IMPACT OF SEX ROLES ON BRAND GENDER CONTAMINATION OF PURCHASE OF DECISION-MAKING: CASE IN SRI LANKA

Abstract

The nature of decision making and branding for marketing has been changed among consumers based on the different sex roles in the society. Today sex roles have become a considerable factor to make a purchase decision of male and female counterparts in the market. Purchase decisions are influenced by sex roles. Gender contamination occurs when one gender is using a brand as a symbol of their masculinity or femininity, and the incursion of the other gender into the brand threatens that. However, the effect of sex role on gender bending is still not known. This proposes to study whether this phenomenon is prevalent in Sri Lanka and it has any effect on the major apparel brands. Initially exploratory research design was used, as the problem of gender contamination had to be explored in order to understand the existing scenario followed by descriptive research design. The Sample was decided as large number of responses had to be collected. Shopping Malls were considered as a place where the questionnaires could be circulated, as it would be convenient to obtain responses from a particularly large number of people. Consumers who have a high score in Brand Gender Identity Quotient (BGIQ) usually shows a resistance towards the gender bending of apparel brands and these group of consumer’s rethink while purchasing for apparel brands the next time. Further, male respondents showed greater resistance towards the gender bending of apparel brands than that of female respondents. Further it was found that significant relationships between the gender and their likeliness of usage of the gender bended brands and a relationship between the gender and the purchase style of the gender specific brands when extended to opposite gender. The phenomenon of gender contamination has been explored and found to exist in different parts of the world but no such study has been done in Sri Lanka