Marketing

Soraya Ellis

Gendered Branding in the Energy Drink Industry: A Comparative Analysis of Red Bull and Alani Nu

A 'No Image Available' placeholder image with a bold, black serif capital 'S' centrally located. The background is an off-white, overlaid with three blurred abstract shapes: a light blue rectangle in the top center, a yellow circle in the bottom left, and a burgundy triangle in the bottom right. The text 'No Image Available' is displayed in black sans-serif font at the bottom of the image, all enclosed within a thin black border.

Soraya Ellis is a Fourth-year communications and marketing student with a passion for storytelling, branding, and digital culture. She is particularly interested in sustainable fashion and uses her voice to advocate for thrifting as an alternative to fast fashion. Through her work, Soraya aims to connect with young audiences and create meaningful, socially conscious content that inspires change. With a creative mindset and a strong understanding of consumer trends, she continues to explore how marketing can influence both culture and behaviour.

For this assignment, my research focused on how gender is used in marketing and how it affects the way people see themselves and the products they buy. Traditionally, marketing has been very gendered, usually sticking to a binary idea of men and women. For example, men are often shown as strong, dominant, or independent, while women are usually portrayed as emotional, nurturing, or focused on beauty. These stereotypes have been repeated for so long that they’ve shaped what consumers expect from different brands.

Through my research, I found that this is starting to change, especially with younger audiences like Gen Z. A lot of people now are more aware of these stereotypes and are pushing for more inclusive and realistic representation. Because of this, brands have started to shift their approach by creating gender-neutral products, using more diverse models, and showing different types of identities and self-expression in their campaigns.

However, not all of these changes are completely genuine. Some brands are still using inclusivity more as a trend or marketing strategy rather than actually caring about representation. This can come across as performative and makes people question whether the brand is being authentic or just trying to gain attention.

Overall, my research shows that gender in marketing is evolving, but there is still a lot of progress to be made. Brands that are more honest and inclusive in their messaging are more likely to connect with audiences today, especially younger consumers who value authenticity and social awareness.

Lightning Talk

Browse More Marketing Research

More Projects

Close-up portrait of a young woman with fair skin, long dark brown hair parted slightly off-center, and a gentle, closed-lip smile. She has warm brown eyes, natural full eyebrows, and is wearing a light gray marled knit sweater against a soft, blurred gray background.

Erica Stramaglia

The Power of Promotion: How Beauty Influencers Drive Conspicuous Consumption on TikTok
A headshot of a smiling young woman with medium skin tone and long, dark, curly hair. She has a nose piercing on her right nostril, natural eye makeup, and light pink lipstick. She is wearing a black one-shoulder top and a gold necklace with an initial pendant, set against a plain light grey background.

Tia Johal

How Unrealistic Beauty Standards on TikTok Impact the Mental Health of Female Users
A front-facing headshot of a woman with a warm complexion, dark brown eyes, and long, wavy dark hair falling over her shoulders. She is smiling gently with a slight hint of teeth, looking directly at the camera, and wearing a light gray knitted top. The background is a soft blur of muted, earthy tones.

Nickisha Victor

TikTok as the New Google
Scroll to Top