Comscore, ANA’s SeeHer develop gender equality insights tool

Dive Brief: 

• SeeHer, the Association of National Advertisers’ (ANA) organization for gender equality in media, and Comscore have partnered to bring the former’s Gender Equality Measurement (GEM) standards to Comscore’s digital planning and measurement suite, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
• The new GEM Audiences insights tool, declared an industry first, is intended to help brands understand the value of gender equality to their target audiences by embedding gender equality attributes into Comscore’s Plan Metrix Suite.
• Comscore and SeeHer anticipate the GEM Audiences tool to become the digital standard for brands striving to understand consumers focused on gender equality through methods stretching beyond demographics, including behaviors, interests and attitudes. 

Dive Insight: 

SeeHer developed its GEM measurement system in 2016 as a data-driven methodology to identify gender bias in advertising. According to research by the organization, ads with positive GEM scores saw a 42% increase in purchase intent among total and female consumers, and the positive ROI associated with higher GEM scores increased sales by as much as five times.  

Still, the industry is struggling with gender parity, both in its hiring practices and in its product. A study from Extreme Reach found that men in 2022 accounted for nearly two-thirds of people appearing in ads and 73% of voices heard. However, 90% of consumers feel that media is critical in shaping gender roles, Christine Guilfoyle, president of SeeHer, noted in release details, a sign that marketers could benefit from being more intentional in their representation decision-making.

“Gender equality across the entire media and marketing ecosystem is a consumer expectation and a key driver of brand growth,” said Latha Sarathy, chief research officer of the ANA and SeeHer, in a statement. “We are especially proud to partner with Comscore on GEM Audiences as it addresses an urgent need for more advancements in audience intelligence and measurement to help marketers better understand and prioritize digital audience segments and media properties that strongly align with gender equality.”

For Comscore, the unveiling of GEM Audiences is part of the company’s larger efforts to democratize media planning and buying and look beyond demographics and generalizations among audiences. SeeHer and Comscore announced the partnership at this year’s ANA Data, Analytics & Measurement Conference.  

“With the SeeHer partnership, Comscore is not only bringing the most comprehensive view of the consumer across all media platforms but also supporting responsible media and data collaboration efforts with organizations that help brands make a difference,” said Danan Ren, Comscore’s senior vice president and head of client insights, in the release.