Kate Njoroge , Chief Client Officer at Kantar East Africa had a closeup chat with Carolyne Kendi , Deputy Vice Chair , Global Unstereotype Alliance and Head Of Brand & Marketing Communications , Safaricom PLC , dissecting the Unstereotype Alliance concept on why time is ripe for as many corporates to onboard the train in pursuit of balancing the scales for better marketing outcomes . Marketing Africa captured the deliberations and brings you the abridged version of this discourse here-under .
Kate : Hi Kendi , good to see you . Let ’ s get right into it . Before we talk about the Unstereotype Alliance , could you explain what a stereotype is and why it is not a good thing ?
Kendi : Hi Kate , lovely to see you too .
A stereotype is a widely and oversimplified or generalized image or idea about a group of people and their characteristics . It is a lazy way of looking at the world and understanding various groups of people , particularly , in this case , gender . It is a way of passing judgement on millions of people without stopping to consider their abilities or experiences .
Kate : How are gender stereotypes harmful ?
Kendi : Let me give you three ways . The first and most obvious way is that they represent a very quick path to bias about gender roles and characteristics , which get embedded in society and lead to inequality and serious gaps in the living experience of people in social , economic and even political realms .
Secondly , stereotypes are limiting in so many areas of life , from career choices to equal pay , leadership , education , marriage and parenting . In each of these areas , you find stereotypes that define the role of women in a limited way . For instance , it ’ s considered a norm for a woman to be a nurse and a man to be a pilot , and odd when we encounter the reverse . There ’ s no reason men cannot be nurses and women cannot be pilots . It ’ s just a lazy way of looking at career choices . In the professional arena , women are seen to be polite and well-mannered while men are expected to be more aggressive and confident .
Thirdly , gender stereotypes are mentally harmful to women and girls . Stereotypes about the place of women in corporate life , for instance , can harm your selfconfidence , the same for girls with stereotypes about beauty and sexuality , which can lead to sexual harassment and all the accompanying trauma .
Kate : Let ’ s bring this home to brands and advertisers : 7 out 10 people globally say the ads they see don ’ t represent them , 45 % say they see sexist ads , and 50 % of ads show a negative stereotype of women . Is this why brands should care ?
Kendi : It ’ s part of it . Those numbers tell me that brands are not in tune or in touch with their consumers . And that is not good for business .
Brands should care because it is the right thing to do . We do not just exist in society ; we actively seek to imprint our values and ideas on it . We build brands with identities and voices so that we can engage with society and we cannot run away from difficult conversations or uncomfortable social issues and realities . Brands have a role to play in shaping and creating the best possible environment for us all to live in , one that represents all of us in the best ways imaginable .
Kate : Added to that , brands with progressive or inclusive ads attract more sales by about 25 %. They also enjoy a higher purchase intent of 25 % among all consumers , and 45 % among women , so there is a business case for inclusivity ?
Kendi : It ’ s proof of consumers responding to brands that make a genuine effort to change society for the better . It shows that consumers respond to brands that are willing to be brave and put themselves out there , not just by taking a stand but by going the distance and living up to their word and values .
And , of course , when consumers think you are authentic and a positive influence in society as a brand , you will automatically see benefits to the business .
Kate : On that note , an analysis of award-winning ads at the global Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity found that men speak 7X more than women , get 4X as much screen time and are 62 % more likely to be shown as smart . Are brands then part of the problem ?
Kendi : Absolutely , because advertising is a powerful medium . Ads can shape culture and influence people almost the same way music and film does . Advertising affects the way people feel and think about a variety of things , and people and brands can also shape behavior and create norms .
The stats you are quoting just underline how pervasive stereotypes can be ; think about it : the ads at Cannes are deemed to be the absolute best in the world , but even they are not getting it right yet . This shows how important it is for brands to consciously examine the content we make and how we make it , to ensure we are not simply breathing new life into gender stereotypes . We can ’ t change the past , but we can learn from it , and we can certainly make the present and future much better .
Kate : Love that . Please elaborate on what brand owners can do to keep gender stereotypes out of their brand content .
Kendi : I believe we have to look at the entire creative process , starting with the brief . If the brand owner doesn ’ t make it clear what they expect in their work , they definitely won ’ t get it . This is a case of the brand owner saying : ‘ these are the standards for my brand , and I will send back any work that does not make the cut ’.
The next point is about the creative partner . Who is developing your content ? For example , does your agency have gender balance ? If you tell them you want content without gender stereotypes , will they get it ? If they don ’ t get it , can you educate them and raise their consciousness , or is there a larger underlying structural issue to fix ?
Then , you have to look at the brand stories you are telling and ask yourself a few key questions : Are there women in those stories ? How are they portrayed ? Are there men ? How are they portrayed ? Does your brand put women in prominent roles ? Does your brand give women equal or less screen time with men ? Are women smart and confident and solving problems in your brand story ? Or are they the problem ? It ’ s also important to keep