The relevance of multifactorial gender and its measure in marketing

Abstract

This article outlines the relevance of gender, and its measurement, in providing meaningful insights into marketing research. The authors show that gender has evolved towards a multifactorial approach with three main factors: cognitive (with gender identity), affective and behavioral. Gender adds an explanatory dimension to our understanding of consumer behavior beyond biological sex, preferably within a multifactorial approach. The authors also explain when, and how, to apply gender and its measurement, identifying the situations where using gender is relevant, distinguishing between biological, social, cultural and situational contexts.