Out of the closet and out on the street!: Gay men and their brand relationships

Kates, Steven

doi:10.1002/(sici)1520-6793(200006)17:6<493::aid-mar4>3.0.co;2-f

Cited by 92 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…This is in stark contrast to the informants in a study of gay men's brand choices who profess open and loyal relationships with brands of companies that are deemed as gay-friendly (Kates, 2000). In fact, in Kates' (2000) study, the gay men saw brands that they perceived to be discriminatory against homosexuals as enmities.…”

Section: Qmrij 141mentioning

confidence: 80%

“…In fact, in Kates' (2000) study, the gay men saw brands that they perceived to be discriminatory against homosexuals as enmities. Thus, both of the findings in the study by Kates (2000), and the current research reflect the notion that value congruence has a direct and positive impact on brand relationships (Zhang and Bloemer, 2008).…”

Section: Qmrij 141mentioning

confidence: 89%

“…The studies that do exist are limited in their scope due to their focus on particular subcultures (Kates, 2000) or because they examine children ( Ji, 2002). While some researchers have taken a first step in understanding the contextual elements of branding (e.g.…”

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confidence: 99%

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An exploration of men's brand relationships

Zayer

Neier²

2011

Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal

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If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of the consumer-brand typology developed by Fournier to a segment of heterosexual male shoppers of fashion and grooming products. Design/methodology/approach -In-depth interviews, collage constructions, and shopping trip observations are the three methods of inquiry in this research. Findings -A total of 13 of the 15 brand relationships detailed by Fournier are affirmed. Three new relationships emerge in the data demonstrating the fluidity of the typology across market segments and sociocultural contexts.Research limitations/implications -The research findings provide implications for other consumption contexts which aid in identity construction. In addition, some of the new relationships that emerge from the text may be prevalent among other segments of men, and/or women. Practical implications -Managers must be cognizant of the variety of brand relationships that men form with regard to fashion and grooming in order to effectively appeal to this growing market. The new relationships identified exhibit the goal-driven nature of men's engagement with brands. The prevalence of secretive and adversarial relationships also demonstrates that marketers and retailers must be mindful of men's boundaries of consumption. Originality/value -Fournier highlights the importance of context to brand relationships. However, little research has investigated the relevance of the original typology across contexts and across segments. This research explores a particular sociocultural consumption context and discovers new relationship forms not previously identified among a segment of male shoppers.Over a decade ago, Fournier (1998) introduced a typology of 15 consumer-brand relationships based on her research of consumer-brand narratives. This typology is significant because her research conceptualizes the brand as "an active relationship partner" (Fournier, 1998, p. 344) and captures the multitude of ways in which consumers bond with brands. Fournier (1998) discusses the need to move away from measuring brand loyalty strictly as a metric based on repeat purchases and instead points to researchers who recognize the "talismanic rel...

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Section: Qmrij 141mentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Qmrij 141mentioning

confidence: 89%

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An exploration of men's brand relationships

Zayer

Neier²

2011

Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal

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“…Although researchers argue whether gay consumers have more or less income than straight consumers (e.g., Badgett, 1998;Cronin, 1993;Lukenbill, 1995), gay consumers no doubt have their own product preferences (e.g., Kates, 2000;Rudd, 1996) and habits of spending. Although researchers argue whether gay consumers have more or less income than straight consumers (e.g., Badgett, 1998;Cronin, 1993;Lukenbill, 1995), gay consumers no doubt have their own product preferences (e.g., Kates, 2000;Rudd, 1996) and habits of spending.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Shopping Behavior Among Gay Men

Reilly

Rudd

Hillery

2008

Clothing and Textiles Research Journal

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Literature on gay men and body image are examined in relation to shopping behaviors, with hypotheses developed to test whether one's body image affects consumer choices. The researchers studied credit card debt, shopping frequency, amount of time spent shopping, and shopping venue. An online questionnaire was used to collect data from 213 gay men. Results indicate that Appearance Orientation positively affects shopping in a specialty store, shopping in a thrift store, frequency of shopping, and time spent shopping, whereas Appearance Satisfaction negatively affects television shopping. Thus, body image and shopping are linked. For many gay men, shopping may be a means of establishing or reinforcing cultural identity or a way to express individuality and novelty. Findings can be used by academics and practitioners in developing and examining innovative retail environments. Future research is discussed.

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“…Many companies have devised strategies to court the gay consumer due to a belief that the gay market is brand loyal (Levin, 1993; Vence, 2001; Klara, 2005; Harwood, 2006) and that it prefers to shop in gay‐owned or gay‐friendly businesses (Kates, 2000; 2002). Perhaps, gay consumers find shopping in gay‐owned or gay‐friendly stores to be politically or personally empowering; perhaps, the environment is more comfortable for the consumer; perhaps, even, the product styles are more in line with the consumers’ desires.…”

Section: Conceptual Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shopping behaviour among gay men: issues of internalized homophobia and self‐esteem

Reilly

Rudd

2006

Int J Consumer Studies

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Connections among internalized homophobia, self‐esteem and various shopping behaviours are investigated. Internalized homophobia, which affects nearly all gay men to some degree, and self‐esteem may affect shopping behaviours such as credit card debt, venue of shopping, enjoyment from shopping, amount of time spent shopping and frequency of shopping. Data from 213 gay men were collected using an Internet‐survey design. Results demonstrate that internalized homophobia has weak to moderate effects on thrift store shopping, discount store shopping and credit card debt. Although self‐esteem did not predict shopping behaviour, it was correlated with shopping enjoyment. Implications, limitations and future research are discussed.

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Out of the closet and out on the street!: Gay men and their brand relationships

Cited by 92 publications

References 41 publications

An exploration of men's brand relationships

An exploration of men's brand relationships

Shopping Behavior Among Gay Men

Shopping behaviour among gay men: issues of internalized homophobia and self‐esteem

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