Category: Contributor Blogs

When you do a search for top influencers, chances are the usual suspects will come up first: people in movies and music. This month, many brands are celebrating women, with many embracing the #breakingthebias theme of International Women’s Day. With the ongoing fight for women’s rights globally, brands can amplify the effectiveness of their efforts by working with the top women influencers in the world of sports and gaming, two traditionally male-dominated areas.

In sports, gender equity has some way to go, but fans are helping drive change. According to our 2021 Trust in Advertising study, over half of global audiences trust influencer marketing, but 66% trust brand sponsorships in the sporting events that they watch. In fact, 61% of fans in the U.S. specifically name gender equality as the cause they are most passionate about. For brands that want to show that they are being inclusive, aligning their events and influencer marketing is a great way to engage sports fans.

Last year, female athletes made headlines for championing change during the Olympics when they took a knee in support of racial equity, and again this year when the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team successfully won their fight for fair pay. Their performance, fanbase and advocacy make these athletes a great choice for brands that want to show their commitment to being more inclusive. For example, as brands look to connect with youth, it’s important that they understand that mental health is one of the most difficult issues that the youth are facing today. One way to create a more authentic connection is to work with a top athlete influencer like Simone Biles, who has been vocal about her own mental health journey. 

In addition, female athletes have global appeal. Naomi Osaka is one of the top 10 female athlete influencers. She was the first Asian athlete to reach the No. 1 ranking in singles for tennis and the highest-earning female athlete in the World. While she plays for Japan, over 40% of Osaka’s fanbase is in the U.S. 

With the rise in popularity of gaming and esports in recent years, professional players are increasingly building loyal fanbases and have expanded their influence in popular media, business and advocacy. That influence is so great, that the top 10 most influential women gamers have an engagement rate¹ of 11.7%, according to Nielsen InfluenceScope, almost three times more than other influencers with similar follower numbers. 

That level of engagement is a big accomplishment, in the light of the discrimination women face in the online gaming world. In a recent female gamer survey, both men and women indicated experiencing abuse, but female gamers are more likely to experience sexual harassment and being excluded from the game. Even Pokimane, who is the top most influential² female gamer, according to Nielsen InfluenceScope, recently chose to end her stream abruptly after another streamer started a hate raid against her. 

With a tremendous opportunity to join the fight against the discrimination against women in gaming, brands can look to working with the most influential female gamers who are speaking up against the sexism and holding their own in the gaming community. Valkyrae, who is the second-most influential female gamer, according to Nielsen InfluenceScope, has an even higher engagement rate of 16%. She has been particularly outspoken about encouraging young women to continue to play for the love of the game. As co-owner of esports teams and business 100 Thieves, recently valued at $460 million, she has also led by example and inspired her followers. In 2021, women accounted for nearly 46% of all gamers in the U.S. In Asia, women now make up 40%-45% of the Asian gaming population. Working with female influencers is a winning move for brands looking to create an authentic connection with their consumers.

¹Engagement rate reflects the amount of interactions an influencer’s social media content earns divided by the influencer’s number of followers. 
²Nielsen applied its InfluenceScope 4R (reach, relevance, resonance, rising) methodology to more than 100 million social media profiles worldwide to identify the top women influencers in acting, athletics and gaming.

Every year, the topic of gender equity captures headlines during Women’s History Month. During this time, the media industry is often called out for a lack of on-screen representation. The numbers speak for themselves: women received 43% share of screen and 42% share of casting in U.S. television programming in 2021¹, with only 31% of measured shows having women represented at fair share. Worse, these metrics show little improvement from the year prior.

When important issues only receive attention one month out of the year, the needle doesn’t move very far. Achieving substantial advancements toward gender equity, and inclusion of all types of audiences on TV screens, will require year-round work—and marketers have an opportunity to lead the charge. By using their media influence to demand more representative programming, marketers can generate momentum to foster more impactful progress and make inclusive content the status quo, instead of a one-per-year consideration.

Marketers hold the power of influence

While brands can diversify media representation through the actors they feature in their ads, they can also pressure other media areas to be more inclusive. Media, from traditional programs to streaming services, is largely fueled by advertising revenue, which gives marketers a say in what content gets produced. Using their ad spend as leverage, marketers can demand the programs that host their brand’s advertisements to be more inclusive. If their host media disagrees, marketers can move their campaigns to other programs that are committed to furthering gender equity.

Fostering more representative content also has merits for the brands themselves. Making content more inclusive broadens the range of consumers who might identify with it, thereby increasing the audience size for a brand’s ads. That means more prospects to enter the sales pipeline. Expanding representation also creates a more active customer pool—increasing the odds that those initial engagements will drive a transaction—since consumers are more likely to engage brands that advertise in programming that represents their own identities.

Identify opportunities and allies for change

To achieve more representation in media in a way that moves audiences, marketers will need to pair their ambitions with a strategic approach. To start, brands need to understand how much progress the industries they are operating within have already made. This will help marketers shape their messaging; will their brand be one of the first to speak up on the issue, or will they be joining the conversation?

A recent Nielsen inclusive ad spend analysis² found that marketers in the consumer packaged goods and health care industries have invested the most ad dollars in female-inclusive TV, whereas the dining industry has the most room for improvement. That said, there is considerable variation across brands within each industry. Nielsen research reveals that while the top 25% of brands by inclusive spending allocate more than 43% of their ad dollars in female-inclusive programming, the bottom 25% are investing significantly less. Still, the data is clear: all industries have ground to cover to achieve gender equity.

That said, there is considerable variation across brands within each industry. Nielsen research reveals that while the top 25% of brands by inclusive spending allocate more than 43% of their ad dollars in female-inclusive programming, the bottom 25% are investing significantly less. Still, the data is clear: all industries have ground to cover to achieve gender equity.

Marketers don’t have to pursue this mission alone. With the help of their advertising agencies, they can identify inclusive content to host their advertisements. Marketers will still need to ensure that the programs align with their brand’s other values, as this will determine whether audiences are receptive towards their ads.

Once marketers make their initial investments, they should monitor how their ads perform over time to understand if different media would be better suited for reaching the brand’s target demographic. This data can help marketers place their ad spend in mutually beneficial media spots. Armed with performance insights, marketers can also challenge competitors to match their progress—fueling momentum for more inclusive media overall.

Buzz around gender equity shouldn’t subside as April arrives. Marketers’ ad spend is valuable currency in the fight for media representation. By investing in programs that uphold inclusivity, marketers can build stronger connections with consumer audiences and foster meaningful change.

Sources

1. Gracenote Inclusion Analytics
2. Gracenote inclusive ad spend analysis was based on television advertising that appears in programs that have been coded in the Gracenote Inclusion Analytics database.