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Gender Stereotypes: The Profiling of Women in Marketing

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Exploring Gender at Work

Abstract

Stereotyping in advertising is considered as both “mirror” and “mold”, reflecting and shaping the values of its target audience. However, the connection between stereotyping of women in advertising and marketers’ profiling of women has not yet been explored. To address the issue, this study provides meta-analysis of research on gender stereotypes in advertising and content analysis of “how to market to women” in practical marketing guidelines and academic research. Women are more likely portrayed as young while men are in the middle age and older age segments. Women are often portrayed as sexually attractive. They are significantly portrayed in decorative roles and traditional roles. Meanwhile, some marketers present more realistic female images. The female market is heterogeneous. Women play multiple roles in daily life, and traditional roles are just a few among many. Female consumers are strong, assertive, and active. They join the labor force and gain higher social, financial, and educational status. They support social causes that matter to their communities and the societies in which they live.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business, Woodbury University, Burbank, CA, USA

    Thuc-Doan Nguyen

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  1. Thuc-Doan Nguyen
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Correspondence to Thuc-Doan Nguyen .

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  1. Woodbury University, Burbank, CA, USA

    Joan Marques

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Nguyen, TD. (2021). Gender Stereotypes: The Profiling of Women in Marketing. In: Marques, J. (eds) Exploring Gender at Work. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64319-5_7

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