Ads must go beyond brand promotion

The recent Tanishq advertisement, which was taken down because of trolling and threats, succinctly highlights the ignored and implicit relationship between society and advertising. Ads talk about the product; however, their context is provided by the beliefs we hold and the times we live in.

They can not only communicate product benefits but also highlight the existing norms in society and lead to subtle changes in beliefs and mindsets.

Brands have traditionally operated on the assumption that consumers make purchasing decisions based on their gender. Advertisements reflect and perpetuate the strong notions of gendered household work that we hold as a society.

Women are frequently shown doing household chores or as parents. Men are shown in professional settings and marked as buyers of cars, expensive watches, private banking products and leisure (sports and alcohol).

Google carried out an analysis of ads on YouTube and found that 71 per cent of the characters in automobile ads were men. By portraying men and women in stereotypical roles, these ads strengthen gendered beliefs. These stereotypes trap people into thinking they are meant to desire a certain product based on their gender. Brands then market their products to particular genders.

Media portrayals significantly impact our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. When we continuously portray women as willing caretakers, we should not be surprised that child-rearing responsibilities and household chores are strongly associated with women.

Not only 40 per cent of men but also 50 per cent of women believe that violence against women by husbands is acceptable if wives do not fulfil these stereotypical responsibilities.

This is not to lay the blame entirely on advertisers, but to caution them that lazy stereotyping does perpetuate such beliefs.

Consumers and employees want to buy from and work for brands that don’t just develop good products, but also commit to building a better future. As India stares at dipping female participation in the labour force, we believe that marketers with a gender equity purpose have an opportunity to not just nudge but also shape the conversation and have a societal impact.

Changes to be made

One of the many changes advertisers could make is to acknowledge that purchasing decisions are often made by households rather than individuals of a specific gender. The 2015-16 National Family Health Survey found that 85 per cent of married women participate in household decisions.

A car is not bought by an individual alone, it is purchased by a household. Gold jewellery is not for the woman alone, it is a financial backup for the family in turbulent times. Women have a significant say in big-ticket purchases such as real-estate or automobiles.

The second change in ads could be to show new visuals and associations — like parents giving their sons as many chores as their daughters; or schools and paediatricians’ offices who need to reach families calling fathers not just mothers. At the same time, it is important to be wary of pro-female ads that tend to ask women to change themselves (yet another demand of women!). Instead the ads should question patriarchal structures and roles rather than presenting faux images of freedom.

Third, marketers should move away from the harmful stereotypes that have been created in the name of segmentation. According to a Harvard Business School study, sometimes stereotypical associations of a product with a gender, such as pink machine tools or even pink packaging, might backfire.

All customers want to feel unique and would like products personalised to their needs, preferences and identities.

But categorisation with a gender often reduces the complexities to something as trivial as women loving pink, and women may take offence to this. Men’s cosmetic ads seem to be breaking some strong-held gendered notions. We all remember how Shah Rukh Khan created an image of a more sensitive and discerning man.

Similarly, Fogg moved from away from the seduction theme or He deodorant which called out advertisers for objectifying women to sell products. However, it isn’t just products themselves that should be gender-neutral: distribution, packaging, advertising and leadership should be as well.

Some companies are already rising to the challenge. In 2017, the consumer goods giant Unilever partnered with UN Women and a host of major corporations, including Google, Johnson & Johnson and Mars, to create the Unstereotype Alliance, which seeks to educate people on how advertising perpetuates biases.

Wealth advisors

We are also witnessing a growing trend with firms such as LXME, Basis and Fem Wealth offering advice to women on investment, once considered a man’s domain. These products question the traditional understanding that women are not good at finance. They demonstrate that people can have competencies that are not dependent on their gender.

The goal of most brand campaigns is to create a positive association between the brand and consumers. We know consumers form stronger relations with brands that satisfy not only their product needs but also their identity-related goals. For instance, by choosing a Mahindra e2o, a consumer might signal their identity as environmentally-friendly.

In today’s environment, consumers expect brands to take positions on larger societal issues (for example, environment and sexuality) and convey brand purpose to their consumers rather than talk merely about product uses and benefits. It is time brands stepped into this role — by aiming for gender equity.

Vijayalakshmi is an Assistant Professor at IIM Ahmedabad, and Nirajana Mishra is a Doctoral Candidate at Questrom School of Business, Boston University.

COMMENT NOW