Cross-Gender Brand Extensions: Effects of Gender of Brand, Gender of Consumer, and Product Type on Evaluation of Cross-Gender Extensions

Abstract

Many brands can possess strong gender identity: Marlboro for masculine image and Channel for feminine image. Over the years, there has been a growing trend of cross-gender extensions among those brands partly due to the unisex trend in consumer goods. This study examines consumers’ evaluation of cross-gender extensions in an attempt to identify conditions for successful cross-gender extensions. The results show that gender of a brand, gender of consumers, and product type influence the evaluation of cross-gender extensions.