Cross-Gendered Brand Extensions: Effects Of Consumer Gender Identity And Product Type

Brand extension has become an approach for many corporations to develop their brand equity.This topic has attracted many scholars' attention recently.The literatures focused on two aspects:(1) brand extension cross different product types in the same market;(2) brand extension cross different markets in the same product type. According to brand theories,brand reveals gender traits as human being,and there are some cross-gendered brand extension marketing strategies in the practical field. Synchronously,it is approved that product types have their own gender traits with the help of related marketing activities.Consumers form their perceptions of gender traits of both brands and product types by observing and learning from related marketing activities.Moreover,this paper finds that gender of consumer and gender identity of consumer are different concepts.It's not proper to use gender of consumer to predict the efficiency of cross-gendered brand extension.Basing on several researchers' findings,the paper examines consumers' evaluations of cross-gendered extensions in an attempt to identify conditions for successful cross-gendered extensions.First,it indicates three hypothesizes. Furthermore,it leverages on a revised BSRI scale to establish a questionnaire.After collecting data,SPSS16.0 is used to analyze statistically and hypothesizes are also confirmed.The findings are:(1) Compared to gender of consumer,gender identity of consumer has a more significant relation to consumers' evaluations of cross-gendered extensions.(2) For a masculine product type,compared to consumers with feminine, consumers with masculine will have more positive attitudes towards cross-gendered brand extensions.(3) For a feminine product type,compared to consumers with masculine, consumers with feminine will have more positive attitudes towards cross-gendered brand extensions.(4) Compared to a symbolic product type,consumers will have more positive attitudes towards a functional product type's cross-gendered brand extensions.