Gender Vs Brand Names

Gender Vs Brand Names

The article “Gender differences in new brand name response” is about that gender is associated with brand name response and the gender asymmetries appear to be more pronounced in product categories. To marketer, one of the most important decisions to make is to name a new product, and the name should be simple, meaningful and also memorable.

To examine whether gender differences exist in response to new brand names, the author has the research that begin with sound symbolism which directs linkage between sound the meaning, indicates that gender may be relevant. Fox example, if the brand name sounds more closely with femininity, women may be more favorable this brand than men. If the brand name of product contains front vowels that vowel sounds produced when the highest position of the tongue is toward the front of the mouth during pronunciation, the sound tends to be lighter, colder and prettier, and make the brand name femininely; similarly, if brand name contains back vowel, the sound tends to be stronger, the brand name is more masculinity; also females will demonstrate greater sensitivity than man to brand name vowels. However, no all products have gender differences, products such as SUV or beer that are positioned relatively less frequently along gender lines.

To ensure the author’s theory is on the right track, the author did some studies on 199 undergraduate students from a mid-Atlantic college, and these study results indicates that “females chose the brand name with front vowels more frequently than males, 61.7% versus 52.0%”, and “males chose the brand name with back vowels more frequently than females, 48.0% versus 38.3%”. (Klink, 2009)

            Overall, gender matter s when creating new brand names, and marketer should engage in gender targeting if they have not segmented the products on gender yet. For example, “Coffee might provide such an opportunity as it has received relatively little female gender targeting compared to other beverages such as health drinks, tea, and bottled water” (Fuhrman). Therefore, to target the female markets, the marketer should launch a new brand coffee with front vowels.

            Successful marketers would use their knowledge about male-female preferences to meet the consuming needs of both groups. When one product is designed for female, the marketer would use front vowels brand name to attract female consumers, and use back vowels brand name to attract male consumers.

Citied:

Richard R. Klink, “Gender Differences in New Brand Name Response”, Marketing Letters , Vol. 20, No. 3 (Sep., 2009), pp. 313-326, URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27744268

Fuhrman, E. (2005). Genderly speaking. Beverage industry, 96(10), 36-40.