NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Earlier today, SeeHer, the Association of National Advertisers’ (ANA)
leading movement for gender equality in advertising and media, announced
that Emmy-winning TV personality and former New York Giants superstar
defensive end Michael Strahan has joined the SeeHer Advisory Board.
Launched in June 2016, the SeeHer mission is to accurately portray all
women and girls in media so that by 2020 — the 100th anniversary of
women gaining the right to vote—they will see themselves reflected as
they truly are. With full support of the ANA, its 1,700 member
companies, 25,000 brands that support $400+billion in marketing and
advertising annually, SeeHer is the world’s most influential voice for
gender equality in programming, advertising, marketing and media.
Strahan joins a powerful group of SeeHer Board Advisors that include
journalist and author Katie Couric; actor and gender rights activist
Geena Davis; Former WNBA and Times Up president, Lisa Borders;
editor-in-chief of InStyle Magazine Laura Brown; and WME literary
agent Jennifer Rudolph Walsh. His alliance with SeeHer is an important
step forward in the movement’s inclusive message that gender equality is
important to all. In addition, SeeHer is expanding its mission into
sports, where a respected leader like Strahan helps the movement make
tangible impact.
“Michael’s rule #9 – ‘Not if, but when’ – rings true for us and our
SeeHer mission to have advertising and programming that women and girls
see be reflective of who they really are,” said Fiona Carter, SeeHer
co-chair and AT&T Communications chief brand officer. “It’s a not a
question of if, but when we’ll see that happen, and having Michael join
our movement will help us all get there faster.”
“Since the launch of SeeHer, we have always said that men play a
critical role for success in the movement,” adds SeeHer co-chair and P&G
Global Brand Officer Marc Pritchard. “To see equal, gender equality must
be supported by women and men. Michael’s experience in sports and in
entertainment – as well as being a father of daughters – amplifies our
vision and will help us reach our goal of significantly improving gender
equality by 2020. I am looking forward to working together to make
gender bias in content and ads an issue of the past.”
Two-time Emmy winner and Super Bowl Champion Michael Strahan is
currently co-host of ABC’s “Good Morning America” as well as “Strahan
and Sara.” Strahan hosts the top-rated primetime game show favorite
“$100,000 Pyramid” and serves as an analyst of “Fox NFL Sunday,” for
which he received a 2019 Sports Emmy Award nomination for ‘Outstanding
Sports Personality – Studio Analyst.’ Strahan headlined the new Thursday
Night Football Pregame Show live from New York City for the 2018 NFL
season. Now partnered with longtime friend Constance Schwartz to form
SMAC Entertainment, Strahan brings his skills, determination,
leadership, experience and humor to the multi-dimensional talent
management, music, branding, and production company. Strahan’s entire
15-year football career was typified by the charisma and sportsmanship
that made him a seven-time Pro-Bowler and one of only four players ever
to lead the NFL in sacks for two seasons. His spectacular NFL career
resulted in Strahan being named to the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame
class.
From 2012-2016, Strahan co-hosted the top-rated, nationally syndicated
entertainment talk show “LIVE with Kelly and Michael.” Strahan and
co-host Kelly Ripa were the co-winners of the 2015 and 2016 Daytime Emmy
for “Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host.” In addition, Strahan was
nominated for a 2014 Sports Emmy Award in the category of “Outstanding
Sports Personality – Studio Analyst.” Since joining “Good Morning
America,” the morning show won the Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding
Morning Program” two years in a row. Strahan released his best-selling
book, “Wake Up Happy: The Dream Big, Win Big Guide to Transforming Your
Life,” which includes personal stories and motivational advice to
inspire readers to turn up the heat and go from good to great in pursuit
of their personal ambitions. Acting on his entrepreneurial spirit,
Strahan introduced COLLECTION by MICHAEL STRAHAN and MSX by Michael
Strahan, a men’s Athleisure line, which is now also available for kids
and has expanded into additional categories. Strahan is also co-founder
of Religion of Sports, a diverse, forward-thinking collective of
filmmakers & podcasters, writers & designers, thinkers & makers who
believe in the power of storytelling to show why sports matter so deeply
to communities around the world. The Religion of Sports series “Tom vs
Time” received a ‘2019 Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Serialized
Sports Documentary.’
His partnership with SeeHer is the latest effort by Strahan to give back
to the community, a commitment he has demonstrated while a football
player and now as a TV star. Dedicated to many charitable works, Strahan
donates his hands and heart to numerous charities including The USO,
HELP USA and Merging Vets and Players. He has also donated his time and
celebrity to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, for whom he filmed
holiday promotions.
“I am honored to join the SeeHer Advisory Board,” says Michael Strahan.
“As a father of daughters, as well as working with exceptional women
throughout my career, I hope my personal experience and knowledge will
help bring awareness to the importance of how girls and women are
portrayed in media. I look forward to working closely with this group of
marketers who are committed to making change.”
“As our mission expands and our influence continues to grow, our
advisory board will become ever more critical to our success,” concludes
Christine Manna, president and chief operating officer of the ANA. “We
welcome our newest board member, who will bring fresh perspectives and
insights into our efforts to make women and girls truly see themselves
in all aspects of the media.”
About the #SeeHer Movement Despite the strides made to accurately
portray women and girls in media, an unconscious bias persists against
women and girls in advertising, media, and programming. The Association
of National Advertisers (ANA) launched the #SeeHer initiative in June
2016 in a partnership with The Female Quotient (TFQ) at the United State
of Women. SeeHer’s mission is to increase the accurate portrayals of
women and girls in media by 20 percent by 2020, the 100th anniversary of
the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave American women the right
to vote. The group developed a Gender Equality Measure (GEM™) to
track progress and the marketing effect of removing unconscious bias
from ads and programming. High GEM™ scores directly correlate to
improved ROI. GEM™ won the 2017 ESOMAR Research Effectiveness Award. The
methodology became the industry standard in the U.S., which led to a
global rollout in 2018. For more information, visit www.SeeHer.com,
and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) The ANA
(Association of National Advertisers) makes a difference for
individuals, brands, and the industry by driving growth, advancing the
interests of marketers, and promoting and protecting the well-being of
the marketing community. Founded in 1910, the ANA provides leadership
that advances marketing excellence and shapes the future of the
industry. The ANA’s membership includes more than 1,700 companies with
25,000 brands that engage almost 150,000 industry professionals and
collectively spend or support more than $400 billion in marketing and
advertising annually. The membership is comprised of more than 1,000
client-side marketers and more than 700 marketing solutions provider
members, which include leading marketing data science and technology
suppliers, ad agencies, law firms, consultants, and vendors. Further
enriching the ecosystem is the work of the nonprofit ANA Educational
Foundation (AEF), which has the mission of enhancing the understanding
of advertising and marketing within the academic and marketing
communities.
