Consumers say gender roles have changed. Why hasn’t advertising?

MarketingCharts staff Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of articles from MarketingCharts, which provides up-to-the-minute data and research to marketers. Three in four Americans believe that traditional gender roles have changed, but advertising isn’t keeping pace with expectations for gender inclusivity, according to a study from Omnicom Media Group (OMG). Virtually all respondents believe that a range of societal roles and behaviors — from cooking family meals to caring for children, purchasing groceries, caring about one’s appearance and being career-focused — are appropriate for both men and women. Indeed, half of men and 59 percent of women identified themselves as not completely masculine or feminine. Yet respondents are more likely to believe that there is equal gender representation in media than that there is already non-gendered advertising (57 percent and 38 percent, respectively). In fact, respondents are as likely to believe in equal career opportunities as they are in non-gendered advertising. These results bring to mind research that came out last year from J. Walter Thompson that showed:

• In an analysis of ads released in 2017, men portrayed in commercials were twice as likely as women to have a job, widening a gap seen in ads from 2006 - 2016;
• An analysis of ads released from 2006 - 2016 found women being almost 50 percent more likely than men to be shown in the kitchen.

In the OMG survey, 39 percent believed that advertising does not accurately represent all genders, and 30 percent felt that brands misrepresent them and their gender. There are some potential pitfalls to brands taking a stand, as only around one-third of respondents believe that brands should do so on gender issues. And brands risk alienating their existing customers: almost three-quarters would have a negative response to a brand they currently like or use if it became publicly known that the brand’s opinions on gender issues were different than the consumer’s. That includes almost one-third who would stop purchasing the brand. But research last year from Weber Shandwick found almost half (48 percent) of Americans believe that CEOs and business leaders should express their opinion about gender equality, against 30 percent who feel they shouldn’t. More recently, survey results from Sprout Social indicated that a similar 48 percent of social media users feel that all brands should take a stand on gender equality, against 26 percent who feel that it’s not a brand’s place.

• Consumers: Gender Roles Have Changed. Advertising Hasn’t. – MarketingCharts
• People Complain of Gender Stereotyping and Lack of Diversity on TV – MarketingCharts
• CEO Activism: The Issues Americans Do and Don’t Want to Hear About – MarketingCharts
• Championing Change in the Age of Social Media – Sprout Social