LGBTQ marketing

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LGBTQ-pride symbols at a demonstration LGBT Demonstration Karlsruhe 29.jpg
LGBTQ-pride symbols at a demonstration

LGBTQ marketing is the act of marketing to LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) customers, either with dedicated ads or general ads, or through sponsorships of LGBTQ organizations and events, or the targeted use of any other element of the marketing mix.

Contents

The LGBTQ market comprises a group of customers who buy goods and services from a broad range of companies across industry segments and in many countries.

History

LGBTQ-demonstration on one of the main streets LGBT Demonstration Karlsruhe 43.jpg
LGBTQ-demonstration on one of the main streets

One of the first instances of the impact of the LGBTQ community in the marketing world was in 1973 when Coors Brewing Company was the subject of a boycott by the LGBTQ community. The LGBTQ community joined to protest Coors' hiring practices, since Coors used a polygraph test when going through the hiring process and specifically asked an employee about their sexual orientation. Coors ignored the boycott for several years, but made some concessions in 1978, and in 1995 began several countermeasures, including dropping the questions regarding homosexuality and extending domestic partnership benefits to its LGBTQ employees. The company also hired Mary Cheney as a marketing representative and began advertising in The Advocate and at events such as Denver's PrideFest. [1]

Statistics

Marketing to the gay and lesbian community faces statistical obstacles in that few credible peer-reviewed estimates of the gay and lesbian marketplace have been published. In particular, the use of non-random "convenience surveys" on attendees at gay resorts and subscribers to gay or lesbian newspapers has resulted in unreliable statistical estimates of LGBTQ buying power. [ citation needed ] The exact number of gays and lesbians in a given market is generally, if not always, unknown.

However, some national governments have started to publish data that include demographics of sexual orientation from census results. In the 2000 United States Census, two questions were asked that allowed same-sex partnerships to be counted, and the Census Bureau reported that there were more than 658,000 same-sex couples heading households in the United States. In 2013, the American Marketing Association reported that 3.5% of adults in the United States identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and .3% of adults as transgender. At that time, the LGBTQ consumer market was estimated to have an overall buying power of more than $835 billion. [2]

Advertising categories

Major ad categories include travel, financial services, alcoholic beverages, automotive, entertainment, hair and skincare, luxury goods, pharmaceuticals, and fashion. For example, American Airlines has launched a specific LGBT-targeted vacations website. [3] While over fifteen years old in the United States, LGBTQ marketing is a relatively new marketing phenomenon elsewhere in Australia and Europe, including Belgium [4] and the Netherlands. [5]

Many brands that have previously ignored the existence of this segment of society now increasingly target LGBTQ customers. [6] In August 2006, Time magazine carried a Business article on growing interest amongst brand name advertisers in Europe to target LGBTQ customers. [7]

In 2013, the Human Rights Campaign issued the Corporate Equality Index 2013, [8] which provides a national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ employees in the United States. This is also used to determine a company's level of gay-friendliness. [2]

Social media

Social media plays an incredibly important part in an LGBTQ youth's life, with Amy Adele Hassinoff stating that "a variety of studies of gay, lesbian, transgender and queer youth indicate that the internet provides an important way to connect with communities and romantic partners, find information, and gain confidence" (Hasinoff, 2012 [9] ). For marketers, this is important knowledge to possess as it suggests that LGBTQ marketing should place a heavy focus on the social media aspects of their campaigns.

Social marketing

A large amount of the marketing that is aimed at the LGBTQ community has a heavy focus on social marketing.

Social marketing is defined by Alan R. Andreasen as: "The adaption of commercial marketing technologies... to influence the voluntary behaviour of target audiences to improve their personal welfare and that of the society of which they are a part" (Andreasen, 1994 [10] ).

Social marketing's main aim is to raise awareness about a topic or issue within a community and work to change the overall opinion, attitude, or actions associated with that issue. Social marketing in a community that is as intimate and intertwined as the LGBTQ community is an effective and important way to get messages across that benefit the community as a whole.[ citation needed ]

Social benefits of successful LGBTQ marketing campaigns

The effects of a successful LGBTQ marketing campaign can positively impact the LGBTQ community in ways that make the community safer and more welcoming, which is the overall goal of social marketing. Some examples of these effects include:

A condom given out by NYC Health Department during the Stonewall 50 - WorldPride NYC 2019 celebrations. NYC condom 2019.jpg
A condom given out by NYC Health Department during the Stonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019 celebrations.

Love Your Condom – New Zealand

The New Zealand Aids Foundation (NZAF) launched the Love Your Condom (LYC) campaign in 2014 to promote the concept of safer sex through the active use of condoms and lube every time gay/bisexual men have sex. The overall goal of the campaign was to reduce the transmission of HIV in New Zealand amongst gay and bisexual men, as these were the groups that were identified as the highest at risk (Clayton-Brown, 2015 [11] ).

The LYC campaign incorporates traditional media, such as billboards and print, (i.e. newspapers and magazines), along with an active social media presence and guerrilla marketing to engage with its target audience – gay/bisexual men in New Zealand.

The campaign was launched after the NZAF executive director Shaun Robinson noticed condom use amongst men who have sex with men, otherwise known as MSM, was on the decline, both in NZ and internationally (Saxton et al., 2015 [12] ).

The success of the campaign can be measured through the popularity of the LYC social media channels as a part of the NZ LGBTQ community, and in the statistic published on the NZAF webpage that states "new HIV infection rates among MSM in NZ have dropped 12%" since the launch of LYC. (NZAF, n.d. [13] )

Know Your Status Stage – New York

The not-for-profit organization LifeBeat is a charity that works with the music industry to educate America's young LGBTQ and their allies about the realities and dangers of HIV/AIDS (LifeBeat, c2013 [14] ).

In 2014 LifeBeat launched the Know Your Status Stage (KYSS) campaign to try and raise awareness for the importance of getting tested for HIV on a larger scale than ever before. The idea behind it was to hold a large scale music event with artists that were very attractive to the target audience, (LGBTQ aged 13–25), where the only way to receive a ticket was to take a simple HIV test. The two objectives were to get at least 167 youth to visit the testing locations and attract NYC youth who had never been tested. (Effie Worldwide, 2015 [15] )

Due to the mass followings of the artists on social media and the incorporation of traditional advertising through the use of billboards in popular areas and ads in newspapers that were popular with their target audience, the campaign went viral.

A large factor of this success is that today's youth experience a new phenomenon that has been labeled 'FOMO', or fear of missing out, as a result of social media which meant more and more of the target audience were getting tested just to attend this event (Przybylski et al., 2013 [16] ).

This campaign's success was unprecedented due to the heavy online social media presence of the youth, spreading this event through word of mouth. The objective of 167 youth tested was almost tripled, and 60% of those youth tested said they had never been tested before, with 98% of those saying they would get tested again. (Effie Worldwide, 2015 [15] )

As a direct result of this campaign, numbers of youth that were educated in terms of HIV and their own status in New York City grew considerably, and therefore the LGBTQ community could be perceived as a safer place, as these youth were now aware of the risks involved with sex, and the consequences of unsafe sex. LifeBeat stated that "due to the impressive performance of the KYSS idea in New York, the name was registered to spread the initiative to other cities in other states with high youth HIV indices, like Florida, California, Texas and Georgia" (Effie Worldwide, 2015 [15] ).

Controversies

LGBTQ marketing initiatives have not been without controversy both for and against them. Coors Brewing Company was the subject of a boycott by the LGBTQ community starting in 1973. The boycott was initiated by labor unions to protest the company's antagonistic practices, and was later joined by African Americans, Mexicans, and the LGBTQ community. [17] The LGBTQ community joined to protest Coors' hiring practices – polygraph tests were often required, during which the prospective employee was asked about their sexual orientation.

Coors ignored the boycott for several years, but made some concessions in 1978, and in 1995 began several countermeasures, including dropping the questions regarding homosexuality and extending domestic partnership benefits to its LGBTQ employees. The company also hired Mary Cheney as a marketing representative and began advertising in The Advocate and at events such as Denver's PrideFest.

Specialist LGBTQ marketing agencies in various countries provide specialized LGBTQ market services to companies seeking to target LGBTQ customers.[ citation needed ]

An Absolut LGBTQ marketing flyer in Portland, Oregon. Portland, Oregon (August 16, 2022) - 005.jpg
An Absolut LGBTQ marketing flyer in Portland, Oregon.

The tobacco and alcohol industries have marketed products directly to the LGBT+ community. In 1990, ACT-UP, an AIDS organization, boycotted Phillip Morris. Following this, other tobacco companies began funding AIDS organizations. [18] In a 2013 study, LGBT+ participants reported statistically significant higher levels of exposure to tobacco-related content than non-LGBT+ participants. [18] In 2010, of the sampled parades that listed sponsors, 61% of the prides were sponsored by the alcohol industry. [19]

In a study gauging LGBT+ response to targeted marketing, researchers noted that participants, particularly non-POC, interpreted it as valuable representation. [20]

The LGBT+ community has historically suffered from higher levels of substance abuse than non-LGBT+ individuals. As of 2013, LGBT+ youth struggle with higher levels of alcohol usage than their non-LGBT+ peers, a pattern previously seen in 1998, 2003, and 2008 data. [21] In a 2016 study, 49.5% of LGBT+ respondents reported current cigarette smoking, while 70.2% recognized smoking endangered one's health. [22] In 2009-2010 data from the National Adult Tobacco Survey, gay and bisexual smokers were less likely to be aware of cessation helplines than straight smokers.

Marketing campaigns focusing on lowering levels of LGBT+ substance abuse have been attempted. Break Up, an LGBT+ focused anti-smoking campaign, was met with mixed results; while a study following its implementation indicated helpline usage had increased, cessation attempts had not. [23] In 2016, the FDA funded the This Free Life campaign to help prevent and reduce smoking among LGBT+ young adults. [18]

Pinkwashing

Anarcho-queer collective Mashpritzot hold a "die-in" protest against Israeli pinkwashing and the perceived homonormative priorities of the LGBT support center in the city. mSHpryTSvt p`vlh vrvdh 2.jpg
Anarcho-queer collective Mashpritzot hold a "die-in" protest against Israeli pinkwashing and the perceived homonormative priorities of the LGBT support center in the city.

"Pinkwashing" is a portmanteau compound word of the words "pink" and "whitewashing" that is used to describe a variety of marketing and political strategies aimed at promoting a product or an entity through an appeal to queer-friendliness, primarily by political or social activists. The phrase was originally coined by Breast Cancer Action to identify companies that claimed to support women with breast cancer while actually profiting from their illness. [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ community</span> Community and culture of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people

The LGBTQ community is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning individuals united by a common culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality. LGBTQ activists and sociologists see LGBTQ community-building as a counterweight to heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexualism, and conformist pressures that exist in the larger society. The term pride or sometimes gay pride expresses the LGBTQ community's identity and collective strength; pride parades provide both a prime example of the use and a demonstration of the general meaning of the term. The LGBTQ community is diverse in political affiliation. Not all people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender consider themselves part of the LGBTQ community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ culture</span> Common culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people

LGBTQ culture is a culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals. It is sometimes referred to as queer culture, LGBT culture, and LGBTQIA culture, while the term gay culture may be used to mean either "LGBT culture" or homosexual culture specifically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ stereotypes</span> Stereotypes around LGBTQ people and communities

LGBTQ stereotypes are stereotypes about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people based on their sexual orientations, gender identities, or gender expressions. Stereotypical perceptions may be acquired through interactions with parents, teachers, peers and mass media, or, more generally, through a lack of firsthand familiarity, resulting in an increased reliance on generalizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center</span> LGBT community organization in New York City

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, commonly called The Center, is a nonprofit organization serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) population of New York City and nearby communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT retirement issues in the United States</span>

Many retirement issues for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBTQ) and intersex people are unique from their non-LGBTI counterparts and these populations often have to take extra steps addressing their employment, health, legal and housing concerns to ensure their needs are met. Throughout the United States, "2 million people age 50 and older identify as LGBT, and that number is expected to double by 2030", estimated in a study done by the Institute for Multigenerational Health at the University of Washington. In 1969, the Stonewall Riots marked the start of the modern gay rights movement and increasingly LGBTQ+ people have become more visible and accepted into mainstream cultures. LGBTQ+ elders and retirees are still considered a newer phenomenon creating challenges and opportunities as a range of aging issues are becoming more understood as those who live open lives redefine commonly held beliefs and as retirees newly come out of the closet.

Various issues in medicine relate to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people. According to the US Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), besides HIV/AIDS, issues related to LGBTQ health include breast and cervical cancer, hepatitis, mental health, substance use disorders, alcohol use, tobacco use, depression, access to care for transgender persons, issues surrounding marriage and family recognition, conversion therapy, refusal clause legislation, and laws that are intended to "immunize health care professionals from liability for discriminating against persons of whom they disapprove."

Research has found that attempted suicide rates and suicidal ideation among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth are significantly higher than among the general population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Forney</span> LGBT advocate, sex worker, murder victim

Ali He'shun Forney was an African-American gay and gender non-conforming transgender youth who also used the name Luscious.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ sex education</span> Sex education relevant to those who are LGBTQ

LGBTQ sex education is a sex education program within a school, university, or community center that addresses the sexual health needs of LGBTQ people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnett Foundation Aotearoa</span> New Zealand national HIV prevention and healthcare organization

The Burnett Foundation Aotearoa is New Zealand’s national HIV prevention and healthcare organisation. Its funding is derived from grants, donations and the Ministry of Health.

Humsafar Trust is an NGO in Mumbai that promotes LGBT rights. Founded by Ashok Row Kavi, Suhail Abbasi, and Sridhar Rangayan in 1994, it is one of the largest and most active of such organisations in India. It provides counselling, advocacy and healthcare to LGBT communities and has helped reduce violence, discrimination and stigma against them. Humsafar Trust is the convenor member of Integrated Network for Sexual Minorities (INFOSEM).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aisha Diori</span> Activist

Aisha Diori is an Events Director, Community Mobiliser, HIV/AIDS Preventionist, educator, Talk Show Host, Event MC, Pan-Africanist, and has been named "Iconic Mother" in Ball culture. Her father is Abdoulaye Hamani Diori, a Nigerien political leader and business person, and her mother is Betty Graves, the first Ghanaian / Nigerian woman to own a travel agency in Nigeria.

galck+, formerly The Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK), is the national Sexual Orientation Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) umbrella body, representing LGBTQ+ voices across Kenya.

New York has a long history of LGBTQ community building, activism, and culture which extends to the early history of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of LGBTQ topics</span>

The following outline offers an overview and guide to LGBTQ topics:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT Foundation</span> British LGBT advocacy group

LGBT Foundation is a national charity based in Manchester with a wide portfolio of services. With a history dating back to 1975, it campaigns for a fair and equal society where all lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBTQ) people are able to reach their full potential. They support over 40,000 people directly every year, and a further 600,000 online. They provide direct services and resources to more LGBT people than any other charity of its kind in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow capitalism</span> Capitalist appropriation and assimilation of sexual diversity

Rainbow capitalism is the involvement of capitalism, corporate capitalism, and consumerism in appropriating and profiting from the LGBT movement. It developed in the 20th and 21st centuries as the LGBT community became more accepted in society and developed sufficient purchasing power, known as pink money. Early rainbow capitalism was limited to gay bars and gay bathhouses, though it expanded to most industries by the early-21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domestic violence in same-sex relationships</span>

Domestic violence in same-sex relationships or intragender violence is a pattern of violence or abuse that occurs within same-sex relationships. Domestic violence is an issue that affects people of any sexuality, but there are issues that affect victims of same-sex domestic violence specifically. These issues include homophobia, internalized homophobia, HIV and AIDS stigma, STD risk and other health issues, lack of legal support, and the violence they face being considered less serious than heterosexual domestic violence. Moreover, the issue of domestic violence in same-sex relationships has not been studied as comprehensively as domestic violence in heterosexual relationships. However, there are legal changes being made to help victims of domestic violence in same-sex relationships, as well as organizations that cater specifically to victims of domestic violence in same-sex relationships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ health in South Korea</span>

The health access and health vulnerabilities experienced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA) community in South Korea are influenced by the state's continuous failure to pass anti-discrimination laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The construction and reinforcement of the South Korean national subject, "kungmin," and the basis of Confucianism and Christian churches perpetuates heteronormativity, homophobia, discrimination, and harassment towards the LGBTQI community. The minority stress model can be used to explain the consequences of daily social stressors, like prejudice and discrimination, that sexual minorities face that result in a hostile social environment. Exposure to a hostile environment can lead to health disparities within the LGBTQI community, like higher rates of depression, suicide, suicide ideation, and health risk behavior. Korean public opinion and acceptance of the LGBTQI community have improved over the past two decades, but change has been slow, considering the increased opposition from Christian activist groups. In South Korea, obstacles to LGBTQI healthcare are characterized by discrimination, a lack of medical professionals and medical facilities trained to care for LGBTQI individuals, a lack of legal protection and regulation from governmental entities, and the lack of medical care coverage to provide for the health care needs of LGBTQI individuals. The presence of Korean LGBTQI organizations is a response to the lack of access to healthcare and human rights protection in South Korea. It is also important to note that research that focuses on Korean LGBTQI health access and vulnerabilities is limited in quantity and quality as pushback from the public and government continues.

References

  1. ↑ Mirken, Bruce. "Coors Courts Queers".
  2. 1 2 Oakenfull, Gillian W. (May 2013). "What Matters: Factors Influencing Gay Consumers' Evaluations of 'Gay-Friendly' Corporate Activities" (PDF). Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. 32 (special issue): 79–89. doi:10.1509/jppm.12.050. S2CID   154305368.
  3. ↑ "American Airlines Vacations Welcomes You: Fly with a friend while you vacation with a partner!". Archived from the original on September 16, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
  4. ↑ "Brand Activation" (in Dutch). Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
  5. ↑ "Gay Marketing Seminar" (in Dutch). Archived from the original on July 12, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
  6. ↑ Manning-Schaffel, Vivian (September 13, 2004). "Take Pride in your Brand". BrandChannel.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2007. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
  7. ↑ Smith, Adam (July 30, 2006). "A New Ad Adage: Same Sex Sells". Time . Archived from the original on August 12, 2006. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
  8. ↑ "Corporate Equality Index 2013" Archived August 10, 2019, at the Wayback Machine .
  9. ↑ Hasinoff, A. A. (2013). "Sexting as media production: Rethinking social media and sexuality". New Media & Society. 15 (4): 449–465. doi:10.1177/1461444812459171. S2CID   5361448.
  10. ↑ Andreasen, A. R. (1994). "Social Marketing: Its Definition and Domain". Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. 13 (1): 108–114. doi:10.1177/074391569401300109. JSTOR   30000176. S2CID   15478674.
  11. ↑ Clayton-Brown, B. (May 26, 2015). "Graphic video aims for safe gay sex". Fairfax Media. The Hutt News. pp. 8–9. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  12. ↑ Saxton, P.J; Dickson, N. P.; Hughes, A. J.; Ludlam, A. H. (2015). "Infrequent condom use with casual partners among New Zealand gay and bisexual men". NZ Med J. 128 (1426): 2010–2019.
  13. ↑ NZAF. "Love Your Condom". New Zealand Aids Foundation. Archived from the original on February 14, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  14. ↑ LifeBeat. "LifeBeat Music Fights HIV/AIDS". LifeBeat. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  15. 1 2 3 Effie Worldwide (2015). "LifeBeat: Know Your Status Stage". Gold, North American Effies. Warc. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  16. ↑ Przybylski, A. K.; Murayama, K.; DeHaan, C. R.; Gladwell, V. (2013). "Motivational, emotional and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out". Computers in Human Behavior. 29 (4): 1841–1848. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2013.02.014.
  17. ↑ Rapp, Linda (2004). "Boycotts". glbtq.com . Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
  18. 1 2 3 Emory, Kristen (April 2019). "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) View it Differently Than Non-LGBT: Exposure to Tobacco-related Couponing, E-cigarette Advertisements, and Anti-tobacco Messages on Social and Traditional Media". Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 21 (4): 513–522. doi:10.1093/ntr/nty049. PMC   6472708 . PMID   29546337.
  19. ↑ Spivey, Jasmine (February 2018). "Tobacco Policies and Alcohol Sponsorship at Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Festivals: Time for Intervention". American Journal of Public Health. 108 (2): 187–188. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.304205. PMC   5846596 . PMID   29320286.
  20. ↑ Smith, Elizabeth (June 2008). ""If You Know You Exist, It's Just Marketing Poison": Meanings of Tobacco Industry Targeting in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community". American Journal of Public Health. 98 (6): 996–1003. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2007.118174. PMC   2377293 . PMID   18445800.
  21. ↑ Fish, Jessica (November 2017). "Are alcohol-related disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual youth decreasing?". Addiction. 112 (11): 1931–1941. doi:10.1111/add.13896. PMC   5633511 . PMID   28678415.
  22. ↑ Giachello, Aida (2017). "Use of Tobacco Products Among LGBTQ: Results From 2016 Surveys & Focus Groups". Circulation. 135 (Supplemental): AP087. doi:10.1161/circ.135.suppl_1.p087 . Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  23. ↑ Plant, Aaron (January 2017). "The Break Up: Evaluation of an Anti-Smoking Educational Campaign for Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals in Los Angeles County". Journal of Health Communication. 22 (1): 29–36. doi:10.1080/10810730.2016.1247485. PMC   11305615 . PMID   27967602. S2CID   38718223.
  24. ↑ Schulman, Sarah (November 30, 2011). "A documentary guide to 'Brand Israel' and the art of pinkwashing". Mondoweiss . Retrieved March 22, 2014.
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