Brand Gender and Equity Through Brand Design

Abstract

This Chapter explains in detail why brands are perceived as feminine or masculine. Since these perceptions were assessed independently from individual products, the assessment process primarily involved analyzing brand design elements, such as logos, brand names, type fonts, and colors. Evolutionary psychology offers evidence of the impact of masculine or feminine names, shapes, and colors. This chapter similarly found that brand names impacted perceived brand femininity and masculinity, such that front vowels (i.e., e and i) enhanced perceived brand femininity, while back vowels (i.e., o and u) enhanced perceived brand masculinity. Type font was also found to affect perceived brand femininity and masculinity, such that type fonts that were slender and rounded increased perceived femininity, while type fonts that were bold and highly angular increased perceived masculinity. Color also affected perceived femininity and masculinity, such that lighter (i.e., pink/red) colors increased perceived femininity and darker colors increased perceived masculinity. Regarding the logo only, shape was found to impact perceived brand femininity and masculinity, such that heavier and highly angular logos increased perceived masculinity, while slender and rounded logos increased perceived femininity. Brand masculinity and femininity positively related to brand preferences. As expected, this relation was stronger when brand and product category masculinity or femininity were more congruent. A simultaneous least-squares regression model replicated these findings. Brand logos with slender, rounded type fonts and brand names with front vowels enhanced perceived brand femininity, while brand names with bold, angular-type fonts with back vowels heightened perceived brand masculinity. The utilization of constant cues led to highly pronounced perceptions of femininity and masculinity, increasing brand preference. Ultimately, this examination of similarities between product category and brand femininity/masculinity suggests that enhanced similarity between brand and product category femininity/masculinity escalates preferences.