The latest Fancom: The Women’s Issue highlights the growing cultural and economic power of women across sport, entertainment, gaming and lifestyle, warning brands that outdated stereotypes are limiting growth. The report urges marketers to invest authentically in women’s culture, recognise multidimensional identities and engage with real behaviours, communities and fandom to stay relevant.
Women are not simply participating in culture — they are steering it. Across sport, entertainment, wellness, gaming, and lifestyle, women are shaping one of the most influential consumer shifts of the decade. Yet, despite their growing cultural dominance and economic power, many brands continue to rely on outdated assumptions, treating women as a monolithic group rather than a diverse and dynamic audience. That disconnect, according to the newly released report Fancom #3: The Women’s Issue by M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, represents one of the most urgent — and most lucrative — opportunities facing marketers today.
The report, launched as the agency doubles down on the women’s sport and culture space following its acquisition of Women’s Sport Group (WSG), charts the rise of female influence across sectors and urges brands to invest meaningfully rather than superficially in women’s cultural power. It examines fandom, representation, identity and behavioural shifts across entertainment and sport, revealing a landscape in which women’s interests have evolved far faster than the strategies used to engage them.
Evidence of women’s expanding footprint is overwhelming. Women’s sports are shattering viewership records globally, stadium attendance is soaring, and sponsorship continues to climb. Major cultural appointments — such as Grace Wales-Bonner’s artistic role at Hermès — highlight women’s increasing authority in high-profile creative spaces. Female artists are dominating charts and cultural conversations. And the collective spending power of women now represents one of the most powerful forces in consumer behaviour. Yet, in contrast, investment and representation remain deeply uneven.
One of the report’s strongest criticisms is that women have long been treated as a single demographic with a single set of interests, even though today’s female consumer is more multifaceted than ever. Brands often still lean on stereotypes rather than authentic insights — an approach that is no longer acceptable and increasingly ineffective. The report notes that failing to understand women as complex, intersectional individuals limits both revenue growth and cultural relevance. Brands that refuse to evolve risk being left behind.
The examples of authenticity done right are compelling. Campaigns like adidas’ Same Goals and Reebok’s Perfect Never resonated precisely because they embraced real identities and emotional realities, rather than trope-driven empowerment slogans. As Fancom #3 notes, the future of engagement lies in acknowledging that women can be — and are — many things at once: powerful and vulnerable, competitive and playful, athletic and feminine, ambitious and community-driven. Representation that reduces or flattens that multiplicity rings false; representation that mirrors it builds trust.
Sport is a central focus of the report because it is one of the clearest arenas where change is happening at speed. Women’s sports fandom is expanding exponentially, with events like the Women’s World Cup redefining expectations around revenue, media attention and audience enthusiasm. Brands such as Barclays and Heineken — among the most proactive investors in women’s sports — are already reaping the commercial reward of early belief. The research shows that fans do not want women’s sports to be treated as a smaller, softer version of men’s sports; they want them valued on their own terms.
A new generation of athletes is helping shift that perception. Players such as Mary Fowler and Leah Williamson are presenting identities that challenge traditional binaries around femininity and athleticism. Meanwhile, Olympian Ilona Maher’s #beastbeautybrains message — equal parts strength, humour, joy and body confidence — is redefining beauty standards in sport. Beauty brands are taking notice, and athlete partnerships are beginning to disrupt traditional sponsorship categories that once relied exclusively on fashion and entertainment icons.
The intersection of sport and wellness, particularly for women, is also undergoing transformation. The report notes that 2025 will be defined by intentionality — not simply training to win, but weaving movement, community and emotional wellbeing into everyday life. For many women, sport and fitness are no longer separate from lifestyle; they are part of it. Brands that reduce women’s athletic participation to competition miss the cultural reality: shared rituals, community connection and support hold equal value.
The gaming world provides another example where cultural assumptions are correcting. The industry historically overlooked female gamers and dismissed games targeting them as lesser — despite the fact that even in 1996 Barbie Fashion Designer outsold blockbuster titles like Super Mario 64. Today, Gen Alpha is leading a seismic shift. Platforms such as Roblox and Minecraft are dissolving the outdated gender binary of play, allowing diverse expression and creativity. Female game designers and streamers are building powerful communities, yet brands have been slow to acknowledge the scale of the opportunity. Fancom #3 argues that authentic investment — not token campaigns — is overdue.
Beyond major industries, one of the most compelling areas of the report explores the rise of women-led micro-communities. Gen Z women are moving away from traditional nightlife and gravitating toward intentional gatherings oriented around wellness, creativity and shared interests. These hyper-focused groups provide a sense of belonging, especially for women of colour and queer women, who are often underrepresented in mainstream venues. Brands hoping to reach these audiences must rethink partnerships: not by superficial influencer deals, but by genuinely supporting community-driven spaces and initiatives.
Even nightlife itself is changing. Trends like “Cinderella partying” — early nights, safer settings, alcohol-optional events — reflect deeper desires around wellbeing and autonomy. Music and nightlife are not disappearing; they are evolving. Cultural power now belongs to brands that understand that fun does not require self-destruction, and that safety and joy can coexist.
Taken together, the threads of Fancom #3: The Women’s Issue paint a clear picture: women are not an audience to be segmented — they are a cultural engine. To succeed in the next phase of sport and entertainment, brands must recognise that investing in women is not charity or box-ticking; it is a strategic necessity. Understanding the habits, motivations and identities of female fans and consumers unlocks not only cultural relevance but sustainable growth.
The report concludes with three direct imperatives for brands: invest in and amplify women’s culture, move beyond one-dimensional narratives, and understand women’s real behaviours and rituals rather than outdated assumptions. With the acquisition of Women’s Sport Group and an intensified focus on female fandom, M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment is signalling that the next era of brand power will be built through women, not around them.
The cultural shift is already well underway. For brands, the question is no longer whether to engage — but whether they are prepared to catch up.
