Stereotypes matter. They’re pervasive, often so culturally ingrained that we don’t even realise we’re staring right at one until the alternative is offered. And nowhere have stereotypes been more enforced than within the realms of stock imagery. Those everyday marketing decisions which uphold outdated stereotypes; or send a silent message that you don’t belong.

This is perhaps particularly true when it comes to the representation of business owners across the UK. New customer download data from Getty Images looking at the top selling image analysis around ‘women’ across the last fifteen years has revealed that female small business owners are being represented by narrow stereotypes. Namely mid-20s to mid-30s in age, Caucasian and within the retail or food industries.

Getty has also revealed that the first time it saw a female entrepreneur as a top selling image for ‘woman’ globally was 2015. Prior to that, the top selling image for ‘woman’ was never in any business context. However, in the last 12 months, Getty Images has seen searches for ‘Black business owner’ increase, with searches for ‘mature businesswoman’ increasing by 213% in that same period.

These figures are particularly prescient as recent research commissioned by NatWest in conjunction with YouGov has shown that female entrepreneurs have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

#BeTheRoleModel 

In a new campaign, Getty has partnered with NatWest to create an image gallery featuring 15 female entrepreneurs, designed to highlight the diversity of female-led businesses across the UK. ‘#BeTheRoleModel’ has been created to shift the way female entrepreneurs and business owners are depicted across media and advertising.

Margaret Jobling, Chief Marketing Officer at NatWest, explained: “Through this partnership with Getty Images, we want to encourage a more realistic and diverse portrayal of female business owners, workers and entrepreneurs in the UK, and hope that this is just the beginning of that transformation.”

The gallery, which features a range of NatWest’s own customers, has been created to authentically depict women of all ages and backgrounds working across a diverse spectrum of industries including farming, blacksmithing and sustainable business. It is designed to tell their stories and demonstrate each individual’s success. Containing over 1,200 licensable images for brands and businesses to use globally, it also reflects the impact of the pandemic on how certain sectors operate.

You can’t be what you can’t see

In 2018, NatWest CEO Alison Rose authored the pivotal Rose Review into Female Entrepreneurship with HM Treasury. The report found that one of the major barriers for aspiring female start-ups is a lack of visible and relatable role models. This campaign aims to tackle this challenge head on.

Jacqueline Bourke, Head of Creative Insights EMEA at Getty Images, explained: “We know people’s perceptions of what is possible are often shaped by what we see. Offering representative imagery which portrays the diversity of female entrepreneurs, across age ranges, backgrounds and business sectors, can challenge stereotypes and empower women to create the futures they want for themselves.”

The first women selected to take part were nominated by NatWest’s frontline staff, but the business is now opening the project up, asking the general public to nominate inspiring female business owners to be photographed and featured. The next 15 women chosen to take part will also receive a series of one-to-one coaching sessions and business support from NatWest as well as a photoshoot with Getty Images. As Jobling explained: “This issue and campaign goes broader than just our own customers.”

Show women in the UK what is possible

The images from the #BeTheRoleModel collection that have been created by female photographers will also be included in Getty Images #ShowUs collection. Created in partnership with Dove and Girlgaze, #ShowUs has been designed to be the world’s largest stock photo library created by women and non-binary people to show women as they are, not as others believe they should be.

Bourke added: “Getty Images is proud to partner with NatWest to create more authentic and diverse portrayals of entrepreneurship and calls on the advertising and editorial industries to broaden the portrayal of ‘entrepreneur’ to show women in the UK what is possible.”

At the heart of this partnership is a desire to change the narrative, to move away from outdated stereotypes that hold everyone back, not just women. Through the power of photographic storytelling, Getty Images and NatWest are showing the next generation of female entrepreneurs and business leaders what they truly can be.