Brand logo and brand gender: examining the effects of natural logo designs and color on brand gender perceptions and aff
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Brand logo and brand gender: examining the effects of natural logo designs and color on brand gender perceptions and affect Joana César Machado1 · Beatriz Fonseca2 · Carla Martins1 Revised: 17 February 2020 / Accepted: 30 October 2020 © Springer Nature Limited 2020
Abstract This paper examines how a critical dimension of logo design, namely naturalness, along with logo color, influences brand gender perceptions, and whether brand-design-induced gender perceptions ultimately impact affective reactions to logos. Data were collected from a sample of 260 participants, using a set of 24 unknown, manipulated logos as stimuli. Results suggest that while cultural logo designs effectively convey brand masculinity, organic logo designs enhance femininity perceptions. Using dark blue and light pink logo colors reinforce masculinity and femininity perceptions, respectively. Both logo masculinity and logo femininity have a positive effect on the affective response toward logos. Furthermore, this research analyzed the moderation effect of color on the link between logo design and logo gender perceptions, as well as the moderation effect of consumers’ gender in the link between logo gender perceptions and affect toward the logo. However, none of these moderation effects were supported by the data. This is the first research to empirically test the effect of natural logo designs on brand gender perceptions and, thereby, on affective reactions toward the logo. The findings provide practical guidelines about the design of a gendered logo using the naturalness of logo design and logo color, thereby facilitating gender targeting efforts. Keywords Brand gender · Brand logo · Logo design · Color · Consumer response
Introduction In recent decades, relevant social, economic and technological forces have changed the stereotypes applied to men and women (Neale et al. 2015), and there has been a relaxation of prohibitions associated with cross-sexed behaviors (Settle and Alreck 1987). Hence, some researchers argue that we live in a period in which the boundaries that have historically divided men’s and women’s consumption activities are blurring (Firat 1994; Patterson and Elliott 2002). These * Joana César Machado [email protected] Beatriz Fonseca [email protected] Carla Martins [email protected] 1
Católica Porto Business School and CEGE, Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto), Rua Diogo Botelho, 1327, 4169‑005 Porto, Portugal
Católica Porto Business School, Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto), Rua Diogo Botelho, 1327, 4169‑005 Porto, Portugal
2
arguments are supported by studies suggesting that females who work outside the home increasingly identify with masculine traits (Kacen 2000) and recognizing an increased femininity among men (Martin and Gnoth 2009). Despite these findings, research underlines that traditional roles for men and women have not been completely abandoned (Fugate and Phillips 2010) and that gender identity remains an essential construct for understanding consumer
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