Societal impact of Brand Public Relations on gender equality: evidence for a mediation-type mechanism

PurposeThe purpose of the project was to identify a mechanism of causal relationship between Brand Public Relations (BPR) and societal change in the perception of women gender roles.Design/methodology/approachExperimental evidence was obtained in three countries (N = 378) to examine the mechanism of societal impact of BPR. Effects of spillover of evaluations between two sub-brands of a house of brands company, caused by positive publicity about communication co-created by Public Relations (PR), were analysed.FindingsFindings supported the existence of a positive spillover of evaluations. A mechanism of the societal impact of PR was also captured: an indirect effect of news stories about a non-objectifying portrayal of women in the male reference brand on the typicality of a non-stereotypical women role in society was demonstrated.Research limitations/implicationsExperiments were conducted over a period of three years, during which publics perception of brands' communication about gender portrayal might have changed.Practical implicationsThe paper argues for greater recognition of brand public relations professionals as co-creators of promotional brand communication. It gives evidence that one of the unique competencies of BPR is insight into publics and predicting long-term consequences of brand communication.Social implicationsThe findings of the research project suggest a mediated nature of influence of BPR on the perception of typicality of gender (women) roles in society. PR communicators should learn what areas of practice of PR require specific skills for the function of PR to develop the new competence.Originality/valueThis paper is the first one that aimed at establishing a common terminological framework of the societal impact of public relations.