The Unstereotype Alliance, which was established by the United Nations Women's Unit (UN Women) and works to end gender stereotypes with the coalition of advertising industry stakeholders, published a report called "Beyond Gender 2 - The Impact of Intersectionality in Advertising" which includes data from the UK, America, Japan beside Turkey. The relevant part of the report, which includes data on Turkey was prepared by Dr. Gül Şener, our Faculty Member at the Advertising Department, and presented to the world for review.
The Unstereotype Alliance report, sponsored by LIONS, examines advertisements as an instrument to make a positive impact and empower people around the world on diversity (gender, race, class, age, ability, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, language, education, etc.). The research which was conducted and partially funded by Ipsos, visualized with the photos of the #ShowUs project by Getty Images and Dove, includes data from four countries.
Across the board, the research showed that consumers’ expectations of brands are changing, and those that create content with diverse representations of people in terms of race, ethnicity, creed, body size, sexual orientation, gender, ability and more, in roles that defy traditional stereotypes are best positioned to strengthen their business performance and meet consumer expectations. The inclusion of intersectional portrayals in advertising has been shown to drive consumers’ feelings of “closeness” with a brand. Indeed, many consumers are seeking validation as they do not otherwise see themselves in advertising and struggle to find products that are made for them. As the findings show, these consumers, who are largely from minority groups, find intersectional advertising particularly impactful – making the shift to more representative content not just the right thing to do, but also a business imperative.
Due to report; Turkey currently sits at a cultural crossroads between a modern and a traditional society, as young people start to take on less traditional gender roles and explore lives outside of longstanding social norms. As a result, many respondents reported that they fear discrimination based on their identity, expressing concerns that they will have trouble finding a job, be treated unfairly, or be harassed. This was especially prevalent among young, single people, and those that identified as LGBTIQ+ or minorities, indicating that there is still a perception of significant intolerance in Turkish society.
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