The GEM Index
The research firm regularly measures people’s responses to gender portrayal in ads, which feed into its gender equality measure index (GEMTM Index). An analysis of the GEMTM scores from more than 2,000 ads featuring men or boys indicated that those ads scoring high vs. low on positive masculine gender portrayal were +37% stronger on measures of sales lift. High-scoring ads were also +38% stronger on measures of equity share gain.
Why it matters
There’s a push to change how women are depicted in advertising, but Ipsos’ Samira Brophy notes that marketing is guilty of reinforcing male stereotypes as much as it is female ones. That makes little sense in terms of effectiveness – ads with expressionless or unengaged men scored poorly in the Ipsos index.
Brands might also consider how such stereotypes play when we’re seeing a rise in “bro-fication”. The Unmistakables’ Shilpa Saul argues that the assault on DEI initiatives and calls for “masculine energy” aren’t just social issues: for marketers and brands, “they are directly tied to brand equity, consumer trust, and the way businesses choose to show up in the world”.
Other ways to contribute include conscious media investment - check out our guide to the topic here.
What is positive male portrayal
Ipsos identifies two recurring tropes linked to positive portrayals of men and boys:
- Great dads, deeply immersed in care for their kids.
- Being open, expressive, enjoying life.
- Examples of positive ads include IKEA’s The Wonderful Everyday and McCain’s We are family.
What can brands do?
Brands don’t have to be activists but they can at least do no harm, Ipsos suggests. They can look at normalising empathy as an aspirational quality for men. Positive male portrayals should be underpinned by brand principles and tone of voice.
Sourced from Ipsos, Effies, WARC
Source: warc.com