Representation in media: Taking a cue from #BillionGirlSummer

Media is critical in shaping gender roles, and we take a look at some of this summer's most significant cultural moments and the data behind them.

Music

Even before the first tickets went on sale this spring, there was buzz around Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. It picked up as shows happened this summer, fans posted their experiences, and Swift announced new music during her performances.

It was hard to miss content about the tour as it generated over 91 million actions this year¹. Top posts came from celebrities like Donatella Versace, Sabrina Carpenter, Reese Witherspoon, and Drew Barrymore.

Swift also released "Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)", breaking her own record for spots on the streaming charts. Engagement on posts mentioning “Speak Now” was higher than engagement on all posts mentioning “music” for six days¹.

As the Era’s Tour moves to other regions of the globe, Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour has taken over the U.S., generating over 71 million total actions¹ with posts from the likes of Kylie Jenner, Emilia Clarke, Oprah Winfrey, and Camila Cabello.

Internet users who visited major ticketing platforms are more likely than the general population to report that gender equality is important to them. Compared to the general population, 9% more Ticketmaster visitors, 20% more Live Nation visitors, and 22% more AXS visitors care about gender equality².

Movies

The film "Barbie" was literally a billion-dollar story this summer. It is now the highest-grossing film directed by a woman and one of the biggest movies of the year, bringing in over $1.3 billion globally.³

The Greta Gerwig film is a hit on social too, with over 204 million actions¹ – that’s more than Taylor Swift and Beyoncé’s tours combined. Actions per day continued in the millions long after the premiere, nearly through the end of July. Engagement with posts mentioning “Barbie” surpassed all posts mentioning “movie” for 52 days this year¹.

Like the concert audiences above, movie theater site visitors over-index on how much they care about gender equality. Regal Cinemas visitors were 13% more likely and AMC Theaters visitors were 19% more likely to report that gender equality is important to them compared to the general population². These audiences are ready to engage with media that highlights gender equality, and it shows when something like "Barbie" comes out and breaks records.

Why does this matter?

“The Individuals who buy tickets to see shows, live or on the big screen, care about gender equality and representation in media” says Comscore’s SVP of Client Insights, Danan Ren. “These examples show how a well-targeted campaign with creative that resonates with an audience having a gender equality mindset can support responsible and engaging media.”

According to the ANA SeeHer’s President Christine Guilfoyle, 52% of consumers are women, and “the accurate representation of women and girls should be a business imperative.

As she recently pointed out during the launch of the GEM® Audiences insights tool with Comscore, “Those who tap into what we offer not only experience immense sales success, but they also join a movement in shaping society for the better.”

When crafting a media plan, marketers can leverage GEM® Audiences to optimize reach and engagement with their audience by understanding the significance of accurate representation in media to them, and where they are spending their time online. As we saw in #BillionGirlSummer, the audience cares about gender equality and brands can leverage this to create the best campaign to reach them going into the fall and beyond.

Metric Definitions

Actions: a measure of total social media engagement. They include reactions, likes, shares, comments, and retweets.

Sources

1. Comscore Social, Content Pulse, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Jan 1 – Aug 11, 2023
2. Comscore Plan Metrix Mobile Consumer Target Profile, GEM® Audiences, US, April 2023
3. Comscore Movies, through August 28, 2023