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Sounds too Feminine? Brand Gender and The Impact on Professional Critics

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel Kaimann

    (Paderborn University)

  • Clarissa Laura Maria Spiess Bru

    (Paderborn University)

Abstract
Prior studies have shown that brand names representing high femininity will receive higher ratings and more positive reviews than those associated with high masculinity. The research is based on the idea that consumers may perceive feminine brand names as more desirable, with a positive bias toward them, leading to higher ratings and additional positive reviews. Nevertheless, the effect of gendered language on critics of experience goods has received relatively little research. This study examines how specifically masculine or feminine brand names classify experience goods and impacts tastings and professional evaluations. We obtained data on 18,609 wines and their ratings from the Wine Enthusiast Magazine between 1997 and 2016, yielding a sample of 31,058 observations to objectively evaluate the impact of brand gender on quality ratings measured by experts' critics. Moreover, we suppose that the gender of the taster needs to be considered to understand what affects tastings and ratings, as women and men might be attracted differently to masculine or feminine names. This study shows that masculine brand names receive higher evaluations than feminine ones. In addition, we discover that women tend to rank products with higher gender name scores more highly than men. Finally, this study provides evidence that people's unconscious perceptions and quality assessments of products can be significantly impacted by (brand) gender bias.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Kaimann & Clarissa Laura Maria Spiess Bru, 2023. "Sounds too Feminine? Brand Gender and The Impact on Professional Critics," Working Papers Dissertations 107, Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:pdn:dispap:107
    as

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    File URL: http://groups.uni-paderborn.de/wp-wiwi/RePEc/pdf/dispap/DP107.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Brand Names; Brand Gender; Quality Ratings; Gendered Language; Quasi-Experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M31 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Marketing
    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • L66 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Food; Beverages; Cosmetics; Tobacco
    • Q13 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Markets and Marketing; Cooperatives; Agribusiness

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