Is Femvertising the New Greenwashing? Examining Corporate Commitment to Gender Equality

Sterbenk, Yvette; Champlin, Sara; Windels, Kasey; Shelton, Summer

doi:10.1007/s10551-021-04755-x

Original Paper
Published: 18 February 2021

Is Femvertising the New Greenwashing? Examining Corporate Commitment to Gender Equality

Yvette Sterbenk¹,
Sara Champlin²,
Kasey Windels³ &
Summer Shelton⁴

Journal of Business Ethics volume 177, pages 491–505 (2022)Cite this article

6007 Accesses
8 Citations
6 Altmetric
Metrics details

Abstract

This study examined the potential for a new area of corporate social responsibility (CSR) washing: gender equality. Companies are increasingly recognized for advertisements promoting gender equality, termed “femvertisements.” However, it is unclear whether companies that win femvertising awards actually support women with an institutionalized approach to gender equality. A quantitative content analysis was performed assessing company leadership team listings, annual reports, CSR reports, and CSR websites of 61 US-based companies (31 award winners and 30 non-winning competitors) to compare the prevalence of internal and external gender-equality CSR activities of companies that have (versus have not) won femvertising awards. When controlling for number of employees and annual revenue, award-winning companies committed to more internal efforts that support women than non-award-winning companies. However, no significant differences were found in the number of external efforts or representation in female leadership between companies with and without award-winning femvertisements. Overall, a majority of award-winning companies (81%) engaged in less than ten of the possible 23 gender-equality CSR activities, suggesting these companies’ female empowerment commercials were often not in line with their broader CSR activities. While more research is needed in this area, we propose the term “fempower-washing” to describe CSR-washing in the context of gender equality.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

Abitbol, A., & Sternadori, M. (2019). Championing women’s empowerment as a catalyst for purchase intentions: Testing the mediating roles of OPRs and brand loyalty in the context of femvertising. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 13(1), 22–41.
Article Google Scholar
Akestam, N., Rosengren, S., & Dahlen, M. (2017). Advertising “like a girl”: Toward a better understanding of “femvertising” and its effects. Psychology & Marketing, 34, 795–806.
Article Google Scholar
Argenti, P. A. (2016). Corporate responsibility. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd.
Book Google Scholar
Arvidsson, S. (2010). Communication of corporate social responsibility: A study of the views of management teams in large companies. Journal of Business Ethics, 96(3), 339–354.
Article Google Scholar
Bahadur, Nina. (2014). “Dove ‘Real Beauty’ Campaign Turns 10: How a Brand Tried to Change the Conversation About Female Beauty.” Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/dove-real-beauty-campaign-turns-10_n_4575940.html.
Becker-Olsen, K. L., Cudmore, B. A., & Hill, R. P. (2006). The impact of perceived corporate social responsibility on consumer behavior. Journal of Business Research, 59, 46–53.
Article Google Scholar
Begum, M. I. A. (2018). Corporate social responsibility and gender commitments of commercial banks in Bangladesh. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 19(6), 87.
Google Scholar
Berrone, P., Fosfuri, A., & Gelabert, L. (2017). Does greenwashing pay off? Understanding the relationship between environmental actions and environmental legitimacy. Journal of Business Ethics, 144(2), 363–379.
Article Google Scholar
Blay, Z. (2016, June 23). Axe and Dove parent company promises no more sexist ads after bleak report. Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/axe-and-dove-parent-company-promises-no-more-sexist-ads_us_576bf003e4b0b489bb0c85c7.
Bouten, L., Everaert, P., Van Liedekerke, L., De Moor, L., & Christiaens, J. (2011). Corporate social responsibility reporting: a comprehensive picture? Accounting Forum, 35(3), 187–204.
Article Google Scholar
Brammer, S., & Millington, A. (2006). Firm size, organizational visibility and corporate philanthropy: An empirical analysis. Business Ethics: A European Review, 15(1), 6–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8608.2006.00424.x.
Article Google Scholar
Browning, N., Gogo, O., & Kimmel, M. (2018). Comprehending CSR messages: Applying the elaboration likelihood model. Corporate Communications, 23(1), 17–34.
Article Google Scholar
Carter, M. (2015). Backlash against “pinkwashing” of breast cancer awareness campaigns. (Report). British Medical Journal, 351(8029).
Castaldo, S., Perrini, F., Misani, N., & Tencati, A. (2009). The missing link between corporate social responsibility and consumer trust: The case of fair trade products. Journal of Business Ethics, 64, 1–15.
Article Google Scholar
Castillo, M. (2014). These stats prove femvertising works. AdWeek, Retrieved from https://www.adweek.com/digital/these-stats-prove-femvertising-works-160704/
Champlin, S., Sterbenk, Y., Windels, K., & Poteet, M. (2019). How brand-cause fit shapes real world advertising messages: A qualitative exploration of “femvertising”. International Journal of Advertising, 38(8), 1240–1263. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2019.1615294.
Article Google Scholar
Chatterji, A. K., & Toffel, M. W. (2016, April 3). The power of C.E.O. activism. New York Times, p. SR10. Retrieved March 22, 2018, from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/03/opinion/sunday/the-power-of-ceo-activism.html
Cone Communications. (2015). New Cone Communications research confirms Millennials as America’s most ardent CSR supporter, but marked differences revealed among this diverse generation. Retrieved from: http://www.conecomm.com/news-blog/new-cone-communications-research-confirms-millennials-as-americas-most-ardent-csr-supporters
Cone Communications. (2016). 2016 Millennial Employee Engagement Study. Retrieved from: http://millennialemployeeengagement.com/
Cone Communications. (2017). Brands & Social Activism: What Do You Stand Up For? Retrieved from: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56b4a7472b8dde3df5b7013f/t/5947dbcf4f14bc4eadcd025d/1497881572759/CSRInfographic+FINAL2.jpg
Cook, A., & Glass, C. (2018). Women on corporate boards: Do they advance corporate social responsibility? Human Relations, 71(7), 897–924. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726717729207.
Article Google Scholar
Dawkins, J. (2004). Corporate responsibility: The communication challenge. Journal of Communication Management, 9(2), 108–119.
Article Google Scholar
de Jong, M., & van Der Meer, M. (2015). How does it fit? exploring the congruence between organizations and their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Journal of Business Ethics, 143(1), 71–83.
Article Google Scholar
Delmas, M., & Burbano, V. (2011). The drivers of greenwashing. California Management Review, 54(1), 64–87.
Article Google Scholar
Diaz, A. C., & Zmuda, N. (2014). Less talk, more women at the top. Advertising Age, 85(18), 17.
Google Scholar
Dodd, M. D. & Supa, D. W. (2014). Conceptualizing and measuring “corporate social advocacy” communication: examining the impact on corporate financial performance. Public Relations Journal, 8(3). Retrieved January 2019: http://www.prsa.org/Intelligence/PRJournal/Vol8/No3/
Donia, M., & Tetrault Sirsly, C. (2016). Determinants and consequences of employee attributions of corporate social responsibility as substantive or symbolic. (Report). European Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2016.02.004.
Article Google Scholar
Edelman (2017). 2017 Edelman earned brand study: Beyond no brand’s land. Retrieved from https://www.edelman.com/earned-brand
Eisend, M. (2010). A meta-analysis of gender roles in advertising. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 38(4), 418–440.
Article Google Scholar
Femvertising (n.d.), Femvertising Awards. Retrieved from https://www.femvertisingawards.com/.
Feng, Y., Chen, H., & He, L. (2019). Consumer responses to femvertising: A data-mining case of Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty” on YouTube. Journal of Advertising, 48(3), 292–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2019.1602858.
Article Google Scholar
Fischer, D. (2020). The three dimensions of sustainability: A delicate balancing act for entrepreneurs made more complex by stakeholder expectations. Journal of Business Ethics, 163(1), 87–106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-4012-1.
Article Google Scholar
Glass: The Lion for Change. (n.d.). Retrieved from Cannes Lions: https://www.canneslions.com/enter/awards/good/glass-the-lion-for-change#/
Holder-webb, L., Cohen, J., Nath, L., & Wood, D. (2009). The supply of corporate social responsibility disclosures among U.S. firms. Journal of Business Ethics, 84(4), 497–527.
Article Google Scholar
Holman, J. (2017, Oct 05). Bank behind fearless girl statue settles gender pay dispute. Bloomberg Wire Service. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-05/bank-behind-fearless-girl-statue-settles-u-s-gender-pay-dispute
Hopkins, M. (2005). Measurement of corporate social responsibility. International Journal of Management and Decision Making, 6(3–4), 213–231.
Article Google Scholar
Hsu, C. (2018a). Femvertising: State of the Art. Journal of Brand Strategy, 7(1), 28–47.
Google Scholar
Hsu, T. (2018b, August 10). Ex-employees sue Nike, alleging gender discrimination. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/business/nike-discrimination-class-action-lawsuit.html
Hughes, D. (2013). This ad’s for you: The indirect effect of advertising perceptions on salesperson effort and performance. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 41(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-011-0293-y.
Article Google Scholar
Jones, O. (2019, May 23). Woke-washing: how brands are cashing in on the culture wars. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/may/23/woke-washing-Brands-cashing-in-on-culture-wars-owen-jones
Kangun, C., Carlson, L., & Grove, S. (1991). Environmental advertising claims: A preliminary investigation. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 10(2), 47–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/074391569101000203.
Article Google Scholar
Kim, H., Hur, W., & Yeo, J. (2015). Corporate brand trust as a mediator in the relationship between consumer perception of CSR, corporate hypocrisy, and corporate reputation. Sustainability (Basel, Switzerland), 7(4), 3683–3694. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7043683.
Article Google Scholar
Leech, N. L., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2008). Qualitative data analysis: A compendium of techniques and a framework for selection for school psychology research and beyond. School Psychology Quarterly, 23(4), 587.
Article Google Scholar
Madrigal, R., & Boush, D. M. (2008). Social responsibility as a unique dimension of brand personality and consumers’ willingness to reward. Psychology & Marketing, 25, 538–564.
Article Google Scholar
Macaulay, C. D., Richard, O. C., Peng, M. W., & Hasenhuttl, M. (2018). Alliance network centrality, board composition, and corporate social performance. Journal of Business Ethics, 151(4), 997–1008.
Article Google Scholar
Mahdawi, A. (2018, August 10). Woke-washing brands cash in on social justice. It’s lazy and hypocritical. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/10/fellow-kids-woke-washing-cynical-alignment-worthy-causes
Mitchell, A. & Ward, R. (2010). Rainbow washing schools: Are primary schools ready for same-sex attracted parents and students? Gay and Lesbian Issues and Psychology Review, 6(2), 103–106. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/859613952/
Modiba, E., & Ngwakwe, C. (2017). Women on the corporate board of directors and corporate sustainability disclosure. Corporate Board: Role, 13(2), 32–37.
Google Scholar
Moriarty, S. E. (1996). Effectiveness, objectives and the EFFIE awards. Journal of Advertising Research, 36(4), 54.
Google Scholar
Nyilasy, G., Gangadharbatla, H., & Paladino, A. (2014). Perceived greenwashing: The interactive effects of green advertising and corporate environmental performance on consumer reactions. Journal of Business Ethics, 125(4), 693–707.
Article Google Scholar
Obermiller, C., & Spangenberg, E. (1998). Development of a scale to measure consumer skepticism toward advertising. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 7(2), 159–186.
Article Google Scholar
Obermiller, C., Spangenberg, E., & MacLachlan, D. L. (2005, Fall). Ad skepticism: the consequences of disbelief. Journal of Advertising, 34(3), 7. Retrieved from https://link-galegroup-com.ezproxy.ithaca.edu/apps/doc/A137861176/AONE?u=nysl_sc_ithaca&sid=AONE&xid=8754158a
Parguel, B., Benoit-Moreau, F., & Russell, C. (2015). Can evoking nature in advertising mislead consumers? The power of “executional greenwashing.” International Journal of Advertising, 34(1), 107–134. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2014.996116.
Article Google Scholar
Passifiume, B. (2019, January 17). Backlash to Gillette 'toxic masculinity' ad spreads on social media. Toronto Sun. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2019, from https://torontosun.com/news/world/online-backlash-to-gillette-toxic-masculinity-ad-spreads-on-social-media
Pirsch, J., Gupta, S., & Grau, S. (2007). A framework for understanding corporate social responsibility programs as a continuum: An exploratory study. Journal of Business Ethics, 70(2), 125–140.
Article Google Scholar
Pomering, A., & Johnson, L. (2009). Constructing a corporate social responsibility reputation using corporate image advertising. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 17(2), 106–114.
Article Google Scholar
Pomering, A., Johnson, L., & Noble, G. (2013). Advertising corporate social responsibility. Corporate Communications, 18(2), 249–263.
Article Google Scholar
Pope, S., & Waeraas, A. (2015). CSR-washing is rare: A conceptual framework, literature review, and critique. Journal of Business Ethics, 137(1), 173–193.
Article Google Scholar
Schultz, D. E., & Barnes, B. E. (1995). Strategic advertising campaigns (4th ed.). Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Business Books.
Google Scholar
Setó-Pamies, D. (2015). The relationship between women directors and corporate social responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 22(6), 334–345. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1349.
Article Google Scholar
Sheikh, S., & Beise-Zee, R. (2011). Corporate social responsibility or cause-related marketing? The role of cause specificity of CSR. The Journal of Consumer Marketing, 28(1), 27–39.
Article Google Scholar
Siano, A., Vollero, A., Conte, F., & Amabile, S. (2017). “More than words”: Expanding the taxonomy of greenwashing after the Volkswagen scandal. Journal of Business Research, 71, 27–37.
Article Google Scholar
Skaggs, S., Stainback, K., & Duncan, P. (2012). Shaking things up or business as usual? The influence of female corporate executives and board of directors on women’s managerial representation. Social Science Research, 41(4), 936–948.
Article Google Scholar
Skard, S., & Thorbjørnsen, H. (2014). Is publicity always better than advertising? The role of brand reputation in communicating corporate social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 124(1), 149–160.
Article Google Scholar
Sobande, F. (2019). Woke-washing: “intersectional” femvertising and branding “woke” bravery. European Journal of Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-02-2019-0134.
Article Google Scholar
Storbeck, O. (2017, February 6). Audi's gender equality plea lacks horsepower. Reuters. Retrieved January 15, 2020, from https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-super-bowl-audi-breakingviews-idUSKBN15L17C
Think with Google. What women watch: Trends toward entrepreneurship, education, and empowerment on YouTube. (2017, March). Retrieved May 7, 2020, from https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/marketing-to-women-empowering-ads/
Udayasankar, K. (2008). Corporate social responsibility and firm size. Journal of Business Ethics, 83(2), 167–175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9609-8.
Article Google Scholar
Varghese, N., & Kumar, N. (2020). Femvertising as a media strategy to increase self-esteem of adolescents: An experiment in India. Children and Youth Services Review, 113, 104965. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104965.
Article Google Scholar
Varghese, N., & Kumar, N. (2020). Feminism in advertising: irony or revolution? A critical review of femvertising. Feminist Media Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2020.1825510.
Article Google Scholar
Wagner, T., Lutz, R. J., & Weitz, B. A. (2009). Corporate hypocrisy: Overcoming the threat of inconsistent corporate social responsibility perceptions. Journal of Marketing, 73, 77–91.
Article Google Scholar
Waller, D. S., & Lanis, R. (2009). Corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure of advertising agencies. Journal of Advertising, 38(1), 109–121.
Article Google Scholar
Walker, K., & Wan, F. (2012). The harm of symbolic actions and green-washing: Corporate actions and communications on environmental performance and their financial implications. Journal of Business Ethics, 109(2), 227–242.
Article Google Scholar
Webb, D. J., & Mohr, L. A. (1998). A typology of consumer responses to cause-related marketing: From skeptics to socially concerned. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 17(2), 226–238.
Article Google Scholar
Windels, K., Champlin, S., Shelton, S., Sterbenk, Y., & Poteet, M. (2020). Selling feminism: How female empowerment campaigns employ postfeminist discourses. Journal of Advertising, 49(1), 18–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2019.1681035.
Article Google Scholar
Wired staff. (2018, June 21). The Problem With the 'Rainbow-Washing' of LGBTQ+ Pride. Wired.com. https://www.wired.com/story/lgbtq-pride-consumerism/
Wojcicki, S. (2016, April 24). Ads that empower women don’t just break stereotypes—They’re also effective. Adweek. Retrieved April 23, 2020, from https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/ads-empower-women-don-t-just-break-stereotypes-they-re-also-effective-170953/
Wolin, L. D. (2003). Gender issues in advertising: An oversight synthesis of research: 1970–2002. Journal of Advertising Research, 43(1), 111–129.
Article Google Scholar
Yoon, Y., Gürhan-Canli, Z., & Schwarz, N. (2006). The effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities on companies with bad reputations. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 16(4), 377–390.
Article Google Scholar
Zeisler, A. (2016). We were feminists once: from riot Grrl to CoverGirl, the buying & selling of a political movement. New York, NY: Public Affairs.
Google Scholar
Zerbini, F. (2017). CSR initiatives as market signals: A review and research agenda. Journal of Business Ethics, 146(1), 1–23.
Article Google Scholar
Zmuda, N., & Diaz, A. C. (2014). Marketers go soft on feminism. Advertising Age, 85(18), 16.
Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Roy H. Park School of Communications, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, USA
Yvette Sterbenk
Mayborn School of Journalism, The University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
Sara Champlin
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
Kasey Windels
Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA
Summer Shelton

Authors

Yvette Sterbenk
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
Sara Champlin
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
Kasey Windels
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar
Summer Shelton
View author publications
You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yvette Sterbenk.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors of this paper have no conflicts of interests to disclose, and are in compliance with ethical standards.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sterbenk, Y., Champlin, S., Windels, K. et al. Is Femvertising the New Greenwashing? Examining Corporate Commitment to Gender Equality. J Bus Ethics 177, 491–505 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04755-x

Download citation

Received: 06 November 2019
Accepted: 20 January 2021
Published: 18 February 2021
Issue Date: May 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04755-x

Keywords

Femvertising
Corporate social responsibility
CSR advertising
Corporate hypocrisy
CSR-washing