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Can dissimilarity in product category be an opportunity for cross-gender brand extension?

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  • Yuen, Tsunwai Wesley
  • Nieroda, Marzena
  • He, Hongwei
  • Park, Yunseul

Abstract

Leveraging cross-gender brand extensions (new product offerings under the same brand name for customers of the opposite sex) can facilitate brand growth. However, how such strategies should be implemented remains unanswered. A popular approach is to launch a brand extension in the same or a similar product category (high fit). However, for cross-gender brand extension, this strategy can dilute the gender personality of the parent brand (i.e. masculinity or femininity). We propose that launching cross-gender brand extensions in a product category with low fit is an effective strategy as it enables cognitive distancing of the extension from the parent brand. Two experiments confirm that introducing low (versus high) fit cross-gender brand extensions mitigate the parent brand’s gender personality dilution, leading to more positive evaluations of the parent brand amongst existing customers and higher purchase intention amongst new target customers for the cross-gender brand extension.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuen, Tsunwai Wesley & Nieroda, Marzena & He, Hongwei & Park, Yunseul, 2021. "Can dissimilarity in product category be an opportunity for cross-gender brand extension?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 348-357.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:135:y:2021:i:c:p:348-357
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.06.035
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    2. Jill Nash & Cindy Sidhu, 2023. "‘Pink is for girls, blue is for boys’ exploring brand gender identity in children’s clothing, a post-evaluation of British retailer John Lewis," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 30(5), pages 381-397, September.
    3. He, Yue & Mo, Zan & Wan, Xiuqi & Li, Mengyin & Fu, Huijian, 2023. "Who will embrace upward line extension? The role of power distance belief," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).

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