AMSTERDAM, Sept. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Former England international
players, turned pundits Jill Scott MBE and Gary Neville tasted life in a
different dugout as part of a Heineken(®) social experiment entitled, 'The
Social Swap' aimed at addressing gender bias when it comes to women sharing
their opinions about football on social media.
'The Social Swap' saw Jill and Gary secretly switch social accounts for five
days to share their genuine views on matches, from the use of VAR to team
rivalries and match predictions. The only catch? Jill was posting from Gary's
account, and Gary was using Jill's account.
The experiment acted as a reminder of football's journey to become more
inclusive, with Jill's account receiving 5 times more sexist responses compared
to Gary's when sharing similar points of view and commentary online. Example
responses to the pundits' posts during the swap illustrating gender bias:
Check out a short film of the pair discussing the experiment, including some of
the sexist reactions from social media users, here
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDV5Ii7fsUU).
Jill Scott MBE says: "Attitudes have definitely changed, but there's no doubt
that female fans, pundits and players still get a lot more online negativity
than men due to gender bias. You develop a thick skin - but we shouldn't have
to. Some people have probably been left a little red-faced by this experiment
but hopefully it's reminded everyone of the need to kick gender bias out of the
game for good. Anyone can be a fan of sport, regardless of gender and it's time
to remember this."
Gary Neville says: "The heated debates and rivalries are what makes football so
exhilarating. But when negativity is linked to gender, this goes too far,
especially from behind a screen. By putting myself in Jill's shoes and seeing
the reaction, I have seen first-hand the uglier side of this sport that I love
and want to make it clear that football is for everyone. On the pitch and
online, we should treat each other with respect no matter our gender, race,
sexuality or what colour shirt we're wearing."
In addition to using 'The Social Swap' to highlight the issue of gender bias in
football conversations online, Heineken(®) is kicking off the new football
season by unleashing the power of AI to help fans blow the whistle on online
sexist toxicity and ensure all fans can freely share their opinions without the
fear of abuse.
Thanks to Heineken(®)'s new partnership with Arwen, thousands of football
supporters will be granted free access to its AI-powered online moderation
tool(1). The Arwen tool lets users filter negativity from their social media
feeds by hiding any unwanted or offensive comments and spam. To get your free
access(1), click HERE:
https://fresherfootball.heineken.com/socialswap
Nabil Nasser, Global Head of Heineken(®) Brand says: "Heineken(®) wants to be
the most inclusive sponsor in football and 'The Social Swap' shows not only the
unfair imbalance in football fan culture but also how important it is that we
all give gender bias and online toxicity the red card! As well as tackling the
issue head on by calling out harmful practices, by teaming up with Arwen, we are
excited to be able to be leveraging new AI technology to help fans ditch the
negative noise and for this new season keep conversations about football, just
about football."
'The Social Swap' is part of a series of campaigns from Heineken(®)'s 'Cheers To
All Fans' UEFA sponsorship platform, which aims to level the playing field for
all fans by tackling the issues that prevent them from having an enjoyable,
inclusive experience.
Editorial information:
* Please find more information about Heineken's commitment to making football
more inclusive here https://fresherfootball.heineken.com/
* Please find the high-resolution downloadable campaign images here
(https://djeholdingsdrive-
my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/patrick_quirk_edelman_com/EnYd592u1_BNoyUxL
WWCYnsB-TevqubgyainaYm4mz-2-w?e=Ky9Rb8).
* A campaign microsite link with video and the social media moderation tool
can be found here (https://fresherfootball.heineken.com/socialswap). For
more information, please contact: HNKNFootball@edelman.com
(mailto:HNKNFootball@edelman.com)
About HEINEKEN:
HEINEKEN is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer
and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken(®) brand, the
Group has a portfolio of more than 300 international, regional, local and
specialty beers and ciders. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand
investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through
"Brewing a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business.
HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in
both developed and developing markets. We employ over 85,000 employees and
operate breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in
more than 70 countries. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares trade on
the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on
Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS and
HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR)
programmes: Heineken N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken Holding N.V. (OTCQX:
HKHHY).
Most recent information is available on HEINEKEN's website:
www.theHEINEKENcompany.com (http://www.theHEINEKENcompany.com) and follow us on
Twitter via @HEINEKENCorp.
_______________________
(1) 5,000 fans will get Free access to the service on a three-month trial. Fans
interested in trialling a toxic-free social media world can sign up on a first
come, first serve basis
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f1d9fada-
854e-4a47-86a1-4c40147de7e4
(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f1d9fada-
854e-4a47-86a1-4c40147de7e4)https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/
f28702e1-4fe3-44e4-93a6-2c00294da492
A video accompanying this announcement is available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c422404c-cb7a-4cc0-bcdf-
3f1370189f43
Â