Merkle and Association of National Advertisers Release Sports Car Stereotypes Report

COLUMBIA, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Merkle (www.merkleinc.com),
a leading technology-enabled, data-driven performance marketing agency,
announced that it has released a new report in conjunction with the
Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and the Alliance for Family
Entertainment (AFE), titled Sports
Car Stereotypes: The Truth about Gender Purchase Psychology and Marketing.
Merkle partnered with the ANA AFE to support the #SeeHer initiative,
which seeks to accurately portray all girls and women in media, so that
by 2020, they see themselves reflected in advertisements as they truly
are.

Marketers have long sought to market their products effectively to women
– and many attempts have fallen short, leaving consumers turned off by
the effects of cognitive bias. In a psychology-based study examining the
purchase decision process for sports cars, Merkle’s Neuroanalytics™
practice and ANA AFE examined the priorities and motivations of each
gender. A key finding is that women want to be treated like thoughtful,
diverse human beings and represented as such in advertising. It seems
like an obvious answer, but marketing campaigns over the last century
have proven otherwise.

“We developed the insights included in this report using Merkle’s
Neuroanalytics™ practice based on means-end theory,” said co-author
Ethan Hanson, associate director, advanced methods and research at
Merkle. “The research gave us an understanding of both the product needs
that consumers have, as well as their connected personal benefits,
ultimately allowing us to paint a full picture of the decision process.”

Marketers can learn more about the report insights by attending the
complimentary webinar, featuring the ANA AFE, on Thursday, May 4 at
11:00 a.m. ET. The webinar, Stopping
the Stereotype: Purchase Psychology by Gender and What it Means for
Marketers, will be led by Hanson and Stephen Quinn,
chair, ANA AFE. Quinn is the prior CMO of Walmart and Frito-Lay, among
positions at Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Pepsico. Hanson and
Quinn will provide attendees with a transformational look at buyer
motivations, gender representations in advertising, and where the
industry is headed.

About Merkle

Merkle is a leading data-driven, technology-enabled, global performance
marketing agency that specializes in the delivery of unique,
personalized customer experiences across platforms and devices. For more
than 25 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit
organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their
customer portfolios. The agency’s heritage in data, technology, and
analytics forms the foundation for its unmatched skills in understanding
consumer insights that drive people-based marketing strategies. When
combined with its strength in performance creative and media, Merkle
creates customer experiences that drive improved marketing results and
shareholder value. With more than 4,100 employees, Merkle is
headquartered in Columbia, Maryland with 16 additional offices in the US
and 8 offices in Europe and Asia. In 2016, the agency joined the Dentsu
Aegis Network. For more information, contact Merkle at 1-877-9-Merkle or
visit www.merkleinc.com.

Contacts

Merkle Inc.
Sarah Bourdeau, 443-542-4288
SBourdeau@merkleinc.com