In the shop windows of toy shops in Zurich, it quickly becomes clear which products are aimed at girls and which at boys. Boys are depicted on the packaging of a toy excavator and two girls on a pink paddling pool. Such gender marketing is aimed at very young children, says Johanna Gollnhofer, marketing professor at the University of St. Gallen.
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Johanna Gollnhofer
“You shouldn’t underestimate the extent to which packaging, for example, contributes to which products children want to buy,” says marketing professor Johanna Gollnhofer
Denise Joder
“Gender marketing assumes that different sexes have different needs,” she says. That makes some sense too. For example, women have different needs than men when it comes to hair care or are more willing to pay for products with a more attractive design.
In the case of children, however, the distinction between the sexes is questionable. Johanna Gollnhofer points to the toy excavator in the shop window, on which a boy is depicted. She says: “If a girl looks at the packaging, she might ask herself: ‘Is the excavator actually meant for me?'”
Gender marketing works
However, the responsibility for more gender-neutral role models does not only lie with manufacturers and toy retailers, says Johanna Gollnhofer. But of course also with the parents who bought their children such products. Apparently there is a demand for such toys.
One thing is clear: gender marketing works. Studies show that products sell better if they target girls or boys, women or men. There’s even a technical term for it. This is called “pinking-up” in marketing parlance. It means something like: If a product for girls doesn’t sell, you make it pink and they buy it.
Big corporations make a lot of money
A lot of money is made with gender marketing. There are no numbers because it is not possible to measure how well a product would have sold in a different color. But the toy market alone is a billion-dollar business – apart from children’s clothes, the film and gaming industry. Gender marketing plays a role almost everywhere.
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A car for girls? Yes, but please in pink. In marketing parlance, this is called “pinking-up”.
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The Disney media group is at the forefront. He has gradually incorporated popular film characters, such as Ironman or Spiderman. Disney makes money from royalties on movie characters. If, for example, a shower gel with an ice princess or bed linen with superheroes is sold, Disney makes a profit every time. Last year alone, Disney earned around 56 billion US dollars with such license fees, as estimated by the Swiss Toy Association.
With gender marketing through the day
Another, much smaller but still big player in the market is Lego – with a turnover of 8.4 billion euros. Another important manufacturer is Mattel, which among other things makes Barbie dolls, with a turnover of 5.4 billion US dollars.
Meanwhile, gender marketing accompanies children throughout the day. From shower gel to breakfast muesli to bedtime stories. A lot of money is made with gender marketing. Because it is not only used in products for children, but also in household items, tools and care products. Perfumes for women tend to be packaged in pink or pink, while those for men tend to be blue or black.
Our brain loves stereotypes
Gender marketing is very convenient for our brain, says neuromarketing expert Philipp Zutt. That’s why it works so well. Our brains like to think in patterns, he says. “If we know: I have to go to the ‘pink department’ and find the products for me there, then that makes life easier for us.”
In addition, there is the so-called “mere exposure effect”, which marketing takes advantage of. “If I, as a girl, always hear that pink is for girls, then as a girl I also like pink,” says Philipp Zutt.
Gender marketing is harmful.
But gender marketing is also criticized. Dominique Grisard is a gender researcher at the University of Basel. She says: “Gender marketing is harmful.” Because it helps that stereotypical role models are renewed again and again. For example the image of women and girls who have the feeling that they have to be beautiful and slim. “The idea that women are the ones who have to take care of others is also central.” For example, the expectation is maintained that a great deal of unpaid work is done by women. This has consequences right down to the career choices of young women and men.
Gender marketing is just as harmful for boys and men, she says. They, too, would be pushed into stereotypical role models, such as that of the breadwinner, who must not show any weakness and must always be strong, says Dominique Grisard. “This also has to do with game characters in the form of superheroes, pirates and firefighters, who are always exposed to danger.” Studies show that men also take more risks later and care less about their health than women.
Counter-trend with gender-neutral products
Outdated role models are currently being questioned and gender identities are a big issue. Nevertheless, gender marketing is still present. However, there is also a counter-trend with gender-neutral products.
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Gender-neutral products are on the rise, but still a niche.
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In the shop windows of toy shops in Zurich, for example, you can occasionally see toys in neutral tones. The manufacturers of such products appeal to an audience that is specifically looking for gender-neutral products. On a small scale, this works very well and you can also make money with it. However, it is not yet the big mass, but a niche.