Femvertising and consumer behavior: challenging gender stereotypes through feminist advertising in India

Purpose Advertising is a crucial avenue for raising awareness and often reflects society; hence, it is a desideratum for marketers to be cautious when advertising to socially conscious consumers, as they are increasingly becoming more socially conscious. Femvertising promotes gender equality and pro-female messages in its communication and has been popularized in Western nations. Therefore, it is crucial to understand consumers’ mindset toward underdeveloped nations. This study examines consumer mindsets by exploring their inherent duality – sensitivity and insensitivity toward women’s causes – and investigates whether this duality influences purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach At the preliminary level, items from various levels were collected, and latent factors were identified. Then, partial least squares structural equation modeling and co-variance based structural equation modeling were conducted to determine whether duality affects buying intention. To fathom the effect of ad-induced buying, a few demographic variables were also utilized. Findings Consumers sensitive to feminism and women’s empowerment show significantly higher purchase intentions after exposure to femvertising. However, both sensitivity and insensitivity explain purchase behavior, indicating that even skeptical consumers may buy from femvertising brands, possibly due to brand loyalty. Millennials and Gen Z are more sensitive to women’s issues, and this age group acts as a moderating factor on buying behavior. Research limitations/implications As this study utilized convenience sampling, other studies may employ probabilistic sampling methods to achieve a more comprehensive understanding. In addition, consumers’ reaction to femvertizements can be studied through longitudinal research. The study may also be extended to other geographic locations (such as rural or urban areas) across India to understand its relevance. Practical implications Marketers must acknowledge the varied reactions of consumers and respond accordingly after implementing a femvertising campaign, as some consumers are socially conscious and feminist, while others may be unaware of feminism. Marketers and advertisers should also look beyond conventional demographic barriers and consider diverse consumer age groups. Social implications In a patriarchal context such as India, femvertising challenges gender stereotypes and creates a social impact by creating awareness, which is much required in the Indian context, as crimes and injustice toward women are increasing day by day. Originality/value By linking consumerism with feminist ideology, this study demonstrates how sensitivity and insensitivity toward women’s issues influence buying decisions and contributes to the fields of advertising and gender studies. Additionally, brand managers can utilize it to curate effective strategies centered on femvertising.