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NEW YORK– Accurate gender representation in advertising is driving measurable business outcomes for brands—such as heightened consumer trust, loyalty and, most importantly, improved sales performance—according to SeeHer and Circana’s latest Gender Equality Measure (GEM®) Lift research. SeeHer, a global movement within the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) to accurately portray women and girls in marketing, advertising, media and entertainment, spearheaded GEM®, the global gold standard of measuring gender bias in advertising and content.
Starting in 2019, SeeHer’s GEM Lift analysis has been conducted biennially in partnership with Circana, the leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior. It measures the impact on business growth when gender equality principles are embedded in advertising campaigns.
“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. “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.
Results from the new GEM® Lift Study build on and surpass prior research. 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 HAVE HIGHER EXPECTATIONS
Younger generations have been characterized as the most diverse in U.S. history. They desire narratives of personal growth, self-realization and female empowerment, aligning with the key performance drivers of GEM®. SeeHer’s latest round of GEM® Lift research offers new insights on how generational disparities factor into creative preference. 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 BENEFITS OF HIGHER GEM® SCORES EXTEND TO DIVERSE AUDIENCES AND REVEAL THE IMPACT OF ALLYSHIP
The latest GEM® Lift 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 GEM® Lift Study 2024 shows notable 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% 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.”
