Beyond gender: The evolving significance of pink in the contemporary marketing
Abstract
This study investigates the influence of pink in marketing, focusing on its impact on female consumer behavior, particularly in light of the Barbie movie’s recent popularity. It analyzes the psychological and historical significance of pink, and its economic implications in marketing strategies. This study conducts an in-depth literature review and case study analysis to explore the cultural and psychological significance of the color pink in marketing and its influence on consumer behavior beyond different genders. The originality of this study lies in its multifaceted exploration of the interplay between the color pink and female consumer behavior, particularly through the lens of cinematic imagery. By focusing on the cultural and psychological significance of pink in films and its subsequent impact on fashion trends and marketing strategies, this research uniquely bridges the gap between color symbolism and contemporary consumer behavior.
References
Uncu G, & Calisir G. Gender of Color: When Did Girls and BoysStart to Wear Pink and Blue? In: Yilmaz R. (editor). Studies on Balkan and Near Eastern Social Sciences. Oxford: Peter Lang; 2018. pp. 281–287.
Mileti A, Piper L, Rizzo C, et al. The pink bias: Consumption choices of pink-colored products. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing. 2022; 14(2): 187–205. doi: 10.1080/20932685.2022.2152072
Khan SA. Pink and Blue: Crossings. A Journal of English Studies. 2017; 8: 120–127. doi: 10.59817/cjes.v8i.135
Zarei G, & Kharajo VE. The Role of Pink Marketing Mixed Elements. Journal of Woman and Culture. 2023;14(54): 1–14.
Koller V. ‘Not just a colour’: pink as a gender and sexuality marker in visual communication. Visual Communication. 2008; 7(4): 395–423. doi: 10.1177/1470357208096209
Pooranalingam S. Film Poster Design: Understanding Film Poster Designs and the Compositional Similarities within specific genres. Spectrum. 2024; (12). doi: 10.29173/spectrum216
Lazar MM. Entitled to consume: postfeminist femininity and a culture of post-critique. Discourse & Communication. 2009; 3(4): 371–400. doi: 10.1177/1750481309343872
Pomerleau A, Bolduc D, Malcuit G, et al. Pink or blue: Environmental gender stereotypes in the first two years of life. Sex Roles. 1990; 22(5–6): 359–367. doi: 10.1007/bf00288339
Massoudi AH. The Vital Role of Pink Marketing in the Creation of Women Loyalty. International Journal of Social Sciences and Economic Review. 2020; 28–37. doi: 10.36923/ijsser.v2i3.74
Branding and Marketing Agency. Hey big spender. Available online: https://lbbonline.com/news/hey-big-spender (accessed on 5 January 2024).
Zotos YC, Grau SL. Gender stereotypes in advertising: Exploring new directions. International Journal of Advertising. 2016; 35(5): 759–760. doi: 10.1080/02650487.2016.1203555
Dole CM. The return of pink: Legally Blonde, third-wave feminism, and having it all. Routledge; 2008. pp. 70–90. doi: 10.4324/9780203935552-10
Barbie. (2023). Barbie. IMBD. Available online: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517268/ (accessed on 5 January 2024).
Havrylenko V. The Art of Marketing: How the Barbie Movie Became a Brand and Cultural Event. World Scientific Reports. 2023; (4).
Vered KO, Maizonniaux C. Barbie and the straight-to-DVD movie: pink post-feminist pedagogy. Feminist Media Studies. 2016; 17(2): 198–214. doi: 10.1080/14680777.2016.1178158
Flueckiger B. A digital humanities approach to film colors. Moving Image: The Journal of the Association of Moving Image Archivists. 2017; 17(2): 71–94. doi: 10.5749/movingimage.17.2.0071
Liebes T, & Katz E. (1990). The export of meaning: Cross-cultural readings of “Dallas.” New York: Oxford University Press.
Cohen J. Defining Identification: A Theoretical Look at the Identification of Audiences With Media Characters. In: Advances in Foundational Mass Communication Theories. Routledge; 2018. pp. 253–272. doi: 10.4324/9781315164441-14
Laohakangvalvit T, Miyatake K, Sripian P, et al. The relationship between preferences in pink colors and fashion taste. International Symposium on Affective Science and Engineering. 2021; ISASE2021(0): 1–4. doi: 10.5057/isase.2021-c000030
Twigg J. Barbie Movie Marketing Campaign Creates the ‘Pink Movement’. Available online: https://clevercherry.com/blog/barbie-movie-marketing-campaign-creates-the-pink-movement (accessed on 5 January 2024).
Burgos M. Barbie Mania, or How Warner Bros’ Creative Marketing Campaign Painted the Whole World Pink. Available online: https://www.designboom.com/design/barbie-pink-marketing-campaigns-movie-mattel-warner-bros-07-27-2023/ (accessed on 5 January 2024).
Nannini V. Fashion consumption in digital media: Multiple practices and new identities. Fashion, Style & Popular Culture. 2020; 7(4); 519–537. doi: 10.1386/fspc_00041_1
Nurhandayani A, Syarief R, & Najib M. The impact of social media influencer and brand images to purchase intention. Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen. 2019; 17(4): 650–661.
Chin. This illustrator visualized an avengers X Nike collaboration. Available online: https://hypebeast.com/2018/3/nike-marvel-superhero-sneaker-concepts (accessed on 5 January 2024).
McKeegan. Top brand marketing partnerships in Disney’s Aladdin. Available online: https://blog.hollywoodbranded.com/top-brand-marketing-partnerships-in-disneys-aladdin (accessed on 5 January 2024).
Freihat M, Alotoum F, Homsi D. Pink Marketing and Women's Purchasing Decision Making. Multicultural Education. 2021; 7(6); 670-681. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.5048359
Fayyad S, Shehata A. The Impact of Purchasing Behavior on the Relationship between Pink Marketing Practices and Women’s Loyalty to Hotels. Journal of Association of Arab Universities for Tourism and Hospitality. 2020; 18(1): 221–239. doi: 10.21608/jaauth.2020.34704.1039
Voss KE, Spangenberg ER, Grohmann B. Measuring the Hedonic and Utilitarian Dimensions of Consumer Attitude. Journal of Marketing Research. 2003; 40(3): 310–320. doi: 10.1509/jmkr.40.3.310.19238
Fine C, Rush E. “Why Does all the Girls have to Buy Pink Stuff?” The Ethics and Science of the Gendered Toy Marketing Debate. Journal of Business Ethics. 2016; 149(4): 769–784. doi: 10.1007/s10551-016-3080-3
Bideaux K. Millennial pink: Gender, feminism and marketing. A critical Analysis of a color trend. Cultura e Scienza del Colore-Color Culture and Science. 2019; 11(01): 82–89.
Grisard D. “Real Men Wear Pink”? A Gender History of Color. Bright Modernity: Color, Commerce, and Consumer Culture. 2017; 77–96.
Copyright (c) 2024 Rui Ma, Xi Wang
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Submit a Paper
