an international study of over 1000 digital influencers · 2019. 8. 22. · women rule social...

LongLive GIRLpower!AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY OF

OVER 1000 DIGITAL INFLUENCERS

Celebrating International Women’s Day - a Brief History 3

Why Are Women so Important as Consumers and Influencers? 5

Influencer Survey Results 7

Noteworthy Campaigns 15

Noteworthy Social Media Trends 21

TABLE OF CONTENTS

In this report, we want to give voice to women and hear them out. We asked 896 female influencers about their views on their careers, everyday lives, the image of women in advertising, and more. Alongside the analysis of our influencers’ opinions, this study’s objective is to present notable case studies of campaigns celebrating women and examples of female influencers absolutely worth knowing.

Since then, International Women’s Day has been widely adopted as a celebration of women in a very broad sense, transcending politics. Brands actively join the efforts to honour and inspire women and recognize their accomplishments. In recent years, women’s empower-ment has become an increasingly prominent theme year- round and it continues to leave a notable mark on the advertising world.

Photo: mission.org

CELEBRATINGINTERNATIONALWOMEN’S DAY

– a Brief History

LongLiveGIRLpower!

International Women’s Day, with its history deeply rooted in the movement for women’s rights, is celebrated annually on March 8th. The day originated in the United States, where the Socialist Party of America organised the first “National Woman’s Day” in 1909. The event then inspired European activists to establish an annual “Women’s Day” in 1910. International Women’s Day as we know it started in 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8th as the UN Day for women's rights and world peace.

LONG LIVE GIRL POWER! 03

@_janemay

INTERNATIONALWOMEN’S DAYTIMELINE

”National Woman’s Day" is held in New York City

Photo Credit: Youtube.Com

1909

Photo: German poster for International Women's Day, Wikipedia

1910

The idea transfers to Europe and International Women’s Day is established.

1917

Women demonstrate in Russia, led byRussian feminist Alexandra Kollontai

Photo: People’s World

1946

the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women becomes the first global intergovernmental body dedicated entirely to gender equality

Poster: See Red Women’s Workshop

1975

The UN declares 1975 “International Women’s Year.”

Photo: Huffington Post

2013

Malala Yousafzai gives a speech at the Youth Takeover of the United Nations. She advocates for equal rights to education, opportunity, dignity and peace.

Photo: Wikipedia

2017

The Women's March on Washington brings together millions of people worldwide to advocate for women’s rights.

WHY ARE WOMENSO RELEVANT AS CONSUMERS AND INFLUENCERS?

Women rule social media. Whether it’s influencers or just regular users, female predominance is impossible to overlook. This fact undoubtedly links to women being a great power in influencer marketing. They are more effective as advertisers and more eager to express their opinions. According to Brandwatch’s insight on women in social media, 54% of American women will show their support to brands they like online. Marketers are well aware of female power in social media, which means that if you are a woman, you might just hit the jackpot by deciding to start a career as an influencer.

Studies are pretty clear: influencer marketing is dominated by women. In fact, 68% of influencers are women and 45 out of the 100 most followed Instagram accounts are owned by women, women, according to data gathered by Influencer bay. According to Connect Americas, women are also more engaging, with an average number of likes at 578, compared to 117 in the case of their male peers.

68%of influencers are women

Source: Women are the New Media, indaHash Report

Source: Brandwatch

54%of women will show online support to brands they like


@igawysocka

@ricaandriani

The same source proves that female audiences are also extremely valuable. Connect Americas’ data points to the fact that 86% of women admit they consult social media before buying a product. They are also more willing to give feedback afterwards; they will let you know whether their new purchase was a hit or a miss, which is extremely valuable for marketers. What is also significant for female audiences is that they cherish the personal relationships they have with their favourite influ-encers.

According to Entrepreneur, women are most likely to follow a person similar to them in terms of skin colour, body type, and taste, and to follow their advice. According to a study analysed by MDG Advertising, 54% of women declare that they bought a product after having heard about it from a blogger. On top of it all, according to Brandwatch, women are more likely to check social media several times a day (30% of American women do so). It is hard to deny, women are essential to influencer marketing!

86%of women consult social media before making a purchase

Source: Connect Americas Source: MDG Advertising

54%of women bought a product after having heard about it from an influencer


Women rule social media. Whether it’s influencers or just regular users, female predominance is impossible to overlook. This fact undoubtedly links to women being a great power in influencer marketing. They are more effective as advertisers and more eager to express their opinions. According to Brandwatch’s insight on women in social media, 54% of American women will show their support to brands they like online. Marketers are well aware of female power in social media, which means that if you are a woman, you might just hit the jackpot by deciding to start a career as an influencer.

Studies are pretty clear: influencer marketing is dominated by women. In fact, 68% of influencers are women and 45 out of the 100 most followed Instagram accounts are owned by women, women, according to data gathered by Influencer bay. According to Connect Americas, women are also more engaging, with an average number of likes at 578, compared to 117 in the case of their male peers.

INFLUENCERSURVEYRESULTS

How satisfied are you with your looks?

To honour International Women’s Day, we checked in with our influencers to see how they feel about the way women are pictured in social media and advertising. We asked women and men questions relating to gender equality as well as differences in how men and women are perceived online. An additional goal of our survey was to explore how women use social media, what’s their motivation behind being an influencer, what tools they use for editing, and how heavily they modify their pictures. Our international test group of nearly 1000 influencers was happy to share their insights, some of which we found quite unexpected! Unless stated otherwise, the questions were answered by women only.


8% Very low

Low

Neutral

High

Very high

3%

16%

36%

37%

Our study points to the fact that satisfaction with one’s image is different in different parts of the world:

Only 17% of Japanese women are fully satisfied with their looks, while as much as 33% mark their level of satisfaction as very low. In Europe, the numbers are quite different: 42% of both German and Polish women are very satisfied with their looks.

@osi.s

How satisfied are you with your lifestyle?

Mark all the tools you use for editing photos:

Using editing presets is most popular among macro influencers with 37% declaring a preference for this option. Geographically, presets are the most popular in the UK (49% female influencers) and the US (44%). Only 3% of Japanese influencers claim to use presets. Instagram filters are the first choice for influencers from other countries.


0

5% Very low

Low

Neutral

High

Very high

5%

19%

36%

35%

Further differences can be seen in how influencers from different countries rate how satisfied they are with their lifestyles.

In South Africa, only 6% of our respondents graded their satisfac-tion as very high but as much as 42% declared high satisfac-tion with their lifestyles. No one gave it the lowest grade.

Japanese influencers declared the lowest satisfaction with their lifestyles - 44% of female influencers rated their satisfaction as low or very low.

Their American peers lead in the lifestyle satisfaction category, with a whopping 77% being highly or very highly satisfied.

49%

27% 29%

16%26% 32%

11%21%

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Pres

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Phot

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Snap

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Aft

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Face

tune

Have you ever used an app to remove skin imperfections?

Yes63% No

37%Yes

52%No

48% Yes30%

No70%

We asked men the same question:

Have you ever used an app to make yourself look slim-mer or to change your facial/body features?

What do you think about wearing makeup?(multiple choice)


53%

13%

13%

8%

5%

16%

2%

8%

10%

It's my choice and it can be empowering

I wish I felt more comfortable without makeup

Sometimes I feel forced to wear it (e.g. at work)

Women should wear make up

I don't wear makeup

Women are expected to wear makeup but it should be their choice

Women without makeup often look scruffy

Professional women wear makeup

I don’t have an opinion

Using editing presets is most popular among macro influencers with 37% declaring a preference for this option. Geographically, presets are the most popular in the UK (49% female influencers) and the US (44%). Only 3% of Japanese influencers claim to use presets. Instagram filters are the first choice for influencers from other countries.

Do you think women are accurately pictured in ads?

Yes No

The majority of female influencers in Poland (60%), Japan (63%) and Germany (62%) feel that women are accurately pictured in ads. Opinions differ in other countries - more female influencers from the UK (76%), ZA (83%), and US (74%) believe that the image of women in ads is not always accurate. Across markets, our female and male influencers’ answers were strikingly similar.



51% 49%

Yes No

50% 50%

Do you think there should be more regulations regarding the use of photoshop in ads when it comes to editing bodies?

Yes No


59% 41%

Do you think there should be more regulations regarding how women are pictured in media?

Yes No

64% 36%

Are you more likely to buy from a brand which supports body-positivity?

Yes No

76% 24%

Yes No

63% 37%

Do you feel that social media affect the way you feel about your looks?

Yes, they make mefeel empowered

Yes, comparing myself to others affects

me in a negative way No

40% of women in the UK and ZA feel that they tend to compare themselves to others on social media, which affects them in a negative way. Results from Japanese influencers were more optimistic, with 67% of female influencers claiming that social media make them feel empow-ered.


49% 23%28%

Are you more eager to participate in campaigns for brands that bring up the subject of gender equality in their ads?

What's your main reasonto run an Instagram account?

To share my story

I want to share my passion

To inspire others

I want to be famous

It's for business

It makes me feel good about myself

To make easy money

Photography is my passion

Other

Yes No

76% 24%

26%

31%

18%

3%

4%

6%

1%

7%

4%

Seeing how social issues, mental health, and body-positivity are becoming increasingly popular themes on social media, we decided to see if - and how - our influencers approach them. The results show that 41% of our influencers have touched upon social issues in their Instagram posts, however, the majority prefers to steer clear of politics. It’s interesting to note how 37% of our survey group has covered body-positivity or fat-shaming, yet only 16% directly address gender equality in their content.


Have you ever posted about: (multiple choice):

Politics

Social Issues

Me Too Movement

Body Positivity or Fat Shaming

Eating Disorders

Physical Health Issues

Gender Equality

Education

Environmental Issues

14%

41%

23%

37%

22%

27%

16%

34%

22%

Do you think it's the man's role to be the primary breadwinner in the family?

Would you feel uncomfortable making more money than your male partner?

Yes No Hard to tell N/A

Yes No

42% 58%

Our survey results contest the dated stereotype of the male breadwinner - the majority of our female influencers would not be uncomfortable making more money than their male partners. The numbers differ slightly across age groups, with the youngest influencers (19-25) being the most liberal (62% voting no), and older influencers (36-40) voting yes more than their younger peers (37%). Among men, it is influencers aged 26-35 who would be the least bothered by a female partner making more money: 62% claim it would not make them feel uncomfortable. Yay millennials!


Does your partner help you with creating content (e.g. by taking pictures)?

Would you feel uncomfortable making less money than your female partner?

Yes No Hard to tell N/A

Yes No N/A

23%

66%

20% 13%

51%

18% 8%

What are your thoughts on the Gillette commercial We Believe: the Best Men Can Be

56%

4%

3%

37%

Do you ever feel discriminated against on the basis of your sex?

55%

21%

16%

8%

We asked our male influencers about their views on the recent The Best Men Can Be Gillette commercial, which featured issues such as the #MeToo movement, sparking a heated discussion across online and traditional media. The majority of our influencers voted that their reception was positive and believe the ad tastefully tackled important issues.

We also used the opportunity to ask our male influencers some questions:

Do you think as a man you're allowed to freely express all of your emotion?

Yes No

76% 24%

Would it make you feel uncomfortable if your male friend cried in front of you?

Yes No

35% 65%


Positive, I think it covers important issues

I don't like it, it vilified men

I've seen it but I don't have an opinion

I haven't seen it

No, never

Yes, but rarely

Yes, sometimes

Yes, often

NOTEWORTHYCAMPAIGNS

In this section of our study, we analyse noteworthy campaigns featuring women’s empowerment themes.

We take a closer look at how advertisers navigate the subject and utilise it for meaningful and effective marketing. While incorporating social matters into advertising inevitably raises controversies, we believe that the ever increasing popularity of gender equality and female empowerment themes in popular culture can be seen as both an affirmation and amplification of ongoing social change.


Uber has a history of integrating women’s empowerment themes into their digital marketing. In 2015, the brand launched a video titled “Driven Women,” celebrating real stories of women who ride and drive for Uber in the American Pacific Northwest. The video acknowledged that men make up the majority of drivers associated with the company while tastefully challenging the stereotype that driving is a predomi-nantly male profession through showing the female drivers’ unique perspectives and their contribution to the company’s daily operations.

Following the campaign’s warm reception, Uber has been releasing new videos every year. In March 2018, the brand created a dedicated hash-tag, #drivenwomen, and increased the scope of the campaign, releasing a series of videos across several markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Source: photo from #drivenwomen IWD2018 | Uber Australia and New Zealand, YouTube, Uber Australia & New Zealand


BrandCampaign

UBER#DRIVENWOMENTAKE THE WHEEL

MCDONALD'S FLIPS ICONIC ARCHES UPSIDE DOWN

Even giants such as McDonald’s join the celebration of International Women’s Day. On March 8th 2018, one of the fast food chain’s locations in California turned its famous golden arches neon sign upside down in honour of all women. The symbolic gesture was accompanied by 100 more restaurants serving food in packaging with the flipped logo and a widespread digital campaign.

Source: fortune.com


BrandCampaign

NIKEDREAMCRAZIER

Nike, known for raising social issues in their campaigns, just released a new series, “Dream Crazier,” celebrating female athletes in a powerful follow-up to the widely commented Colin Kaepernick video ad released in 2018. “Dream Crazier” is narrated by tennis icon Serena Williams and features several acclaimed athletes, including Simone Biles, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Chloe Kim, and members of the US Women’s National Soccer Team. The ad sets out to destigmatize the label “crazy,” often used in disdain to describe women in sports - still considered a mascu-line domain by many - and aims to empower women to focus on “what crazy can do.”

Source: Nike - Dream Crazier , YouTube, Nike


BrandCampaign

STABILOHIGHLIGHT THE REMARKABLE

Office equipment producer Stabilo turned the spotlight on history in a well thought out print campaign published in April 2018. Using photo-graphs documenting moments important for science and politics, Sta-bilo literally highlighted women pictured in the backgrounds, pointing to the fact that history seldom gave them the recognition they deserved, focusing more attention on the accomplishments of their male peers.

Remarkable women featuredin the campaign included Edith Wilson (First Lady who assumed presidential responsibilities after her husband’s stroke), Lise Meitner (discoverer of nuclear fission; her male partner was awarded with the Nobel Prize), Katherine Johnson (NASA mathematician responsible for Apollo 11's * safe return to earth).

Source: Highlight the Remarkable - Lise, Ads of the World


BrandCampaign

DOVEREAL BEAUTYSKETCHES

In many ways, Dove can be treated as a benchmark when it comes to companies advocating for women’s empowerment - the personal care brand has been heavily featuring themes such as self-esteem and body-positivity in their marketing since 2004. The 2013 video ad “Dove Real Beauty Sketches” is perhaps the most popular example of such an activation. The viral video pictures several women describing their looks to a forensics artist. The portraits created in the process are then con-fronted with alternative versions, sketched based on strangers’ descrip-tions. In every case, the latter is more attractive, pointing to the fact that no one judges a woman’s looks as harsh as herself. While some may argue that the concept focuses on physical beauty too much, the feel-good message definitely resonates well with the audience - the video has been viewed over 64 million times on Dove US’s YouTube channel.

Source: Dove Real Beauty Sketches, YouTube, Dove US


BrandCampaign

NOTEWORTHYSOCIAL MEDIATRENDS

and influencers worth following


#GIRLBOSS

@rebeccamarieblog

#girlboss is a strong persona. She is authoritative, ambitious, and assertive. Characterized by her confidence, she constantly inspires other women proving that impossible is nothing. Ready for anything at any time, she does not follow the rules - she makes her own instead. Girl boss is all about independence, progress, and achievement. She never settles for anything, proving every day that she is indeed the boss. Her mission is to inspire, empower, and pave the way to success for other women across the globe.


#GIRLBOSSCAMPAIGNWE LOVE


#BanBossy - Lean In

#BanBossy is asking us to reject dated gender stereotypes imposed by society. The campaign shows how discouraging and detrimental it is to describe girls with labels such as bossy or pushy instead of confident or ambitious. #BanBossy is a powerful call to drop all such labels and archaic understanding of gender roles to build a better, brighter, and equal future for our civilization.

#EMPOWERINGWOMEN

@heyitstarynne

The #empoweringwomen movement proves that Instagram and other digital platforms can be used for a good cause. The women behind it demand change and they are not afraid to use their voices. They are fearless, strong, and articulate - but also super relatable. The empower-ing woman is always on a mission to make the world a better place. She fights for social justice as she challenges existing gender stereotypes.


#EMPOWERINGWOMENWE LOVE

Misty Copeland@mistyonpointe

Misty Copeland is a great role model, showing that hard work really pays off and that nothing and no one can stop you from achieving your goals. Misty made history as the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer by the prestigious American Ballet Theatre.

Rupi Kaur@rupikaur_

Rupi is mainly known for her bestselling book “Milk and Honey.” Her work is widely praised by women for being extremely relatable. Rupi empowers her followers through her poetry, which speaks of self-love, growth, and acceptance.

Adwoa Aboah@adwoaaboah

Fashion model Adwoa paves her own way to success as she continues to change the industry with her unique beauty. The Londoner took modelling by storm; among many others, she modelled for icons such as Alexander Wang and Versace. In 2017, Adwoa was awarded Woman of the Year by British GQ. She is also open about her struggle with manic anxiety and strives to change the public perception of mental health. In an attempt to do so, she founded GURLS TALK, an online platform which invites all women to engage in a dialogue about issues related to mental health. Adwoa and her followers built a safe commu-nity, where everybody is free to share their story without any form of judgement.


#EMPOWERINGWOMENCAMPAIGNWE LOVE


Always #LikeAGirl

The phrase “like a girl” used to be considered an insult by older generations, especially when applied to boys or men. Thanks to Always and their 2014 social media campaign, its meaning is starting to change. In the campaign, designed to bring awareness to the negative connotations of the phrase and its absurdity, the brand’s goal was to destigmatise and redefine the phrase, shifting its meaning from weakness to strength and ability. Always embraced the phrase “Like a Girl” to empower young girls and boost their confidence. The campaign was a huge success, with the spots generating over 85 million views on YouTube

#BODYPOSITIVE

@wanderlustruby

The body positivity movement started in the late 1990s and it quickly turned into a popular form of digital activism. It is all about self-love, self-appreciation, and fighting traditional beauty standards. The main goal of body positive influencers is to uplift their followers by encouraging them to live a happier, more carefree life, confident in their own skin; it also strives to eradicate online hate and judgement. By posting inspiring and authentic content, they remind us that beauty comes in all shapes and forms.


#BODYPOSITIVEWOMENWE LOVE

Imogen Fox @the_feeding_of_the_fox

Imogen Fox documents her journey towards a body-positive world on her blog and Instagram. Imogen is a queer disabled woman who constantly proves that there are no limitations in life. She used to struggle with eating disorders and experienced mental abuse and fat-shaming at school. Her main goal in life is to promote body acceptance and intuitive eating. Imogen inspires and encourages her followers to love and accept themselves.

Em Ford@mypaleskinblog

Em Ford’s main mission is to redefine “pretty” and change the standards of beauty. Her career launched when she posted her “You Look Disgusting” video, which went on to generate over 30 million views on YouTube. As a makeup artist who struggles with adult acne, she encourages women to feel good with and without makeup. Em shares incredible, emotional, and highly relatable messages through her Instagram and YouTube channel. She managed to create a huge online community which serves as a great support system to many.

Marsha Elle@marshaellemusic

Marsha Elle is a mentor and an inspiration to many people with prosthetics. She is a motivational speaker, a singer, and a model who refuses to let her disability define her. She uses her platform to spread joy and positivity. Her Instagram posts make an impact on others as she shares beautiful and authen-tic photos of herself. She proves that the only person who can stop you from achieving your goals is you. She teaches her audience that they need to believe, love, and accept themselves first.


#BODYPOSITIVECAMPAIGNWE LOVE


Allure and ulta beauty - “see yourself, see each other”

Allure together with Ulta Beauty decided to spark a conversation around representation, identity, and body-positivity with their “See Yourself, See Each Other” campaign. Their main goal was to redefine the overly-glamourized beauty standards. The campaign engaged influential women from different backgrounds who stepped out to openly tell their stories.

#MOTHERHOOD

@sarah_li

For many women, motherhood is a huge part of life. The hashtag #motherhood shows us those precious, unique, and significant bits of life. Mothers on Instagram invite us us to share their exciting journey of raising children. Mothers continue to amaze us with their authentic creative work. Their followers rely on them when it comes to social support and parenting advice. Furthermore, they are not afraid to show honest images of motherhood.


#MOTHERHOODWOMENWE LOVE

Rachel Hollis@msrachelhollis

She balances being a businesswoman, podcast host, motivational speaker, and a mother of 4 adorable kids. Her Instagram feed is filled with authentic, genuine content in which she shows her everyday life. She also loves to share inspiring quotes with her 1.1million followers on Instagram. Rachel is loved by many as she provides her followers with strength and guidance.

Haddas Ancliffe@dahs

A mother with a body positive message. Haddas sparked a lot of interest when she posted a picture of her breastfeeding at a wedding. She’s an Instagram sensation, inviting her followers to see all the highs and lows of motherhood. Her followers find her content highly relatable as she is not afraid to post pictures of her post-baby belly or her stretch marks.

Angela Braniff @thisgatherednest

An active blogger, YouTuber, and Instagrammer but most of all, she is a mother with a mission. Together with her husband Christopher, they define new cannons of parenthood. Angela is also an adoption advocate - her family consists of 7 children, 2 of her own and 5 adopted. Angela is not afraid to admit that sometimes she is tired, however, she always assures us that motherhood is the most rewarding challenge of her life.


#MOTHERHOODCAMPAIGNWE LOVE


Mothercare

In 2017 Mothercare decided to celebrate the post-birth body by launching their Body Proud Mums campaign. The brand chose 10 very different women - new moms - in an attempt to portray the unfiltered beauty of motherhood. The main aim of the campaign was to glorify the body of a mother who just gave birth. Mothercare sparked an important conversation around the stereotypes and stigmatization of female bodies, encouraging us to celebrate the post-birth body and to see stretch marks as beautiful and natural rather than flawed.

#bodypositive

2014

0

5k

10k

15k

20k

25k

30k

2015 2016 2017 2018

#empoweringwomen

#girlboss

#motherhood

Seeing how hashtags and content categories related to empowerment are making their mark on popular culture and social media, we collaborated with InfluencerDB to collect statistics on trending hashtags: #bodypositive, #empoweringwomen, #girlboss, and #motherhood. According to our analysis, #girlboss is used the most out of the four, with #bodypositive coming in a close second. In general, the use of the hashtags was overwhelmingly high in 2017; the decrease in 2018 could perhaps be attributed to the fact that Instagram users are using less hashtags altogether. Only #empoweringwomen has consistently been on the rise, with a visible peak in March 2018 - we’re expecting one around this year’s Women’s Day as well!

HASHTAGSDEVELOPMENTLAST 5 YEARS


Thank you for following our report - we hope the study results leave you inspired. We were happy to find that our influencers support women’s empowerment movements and are eager to express their sentiment on social media. Significantly, not only influencers are embracing the shifting social standards - every year we see more brands advocating for human rights, gender equality, and body positivity in their messaging. The representation of women in advertising has come a long way and is noth-ing like the harmful stereotypes of housewives or trophy partners, so predominant in ads throughout the 20th century. We believe that the popularisation of female empowerment themes in advertising contributes to raising awareness around important social issues and we can’t wait to see what brands have prepared for International Women’s Day 2019!

an international study of over 1000 digital influencers · 2019. 8. 22. · women rule social...

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