MarketPlace

Advertisers now break away from stereotypes to woo new consumers

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Changing roles of men and women in modern world are redefining how brands market goods and services. PHOTO | FILE

Advertising that breaks away from traditional gender stereotypes is emerging as a strong move in making consumers feel good about a brand: as Kimbo has proven in recent weeks with billboards towering over Kenyan urban streets carrying images of a man cooking for a woman — in a nation where women have traditionally done the cooking in the home.

In taking a step into a new world of men who cook, Kimbo is looking to build its brand image and attract new customers, as multiple studies show that staying with fixed gender stereotypes can, nowadays, actively damage a brand.

“Recent research and articles have shown that the unintended effects of gender stereotyping and objectification are more likely to showcase themselves in a negative sense than a positive one, whereas a change in this trend in that the gender difference be reduced, is more likely to leave a longer-lasting impact on the target audience,” wrote Prof Preetha Menon, Shreya Punkambekar and Sadhika Bhatia, the authors of a 2015 study on ‘Gender Stereotyping in Advertising and its Consequences & Effects on its Audience’.

At a time when gender roles are changing, brands are, instead, being required to adapt to the changes, so that consumers feel recognised.

“Men and women are adopting functions that do not fall into the stereotypical framing as to what is done by a man or woman” which means that “brands have an opportunity to be relevant to both”, said Moses Kemibaro, a Kenyan marketer and the founder of Dosavvy, a digital marketing agency.

“Consider fathers who are single fathers, or mothers who are holding down a full-time job and raising a family at the same time. We also have an evolving society where personal grooming, for instance, is considered essential etiquette for men so these things do matter in this day and age. The gender-specific focus has become fluid.”

Such was the case with Ariel washing powder. Last year, it released a new advertising campaign dubbed ‘Share the load’ in India, in which it challenged the stereotype that household chores are a woman’s responsibility and urged men to also participate in them.

“It’s not just a campaign; it’s a movement for social change. By raising a mirror to society, the brand is seeking a better world where there’s equality within the household and hence happier households. Where men and women have equal responsibilities and take equal ownership of chores.

“Laundry is almost the face of the change we are trying to drive across the country,” said Mr Josy Paul, the India chief creative officer, BBDO, a worldwide advertising agency in an interview with exchange4media.com.

The proof of the efficacy of such advertising came in the form of a 60 per cent increase in sales and a three-fold growth in consumer engagement on social media, according to a case study on the campaign by Digital Vidya, a digital marketing company. Ariel was also able to open its doors to new consumers, men.

“As consumer tastes change and stereotypes are redefined, this makes sense for brands. There are also new market segments opening up, with men, for instance, taking many on many more roles that have traditionally been seen as those for women.

“The world is changing and so are consumers, meaning that brands have to remain relevant so as to win market share,” said Mr Kemibaro.

However, he warns, as much as breaking gender stereotypes can prove to be a win for brands, a market’s culture also plays a huge role in determining the success of the product.

“Brands should first look into the culture of their market; it could be a huge factor due to pre-defined perceptions of what the brand is, or is not. To this extent, it is essential that the brand creates a clear sense of differentiation when making a women’s variant of the brand.

“For instance, Gillette has offerings for women, but everything from the product colours to the name and the positioning is clearly ‘softened’ to appeal to women,” said Mr Kemibaro.

- African Laughter