“A feminine brand? Never!” Brands as gender threats for “resistant” masculinities

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between men and brands and specifically how they configure their masculinities in relation to daily used brands. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews with projective technique were conducted with 20 men with different masculinities and sexual orientations to explore their practices regarding and relations to various product categories and brands. Findings First, this paper shows how men’s relationships to daily used brands vary according to different forms of masculinities, in a continuum apparently disconnected from sexual orientation. Men with “resistant” masculinities are strongly attached to choosing masculine brands; others with more hybrid masculinities are more open to feminine brands and do not care about brand gender. Second, this paper shows the importance of brand gender salience: Men with more traditional masculinities interpret brands through the prism of gender first and over-interpret gendered cues in brand execution. Third, feminine brands are considered as threats for men with traditional masculinities. Fourth, brand extensions to the opposite sex are criticized by men with more traditional masculinities but appreciated by men with hybrid masculinities, independently of sexual orientation. Originality/value This paper investigates the relationships between men and brand gender for daily used brands, by introducing a diversity of masculinities. Furthermore, it builds on a qualitative approach to capture individuals’ diverse masculinities. This helps capture the complexity of gender and better understand the relationships between men, masculinities and brands.

Consumer reactions towards femvertising: a netnographic study

“…Regarding the topic of femvertising, consumers consider it is positive to bring up feminist issues and fight against gender stereotypes and sexism in advertising, with positive consumer reactions in terms of brand attitude (Abitbol and Sternadori, 2016). However, brands that are considered feminine due to their communication strategy may be avoided by men with traditional masculinities even though the product may be unisex (Ulrich and Tissier-Desbordes, 2018).…”

Using Audience Segmentation to Determine Millennial Perceptions toward GM Foods

“…Previous studies have examined the effects demographic characteristics have on consumer preferences. Specifically, previous research has found that consumers prefer products that are congruent with their gendered identities (Gal & Wilkie 2010;Neale et al, 2016;Ulrich & Tissier-Desbordes, 2018;Worth et al, 1992), cultural characteristics (Hillman, 1979;Rozin, 1988), and education (Mielby et al, 2013;Cavaliera & Ventura, 2018). For example, researchers found that individuals' education levels influence general dispositions towards innovation in the foods.…”

Branding, Masculinities and Culture: Exploring the Branding of Alcohol Product Representations in Thailand

“…An alternative approach to studying brand gender, specifically brand masculinities, draws upon a transactional/subjectivist epistemology, looking at brand masculinities as co-constructed (Gee & Jackson, 2012;Hirschman, 2014, Strate, 1992Ulrich & Tisier-Desbordes, 2018). This can be seen in Holt (2003), who explores the constructions of masculinities in beer brands and argues that products serve as vehicles through which target consumers experience gender myths (i.e., the configurations/commonsense of masculinities).…”

“…[this] allows us to convince ourselves (and perhaps others) that we can be a different person than we would be without them" (Belk, 1988, p. 145). Furthermore, much work has acknowledged that the gendering of brands is an essential strategy for projecting brand characteristics and potentially increasing sales (Aaker, 1997;Nelson & Hye-Jin, 2008;Siripai & Haywood, 2017, Ulrich & Tisier-Desbordes, 2018.…”