We All Bleed Red: Brand Realism. Consumer Research on Menstrual Product Advertising

Today’s digital era promotes cross-cultural narratives and barrier-breaking ideologies. The historically socialised female body has been subject to feminist movements, making it a hot topic for societal change. Current movements, driven by young generations, have enabled the rethinking of menstruation by pushing for menstrual equity, eradicating stigmas, and viewing it as natural instead of dirty. Now consumers demand brands to engage in socio-political issues, to which some brands have responded via the latest advertising trend of brand activism and femvertising, that is recognised by scholars as highly effective. In particular, the brand’s recognition of these cultural possibilities and their engagement can result in the perception of a brand as cultural icons while standing out in a saturated market. Within a cultural frame, marketers are seen as cultural mediators as consumption is seen as culturally constituted through the marketplace, indicating that marketers have influential power. To capture the zeitgeist and consumer types for strategic advertising, while understanding culture as subject to change, marketers must understand the tendencies offered within a market by knowing how value can be created. Hence, consumer perceptions and views were analysed to understand how consumers make sense of their world and perceive advertisements as part of this world. Consequently, the study was guided by the question “How do young adults (18-24) understand new advertising strategies on menstrual products?”. Theory-driven, semistructured in-depth interviews yielded rich data analysed via reflexive thematic analysis through Atlas.ti. By adopting a cultural paradigm, via the concepts of social identity, social norms, and the socialised body, young adults’ views on menstruation and their perceptions of menstrual product commercials were identified. Results showed that menstruation is seen as natural, whereas the stigmatisation is reinforced by out-groups, resulting in a paradox. Political engagement is seen as risky but also as a big pro. The commercials are perceived to be progressive but often criticised for including too many extremes, lacking realism. Some young adults find themselves supporting the narratives but resisting the product as commercial interest behind the company’s motives is detected, whereas others reject both, pointing to a zeitgeist of post-postmodernism with new norms and realist consumption.