is a trans woman james rodriguez trans do trans women have periods trans visibility day is nikita dragun trans

Top Google searches for ‘non binary’ 100 86 46 29 30

non binary meaning what is non binary what does non binary mean non binary flag non binary names

Top Google searches for ‘transgender’ 100 59 59 29 22 17 17 14 10 10 7 7 5 2 2

transgender uk transgender meaning what is transgender transgender flag what does transgender mean transgender dating transgender woman transgender definition transgender mma fighter transgender vagina louis theroux transgender kids transgender ufc fighter michelle obama transgender james rodriguez transgender famous transgender

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RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS Survey

Only 40% of respondants identify as transgender or Non-Binary however 98% personally know someone who identifies as such

What reigon are you from?

Scotland Northern Ireland Wales North East North West Yorkshire and the Humber West Midlands East Midlands South West South East East of England Greater London Outside of the UK

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Survey A1

0% 0% 3.6% 66.7% 8.9% 3.6% 5.4% 1.8% 1.8% 0% 3.6% 5.4W% 8.9%

Female

Male

Non-Binary

Agender

Gender-Fluid

Under 18

19-25

26-35

36-45

50

40

30

20

10

13

0

RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS Survey

Would you be interested in a website that is specifically focused on the transgender and Non-Binary community?

YES

69.6%

MAYBE 26.8% NO 3.6%

What social medias do you use the most?

31.8%

14

22%

20.5%

20.5%

What type of content would you like to see?

What content format do you prefer?

53.8% of respondants prefer written articles, 25.6% video, 10.3% podcasts and 10.3% wrote ‘other’ which was generally all 3.

Gender Free Diet should be personal, educational and accessable in a range of formats and locations 15

RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS Target Audience

Age

18-30yrs Most people who identify as trans in the UK are under 35,5 this also aligns with that younger generations are more open to trans people and Non-binary gender identities, so more likely to specifically look for trans-related content. My survey also found that over 75% of people interested in the site were between the ages of 19 and 25

Gender

All genders Whilst my survey found that most people interested are women, I will not be targeting specific genders as I don’t believe it’s appropriate to separate audiences by gender when the brand values are that gender is a spectrum and everyone experiences it differently, so anyone of any identity could come and find something of value to them on the site.

Household Income

Working class Approximately 60% of my survey replies were from people who identify as part of the working class. I will be targeting working-class people as this age group especially the lower half, do tend to be in entry-level jobs or students and therefore not have as much expendable income as people older than them. Trans people are also more likely to be working class because of hiring discrimination keeping them out of work.

Location

UK-North specific I will be targeting people in the UK as that is the context for most of the stories and backgrounds of people featured and will be the focus of any political news shared.

However, I want to specifically focus on the North as that is where most of my survey replies are from, and when the UK trans/Non-binary community are discussed in the media it tends to favour people in the greater London area where there tends to be a bigger acceptance of LGBT+ people and more resources available.

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RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS Target Audience

Picture from picnoi.com

Edward

Edward is Adwoa’s father, he is second generation British Ghanaian as his parents moved to the UK to have children and give them the best life possible.

He works in accounting and because of this insists he must be the banker when the family plays Monopoly. Whilst he can work long hours, he never misses dinner or the rugby.

As a widow and single father to his two kids, the last 5 years have been difficult with him taking up both parental roles, especially as he was raised to believe that a strong man and a good father doesn’t get emotional, that is the mother’s role. But he refuses to let his children or his late wife down and has worked to be the best dad he can be.

He is incredibly supportive of Adwoa and their gender identity but can get frustrated with himself because he doesn’t always understand what they’re talking about with non-binary things or how he can do his best to support them.

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Picture from The Gender Spectrum Collection

Cameron he/him and Adwoa they/them are both Non-Binary students, they met at university through the LGBT+ Society in their first year, they’ve been best friends since.

Cameron

Cameron is 20, about to turn 21, studies Environmental science, and enjoys going to gigs and indie nights. He’s been out for 4 years now as a non-binary man, is active within the community, and enjoys campaigning for trans rights.

He’s been on a few weekends to places like London and Manchester to go out in the gay clubs and see the much larger LGBT+ communities there but he’s not really one for the fast life and will always see himself as just a lad from Hull. He’d love to bring some of that open and loud pride and community back home, because as much as he loves it there, sometimes it can feel quite isolating when he goes back to Hull for the holidays.

Adwoa

Adwoa is a 21-year-old, 3rd-year Psychology with Criminology student. They’ve been out for about a year to their close friends and only a few months to their dad and are still coming to terms with their identity. They are an avid runner, having competed regionally at school and now being regular members of the SU’s running club and unless their best running trainers are laced up, they prefer to stay in listening to their favourite 90’s RnB. They want to learn more about the trans and non-binary community’s history outside of the west as they are incredibly proud to be of Ghanaian heritage.

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OUTPUTS Website

The website will be the main output and will be home to articles, videos, interviews, etc It will be divided into broad subjects, art, educational, community and politics. The website will be completely free to access however there is room to develop a Patreon for access to exclusive content which would also work as another revenue stream.

The website will be updated 1-2 times a week to begin with as I will only be working parttime hours on it.

Art • Interviews with artists, musicians, etc • Showcasing people’s art form in the community • Media and pop culture

Educational • Explaining terms commonly used within the community • Advice and support

Community

• People’s personal stories about their trans journey • News from within the community

Politics • Political news • Op-eds about political happenings • Activist work

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OUTPUTS Website Content Art

Community

• “How Cosplay Helped Me Find my Gender” - Scotts story of their gender journey and how cosplay kicked it off

• “How Cosplay Helped Me Find my Gender” - Scotts story of their gender journey and how cosplay kicked it off

• “Beyond the Binary; We Find Gender Euphoria” - my old work about nonbinary euphoria

• “What is Trans Enough?” interview with non-binary writer and PHD student, Megan

• River Manning’s portfolio showcase trans fashion designer

• Interview with Pheobe

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Politics

• “The £5 bone, What the GRA Changes Really Mean” • “Rainbow Capitalism: A Nessasary Evil?”

Educational

• Pronouns • The Crossroads of Gender and Sexuality • What You Should and Shouldn’t Ask a Trans Person

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OUTPUTS Website

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Home page 25

OUTPUTS Website

About page

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All posts page

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OUTPUTS Social Media

The social media accounts will be used for promoting the main website and will have bitesize highlights from the main site and a more casual BTS approach, especially on stories and such.

Instagram

Heavily image-based with strong pull quotes and captions and will have a link to the website in bio.

We, Will, utilize IGTV for longer videos that will be filmed specifically in portrait to cater to mobile users Use stories to share community content and interact with people, can also be used for BTS pictures and videos to keep them very personable

Facebook

Facebook will have longer excerpts of articles as the platform allows for longer and easier read text posts

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OUTPUTS YouTube

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The YouTube account is where I will host all the video content that will be linked to the main website as a blog post with written details too. I decided to use YouTube as it’s completely free and by far the most popular video hosting site so there’s potential to get viewers from YouTube and bring them over to the website.

The focus of the video content will be education as I want to keep the topics that are more serious and potentially confusing for people personable and warm, and having a face to the brand and conversation does that well.

YouTube also has the potential for being an income stream in the future if I get enough subscribers and viewers through the YouTube Partner Program, it will allow me to earn from any ads and open up the option for people to buy a membership, highlight their messages, etc

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OUTPUTS Objectives

I want to set goals for both content creation and how frequently the website and social media are updated and KPI’s such as the number of visits, page views, and unique visitors to the site and likes, comments, and followers on social media accounts.

I don’t want to set specific goals for views etc until the site is launched and I can have a baseline to grow from. I will track these using the analytics information that each of the platforms provides.

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Creation Goals • Post a new article or video once a week onto the main website • Post on social media daily or every other day • Write 500 words 5x a week

Performance Goals • Reach 200 followers on Instagram in the first monthcurrently at 155 • 5O unique website viewers in the first month

Optimisation Goals • Track website and social media analytics in a spreadsheet and update weekly

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OUTPUTS Content Schedule PLATFORM

DATE

WEEK 1

Monday, 3 May

CONTENT TYPE

TOPIC

Thursday, 6 May

11:00 AM LAUNCH TEASER 14 days till launch

FACEBOOK

Thursday, 6 May

11:00 AM LAUNCH TEASER 14 days till launch

INSTAGRAM

Saturday, 8 May

11:00 AM ORIGINAL IMAGE Zander tweet

INSTAGRAM

Saturday, 8 May

11:00 AM ORIGINAL IMAGE Zander tweet

Monday, 10 May Monday, 10 May

11:00 AM LAUNCH TEASER 10 days till launch

FACEBOOK

Monday, 10 May

11:00 AM LAUNCH TEASER 10 days till launch

FACEBOOK

Wednesday, 12 May

11:00 AM ORIGINAL IMAGE Non-Binary People are Non-Binary

INSTAGRAM

Wednesday, 12 May

INSTAGRAM

Saturday, 15 May

11:00 AM LAUNCH TEASER 5 days till launch

FACEBOOK

Saturday, 15 May

11:00 AM LAUNCH TEASER 5 days till launch

Monday, 17 May

It's finally here! with interviews, genderfreediet.c the meanwhile, previews of wha

Quote from our u their identity and

1:00 AM

INSTAGRAM

WEEK 3

SOC

1:00 AM

INSTAGRAM

WEEK 2

11:00 AM ORIGINAL IMAGE Non-Binary People are Non-Binary

10 days to go! W

Trans women ar Non-Binary, and life

Only 5 days left

1:00 AM

FACEBOOK

Monday, 17 May

11:00 AM ORIGINAL IMAGE Vicky Mattin Quote

INSTAGRAM

Monday, 17 May

11:00 AM ORIGINAL IMAGE Vicky Mattin Quote

INSTAGRAM

Tuesday, 18 May

11:00 AM LAUNCH TEASER 2 days till launch

FACEBOOK

Tuesday, 18 May

11:00 AM LAUNCH TEASER 2 days till launch

It's 2 days to go head

INSTAGRAM

Wednesday, 19 May

11:00 AM LAUNCH TEASER Launch tomorrow

Tomorrow! It fee

WEBSITE

Wednesday, 19 May

11:00 AM NEW BLOG POST Neurodiverse, Named and Non-Binary

WEBSITE

Wednesday, 19 May

11:00 AM NEW BLOG POST Being Someone Else to Find Yourself

WEBSITE

Wednesday, 19 May

11:00 AM NEW BLOG POST Q&A with Vicky Mattin

WEBSITE

Wednesday, 19 May

11:00 AM NEW BLOG POST Skye Kember

WEBSITE

Wednesday, 19 May

11:00 AM NEW BLOG POST The Womens Section: Demystified

WEBSITE

Wednesday, 19 May

11:00 AM NEW BLOG POST What's on the menu

In just a few day track exclusively

WEBSITE

Wednesday, 19 May

11:00 AM VIDEO

FACEBOOK

Wednesday, 19 May

11:00 AM LAUNCH TEASER Launch tomorrow

Tomorrow! It fee

INSTAGRAM

Thursday, 20 May

11:00 AM LAUNCH TEASER Now live

We are live! Head and Non-Binary c

INSTAGRAM

Thursday, 20 May

FACEBOOK

Thursday, 20 May

11:00 AM LAUNCH TEASER Now live

FACEBOOK

Saturday, 22 May

11:00 AM ORIGINAL IMAGE The womens Section: Demystified

INSTAGRAM

Saturday, 22 May

11:00 AM ORIGINAL IMAGE The womens Section: Demystified

WEEK 4 WEBSITE

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TIME (GMT)

1:00 PM VIDEO

What is transitioning?

What is transitioning?

Monday, 24 May Wednesday, 26 May

11:00 AM NEW BLOG POST Making Catholocism Gay with Kit Ryan

We are live! Head and Non-Binary c

Buying clothes i over to the link i

Day

Content

Monday

• Instagram/Facebook post • Share content on story

Tuesday

• Share content on story • Personal story content

Wednesday Thursday

• Instagram/Facebook post

• Share content on story • Personal story content

Friday Saturday

• Instagram/Facebook post

• Website post • Instagram/Facebook post

Sunday

• Share content on story

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TACTICS Branding

36

#05668d

#4b7c9b

#d06c99

#cc87a6

#6d2593

#7c4c9a

#509f86

#7bac99

#e29f2c

#dfb062

TACTICS Launch

In the run up to the website launch I will be posting on the social media accounts a countdown, teasers from upcoming articles and other things that fit with the brand values.

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TACTICS Launch

To keep costs down I haven’t created a full PR pack but will be sending out a branded postcard with a handwritten note and press release

Abigail Thorn

Jake & Hannah Graf

Jamie Raines

Vick Franco

Munroe Bergdorf

Charlie Craggs

Jessica Kellgren-Fozard

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Jamie Windust

Char Ellesse

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TACTICS Guest Blogs

For long-term marketing, I plan to guest blog on other peoples’ and organizations’ websites to have access to a different audience and to gain credibility as a resource.

There are a lot of sites/blogs that are focused on LGBT+ people that accept guest blogs at times such as Stonewall, Gender GP, and Steph’s Place; however, I’m aiming to also guest on sites with different focuses to try and get a larger audience who are less likely to know about gender diverse subjects and therefore need it more. There is also the option to feature on people’s YouTube channel or podcast and have an actual conversation regarding the trans experience.

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TACTICS Flyers

I will also be doing physical promotion, mainly through flyers and leaflets in places like doctors, LGBT+ charities, community centres, and such. Each location will have a slightly different flyer to be more appropriate to their audience, with more focus on education and figuring yourself out in GP’s and community centres and then leaning towards the community aspects of the brand in LGBT+ charities, bars, etc

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TIMELINE JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

Initial planning

Content Planning

Content Creation

• Research and decide on website hosting

• Who is the target audience?

• Start contacting and arranging interviews

• Look for domain name early • Specify content categories • Initial market research

• Longlist ideal interview subjects and guests Website Development • Start to pick a template for the site • Plan out the needed sections on site • Start developing branding from Instagram

• Start writing articles • Start scripting videos Website Development • Continue to develop website Admin

• Track the costs involved in website for the budget sectio • Research analytics to create SMART goals

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on

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

Content Creation

Content Creation

Content Creation

• Continue writing

• Finish writing all planned articles

• Plan new content

• Continue scripting and recording

• Edit videos

• Edit videos

• Pass along to be proofread

• Start illustrating for articles without pictures

Admin

Website Development • Start to upload media to site • Show website to people for opinions/testing • Set up domain name Admin • Set up email account • Princes Trust workshops to learn more about social enterprises

• Set up email account • Princes Trust workshops to learn more about social enterprises Marketing • Plan a posting schedule for site and all social media’s

• Write/film new content Admin • Track analyitics on spreadsheet Marketing • Post daily or every other day at least across social media • Post new article or video on website once a week • Start monthly email campaign

• Start teasing launch on social media platforms LAUNCH MAY 20TH

Marketing • Set up social media pages • Plan launch PR pack • Create Instagram post templates • Create brand guidlines

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FINANCES Expenses Item

Cost

Squarespace subscription

£15.60 Basic Squarespace subscription

Domain name

£11.38 Domain name genderfreediet.co.uk through

Logo design

£23.22 2 logo designs through Fiverr

Email accounts

£4.19 2 custom email accounts through Namesco f

Labour

£8.36 I will be working on GFD part time to begin I’ve gone off the current national living wag To begin with I will be doing my labour unp

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Details

Yearly cost £187.20

h Namesco for 1 year

£11.38 £23.22

for 1 month

n with as I try to find full time work as my main source of income. ge for 21-22 year olds and a 12hr work week, at 48 weeks pa paid until there is a steady income stream

£50.28 £4,815.36

£5,087.44

£19.97 monthly admin £401.28 monthly labour £272.08 annual admin £4,815.36 annual labour £5,087.44 total annual costs 47

FINANCES

Potential Income Streams Selling prints/merch

• I’ve had some interest previously in people buying prints of the old style Instagram posts • This would be more labour intensive but have a higher profit margin, • If I wanted to sell through Sqaurespace it would again need to be a higher subscription level starting from £24pm • Could also sell them through dedicated e-commerce sites such as big cartel, etsy or shopify • Selling merch would require some level of brand loyalty, but I don’t think this is unachievable because of how tight the community is and the branding is already consistent and appropriate to be printed on a range of products Print on demand • Would not have any wasted stock • Smaller profit margin as the seller would take a higher percentage Buy stock in advance • Requires an initial investment • More value for money overall • More time expensive as I would be printing and sending them myself Pre-orders • Would remove risk of wasted stock and allow me to make a target for minimum pre-orders • Pre-orders would support the investment on stock

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Google AdSense • Integrates ads into the website and YouTube channel • You receive 68% of the click-through amount • The commission depends on the niche, CPC ranges from $0.15-$15 with most being less than $3 per click • Requires a business account on Squarespace which costs £ 21 pm At the minimum of $0.15 CPC and approximating the £ 21 pm into $30pm the site would require • 80 clicks per month to make up the subscription difference • 200 clicks per month to break even on the whole subscription • 235 clicks per month to break even on all costs The average click-through rate is 0.46% across all industries, to reach the needed CPM I would need approximately 6 • 17,391 visits pm to reach 80 clicks • 43,478 visits pm to reach 200 clicks • 51,086 visits pm to reach 235 clicks

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FINANCES

Potential Income Streams Patreon

This is a great option for the future once I’ve developed more brand loyalty and returning readers because it allows them to get more content or a behind the scenes look at GFD for a small price This would require me to make more content but with my initial plan of 1 weekly post, there is room for expansion.

Patreon is free to start, they just receive a small percentage depending on the plan you get.

• Lite - they take 5% of monthly income • Pro - they take 8% of monthly income but you can have membership tiers, analytics, special offers, and more • Premium - they take 12% of monthly income, you get all in the pro plan and a dedicated partner manager and merch for memberships Using the default and suggested minimum subscription charge of £ 5 pm and the 5% fee I would need • 5 patreons per month to break even on all costs

Donations

• Donations would be easy to set up and keep as a passive form of income • These are not to be relied on or expected at all • It would have to be very transparent as to where the donations are going within the business to keep that level of trust with readers

Affiliate Marketing

• Affiliate marketing could be an option when I have a good level of views and interaction on the site and social media • Any contracts taken on would have to be well scrutinized as to how they fit into the brand values, otherwise, it would be dishonest and could easily come across as untrustworthy to readers

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SOCIAL & ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY Through this project, I will be ensuring that everyone I interview will be comfortable throughout the process and be fully aware of the situation, what they are agreeing to and all withdrawal and anonymity rights they have. Everyone I have spoken to has willingly signed an informed consent form detailing what the project is, what their information/words/etc will be used for and where, how they can withdraw any and all data and asking if they need to be kept anonymous in any way. After the project ends and this becomes an individual venture, I will make my informed consent forms and continue to offer the same options from then on.

To allow for privacy I have offered to hold interviews over zoom or email as many people may not be comfortable with a video call or not have access to the necessary hardware. Because a lot of my subjects will be opening up about very personal experiences and feelings, I am being extra cautious to be sensitive and aware of their reactions and ending the question or interview if I or they feel if it is necessary for their comfort. At the start of every interview, I also state that if they do not want to answer any questions that are fine, and they do not need to explain why.

If anyone does need to end the interview suddenly then I will contact them over email straight after with links to resources for LGBT+ (or otherwise appropriate) helplines and support in their area.

For the website, I will be using trigger/content warnings at the beginning of articles that discuss more sensitive subjects and providing links to appropriate external resources such as LGBT+ specific helplines, national charities, and NHS resources. I will also be making sure to clarify that any and all advice on the website or its associated social media are followed at your own risk and Gender Free Diet is not a replacement for seeing an appropriate professional.

I am to keep the brand as sustainable as possible by keeping everything online where possible, including hosting interviews over zoom or email and keeping all files digital. In the future, if I ever expand, I will want to move the website over to providers with better transparency on their environmental effects as Squarespace and Namesco do not currently have easily accessible sustainability policies.

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APPENDIX Refrences

1. https://www.bigcommerce.co.uk/blog/social-media-advertising/#2-instagram-advertising 2. https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/life/uk-government-reduces-the-price-for-a-gender-recognitioncertificate-to-5/ 3. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/580220 4. https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/05/06/lgb-alliance-ann-sinnott-judicial-review-failslondon-high-court-equality-act/ 5. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-lgbt-survey-summary-report/ national-lgbt-survey-summary-report 6. https://www.wordstream.com/click-through-rate

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APPENDIX Survey

13/05/2021

Gender Free Diet Survey

Gender Free Diet Survey 55 responses

Do you consent to your answers being used anonymously as part of my FMP work 55 responses

Yes No

100%

Demographic Questions What is your gender identity 55 responses

Female Male 32.7%

16.4%

Non-Binary Agender Gender-fluid Technically agenderflux but I also use nonbinary to describe myself :)

45.5%

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_WkdWkZrKr4j9npHPtQoWXlWGIJqZ1yfS9gVRdD9_dQ/viewanalytics

53

1/6

13/05/2021

Gender Free Diet Survey

Do you identify as transgender and/or Non-Binary?

55 responses

Yes No

60%

40%

Do you personally know anyone who identifies as transgender/Non-Binary 55 responses

Yes No Maybe

96.4%

What is your age?

55 responses

Under 18 19-25 26-35

9.1% 13/05/2021

36-45 46-55

85.5% 85 5%

Gender Free Diet Survey 55+

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_WkdWkZrKr4j9npHPtQoWXlWGIJqZ1yfS9gVRdD9_dQ/viewanalytics

54

2/6

13/05/2021

Gender Free Diet Survey

85.5%

What class do you identify as part of?

55 responses

Working class

36.4%

Middle class Upper class Unsure between working/middle class.

Don't usually define Working/working-middle class

56.4%

What region are you based in?

55 responses

Scotland Northern Ireland

9.1%

Wales North East

7.3%

North West Yorkshire and the Humber West Midlands East Midlands

58.2%

1/2

What is your ethnic group?

55 responses 15 14 (25.5%)

11 (20%)

10 13/05/2021

Gender Free Diet Survey 5 (9.1%) 5 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_WkdWkZrKr4j9npHPtQoWXlWGIJqZ1yfS9gVRdD9_dQ/viewanalytics 3 (5.5%) 2 (3.6%)2 (3.6%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%)1 (1.8%)1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%

0

3/6

British European Settled Trav… White (neith…

White british White/Non-…

British Pakis… Mixed race :) White White British White, British white

55 Content Questions

13/05/2021

Gender Free Diet Survey

5

3 (5.5%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%)

0

1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%)

2 (3.6%)2 (3.6%) 1 (1.8%)1 (1.8%)1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%

British European Settled Trav… White (neith…

White british White/Non-…

British Pakis… Mixed race :) White White British White, British white

Content Questions Would you be interested in a website that is specifically focused on the transgender and Non-Binary community?

55 responses

Yes No 27.3%

Maybe

70.9%

What subjects would you like to see on this website? Please select as many as you would like 55 responses 36 (65.5%)

Politics surrounding the c…

46 (83.6%)

Personal stories from tra…

Reviews or recommenda…

41 (74.5%) 44 (80%)

Art - showcasing artists…

Interviews with trans/Non…

33 (60%) 48 (87.3%)

Education about gender i…

Links to research that rel…

1 (1.8%)

I definitely think this platf…

1 (1.8%)

0

20

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_WkdWkZrKr4j9npHPtQoWXlWGIJqZ1yfS9gVRdD9_dQ/viewanalytics

56

40

60

4/6

What formats do you prefer to interact with?

55 responses

38 (69.1%)

Written articles 25 (45.5%)

Video 11 (20%)

Podcast Images, written articles (i…

1 (1.8%)

all of these

1 (1.8%)

All of the above - I much…

1 (1.8%)

Insta posts

1 (1.8%)

0

10

20

30

40

What social media's do you typically use 55 responses Facebook

27 (49.1%)

Twitter

27 (49.1%) 42 (76.4%)

Instagram 29 (52.7%)

TikTok 2 (3.6%)

YouTube

1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%)

None really. Discord mostly Reddit + Tumblr Snapchat, Reddit.

13/05/2021

1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%)

reddit Youtube

Gender Free Diet Survey

1 (1.8%) 1 (1.8%)

Reddit 0

20

40

60

Do you currently read/watch anything that is related to the trans/NonBinary community https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_WkdWkZrKr4j9npHPtQoWXlWGIJqZ1yfS9gVRdD9_dQ/viewanalytics

5/6

55 responses

Yes No

32.7%

67.3%

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Forms

57

APPENDIX Consent Forms

School of Design

Informed Consent Form for Gender Free Diet student researcher : Annabel Lee phone: 07876344462 email: annabel1.lee@northumbria.ac.uk

About this Research You will be participating in an interview over either zoom or email for my project Gender Free Diet, discussing your work and/or experiences as a trans and/or Non-Binary person.

All data including voice and images will be stored on a secure personal hard drive and will be anonymised or removed if required.

Information obtained in this study, including this consent form, will be used for the purposes of FA6013 Critical Research Project' academic module, submitted for this purpose and viewed by academic tutors. It may also be published on the Internet as part of my professional portfolio of work, unless expressly required not to and signed beneath. Data obtained through this research will not be used for purposes other than those outlined above without your separate written consent. Participation is entirely voluntary and you may withdraw at any time within the next <1> month, for any reason, without any need to explain. Where results have not been analysed and published, your data will be destroyed on request.

By signing, dating, and initialling below, you indicate that you fully understand the above information and agree to participate in this study on this basis.

58

I do / consent to my participation in this study and the use of collected data as described above

Sign: Kit Ryan

I do consent to the use of any recorded materials, (Photos, Audio, and Video), in research presentations/ research publications/including Internet publications (delete as appropriate).

Sign: Kit Ryan Date: 18.05.2021

I do not require anonymity in this study

Sign:

Date: 18.05.2021

Kit Ryan Date: 18.05.2021

Thank you for consenting to participate in this research. Please keep one copy of this form for your own record

School of Design

Informed Consent Form for Gender Free Diet student researcher : Annabel Lee phone: 07876344462 email: annabel1.lee@northumbria.ac.uk

About this Research You will be participating in an interview over either zoom or email for my project Gender Free Diet, discussing your work and/or experiences as a trans and/or Non-Binary person.

All data including voice and images will be stored on a secure personal hard drive and will be anonymised or removed if required.

Information obtained in this study, including this consent form, will be used for the purposes of FA6013 Critical Research Project' academic module, submitted for this purpose and viewed by academic tutors. It may also be published on the Internet as part of my professional portfolio of work, unless expressly required not to and signed beneath. Data obtained through this research will not be used for purposes other than those outlined above without your separate written consent. Participation is entirely voluntary and you may withdraw at any time within the next <1> month, for any reason, without any need to explain. Where results have not been analysed and published, your data will be destroyed on request.

By signing, dating, and initialling below, you indicate that you fully understand the above information and agree to participate in this study on this basis.

I do / do not consent to my participation in this study and the use of collected data as described above

Sign:

I do / do not consent to the use of any recorded materials, (Photos, Audio, and Video), in research presentations/ research publications/including Internet publications (delete as appropriate).

Sign:

I do / do not require anonymity in this study

Sign:

Date: 3 / 3 1 / 2 0 2 1 Date:

3/31/2021

Date: 3/31/2021 Thank you for consenting to participate in this research. Please keep one copy of this form for your own record

59

60

61

School of Design

Informed Consent Form for Gender Free Diet student researcher : Annabel Lee phone: 07876344462 email: annabel1.lee@northumbria.ac.uk

About this Research You will be participating in an interview over either zoom or email for my project Gender Free Diet, discussing your work and/or experiences as a trans and/or Non-Binary person.

All data including voice and images will be stored on a secure personal hard drive and will be anonymised or removed if required.

Information obtained in this study, including this consent form, will be used for the purposes of FA6013 Critical Research Project' academic module, submitted for this purpose and viewed by academic tutors. It may also be published on the Internet as part of my professional portfolio of work, unless expressly required not to and signed beneath. Data obtained through this research will not be used for purposes other than those outlined above without your separate written consent. Participation is entirely voluntary and you may withdraw at any time within the next <1> month, for any reason, without any need to explain. Where results have not been analysed and published, your data will be destroyed on request.

By signing, dating, and initialling below, you indicate that you fully understand the above information and agree to participate in this study on this basis.

I do consent to my participation in this study and the use of collected data as described above

Sign:

I do consent to the use of any recorded materials, (Photos, Audio, and Video), in research presentations/ research publications/including Internet publications (delete as appropriate).

Sign:

I do not require anonymity in this study

Sign:

Date:

Date:

Date: Thank you for consenting to participate in this research. Please keep one copy of this form for your own record

62

63

64

School of Design

Informed Consent Form for Gender Free Diet student researcher : Annabel Lee phone: 07876344462 email: annabel1.lee@northumbria.ac.uk

About this Research You will be participating in an interview over either zoom or email for my project Gender Free Diet, discussing your work and/or experiences as a trans and/or Non-Binary person.

All data including voice and images will be stored on a secure personal hard drive and will be anonymised or removed if required.

Information obtained in this study, including this consent form, will be used for the purposes of FA6013 Critical Research Project' academic module, submitted for this purpose and viewed by academic tutors. It may also be published on the Internet as part of my professional portfolio of work, unless expressly required not to and signed beneath. Data obtained through this research will not be used for purposes other than those outlined above without your separate written consent. Participation is entirely voluntary and you may withdraw at any time within the next <1> month, for any reason, without any need to explain. Where results have not been analysed and published, your data will be destroyed on request.

By signing, dating, and initialling below, you indicate that you fully understand the above information and agree to participate in this study on this basis.

I do / do not consent to my participation in this study and the use of collected data as described above

Sign:

I do / do not consent to the use of any recorded materials, (Photos, Audio, and Video), in research presentations/ research publications/including Internet publications (delete as appropriate).

Sign:

I do / do not require anonymity in this study

Sign:

Date:

Date:

Date:

11/3/21

11/3/21

11/3/21

Thank you for consenting to participate in this research. Please keep one copy of this form for your own record

65

www.genderfreediet.co.uk @genderfreediet /genderfreediet