"Fangirls Unboxed: Selling Girls on Superheroes"

Dixie Seitz Faculty Mentor:  Scott McDarmont Center for Gender Symposium ~ 5:15-6:30pm ~ Heth 22

The present study was conducted to gauge how companies, such as Marvelâ„¢ and DCâ„¢, market toys to their female audience, more importantly their female characters. With more and more women and girls getting into superheroes, it’s important to look at how companies are changing their tactics to appeal to this growing demographic within their fan base. By looking at current marketing trends and merchandise, it is apparent that companies are just now starting to market towards their female audience, as well as being more gender neutral with their merchandise. There are more female characters being represented in merchandise, whether it be in gender neutral products or in toy lines specifically marketed towards girls. Gender roles and gender stereotyped play are also important factors on what toys children receive from parents and family, and what they choose to play with later on. Superhero toys marketed towards girls aren’t selling as much as those marketed towards to boys, which is enforced by gender roles and stereotyped play. This study shows the current strategies and influences that affect how companies market their heroes and represent them to their growing female audience.

Symposium Notice 2017  Keynote Speaker: Presentation  Program-2017   Kemp Awards  Oral-Poster Presentations

Center Home  Psychology   Women's Studies  College of Humanities & Behavioral Sciences  Radford University

Web page:  w. andrew  &  a. elliott     Last update April 14th, 2017