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On Screen: Women in Leadership

Advertising, Branding & Sponsorships

On Screen: Women in Leadership

A Case Study on Fictional Female Leaders

Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones (2011)
Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones (2011)

It's no secret that substantive representation of women – both in terms of quality and quantity – has been an uphill climb in Hollywood. However, with compelling and powerful roles for women expanding, we decided to take a closer look at how audiences respond to female leadership as portrayed in modern movies and TV series.

The Study

Using our Lumiere platform, we tested several scenes featuring eight fictional female heads of state with 150 viewers.

The Study

Using our Lumiere platform, we tested several scenes featuring eight fictional female heads of state with 150 viewers.

The Study

Using our Lumiere platform, we tested several scenes featuring eight fictional female heads of state with 150 viewers.

8 Women in leadership featured in this study

The Study

  • Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Game of Thrones

  • President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss), Veep

  • Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright), Black Panther

  • President Claire Underwood (Robin Wright), House of Cards

  • Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), The Iron Lady

  • Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy), The Crown

  • President Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young), Scandal

  • President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones), 24

The Study

  • Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Game of Thrones

  • President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss), Veep

  • Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright), Black Panther

  • President Claire Underwood (Robin Wright), House of Cards

  • Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), The Iron Lady

  • Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy), The Crown

  • President Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young), Scandal

  • President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones), 24

The Study

  • Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Game of Thrones

  • President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss), Veep

  • Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright), Black Panther

  • President Claire Underwood (Robin Wright), House of Cards

  • Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), The Iron Lady

  • Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy), The Crown

  • President Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young), Scandal

  • President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones), 24

Here are some of the things we learned!

Here are some of the things we learned!

Here are some of the things we learned!

Strength & Inspiration are a Potent Combination

Some of the most highly-rated leaders display expert diplomacy, by showing strength while also inspiring those who follow them. Daenerys Targaryen and Margaret Thatcher in particular exemplify this combination.

Comparison of Daenerys Targaryen and Margaret Thatcher's character traits

Strength & Inspiration are a Potent Combination

Some of the most highly-rated leaders display expert diplomacy, by showing strength while also inspiring those who follow them. Daenerys Targaryen and Margaret Thatcher in particular exemplify this combination.

Comparison of Daenerys Targaryen and Margaret Thatcher's character traits

Strength & Inspiration are a Potent Combination

Some of the most highly-rated leaders display expert diplomacy, by showing strength while also inspiring those who follow them. Daenerys Targaryen and Margaret Thatcher in particular exemplify this combination.

Comparison of Daenerys Targaryen and Margaret Thatcher's character traits
Shuri from Black Panther (2016) character feedback

Intelligence & Humor Can Help Create A Following

A viewer favorite in our study was Black Panther’s Shuri, who doesn’t function as a traditional head-of-state but nonetheless leads effectively with ingenuity, creativity, and humor. She’s particularly quick with a witty response to anyone confused by her technological expertise,and this resonated well with audiences.

Shuri from Black Panther (2016) character feedback

Intelligence & Humor Can Help Create A Following

A viewer favorite in our study was Black Panther’s Shuri, who doesn’t function as a traditional head-of-state but nonetheless leads effectively with ingenuity, creativity, and humor. She’s particularly quick with a witty response to anyone confused by her technological expertise,and this resonated well with audiences.

Shuri from Black Panther (2016) character feedback

Intelligence & Humor Can Help Create A Following

A viewer favorite in our study was Black Panther’s Shuri, who doesn’t function as a traditional head-of-state but nonetheless leads effectively with ingenuity, creativity, and humor. She’s particularly quick with a witty response to anyone confused by her technological expertise,and this resonated well with audiences.

Queen Elizabeth II Has Unique Appeal to Women Viewers

While men in our study showed a stronger preference for women as US presidents, women viewers showed a disproportionate affinity for The Crown’s Queen Elizabeth. There are a range of possible reasons for this:her uniquely compelling portrayal by actress Clare Foley, the incredible depth and nuance of her depiction in The Crown, the fact that she is a real person and therefore seems more aspirational to real women. Whatever the reason, The Crown’s Queen Elizabeth II has a notably strongerhold on the hearts of her female audience.

Comparison of women's and men's favorite characters from the study

Queen Elizabeth II Has Unique Appeal to Women Viewers

While men in our study showed a stronger preference for women as US presidents, women viewers showed a disproportionate affinity for The Crown’s Queen Elizabeth. There are a range of possible reasons for this:her uniquely compelling portrayal by actress Clare Foley, the incredible depth and nuance of her depiction in The Crown, the fact that she is a real person and therefore seems more aspirational to real women. Whatever the reason, The Crown’s Queen Elizabeth II has a notably strongerhold on the hearts of her female audience.

Comparison of women's and men's favorite characters from the study

Queen Elizabeth II Has Unique Appeal to Women Viewers

While men in our study showed a stronger preference for women as US presidents, women viewers showed a disproportionate affinity for The Crown’s Queen Elizabeth. There are a range of possible reasons for this:her uniquely compelling portrayal by actress Clare Foley, the incredible depth and nuance of her depiction in The Crown, the fact that she is a real person and therefore seems more aspirational to real women. Whatever the reason, The Crown’s Queen Elizabeth II has a notably strongerhold on the hearts of her female audience.

Comparison of women's and men's favorite characters from the study
Comparison of Men and Women's agreement that the characters in the study were 'Realistic'

Women Are A Bit More Discerning About Accurate Portrayals of Leadership

After watching several scenes focused on these characters, we asked viewers to reflect on how accurate these portrayals seemed, compared to real world women leaders. While a majority of men (56%) said these portrayals felt “very accurate,” only a minority of women (41%) felt the same way. Open-ended responses suggest women were more aware of the actual barriers their fictional counterparts would likely face and felt some of these depictions did not always fully capture those barriers authentically.

Comparison of Men and Women's agreement that the characters in the study were 'Realistic'

Women Are A Bit More Discerning About Accurate Portrayals of Leadership

After watching several scenes focused on these characters, we asked viewers to reflect on how accurate these portrayals seemed, compared to real world women leaders. While a majority of men (56%) said these portrayals felt “very accurate,” only a minority of women (41%) felt the same way. Open-ended responses suggest women were more aware of the actual barriers their fictional counterparts would likely face and felt some of these depictions did not always fully capture those barriers authentically.

Comparison of Men and Women's agreement that the characters in the study were 'Realistic'

Women Are A Bit More Discerning About Accurate Portrayals of Leadership

After watching several scenes focused on these characters, we asked viewers to reflect on how accurate these portrayals seemed, compared to real world women leaders. While a majority of men (56%) said these portrayals felt “very accurate,” only a minority of women (41%) felt the same way. Open-ended responses suggest women were more aware of the actual barriers their fictional counterparts would likely face and felt some of these depictions did not always fully capture those barriers authentically.

Want to know more about what made these depictions appealing to our audience? Or what they might enjoy most about your content? Reach out to us!

Want to know more about what made these depictions appealing to our audience? Or what they might enjoy most about your content? Reach out to us!

Want to know more about what made these depictions appealing to our audience? Or what they might enjoy most about your content? Reach out to us!

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Want to know even more about what audiences found compelling in these clips? Or what they might find particularly engaging in your content? Reach out to us!

Want to know even more about what audiences found compelling in these clips? Or what they might find particularly engaging in your content? Reach out to us!

Want to know even more about what audiences found compelling in these clips? Or what they might find particularly engaging in your content? Reach out to us!