Soldiers and superheroes needed! Masculine archetypes and constrained bodily commodification in the sperm donation market

Abstract

Extant research on bodily commodification emphasizes contexts, where market actors can pursue commodification in relatively unconstrained ways. However, scant research examines how marketers foster bodily commodification in markets, where institutional constraints limit the value which can be extracted, produced and/or exchanged. We fill this gap by studying sperm donation services in the United Kingdom and Australia, where a number of governmental regulations limit bodily commodification and value creation processes. Using an archival analysis of visual and textual material, we find that sperm banks in these constrained contexts strategically rely on the marketing of masculine archetypes as a source of value. This article delineates the concept of constrained bodily commodification and its marketing implications. Moreover, it evidences sociocultural discursive mechanisms by which marketers attempt to overcome constrained commodification issues. Specifically, we emphasize the role of gender archetypes as a resource, which allows sperm banks’ marketers to transfer identity value to the donor and donation experience. Finally, this article also has implications for the theorizing of value creation by expanding our understanding of how value is created during consumer disposition processes.

Gender categorisation in representational market practice

“…Previous research on gender and marketing has focused on advertising representations (Atkinson, 2014;Brace-Govan, 2010;Gentry & Harrison, 2010;Gurrieri et al, 2012;Malefyt & McCabe, 2016;Ostberg, 2010;Ourahmoune et al, 2014;Patterson & Elliott, 2002;Schroeder & Borgerson, 1998;Schroeder & Zwick, 2004;Sobande et al, 2019;Takhar & Pemberton, 2019). In exploring gender categorisation in representational practice, my study examines a broader range of marketing performances of gender, including textual and visual representations in presentation slides, online and face-to-face interactions with users, spreadsheets and boards, and user research insights discussed in meetings.…”

“…Advertising representations of men and women, rather than merely reflect cultural understandings of masculinities and femininities, help shape conceptions of masculinity and femininity (Schroeder & Zwick, 2004). This conceptual starting point has inspired a body of research that focuses on representations of gender in advertising (Atkinson, 2014;Brace-Govan, 2010;Gentry & Harrison, 2010;Gurrieri et al, 2012;Malefyt & McCabe, 2016;Ostberg, 2010;Ourahmoune et al, 2014;Patterson & Elliott, 2002;Schroeder & Borgerson, 1998;Schroeder & Zwick, 2004;Sobande, Mimoun, & Trujillo Torres, 2019;Takhar & Pemberton, 2019). For example, research has explored how green advertising in pregnancy magazines constructs a highly demanding green mothering identity (Atkinson, 2014) and how advertising, along with popular culture, constructs the norm that real men have a big enough penis (Ostberg, 2010).…”

“…Advertising has been seen as shaping the gender identities of consumers and constructing segments (Schroeder & Zwick, 2004), but other functions of gender representations have not been studied. While some recent research has started to explore the functions of stereotypical representations in markets (Sobande et al, 2019;Takhar & Pemberton, 2019), these questions remain largely unexplored.…”

Gender stereotypes in advertising have negative cross-gender effects

“…Study 1 tested the hypotheses using portrayals of gender stereotypes in terms of physical characteristics in a 2 (stereotyped vs non-stereotyped portrayal) Â 2 (female vs male model gender) Â 2 (female vs male participant gender) between-subjects, full factorial experiment. The stereotype component of physical characteristics (Deaux and Lewis, 1984) was selected as it is frequently used in advertising featuring both stereotyped and non-stereotyped portrayals of gender (Sobande et al, 2020;Bian and Wang, 2015;Janssen and Paas, 2014;Antioco et al, 2012;Richins, 1991), and should therefore promote ecological validity in all experimental conditions.…”

“…The stereotype component of physical characteristics (Deaux and Lewis, 1984) was selected as it is frequently used in advertising featuring both stereotyped and non-stereotyped portrayals of gender (Sobande et al, 2020;Bian and Wang, 2015;Janssen and Paas, 2014;Antioco et al, 2012;Richins, 1991), and should therefore promote ecological validity in all experimental conditions.…”