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Esa2013 presentationrollerderby

U
Ursula Burger

This document summarizes a PhD research study exploring how roller derby presents itself and its players through marketing communications. Specifically, it examines whether the marketing represents "real feminism" or "commodity feminism." The study aims to understand how the democratic and player-owned nature of derby influences women's identities, and how derby challenges mainstream femininity ideals. It also discusses frameworks for analyzing advertising texts and the perfect non-sexist ad. Key findings include the empowering impact of derby, how outsiders perceive it, the need for leagues to consider how their marketing materials may reinforce images, and analysis of one league's logos. The conclusion is that the advertising of one league studied promotes gynocentric

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Marketing Feminism, Alternative Femininity or False Consciousness? Ursula Burger, 1st Year PhD Research Student Edinburgh Napier Business School 40071575@live.napier.ac.uk Elaine Thomson Director of Studies
≒ to explore how roller derby presents itself as a sport and its players in terms of feminism in its marketing communications ≒ Is it real feminism or what Goldman (1992) refers to as commodity feminism? real liberation vs players collusion in their own oppression Aims for Research
≒ Democratic and skater-owned environment (Breeze, 2010) ≒ Produce their own marketing communications and bouts (matches) ≒ Involvement has an important influence on the womens identities ≒ Does not ascribe to mainstream ideals of femininity Roller Derby
≒Ways of reading: non-textual and textual analysis (Dyer, 1982) ≒Gynocentric and androcentric advertising texts ≒ an ad for women, even if produced in part by women, still may not be in our interests (ODonohoe, 2000: 80) Reading Advertising
Commodity feminism declares that control and ownership of ones body/face/self, accomplished through the right acquisitions, can maximize ones value at both work and home. As far as corporate marketers are now concerned, this new freedom has become essential to the accumulation of capital to reproducing the commodity form. (Goldman, 1996: 153) Commodity Feminism
1. Only present the authentic female experience 2. Show positive female role models (for adults and children) 3. Reflect co-operation among women 4. If 1 to 3 are met: advertising would present a new humanity (Stern, 2000) The Perfect Non-Sexist Ad
≒General feeling of empowerment ≒Body confidence ≒Confidence through having a voice ≒Opportunity to negotiate femininity Findings I Impact of Derby
Theres the people that understand the athletic ability involved in derby and how much we train. And then there's another camp who just think, it's kind of like a ridiculous thing for women to do, they just watch it to see women on skates hitting each other. And it doesn't seem that serious to some people. They wouldn't see it as a sport. Findings II Derby to Outsiders
I think, even if it's not initiating the impression I think, leagues maybe don't think hard enough about what their promotional marketing materials reinforce, what images they reinforce, when they put say, a girl in fishnets in a suggestive pose on their poster: is that just confirming in people's minds what the image is that they have preconceived? Findings III Marketing Derby
Findings IV ARRGs Logos
≒ARRG advertising material produced in a gynocentric, queer-friendly space, and read as such by the participants ≒Positive view on derbys influence on female body images ≒Interpretation cannot be controlled ≒Not commodity feminism to participants Conclusion

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Esa2013 presentationrollerderby

  • 1. Marketing Feminism, Alternative Femininity or False Consciousness? Ursula Burger, 1st Year PhD Research Student Edinburgh Napier Business School 40071575@live.napier.ac.uk Elaine Thomson Director of Studies
  • 2. ≒ to explore how roller derby presents itself as a sport and its players in terms of feminism in its marketing communications ≒ Is it real feminism or what Goldman (1992) refers to as commodity feminism? real liberation vs players collusion in their own oppression Aims for Research
  • 3. ≒ Democratic and skater-owned environment (Breeze, 2010) ≒ Produce their own marketing communications and bouts (matches) ≒ Involvement has an important influence on the womens identities ≒ Does not ascribe to mainstream ideals of femininity Roller Derby
  • 4. ≒Ways of reading: non-textual and textual analysis (Dyer, 1982) ≒Gynocentric and androcentric advertising texts ≒ an ad for women, even if produced in part by women, still may not be in our interests (ODonohoe, 2000: 80) Reading Advertising
  • 5. Commodity feminism declares that control and ownership of ones body/face/self, accomplished through the right acquisitions, can maximize ones value at both work and home. As far as corporate marketers are now concerned, this new freedom has become essential to the accumulation of capital to reproducing the commodity form. (Goldman, 1996: 153) Commodity Feminism
  • 6. 1. Only present the authentic female experience 2. Show positive female role models (for adults and children) 3. Reflect co-operation among women 4. If 1 to 3 are met: advertising would present a new humanity (Stern, 2000) The Perfect Non-Sexist Ad
  • 7. ≒General feeling of empowerment ≒Body confidence ≒Confidence through having a voice ≒Opportunity to negotiate femininity Findings I Impact of Derby
  • 8. Theres the people that understand the athletic ability involved in derby and how much we train. And then there's another camp who just think, it's kind of like a ridiculous thing for women to do, they just watch it to see women on skates hitting each other. And it doesn't seem that serious to some people. They wouldn't see it as a sport. Findings II Derby to Outsiders
  • 9. I think, even if it's not initiating the impression I think, leagues maybe don't think hard enough about what their promotional marketing materials reinforce, what images they reinforce, when they put say, a girl in fishnets in a suggestive pose on their poster: is that just confirming in people's minds what the image is that they have preconceived? Findings III Marketing Derby
  • 10. Findings IV ARRGs Logos
  • 11. ≒ARRG advertising material produced in a gynocentric, queer-friendly space, and read as such by the participants ≒Positive view on derbys influence on female body images ≒Interpretation cannot be controlled ≒Not commodity feminism to participants Conclusion