Research Finds Gender Equity in Advertising Leads to Sales Lift

"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. According to the results found in the GEM Lift Study 2024, "Unlocking Purchase Power across Ethnicities and Generations through the Accurate Portrayal of Women and Girls," brands have been capturing value 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. Circana noted that 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."

According to the report, 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.

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Additionally, the latest GEM Lift findings, broken down by race and ethnicity, underscore the need for brands to consider race and ethnicity along with gender to recognize optimal value. The GEM Lift Study 2024 shows notable increases in sales lift among African-American and Hispanic consumers. Findings also suggest that featuring ethnically diverse women onscreen leads to improved return on advertising investment among all households, regardless of race or ethnicity.

"The majority of consumers understand the immense power that advertising and media have in challenging stereotypes and shaping gender roles," said Latha Sarathy, chief research officer for the ANA and SeeHer. "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."

Chicago-based Circana advises on the complexity of consumer behavior and provides clarity that helps almost 7,000 leading brands and retailers take action and unlock business growth.