Unstereotype Alliance

What Unstereotype Alliance does

The Unstereotype Alliance is a non-commercial thought and action platform convened by UN Women and launched at Cannes Lions in June 2017 to eradicate harmful stereotypes in advertising and media content. It operates as an industry coalition of 240+ member companies spanning advertisers, agencies, platforms, and industry bodies, with Mars and Unilever as Vice Chairs and 12 national chapters across five continents. The Alliance does not sell a product; membership is free and participation is voluntary, with operations run by an 8-person secretariat under Sara Denby, Head of the Unstereotype Alliance Secretariat at UN Women.

The Alliance's portfolio consists of measurement tools, research reports, and practical guidance rather than software products. Core proprietary tools include the Gender Unstereotype Metric (GUM) — an open-access tool measuring progressive vs. regressive portrayals of female and male characters, built with Kantar across 70+ countries and 3,300+ brands — and the Progressive Unstereotype Metric (PUM), which extends measurement to age, race and ethnicity, and disability. Its most recent product, the 3Cs Playbook for Inclusive AI launched at Cannes Lions 2026, provides a Curate-Craft-Control framework for responsible generative AI use, co-developed with Mars, Diageo, Dove, Kantar, Getty Images, Mastercard, Microsoft, Mondelez, Revolt, and Clever Together. Supporting assets include the Business Case for Inclusive Advertising (with Oxford Saïd Business School), the Creative Bravery Beyond the Backlash guide, the State of the Industry reports, and the Beyond Gender 2 intersectionality study.

The business model is coalition-based and non-revenue-generating: members join free, the core framework is open-sourced, and full implementation resources are member-exclusive. Distribution runs through direct enterprise outreach, Cannes Lions presence, and a network of national chapters that localize engagement. Strategic research partners include Kantar, Ipsos, Oxford Saïd Business School, LIONS, and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, while strategic commercial allies include WFA, BCG, Cannes Lions, and major holding companies WPP, IPG, and Publicis.

Name

Unstereotype Alliance

Legal name

Unstereotype Alliance

Website

https://unstereotypealliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Unstereotype Alliance is a UN Women-convened, non-profit coalition of 240+ advertisers, agencies, and platforms that develops measurement tools (GUM, PUM), research reports, and frameworks like the 3Cs AI Playbook to eradicate harmful stereotypes in global advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising Industry Coalition / Diversity & Inclusion Advocacy

NAICS

Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAFAD

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Civil Rights, Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAFAF

Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Civil Rights, Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations

SECONDARYBPADAAAA

United Nations System & Specialized Agencies

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Multilateral & Intergovernmental Organizations

Keywords

• Advertising diversity coalition
• Inclusive advertising measurement
• Gender stereotype metrics
• Responsible AI advertising
• Advertising inclusion frameworks

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Coalition Membership: The Unstereotype Alliance is a non-commercial initiative convened by UN Women. Membership is free and organizations join to participate in the coalition's mission to eradicate harmful stereotypes from advertising.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Unstereotype Alliance is a non-profit industry coalition convened by UN Women that provides measurement tools, research reports, and practical frameworks to help advertisers, agencies, and platforms assess and create unstereotyped, inclusive advertising content. Its core offerings include the Gender Unstereotype Metric (GUM), Progressive Unstereotype Metric (PUM), the 3Cs Playbook for inclusive AI, the Business Case for Inclusive Advertising study, and the State of the Industry reports, delivered through a coalition of 240+ member companies and 12 national chapters.

Product overview

The Unstereotype Alliance is a thought and action platform convened by UN Women that offers a portfolio of measurement tools, research reports, and practical guidance frameworks rather than a traditional software product. Its core offerings include the Gender Unstereotype Metric (GUM) and Progressive Unstereotype Metric (PUM) for measuring advertising inclusivity, the 3Cs Playbook for inclusive AI implementation, and the Business Case for Inclusive Advertising research. The organization operates through a coalition model with 240+ member companies and 12 national chapters globally, providing resources including the Creative Bravery Beyond the Backlash guide, State of the Industry reports, and the 3Ps Framework (Presence, Perspective, Personality). The portfolio functions as an integrated toolkit for brands to assess, implement, and benchmark progressive advertising practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gender Unstereotype Metric (GUM) Open-access measurement tool that evaluates how progressively or regressively advertising portrays female and male characters. Provides a single-measure question applicable at any stage of creative development, used to benchmark brand progress on inclusion across 70+ countries, 3,300+ brands, and 251+ categories.
• Progressive Unstereotype Metric (PUM) Extended measurement tool developed with Kantar that evaluates all characters in an advertisement, measuring progressive representations across age, race and ethnicity, and disability. Designed to complement the Gender Unstereotype Metric with a broader intersectionality lens.
• The 3Cs Playbook: Skills for an Inclusive AI Approach A practical framework for responsible generative AI use in advertising built around three core principles: Curate, Craft, and Control. Provides marketers with skills to address bias, build confidence in AI outputs, and create more inclusive AI-generated content across text, image, and video formats.
• AI Framework for Responsible Advertising Strategic framework unveiled at Cannes Lions 2026 addressing the responsible use of artificial intelligence in advertising. Addresses bias mitigation in AI systems with evidence showing systemic gender and racial bias in AI systems used for marketing creative.
• The Business Case for Inclusive Advertising Industry-first global research report proving inclusive advertising drives commercial performance. Conducted with Saïd Business School at Oxford University analyzing 392 brands across 58 countries, proving 3.5% higher short-term and 16% higher long-term sales for inclusive advertising.
• State of the Industry Report Annual analysis of diversity, equity, and inclusion progress across the global advertising industry, identifying trends in inclusive advertising and marketing practices.
• Creative Bravery Beyond the Backlash Guide Digital guide helping marketers prepare for and navigate consumer backlash against inclusive advertising, based on expert interviews with brands that successfully managed backlash situations.
• Beyond Gender 2: The Impact of Intersectionality in Advertising Four-country study examining intersectionality in advertising across Japan, Turkey, UK, and US. Explores how advertising representing people across multiple social categorizations resonates with all consumers.
• National Chapters Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.5% higher shorter-term sales and 16% higher longer-term sales for brands advertising inclusively
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and secondary.

• UN WomenflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2017UN Women is the convener of the Unstereotype Alliance. As a global champion for women and girls, UN Women established the alliance to accelerate progress on gender equality worldwide by using advertising as a force for good. While UN Women does not have commercial affiliation or endorse products/services, it proudly convenes the alliance.
• Mars IncorporatedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVice Chair of the Unstereotype Alliance, leading AI framework development. Mars led the development of the 3Cs Playbook for inclusive AI in advertising.
• UnilevercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVice Chair of the Unstereotype Alliance. Contributed learnings from Dove's Real Beauty Prompt Playbook and hosts UK National Chapter activities.
• KantarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic research partner that developed the Gender Unstereotype Metric (GUM) and Progressive Unstereotype Metric (PUM). Provides measurement data across 70+ countries and 3,300+ brands.
• Dove (Unilever)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed the Real Beauty Prompt Playbook which helped set new digital standards for representation and advance responsible AI integration.
• MicrosoftsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationContributor to AI framework development as part of the 3Cs Playbook working group.
• Getty ImagessecondaryTechnology or IntegrationContributor to AI framework development as part of the 3Cs Playbook working group.
• RevoltsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on AI framework development and sustainable marketing research with WFA and Oxford Said Business School.
• Clever TogethersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on AI framework development as part of the 3Cs Playbook working group.
• WFA (World Federation of Advertisers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal industry body and ally. Co-hosts roundtable discussions and provides strategic guidance on sustainable marketing initiatives.
• Cannes LionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual host venue and strategic partner. Updated jury guidelines in collaboration with Unstereotype Alliance to consider stereotypes in award judging.
• Saïd Business School at Oxford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner that conducted the landmark study proving inclusive advertising drives sales, analyzing 392 brands across 58 countries.
• WPPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal advertising holding company and member. Hosts national chapter activities and contributed research and expertise.
• IPG (Interpublic Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal advertising holding company and member. Produced 'The Problem is not Seeing the Problem' short film for the alliance.
• Publicis GroupecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal advertising holding company and member. Participates in national chapters and alliance initiatives.
• DiageocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal spirits company and member. Active in multiple national chapters including Nigeria, South Africa, and Argentina.
• Mondelez InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal snack company and member. Contributed to AI framework development and participates in State of Industry reports.
• MastercardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal payments technology company and member. Contributor to AI framework development.
• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology platform and member. Supports unstereotype initiatives globally through multiple national chapters.
• MetacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology platform and member. Hosts chapter events and supports unstereotype initiatives.
• L'OréalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal beauty company and member. Supported research on intersectionality and progressive advertising.
• PepsiCocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal food and beverage company and member. Active in multiple national chapters.
• Bayer Consumer HealthcaresecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember that contributed proprietary data to the landmark business case study on inclusive advertising.
• Geena Davis Institute on Gender in MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner that contributed data to the business case study and conducts ongoing research on representation in advertising.
• Plan InternationalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlly organization supporting the alliance's mission. Active in Japan National Chapter.
• BCG (Boston Consulting Group)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlly organization providing strategic consulting support to the alliance.
• LIONScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner and co-sponsor of Beyond Gender 2 report. Collaborates on industry research initiatives.
• IpsoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner that conducted the Beyond Gender 2 intersectionality study across Japan, Turkey, UK, and US.
• X3M IdeassecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNigeria National Chapter founding member that won the first Cannes Lion for Nigeria and West Africa.
• SafaricomsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerKenya National Chapter member that elevated to Vice Chair status. Hosts chapter activities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• GLAAD: Nonprofit advocacy organization focused on LGBTQ+ representation in media. Operates the GLAAD Media Institute and works directly with advertisers and agencies on inclusive messaging, partially overlapping with the alliance's expanded scope (PUM covers age, race, ethnicity, disability).
• Free The Work / Free The Bid: Nonprofit focused on increasing diversity in commercial directing and creative talent. Targets the same advertiser-agency ecosystem from the talent-supply side, providing a complementary but distinct lever to the alliance's representation-in-output focus.
• Adcolor: Industry organization advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across advertising, media, and marketing. Runs annual awards and a talent pipeline program, competing for member mindshare in the broader DEI-in-advertising category.

Direct peers

• SeeHer: SeeHer is the most direct peer: a coalition also focused on gender representation in advertising, with its own proprietary GEM (Gender Equality Measure) measurement tool used across the industry. Both organizations measure and benchmark inclusive portrayals in ads and compete for member mindshare among the same advertiser and agency brands.
• The 3% Movement: Industry movement focused on increasing female creative leadership in advertising. Targets the same advertiser-agency ecosystem with a narrower scope (creative direction) and runs conferences, talent programs, and benchmarking — competing for member engagement and DEI mindshare.
• Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media: Research organization that studies gender representation in media and entertainment, with the GD-IQ measurement tool. Listed as an Unstereotype Alliance research partner, but independently operates parallel research and advocacy aimed at improving representation in screen content and advertising.

Broad incumbents

• Ad Council: Established US nonprofit producing public service advertising on social issues. Broader in scope (health, education, safety) than the alliance's representation focus, but overlaps significantly as both convene advertisers and agencies around purpose-driven campaigns.
• World Federation of Advertisers (WFA): Global trade association representing multinational marketers. Listed as an Unstereotype Alliance ally and co-hosts roundtables and research, but operates as a broader industry body covering responsible advertising, sustainability, and policy — overlapping and competing for member attention.
• Association of National Advertisers (ANA): US advertising trade association representing marketers. Runs its own DEI initiatives including the SeeHer coalition alliance work, and represents many of the same Fortune 500 advertisers that sit in the Unstereotype Alliance coalition.

Others

• Plan International: International NGO focused on children's rights and gender equality. Listed as an Unstereotype Alliance ally and active in the Japan national chapter, operating as an adjacent mission-aligned organization rather than a direct advertising industry peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/un_stereotype
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL6aG6nSzp_jLLKkBvLTZZxntJAsqfYA61
• Facebookfacebook.com/UnstereotypeAlliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unstereotypealliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unstereotype Alliance