Study: Consumers Seek Gender Equality in Advertising
Accurate gender representation in advertising is driving business outcomes for brands including heightened consumer trust, loyalty and, improved sales performance, according to SeeHer and Circana’s Gender Equality Measure Lift research.
SeeHer, a global movement within the Association of National Advertisers to accurately portray women and girls in marketing, advertising, media and entertainment, spearheaded GEM, which measures gender bias in advertising and content. Starting in 2019, SeeHer’s GEM Lift analysis has been conducted biennially in partnership with Circana.
“Our research clearly demonstrates that—apart from contributing to a more inclusive media and marketing landscape—advancing gender equality in advertising is a business imperative for any brand that wants to not only thrive today but also survive in the future,” said Christine Guilfoyle, president of SeeHer, in a statement. “Younger consumers have higher expectations when it comes to accurate portrayals of women in advertising and lower tolerance for gender stereotypes. Considering the economic purchasing power of women and long-term purchasing power of younger generations, the time is now for brands and marketers to prioritize gender equity best practices in their marketing strategies for real economic impact.”
Partnering with L’Oréal, WK Kellogg, Kellanova, Nestlé, and Georgia Pacific, SeeHer, and Circana analyzed 24 creatives across eight brands. The GEM Lift Study 2024, “Unlocking Purchase Power across Ethnicities and Generations through the Accurate Portrayal of Women and Girls,” highlights the value that brands have been capturing over the last five years by investing in gender equality in their advertising campaigns.
Based on the GEM analysis, creative advertising that overturns long-held stereotypes and accurately represents women can drive incremental sales lifts of up to 10x, a notable increase compared to a 5x sales lift seen in the 2019 analysis. The stronger uplift in sales from exposure to higher-GEM-scoring creatives is also seen among men and consumers of different races, ethnicities, and generations.
“Brands are starting to appreciate how gender equality in advertising can drive sales growth,” said Erika Digirolamo, director of media and marketing solutions for Circana. “Our research continues to prove that accurately representing women of different ethnicities and ages can boost sales. Equality starts with cultural perceptions, and media plays a key role in both furthering and combating cultural perceptions, and quantitative evaluation is key to moving the industry in an upward direction.”
Younger generations desire narratives of personal growth, self-realization, and female empowerment, aligning with the key performance drivers of GEM. When these narratives are prioritized, the increase in sales lift among Gen Z and younger millennials exceeds that of older age groups with a 9x sales lift with higher-GEM-scoring creatives.
The findings broken down by race and ethnicity underscore the need for brands to consider not just representation of gender but also of race and ethnicity to recognize optimal value. The study shows increases in sales lift among African-American and Hispanic consumers. Additionally, findings suggest that featuring ethnically diverse women on screen leads to improved return on advertising investment among all households regardless of race or ethnicity.
Latha Sarathy, chief research officer for the ANA and SeeHer, noted that, “The majority of consumers understand the immense power that advertising and media have in challenging stereotypes and shaping gender roles. Yet, we have seen portrayals of women take a step backward, with an 18 percent decline in women shown in leadership roles over the past two years. Advertising and media need to be a force for change to unlock the $10 trillion purchasing power of women in the U.S. and meet rising consumer expectations of how women and girls are depicted in creative and content with intentionality across different audience segments.”