LGBT Marketing

Gays and the Recession

2008-04-27T10:01:00.001-05:00

On the cover of today’s New York Times, "Recession Diet Just One Way to Tighten Belt". It is an article that discusses and discloses how Americans are jumping ship when it comes to their usual brands. They are staying at the Hampton Inn instead of the Hilton, buying Gain instead of Tide and Oh My God!!! buying Keystone Light over Corona Light. Seems to me corporate America really needs to start paying attention to the homos in this country.

I am sure that somewhere some religious zealot will say all this recession talk is part of a grand scheme thought out by the gays and their homosexual agenda to promote their financial superiority. It is a great idea, maybe we should have thought of this long ago! I do know that I have often wished that I knew what the agenda was/is and can I participate? Can I make a donation somewhere that will get me a bumper sticker? Some things we just may never know......

What I do know for sure is that we (the gays) will not be as affected by this economic downturn as most of our straight counter-parts and we have the numbers to prove it. Personally, none of our friends have scaled back in any way, nor do they plan to do so. Seriously, what self-respecting homosexual with an active social life would buy generic?

Just think, if all those brilliant marketers out there of America’s brands would apply the same rigor and investment in the LGBT community the return they would mine on that investment. This single decision would help to stem the slide of their brands and perhaps, save a few jobs. They would be hailed as visionaries!! That same decision would also pump hundreds of millions of dollars into the gay community, which in turn would create more spending.

Eight to ten percent of the population, located mainly in metropolitan areas, more highly educated and the most loyal demographic out there. Can someone please explain to me what in the world is corporate America waiting on??

Gay Marketing Equality

2008-04-14T09:13:00.001-05:00

Do you know how much progress your company has made in LGBT marketing?
Probably not much as you may think.

Whereas it’s true that more than half of all Fortune 500 companies are now speaking to our market – and that’s a GREAT thing – most communications come in the form of sponsorships of worthy organizations like HRC, GLAAD, NGLCC, Matthew Shepherd Foundation and more.

Brands are advertising by association, which is certainly progress. But achieving true equality means actually being treated equally. What would that look like in terms of your marketing department?

First, your Marketing Director and Brand Managers would understand the awesome buying power of LGBT consumers. Lesbian and gay Americans are projected to spend $800 Billion in 2008, and no marketer (except perhaps the brand manager of Fox News or the American Family Institute) is going to ignore that number.

Then there would be a business expectation for the LGBT market, just as there is one for the general marketing, Hispanic, African/American, Asian, and others. Accompanying that objective would be marketing strategies – advertising, direct, sponsorships, PR – to achieve the goals.

Finally, marketing dollars would be apportioned according to the opportunity.
Fairness means you treat LGBT like any other marketing segment. THAT’S equality.

And here’s the bonus your company will want to know: Treat LGBT like any other segment, treat it like a business, and it will perform like one.

To achieve equality, LGBT Americans must simply keep pushing. We’ve made progress, but our company’s marketers need to more fully understand that addressing our market isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good business.

LGBT Marketing

2008-02-20T11:20:00.000-06:00

As a smart marketer, I hope you'll take a moment to review the current Trendwatching.com article called "Pink Profits." It discusses the growing number of Fortune 500 brands that are discovering the mushrooming buying power of the $780-Billion LGBT market.

The article includes a link to effective LGBT market work, prominently featuring Merge client Coors Brewing and others.

If you don't have time to go online, here are some highlights:

Many brands now actively target the gay community, as even the most conservative execs have come to realize that there's just too much money to be made from well-to-do, happy-to-spend LGBT consumers. And merely acknowledging consumers who sadly are used to being ignored if not vilified, does wonders for brand loyalty.

Advertising | From Time Magazine (August 2006): “Advertising in gay-oriented outlets is flourishing. Beverage companies like Anheuser-Busch, holiday firms including Travelocity and automakers such as Ford helped nudge advertising spend in the US gay and lesbian press to USD 212 million last year, up more than a quarter since 2003.”

Marketers in every category -- Automotive to Medical, Travel to Fashion, Casinos to Financial -- are establishing a presence with the lucrative LGBT market. Let Merge Media show you how.

If you'd like more information on mining the business potential of the LGBT market for your brand, we will be happy to talk. Or you could check our website for more information.

GLBT or LGBT?

2008-02-20T11:08:00.000-06:00

Here in the world of gay and lesbian marketing there is a discussion going on as to which acronym we should be using, exactly. When you look at any kind of research on the subject the community is almost equally divided. Shocking. Most gay men feel that GLBT should remain as it has been for many years. Of course, most lesbians would prefer to see it changed to LGBT, as in ladies first.

Several of the larger organizations in the space, GLAAD and NGLCC have switched to using the LGBT moniker. Personally, I prefer LGBT, however, most of our clients are familiar with GLBT. So what is one to do? When marketing to a gay audience I am most interested in speaking relevantly to the gay consumer so that he/she will know that the brand we are representing "gets it". To that end we here at Merge have made the executive decision to stick with LGBT.....after all, we are lesbian owned.
D

General Peter Pace

2007-03-15T10:15:00.000-05:00

After watching the news clip several times I have come to the decision that all gay and lesbian individuals that are currently serving this administration in Iraq should stand up, identify themselves and leave. Somewhere in the vicinity of 65,000 gay and lesbian soldiers are now serving our military, and Pace has the nerve to say there is no place in today’s forces for openly gay servicemen. GREAT!! I think that is GOOD news for the LGBT community lets bring our brothers and sisters home. The double standard of this whole group of hypocritical people has worked my last gay nerve to its absolute end. I have so much anger around this topic that I have begun to set off car alarms by just walking by. Enough!

Pace and those like him have the nerve to call our LGBT soldiers immoral…..who the hell does he think he is? Who is he working for? Two of the biggest liars in the history of this country, Bush and Cheney!! If every single person that is gay stood up and walked out we would get their attention, and right quick. I am, quite frankly, sick and damn tired of the hatred, division and double standard coming from our “leaders.” Truth be told we know these people are not leaders they are nothing more than puppets for corporate greed.

As self-respecting individuals we must make decisions that support who we are. (BTW all you homos driving BMW’s, they are NOT your friend over there in Bavaria) Buy from companies that support you, work for companies that have internal by-laws that protect/respect yourself and your partner. Do NOT enlist in a military that does not even RECOGNIZE you!! You give your life and this country will not even give your partner the rightful benefits they deserve. As full-fledged citizens of this country we are entitled to every single right provided to us by the Constitution. I am sure that Bush and Co. has heard of this document, I am also quite sure he has no clue how to spell it.

I digress,…Gen. Pace and the overall military have way bigger problems to focus on than the gay/lesbian soldiers that are performing their job everyday. Lying about WMD, manipulating facts to fit the desire for war, killing hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, no-bid contracts for Halliburton, Guantanamo, torture, etc. etc., I could go ON and ON here, but don’t want to bore. My point being, and yes I do have one, Gen. Pace and those like him need to clean their own house before casting stones of immorality.

Snickers - Not right on all fronts

2007-02-06T14:45:00.000-06:00

I just watched the Snickers commercial on YouTube again and began to wonder....is it human nature to put other people down? If we make fun of one class does it make us feel better about ourselves? I mean, am I absolutely crazy to head into a meeting and have no agenda to promote myself at someone else's expense? Did these people get to keep their jobs? SO many questions and no one to answer them!

In my opinion this ad stinks from every angle, not just the homophobic one. These dudes look disgusting, you can almost smell the BO from here. What in the world is appetizing about that? That candy bar looks like something my dog Jack left in the backyard this morning. I felt my desire for food of any kind go hurling towards an open window.

Yes, this thing is homophobic, probably thought up by a group of white "straight" guys sitting in a conference room thinking that they are extraordinarily funny. I guess they have not read any of the studies that have been done on homophobia.

To make it all short and sweet, the ones that protest the loudest are the same ones wrestling with their own sexuality.

"Fabulous" is so tired

2007-01-18T17:09:00.000-06:00

Why is it that marketers from general market agencies think the word "fabulous" is THE word for the gay community? I find it to be a tired cliche. This ad for Hilton, currently running in most mainstream gay publications, is a perfect example.

Since I am a lesbian, I put out my feelers to my gay male friends and found out that they feel the same, some even more so. One of them said he finds the constant reference patronizing and an insult to his intelligence. Ouch!

Really, if "fabulous" is the best thing an ad agency can come up with for its client and their GLBT needs, they should get their asses back to the drawing board and/or the client needs to find a new agency.

While I am on a rant, let's address the rainbow flag. I love that flag and all the history that it stands for, but advertisers need to realize that it's not the only symbol of our community.

Our landscape as a community has changed drastically since Stonewall, a time when most gays had locked themselves into the closet out of fear for their own safety. I have never known a time that I felt unsafe in my openness thanks to those that have come before me.

My point here, and I do have one, that advertisers who want to portray our "gayness" need to appeal more to our open pride in being gay and living as gay Americans, than to patronize us with tired phrases and symbols that they think are gay.

New York Times: Top Gay Destinations

2007-01-04T14:44:00.000-06:00

The New York Times ran a piece about the top gay travel destinations. As the article says, gay-friendliness is the top consideration that gays and lesbians take into account when planning vacations.

You can see the article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/31/travel/31transgay.html?_r=1&ref=travel&oref=slogin

Companies Reach Out to Gay MBAs

2006-12-19T12:29:00.000-06:00

Here's a great article from Fortune Magazine (published on CNN's Money website) about how companies are making concerted efforts to recruit gay MBA graduates. I spoke on a panel at last year's Reaching Out Conference in Chicago, which was very well attended by both students, recruiters and company representatives.

I particularly like the line at the very end about how being gay used to be an immediate disadvantage, but now it's turned into an opportunity to land your dream job.

Also, it's good to note that there were so many sponsors for this event. In addition to being a recruiting tool, it's an effective way for the brands to reach out to an audience that is likely to be even more affluent and influential than GLBT audiences without advanced degrees.

Gay-friendly companies reach out to MBAs
Fortune's Jia Lynn Yang attends the annual Reaching Out conference for gay and lesbian MBA students in New York City.

By Jia Lynn Yang, Fortune reporter
December 5 2006: 7:00 AM EST

NEW YORK (Fortune) -- If corporate America has indeed become gay-friendly, there are few better places to witness the trend happening en masse than the annual Reaching Out conference for gay and lesbian MBA students.

Each fall, some of the biggest companies on the Fortune 500 - and virtually all of Wall Street - send recruiters to lobby hard for what they view as simply more of the best talent that can be hired. The fact that everyone they're recruiting is gay? It's all but incidental.

From a distance, there's not much to distinguish Reaching Out from any other corporate conference. At this year's event in October, held at the Grand Hyatt in midtown Manhattan, a steady stream of young men and women in suits, roughly 700 total (26 percent female), spent the first full day of the conference moving from a career expo to a series of panels and receptions, networking and swapping business cards along the way.

There's naturally a political backdrop to the whole event (start asking people about discrimination in the workplace and you'll hear stories). And there are workshops the second day that deal explicitly with gay issues, like "LGBT Marketing: Opportunities and Lessons Learned" or "Mentorship - Leveraging Your LGBT Network." But the tone is pure business.

People come to the conference for two reasons, explains Chris Shuster, one of the organizers of this year's Reaching Out and a student at the NYU Stern School of Business. One is to connect. The other is to get a job at a gay-friendly workplace. Recruiters have responded.

About 50 companies were at this year's conference meeting candidates, and they run the gamut, including Citigroup (Charts), Microsoft (Charts), Accenture, Goldman Sachs (Charts), Procter & Gamble (Charts), Pfizer, IBM (Charts), Toyota (Charts) and many more.

The companies are New York-heavy - finance and consulting are each well represented - but there are also surprises. Among them: Whirlpool, headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Companies also compete to appear as supportive as possible of gay issues. Nearly every portion of the schedule - every meal, coffee break, workshop and panel - had a corporate sponsor: Johnson & Johnson attached its name to the keynote lunch with workplace expert Kirk Snyder, head of Equality Career Group; Barclays Capital sponsored a Women's Tea tucked into one of the rooms to the side; each career panel had a corporation backing it: consulting by McKinsey, investment banking and finance by JPMorgan Chase, marketing by L'Oréal USA and so on. Altogether, there were 49 different sponsors.

The first Reaching Out event in 1999 was organized by a group of Harvard and Yale business students. They called it "From the Closet to the Boardroom," and roughly 150 students attended.
The event is five times that size now, and as corporate America has begun to embrace gay employees, the activism behind Reaching Out has also shifted gears.

"We've actually achieved most of the goals we've put in place," says Shuster. "We have partner benefits, non-discrimination policies. Companies cover gender reassignment surgeries for us. That's kind of old news for us." The new focus, she says, is on global companies that have offices in different places around the world, where coming out in the workplace is still a serious taboo and, in some cases, illegal.

At the Goldman-hosted cocktail hour, Jeffrey Carbo, a first-year student at the UMass-Amherst Isenberg School of Management, likened the event to an alumni gathering where people can meet and help each other out.

"It's another one of those things that creates an instant connection to network," he says. That's a dramatic twist. Being gay used to be an immediatedisadvantage to being hired. Today, it's opening up more chances to land your dream job.

PinkNews: MTV Awarded for Gay-Friendly Ads

2006-11-27T09:49:00.000-06:00

According to this article on PinkNews, Europe's largest GLBT newswire, MTV and Orbitz.com were honored for their gay-friendly ads. Here's the full story:

MTV awarded for gay-friendly advertising
22-November-2006
PinkNews.co.uk writer

MTV Networks and Orbitz.com were recognised for “inclusive excellence in portrayals of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals” in their promotional advertising during the Commercial Closet Association's Second Annual Corporate Visionary Honours event, held this week at The New York Times’ historic, 93-year-old building.

For over a decade, MTV Networks has aired groundbreaking LGBT portrayals in its promotional advertising, and has served as a primary media outlet for other advertisers to do the same.

Since 2001, Orbitz.com (www.orbitz.com) has made humorously inclusive LGBT portrayals a central part of its advertising to both gay and straight audiences.

Michael Wilke, founding executive director of Commercial Closet Association, said: "We applaud MTV Networks and Orbitz.com for their ground-breaking and long-standing commitments to inclusiveness and portrayals of LGBT individuals in advertising—they provide an important model for corporate advertisers."

Cyndi Lauper presented the honours for LGBT inclusive advertising to Lisa Sherman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of MTV Networks' LOGO, and Randy Susan Wagner, Chief Marketing Officer, Orbitz Worldwide, a division of Travelport.

The event also marked the five-year anniversary of Commercial Closet Association.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-3067.html

Gaywheels.com: Nissan & Infiniti now gay-friendly

2006-11-21T09:33:00.000-06:00

According to GayWheels.com, Nissan and Infiniti are now considered gay-friendly car brands. Here's the story from their website:

Nissan and Infiniti are Gay-Friendly
Gaywheels.com Adds Two Additional Car Brands to Gay-Friendly List

ATLANTA, GA – Gaywheels.com, the only website designed for the GLBT automotive consumer, has updated its listing of gay-friendly car companies to include two brands previously on its non-gay-friendly list – Nissan and Infiniti. Both brands are sold in the U.S. by Nissan North America (NNA) who recently announced they would be offering domestic partner benefits to all of their U.S. employees.

“We are ecstatic that Nissan North America has rolled out their domestic-partner benefits to all of their U.S. employees,” said Joe LaMuraglia, publisher of Gaywheels.com and former employee of NNA. “I was fortunate enough to be part of the team that got the ball rolling and began the campaign to push for domestic partner benefits for GLBT employees at Nissan. I commend the employees still there who kept the dream alive and followed this through to completion.”

Nissan will be offering domestic partner benefits to their U.S.-based employees as of January 1, 2007. Employees in the sales and marketing division of the company have enjoyed domestic partnership health insurance and car benefits since January, 2006. The latest addition includes the manufacturing arm of the company, which employs the vast majority of Nissan’s U.S. workers.

“The addition of Nissan and Infiniti to the gay-friendly list is an example of how a few people can affect change,” LaMuraglia emphasized. “If the employees at Nissan hadn’t worked together to bring this important issue to the attention of management, GLBT employees at the company might still be without equal benefits.”

The addition of Nissan and Infiniti to the gay-friendly list brings the number of gay-friendly brands to 32. That leaves only 14 car brands remaining on the non-gay-friendly list, or still “under investigation.”

The updated gay-friendly list is featured on a completely redesigned site designed to be easier to use and more visually appealing. Virtually every new car, SUV and light truck model for sale in the U.S. is summarized on Gaywheels.com with photos, prices, safety information, driving impressions and a detailed description. Gaywheels.com also features original new-vehicle reviews by gay automotive writers, advice and recommendations on vehicle purchasing, financing and insurance.

Gaywheels.com is dedicated to promoting responsible consumerism and affecting change by encouraging car shoppers to patronize gay-friendly companies throughout the vehicle purchase process. Users of the site are able to investigate which automakers and other automotive companies offer domestic partner benefits to their employees, thus qualifying them as “gay-friendly.” With that information at hand, they can make educated choices during the car-buying process. Gaywheels.com launched in June 2005 as the consummate gay-friendly automotive resource.

Marketing to Gay Seniors

2006-11-20T08:23:00.000-06:00

Marketers across all disciplines are looking to aging and retiring baby boomers and wondering "how can we reach this market?" The portrayal of older people in advertising has changed from blue-haired grannies to sassy ladies who like to hang ten.

There's also a tremendous marketing opportunity within the aging GLBT community. We've seen a number of GLBT-oriented retirement communities crop up in recent years. Here's one of many stories on the subject:

Gay seniors find a home of their own
By RANDY MYERS/MediaNews GroupVallejo Times Herald
11/19/2006

After 25 years of social activism, 59-year-old Brenda Crawford relishes the prospect of handing over the torch to a youthful crusader.

When she and her partner sell their Vallejo home within the next five years, they expect to move to a planned posh retirement community for lesbians and gays. The $85 million Fountaingrove Lodge in Santa Rosa is expected to open in the winter of 2008 or 2009.

The African-American woman said they chose Fountaingrove because of its country setting and commitment to racial diversity. "It doesn't have that elitist attitude of Palm Springs," she said.
Fountaingrove hardly represents an anomaly in senior housing. The booming industry finds itself tailoring housing needs to meet demands of baby boomers, people shaped equally by the "me generation" and the civil rights movement.

For some boomers, that means discovering a community oriented to one's sexuality. For others, it means a complex specializing in a particular ethnicity or activity.

Crawford prefers living in a place where neighbors won't arch an eyebrow when they discover her partner is a woman 16 years her junior.

"I don't think I would consider going into a center that was not (gay-focused) simply because I need to leave that fight to somebody who's younger," she said. "I don't want, at 60, to be worried about walking out of my door and not having people say hello to me."

At Fountaingrove, the people next door would be more likely to invite them over to watch "The L Word."

From the titles lining library shelves to the singers and authors who will be invited to appear, Fountaingrove plans to cater to gay and lesbian interests.

"They want (singer) Holly Near performing," Winter says. "They want Dorothy Allison ('Bastard Out of Carolina') doing a book reading when her next book comes out."

A demand exists for a place such as Fountaingrove. As many as 3 million gays and lesbians are older than 65, a group that's expected to swell to 4 million by 2030, according to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Expect more individualized communities to pop up as the stampede of baby boomers transform into golden girls and boys, said San Francisco State University gerontology professor Anabel Pelham.

Senior housing covers the gamut, including options such as specialists who direct seniors living on their own to resources they need, co-housing and "affinity" housing in which seniors with similar interests band together.

Pelham said the greatest demand remains for assisted living housing, which allows seniors to live independently while receiving basic services.

Fountaingrove will provide for people going through the stages of aging, from being independent to needing skilled care, said Wes Winter, senior marketing director.

Amenities planned include a wellness center, a pool, three restaurants, a bar, two gyms and a movie theater. Living spaces include cottages, apartments and flats among the 148 units.

Publicity has created buzz around the globe, Winter says. Some who have expressed interest reserved a bigger space than needed because they plan on meeting a partner while there, he adds.

Vallejo residents Thomas Huish and John Mathewson debated about moving to a community in New Mexico until spotting an ad for Fountaingrove in the Advocate, a national gay and lesbian magazine.

"I called right away," said Huish, 63. "We liked the whole package. It's got all the bells and whistles."

The couple have children from previous marriages and a strong network of friends in Vallejo, a city where a large population of gays and lesbians reside in an area of restored homes dubbed "Lavender Hill." Huish and Mathewson live elsewhere in the city.

"We have a fairly large community of friends in Vallejo some older, some younger," Huish said. "That will be hard to leave."

Fountaingrove joins the ranks of other gay-focused retirement communities that have sprung up or are planned in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Palm Springs and Santa Fe, N.M. The nonprofit Openhouse Project in San Francisco aims to create senior housing and services for all income levels of gays and lesbians.

Reasons vary on why gays and lesbians gravitate to gay retirement communities, but often it's because they want to be safe and social, Winter said.

"If you look at someone who is 70 or 80 now, maybe in their 60s I would guess that pretty close up to 100 percent of them went through some sort of physical or emotional violence over the years."

Not everyone can afford or wants to live in a community such as Fountaingrove. The steep entry fee, refundable to residents or heirs, ranges from $350,000 to $1 million. Monthly dues are $3,000 to $4,000. (Twenty percent of units will be set aside for affordable housing, Winter said.)

That's way beyond what 70-year-old Marvin Burrows of Hayward can afford. When his partner of 50-plus years died in 2005, the loss crippled him emotionally and financially.
The high school sweethearts discussed retiring to gay-friendly locales such as the Russian River or Palm Springs.

"We had heard so many horror stories about gay couples moving into facilities and not being able to be together," he said.

Burrows received none of his partner's pension and zero from Social Security because the federal government does not recognize same-sex partnerships.

His partner's life insurance policy wasn't large. At one time, Burrows feared he might wind up on the streets.

Then Frank Howell, another gay man who also had lost his partner, invited Burrows to move in.

Bleak financial outlooks might be more common than many would suspect. According to a survey of more than 1,300 gays and lesbians, income levels for San Francisco gays and lesbians mirror heterosexuals' incomes. The finding debunks perceptions that gays have disposable income to spare.

The Openhouse survey also found that in the 50-59 age group, almost 40 percent earned less than $39,000 annually. Twenty percent made less than $26,000.

Some gays and lesbians already in senior communities create their own groups within the framework of bigger ones. In the Rossmoor retirement community, George Ramas launched a men's group. About 80 belong to the club that calls itself Gaymoor.

A lesbian group called Lezmoor started in October. Four showed up at the first meeting.
Ramas shrugs off the idea of living in a community that primarily identifies as gay. "I like the diversity of everybody," he said. "I feel really comfortable here and have no problems."

GFN.com: Texas May Be Homophobic, But Not Dallas

2006-11-07T10:13:00.000-06:00

An interesting piece that ran on the Gay Financial News website...

Texas May Be Homophobic, But Not Dallas

Dallas may seem like an unlikely place to extend the welcome mat to gay tourists. After all, the Bush-supporting state of Texas passed a gay marriage ban last year with an alarming 75% of the vote. To be sure, statewide, anti-gay rights sentiment rides high in the saddle.

But Dallas city leaders apparently believe in diversity, and have not only devoted a page of the city's tourism Web site to "Diverse Dallas," they've earmarked $50,000 a year of its $14 million budget to attract gay tourists.

What kind of Texas values are those?

The reason may be traced to two compelling facts, or as Deep Throat once famously whispered, "follow the money." First off, the Dallas area is home to about 120,000 gay or lesbian households. And, like more than a few city leaders from around the country, Dallas want a piece of the expansive gay spending dollar. Surveys show that gay tourists spend about 100 bucks more per day than their straight counterparts, and take 2-3 times as many trips a year.

In fact, a survey conducted this year by San Francisco-based Community Marketing Inc. ties Dallas with San Diego as the seventh top business destination for gay travelers.

Stats like that are liable to make almost any city interested in boosting tourism stand up and shout "yippee-kay-ya."

"Big D" is a diverse metropolitan area that "has left behind stereotypes of big-haired women and rowdy cowboys — unless you count sassy drag queens and strapping gay rodeo champs," touts the city's Web page devoted to the city's diversity efforts, which features images of same-sex couples enjoying the local sights.

"It's not about being politically correct, it's about being economically correct," Phillip Jones, president and CEO of the tourism bureau told the Associated Press.

The tourism bureau put up the Website this year, listing more than 20 gay-friendly hotels, shopping areas, tourist attractions and night clubs.

The effort is already paying dividends.

Last month, the Washington-based Family Pride Coalition, a gay family advocacy group, conducted its national conference in Dallas after the bureau made an in-house pitch at the organization's D.C. office.

The presentation worked, in spite of the fact that Dallas isn't readily thought of as a gay-friendly Mecca. Wooing the Family Pride conference was the bureau's biggest success so far, drawing rave reviews from attendees that boasted about 250 participants.

"I think it was an extraordinarily positive experience in that most of the participants found Dallas to be a warm, receptive inviting place for them," the group's Executive Director Jennifer Chrisler told AP.

The Family Pride experience is not an isolated one. According to the tourism bureau, 20 gay-oriented meetings have come to the city since the promotion began two years ago. Next year, six events are already scheduled including, naturally, a gay rodeo.

"I believe it's grown from no image to a positive image just in the last year to two years, and it's definitely been because of the efforts of the Convention & Visitors Bureau, their members and partners," Tom Nibbio, world membership and development manager at the Fort Lauderdale-based International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association told said to AP.

"In Texas and the Southwest, Dallas has sort of taken the lead. We're not going to be a national destination," Phillip Jones, president and CEO of the tourism bureau told the paper. But, says Jones, "were trying to position Dallas as an appealing destination for GLBT travelers."

It will surprise no one that groups that hope to suppress gay rights have been critical of the tourism campaign.

The Dallas-based Texas Eagle Forum, an off-shoot of the lobbying organization Eagle Forum, has been vociferous in their condemnation of the city's efforts. Like the Eagle Forum, which is lead by Phyllis Schlafly, an outspoken critic of women's rights as well as gay rights, the Texas Eagle Forum regularly lobbies against gay rights and led the fight against gay marriage in the state last year.

"If you are wanting families to move into the city of Dallas, are you going to show them such a promotion? I doubt it," said Cathie Adams, president of the group.

For their efforts, the tourism bureau apparently doesn't agree with the sentiments of the Texas Eagle Forum.

They want tourists. And they want tourists who spend a lot of money on travel.

Welcome gays and lesbians.

MediaLife Magazine: Gay bus ad raises a stink

2006-10-27T16:23:00.000-05:00

Boys on the bus: Gay ad raises a stink
By Diego Vasquez, Media Life Magazine

In Minneapolis last week there was controversy over a bus ad for a gay-themed magazine, but it wasn't over whether the ad was offensive to the community, as might have been the case a decade ago.
It was over a bus driver who was objecting to driving the bus with the ad on the exterior, on the grounds that the ad was in conflict with her religious beliefs. She took her case to her bosses.

The ad, for a magazine called Lavender, contained the slogan “Unleash Your Inner Gay.” Metro Transit, which runs the city’s buses, initially sided with the driver. It sent out a memo to the garage stating that she’s not to be assigned to any of the 25 buses that carried the ad.

But then the Star Tribune caught wind of the story and reported it. A lot of locals were offended.
“After the story was published, we heard from a number of customers that said it appeared MTC was intolerant of different viewpoints and not effectively understanding that we serve a diverse population,” says spokesperson Bob Gibbons.

Last week the ads, part of a month-long campaign, came down, but the controversy did not subside. Metro Transit, reconsidering the matter and the public reaction, rescinded its decision to exempt the driver from driving buses with ads that offended her beliefs.

“As it stands now, if the circumstance was the same, we’d be reluctant to make an accommodation,” Gibbons says. “It’s not related at all to the advertising policy. Advertising has to be evaluated on its content, and there’s nothing in that ad that compromised our policy.”

USA Today: Stoli Vodka courts gays via TV

2006-10-27T16:04:00.000-05:00

Stoli vodka buddies up to the gay and lesbian crowd with documentary
By Theresa Howard, USA TODAY

NEW YORK — Stolichnaya vodka, which wants to oust Absolut as the reigning vodka in the gay and lesbian market, will kick off a year-long series of programs beginning Sunday on Viacom's (VIA) Logo cable channel.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) consumers are attractive both as trendsetters and for high disposable income: an expected $641 billion in spending this year, up from $600 billion in 2005, according to the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Absolut, the top U.S. import, for many years has courted this market.

Stoli's campaign begins with a one-hour, ad-free documentary that it produced, Be Real: Stories from Queer America, on the LGBT-oriented Logo channel. The film will appear at least 10 times on Logo as part of their year-long deal.

Stolichnaya looked beyond traditional advertising to market "in a culturally relevant way," says Adam Rosen, senior brand manager. "Because of the nature of the community as trendsetting, they are heavily marketed to and very skeptical of advertising,"

The deal with Logo also includes a six-episode reality show to air in April, tentatively titled Be Real. It will profile pairs of couples going through parallel experiences, such as a commitment ceremony. On Monday, Stoli will launch www.stolibereal.com, where visitors can watch the documentary online and also nominate couples for Be Real.

The network made the deal for the advertiser-produced shows because they are "authentic," says Logo President Brian Graden. "We started out with the question, 'Is this good content and something that our audience would like to see?' "

The shows contain no commercials within but will open and close with "sponsored by Stoli" messages and a 30-second ad for Stoli's latest flavor, Blueberi.

"We're hoping to create the association that Stoli is bringing you this message and that we support your community," says Rosen.

The image of support is important because Logo viewers "disproportionately reward advertisers they know are stepping up and positively selling to the gay and lesbian audience," says Graden.

A Harris survey of 1,500 viewers commissioned by Logo found 73% were more inclined to buy a product advertised on Logo than on another channel and 80% were more likely to watch commercials on Logo.

Stoli, bought by Pernod Ricard from Allied Domecq last year, has doubled its LGBT marketing to 10% of its annual marketing budget from 5% in 2004.

The increase comes as premium vodka sales continue to soar — up 8% in 2005 vs. 2004, according to Impact's 2006 Annual Spirits Study.

But competition within the category is fierce. Absolut and Stoli volume each rose about 3% from 2000 through 2005. However, Absolut's market share fell to 34.5% of volume from 55.6% in that period, while Stoli's slid slightly to 14.5% from 16.8%.

MediaWeek: AOL Partners with here!

2006-10-27T11:25:00.000-05:00

From MediaWeek:

AOL Partners With here!
Mike Shields OCTOBER 26, 2006 - AOL has partnered with gay-themed cable network here! to distribute a selection of short form video clips via its AOL Gay & Lesbian channel.The detail entails over 300 video snippets from here!'s library, including the soap opera Dante's Cove and the private eye film Shock To The System: A Donald Strachey Mystery.

The here! clips, which range from two to six minutes in length, are ad supported, featuring both pre and post roll video ad spots along with banner ads.

"Partnering with a powerhouse such as AOL underscores our commitment to reaching the gay and lesbian consumer with quality online video options," said Paul Colichman, here! CEO and founder. "The popularity of AOL Gay & Lesbian coupled with here!'s first-rate content will help feed the growing market of the millions of discerning gay and lesbian consumers who seek quality entertainment online."

Top Gay Travel Cities

2006-10-05T08:29:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, the 2006 Gay and Lesbian Tourism Profile was released, which among other things ranks U.S. cities in their popularity with gay and lesbian travelers. Here are some initial results.

Top Gay Destinations:

FOR LEISURE:
1. New York City

2. Las Vegas

3. San Francisco

4. Los Angeles/W. Hollywood

5. Palm Springs, Calif.

6. Fort Lauderdale

7. Chicago

FOR BUSINESS:

1. New York City

2. Los Angeles

3. Washington, D.C.

4. Chicago

5. San Francisco

6. Phoenix

7. San Diego (tie)

7. Dallas (tie)

SOURCE: Community Marketing Inc. 2006 Gay and Lesbian Tourism Profile

Hotel Group Starts Gay Mag

2006-10-02T18:09:00.000-05:00

The Boston Herald reports:

"The Massachusetts Lodging Association is launching a gay- and lesbian-oriented travel magazine in a bid to tap into the high-spending market. The trade group plans an early 2007 launch of Great Gay Escapes, a 48-page glossy guide highlighting Bay State destinations, places to stay and suggested itineraries. The publication will be mailed to 24,000 gay and lesbian homes in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. "

Here's a link to the full article:
http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=159793

Klimpton's Doing All The Right Things

2006-08-28T13:01:00.000-05:00

Nation's Restaurant News posted story online today about Klimpton's outreach to gay and lesbian consumers (click here for the story). The hotel company is a text-book case of the right way to market to this audience, which means you have to go beyond just ads and really create an environment that's GLBT-friendly.

Here are some take-away points from Klimpton's work:

It all starts with creating a progressive workplace, which includes gay-friendly personnel and anti-discrimination policies.
Celebrating individuality is one of the company's core philosophies.
They've created a strong GLBT advisory panel that oversees the company's gay-targeted efforts, such as ad campaigns, charitable donations, volunteer service projects, etc. The company has similar panels for other diversity and special interest groups, ranging from women's issues to eco-friendly initiatives.
Kimpton provides staff training on key GLBT issues and circumstances. For example, front desk agents are instructed on how to treat two same-sex guests.

As we've said many times before, GLBT consumers don't just want to do business with companies that place ads in the publications they read. They want to spend their money with companies that truly value them and companies whose actions are aligned with their own.

GayWired: One in Four Gays Agree...

2006-03-20T16:08:00.000-06:00

GayWired.com posted this article about a recent survey of gay buying habits. According the to study, gays and lesbians are more likely to support retailers with good corporate reputations than their heterosexual counterparts -- further proving the strong business reasons for marketing to this fiercely brand-loyal segment of the population.

One in Four Gays More Likely Shop at Stores with Reputations as Good Corporate Citizens

Gay and lesbian adults were more likely than heterosexual
adults to say that more than last year, they would consider shopping based on a
store's reputation as a good corporate citizen, according to a nationwide online survey of U.S. adults
conducted prior to the holidays in December 2005.

Nearly one in four gay and lesbian adults (24%) said that, while
shopping for holiday gifts, they would
consider, more than during the 2004 holiday season, to shop at stores with
reputations as good corporate citizens, compared to only 16 percent of
heterosexual adults responding to the same question.

A majority of gays and lesbians (69%) indicated their shopping
decisions - other things being equal such as price, value or quality - would
likely or very likely be influenced by a "buyers guide" of companies whose
workplace policies objectively support equal and fair treatment of gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender (GLBT)
people.

These are several highlights of a nationwide
online survey of 2,245 adults (ages 18 and over) conducted online between Dec. 8
and 14, 2005, by Harris InteractiveR, a worldwide market research and consulting
firm, in conjunction with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., a strategic public
relations and marketing communications firm with special expertise in the GLBT
market.

"Gay men and lesbians are savvy consumers and spend their money with
companies that are known for socially responsible business practices," said
Wesley Combs, President of Witeck Combs Communications. "Brand loyalty has long
been a characteristic of this $610 billion consumer segment," added Combs.

The study found similarities and differences in holiday shopping
behaviors among heterosexuals and gays and lesbians. For instance, a large
majority of both gay and lesbian adults (85%) and heterosexual adults (86%)
consider a store's "price and value" when choosing the stores they prefer for
holiday gift buying.

However, gays and lesbians are less likely to consider a store's
"advertising/sales promotions and coupons" (9%) as a reason in choosing a store
they prefer for holiday gift buying, compared to 16 percent of heterosexuals.
Another slight difference is revealed as gays and lesbians (8%) consider a
store's attention to the latest styles and trends, compared to 3 percent of
heterosexuals.

The study showed differences in the product category of holiday gifts
or gift certificates the two groups give. More than half of heterosexual adults
(52%) said they would purchase fashion items (such as clothing, shoes and
accessories) as holiday gifts, compared to 35 percent of gay and lesbian adults.
Heterosexual adults were also somewhat more likely to say they would give cash
as a holiday gift (31% vs. 23% of gays and lesbians).

Gay Buying Power Projected at $641 Billion

2006-02-17T13:32:00.000-06:00

A study on the buying power of gays and lesbians was released this week, projecting that gay buying power will reach $641 billion in 2006 -- $31 billion greater than the year prior. If ever there was a business case for companies marketing their wares to the GLBT audience, this is definitely one.

Here's the press release on the research:

The total buying power of the U.S. gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) adult population in 2006 is projected to be $641 billion, according to the latest analysis by Witeck-Combs Communications and Packaged Facts (a division of MarketResearch.com). The estimate was originally derived in a joint study by both organizations entitled, "The U.S. Gay and Lesbian Market." In 2005, the gay buying power projection was estimated at $610 billion, comparing favorably with the African American, Hispanic and Asian markets.
In sharing the 2006 projection, Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck- Combs Communications
said, "Estimating buying power is a standard business tool for companies and
policy decision-makers. This offers us a snapshot of the dynamic economic
activity of America's diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
population." Since 1993, Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. has provided expert
marketing communications counsel to Fortune 500 companies in their strategies to
reach the gay consumer market.
Witeck emphasized that "buying power does not equate with wealth nor can one infer that same-sex households are more affluent than others. We have seen evidence from researchers that gay men may earn slightly less than their heterosexual counterparts."
He added that, "the 2000 U.S. Census data on same-sex couples supports the conclusion, however, that gay populations are more concentrated in major metro areas, and less likely to live in rural areas -- a characteristic generally associated with higher than average income. Second, same-sex couples are less likely than their married heterosexual counterparts to have children, and they are more likely to have both partners in the workforce, factors which yield higher per capita household income, especially in the case gay male couples."
Wesley Combs, president of Witeck-Combs Communications, added: "In today's competitive marketplace, it is no longer prudent for a leading corporation to ignore the buying power of the gay market. Marketers that do risk leaving market share on the table for others to capture."
Based on a range of population samples, the analysis benchmarks
between 6 percent to 7 percent of the adult U.S. population self-identify as
gay, lesbian or bisexual, or between 14 and 16 million adults. (Unlike estimates
of buying power for other populations, such as African-Americans or Hispanics,
the GLBT population is estimated only among adults over the age of 18 when they
are more likely to be aware of their sexual orientation or gender identity. For
other groups, the population total includes all ages.)
Justin Nelson, co-founder and President of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce ( http://www.nglcc.org ), highlighted the report's value: "In our partnership with American business leaders, we have seen first-hand the significant contributions the GLBT community make to our economy. Buying power is a valuable metric to signify the combined contributions that we make in the workforce, in the marketplace, and as investors. It is a measure that few can ignore."
"Buying power, we know, is one key signal of the growth and size of the vital GLBT consumer market," said Don Montuori with Packaged Facts. "In our report, we cite buying power as another term for 'disposable personal income,' which is the total after- tax income available to an individual to spend on personal consumption, personal interest payments or savings. According to economists, it roughly equals 86 percent of
income."

USA Today: Gay Travelers to Red States

2006-02-13T09:42:00.000-06:00

USA Today, one of America's most widely-circulated papers, has again published a story about the increased marketing efforts that cities/states are pursuing to attract the GLBT dollar.

Cities in red states play ball with gay travelers
By Jayne Clark, USA TODAY
Even as Arizona conservatives push to get an initiative banning same-sex marriage on the ballot this fall, its capital is actively courting gay travelers.
But Phoenix is just one of a growing number of red-state enclaves vying for a piece of the estimated $65 billion spent annually on U.S. travel by gay men and lesbians. And in doing so, these cities are distinguishing themselves from state politics.
"The feedback we're getting is that (gay travelers) are hyper-aware of city and state policies, and it's a factor that goes into the mix of making their vacation decisions," says Thomas Roth, president of Community Marketing Inc., a research firm specializing in gay travel.
"The gay community votes with its wallet," Roth says. "And one qualifier is whether a destination is doing explicit outreach to our community."
In Phoenix, city and tourism officials met last month to fine-tune efforts to attract this segment. The tourist bureau has taken out a full-page ad in the gay travel magazine Passport, featuring a rear-view close-up of a baseball player with the caption: "To the rest of the country, they're the 'Boys of Summer.' To Phoenix, they're the 'Boys of Summer, Spring, Winter and Fall.' "
In suburban Tempe, tourism officials have been studying gay market possibilities for several years and in December added a gay-targeted portal to its visitor website.
In January, Dallas launched a website, glbtdallas.com, aimed at gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender visitors. The site complements a marketing campaign
launched a year ago that has helped attract events such as the gay volleyball
championships and the International Gay Rodeo Association.
Atlanta's gay-friendly tourism pitch "We're out to show you a good time!" was initiated
several years ago in regional and national media. And red state communities as
diverse as Bloomington, Ind., Clearwater/St. Petersburg, Fla., and Las Vegas
have embarked on similar initiatives.
Gay-centric travel advertising isn't new. Fort Lauderdale first targeted the market in 1995. Last year, the city attracted 850,000 gay travelers who spent $810 million-plus. Eighteen months ago, Philadelphia made waves when it premiered the first, gay-specific destination-sponsored TV ad (the Penn Pals spot is still airing on cable
networks) as part of a three-year, $1 million effort. In December, a study to
gauge its effectiveness indicated that spending among overnight gay visitors
rose 30%, from $179 a day in 2003 to $233 in 2004 — more than twice that of
general vacationers.
Indeed, economics, not politics, is the driving force for these efforts.

"Around here, we like to say, the color of diversity is green," says Gregory Pierce senior vice president at the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.
"Gay tourism is a growth industry," says Jeff Guaracino of Philadelphia's tourism office. "More and more, gay travel as a good business decision is being understood and accepted."
The city has seen a return of $153 in spending for every dollar invested in gay marketing, he says. The current targeted slogan: "Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay."

Other travel realms are aiming at gay travelers as well.
•American Airlines created the micro site AAVacations.com/rainbow in November to
spotlight packages to events such as Gay Ski Week at Whistler in Canada and to
gay-friendly destinations.
•The Travel Channel will air its first gay-oriented travelogue this spring and plans to gear additional programming toward the segment.
•Travelocity launched a gay travel portal in June 2004; Orbitz has maintained a gay micro site since May 2002.
Meanwhile, some officials express surprise at the lack of backlash by conservative groups against gay-targeted marketing.
In Dallas, the reaction was more along the lines of "What took you so long?" than "Why are you doing this?" says Dallas CVB president Phillip Jones.
And in Phoenix, Tom Simplot, a gay city councilman who has spearheaded efforts to ramp up gay travel marketing in that city, notes that although "just a few years ago, the notion of glbt (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) tourism was unthinkable, I haven't seen any evidence of influence by the Christian right when it comes to tourism. We already have a sizable gay tourism market. We're just not getting as much as we
should."

Tempe - the new gay destination?

2006-01-31T19:03:00.000-06:00

According to the Arizona State University website, the city of Tempe has launched a campaign to attract gay travelers and to portray the town as a "destination" for GLBT folks. It seems that the frequency of visitors bureaus announcing such initiatives is growing.

Here's a highlight:

The city's Convention and Visitors Bureau recently launched a separate Web
portal specifically geared to gays and lesbians, said Toni Smith, communications
manager for the bureau. The site, launched in late December, features a
rainbow-colored flower and contains information on activities and places to
visit in Tempe, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and
questioning-oriented events.
The bureau will also bring editors and writers from several gay travel publications, including the Gay and Lesbian Times and Instinct Magazine, to the city, Smith added. The goal is to convince these writers to publish articles about Tempe in their magazines.

Big D seeks Big G Dollars

2006-01-31T16:48:00.000-06:00

Another major US city, this time Dallas, has joined the trend to attract GLBT visitors to its city. Dallas has launched a website geared specifically towards queer travelers.

Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau Launches a New Website for Gay
Travelers

DALLAS, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau
(CVB) is reaching out to minority travelers by launching a new website (http://www.glbtdallas.com ). The website stands to be one of the
most comprehensive CVB sites focused solely on gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender (GLBT) travelers.
"The Dallas CVB has created this site to speak directly to the interests of GLBT travelers," said Phillip Jones, president & CEO, Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. "It's an approach that underscores our city's accepting, gay-friendly environment. We understand that the GLBT traveler wants to know if they are going to a place that welcomes them unconditionally, and this website is our city's answer. Yes."
The website features pages of content tailored for gay travelers. It lists special events
and nightlife along with a growing number of gay-friendly accommodations, restaurants, art museums and cultural venues.
"Oak Lawn, our GLBT neighborhood, is out, proud, always bustling and full of things to do. Our city has the sixth largest gay population in the United States, and we score the
highest among the nation's 10 largest cities based on the gay index," said Ross
Crusemann, senior vice president of marketing, Dallas Convention & Visitors
Bureau. The gay index is a study published by Gary Gates, a demographer at the
Urban Institute.
Dallas offers a multitude of attractions and activities that appeal to many different tastes. Each year, 25,000 people gather to celebrate the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade. The parade is part of a weekend celebration in mid-September that includes Gay Day at Six Flags. Other notable events include the Dallas-Fort Worth Black Tie Dinner, State Fair of Texas Gay Day, Out Takes Dallas Film Festival and AIDS Arms Life Walk -- 5K Walk and Run.
Dallas is a destination that inspires big ideas and promises many memorable
experiences. This richly diverse city is home to some of the best shopping in
America, one of the largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender populations,
over 6,500 dining options -- more per capita than New York City, and outstanding
performing and visual arts in the largest urban arts district in the nation.
Dallas is an authentic, sophisticated and distinctive getaway. For additional
GLBT visitor information, please visit http://www.glbtdallas.com .
Live Large. Think Big.

Best Places to Work - Gay Edition

2006-01-25T18:45:00.000-06:00

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has released a new report that outlines the "best places to work" for GLBT job-seekers and employees. Here's their official release:

‘BEST PLACES TO WORK’ GIVES CHOICES TO GAY, LESBIAN,
BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER JOB SEEKERS
Whole Foods Market Most Recent Addition to List of More Than 100 Companies with Perfect Scores on Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index

‘From stocking shelves to managing money to assembling an automobile, job seekers in almost any field can find a fair-minded employer,’ said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign Foundation today released Best Places to Work for GLBT Equality, a new online resource that gives job seekers the information they need to find out which employers support gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees and consumers.

“From stocking shelves to managing money to assembling an automobile, job seekers in almost any field can find a fair-minded employer,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Best Places to Work lets gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender job seekers know which companies to put at the top of their list.”

The list of more than 100 companies is based on data from the HRC Foundation’s 2005 Corporate Equality Index, an annual report card on corporate America’s treatment of GLBT employees, consumers and investors. Corporations are rated on a scale from zero to 100 on key criteria, including protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, parity of health care benefits for domestic partners and other criteria.

“More and more companies understand that employees should have access to the same policies and protections regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” added Solmonese. “The Human Rights Campaign’s workplace advocacy has pushed the bar higher and corporate America is rising to the challenge.”

More than 100 companies reached perfect scores this year, with Whole Foods Market being the most recent addition to the list and only supermarket chain to score 100 percent.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

Fort Lauderdale - Sunny for Gay Money

2006-01-20T16:34:00.000-06:00

Fort Lauderdale has been pouring lots of money into marketing efforts to lure GLBT travelers to their sunny shores. Their efforts include a comprehensive (and quite amazing) website exclusively targeting gay travelers. The site (www.sunny.org) includes information on hotels, special events, contests and a blog -- and the site is available in English, French, Spanish and German.

They're also tying events that wouldn't traditionally be considered "gay" into the campaign, such as their Museum of Art's King Tut exhibit ("The Original King of Bling") with website ads on PlanetOut and the like.

USA Today: Arizona cities market to gay tourists

2006-01-17T18:24:00.000-06:00

An interested article from today's USA Today:

Arizona cities try and lure gay tourists

PHOENIX (AP) — Conservatives may be working to add a gay marriage ban on the ballot, but Arizona cities are working to welcome more gay tourists into the state.

The cities are vying for a slice of an estimated $65 billion gay travel market. To do that, cities are marketing the area as a cosmopolitan, tolerant place to vacation.

"My money spends like anyone else's," said Albuquerque resident Andee Henderson, 38, who was among the estimated crowd of 5,000 attending the Arizona Gay Rodeo Association's annual competition at Rawhide over the weekend.

With an 89-page visitors and relocation guide published by the Phoenix gay chamber of commerce flying off the shelves, Phoenix leaders are planing to discuss ways to strengthen the city's gay tourism plan.

Officials in Tucson, Sedona, Bisbee and Jerome say they informally angle for those visitors.
Tempe is in the midst of a sophisticated campaign to lure gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender travelers. The campaign began three years ago with careful research, said Stephanie Nowack, president and chief executive of the Tempe Convention & Visitors Bureau. The city later joined industry groups, sent city employees to conferences, bought ads in gay publications and launched a Web portal for gay, lesbian and transgendered visitors.

"I come from Fort Lauderdale, and I like places like that, where it's OK if I have a boyfriend, to hold his hand," said Alan Stark, 43.

But not everyone supports cities courting the gay community.

Leo Godzich, president of the National Association of Marriage Enhancement, says the cities risk destroying the Grand Canyon State's family friendly reputation by trying to wrangle in gay tourists.

"Our tourism dollars should be spent on the bulk of the population, not 2% of the population," Godzich said.

Sony's Gay Wilderness

2006-01-11T12:11:00.000-06:00

According to 365Gay.com, Sony is the latest company to launch a division specifically catering to the gay & lesbian consumer.

Sony Does The Gay Twist
by Ed Welch, 365Gay.com Los Angeles Bureau
Posted: January 11, 2006 - 12:01 am ET

(Los Angeles, California) Sony Music sees a gay future for the music industry. The giant entertainment corporation announced on Tuesday that it is forming an LGBT music division with Wilderness Media & Entertainment.

Wilderness is run by Matt Farber the man who created Logo Television.

The new division will be called Music With A Twist and comes just days before Farber launches Twist Radio, a new syndicated weekly gay radio show.

The record label will feature a mix of gay artists and performers who have a wide gay appeal. It will also draw from Sony BMG's extensive talent pool of gay favorite performers. Sony also owns Columbia Records Group, Epic Records, Sony Nashville and Sony Urban Music.

Farber said that Music With A Twist will release a compilation CD in June to coincide with National Gay Pride Month. Other compilations will follow.

Twist radio will debut on Sunday in 7 markets.

It can be heard on 95.5 WPLJ in NYC, Star 98.7 in L.A., Alice 97.3 in San Francisco, Q100 FM in Atlanta, Kiss 106.1 in Seattle and Mixs 96.5 in Houston. The show also will be available on AOL Radio online.

The show will be an eclectic mix of music and talk Farber says.

Gays and Lesbians More Likely than Heterosexuals to Plan Next Vacation Overseas or in Major U.S. Cities, Survey Finds

2006-01-06T15:39:00.000-06:00

Echelon Magazine's website posted an article about a recent study on the travel habits of gays and lesbians. Here's an excerpt:

New study by Harris Interactive and
Witeck-Combs Communications examines personal travel among gays and lesbians

ROCHESTER, N.Y., January 3, 2006,ˆ Gay and
lesbian adults are more likely than heterosexual adults to say that they plan to
spend their next vacations overseas according to a recent nationwide online
survey of U.S. adults conducted by Harris Interactive® in conjunction with
Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc.

Fourteen percent (14%) of gay and lesbian
adults say that for their next vacation, they are planning to travel to an
overseas destination, compared to seven percent of heterosexual adults. The
study also revealed that gays and lesbians were more likely to plan personal
travel to major cities in the United States, with 27 percent of those
respondents choosing major cities for their next vacation compared with 21
percent of heterosexual adults.

These are several highlights of a nationwide
online survey of 2,315 adults (ages 18 and over), of whom 678 are gay and
lesbian adults. The survey was conducted online between Nov. 15 and 22, 2005, by
Harris Interactive®, a worldwide market research and consulting firm, in
conjunction with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., a strategic public relations
and marketing communications firm with special expertise in the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender (GLBT) market.

The study also demonstrates the appeal that
gay and lesbian cruises can have with this market. More than one in four
heterosexual adults (27 percent) say they‚ve taken a cruise on a mainstream
cruise line such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, etc., compared
to fewer than one in five gay and lesbian adults (18 percent). Yet 10 percent of
gay/lesbian adults say they have taken a specialty cruise aimed specifically at
gay/lesbian travelers." For several years, we have tracked the strong affinity
of the gay/lesbian market for travel, particularly for popular destinations at
home and overseas," said Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck Combs Communications. "With
fewer children, and somewhat higher discretionary income, lesbian and gay adults
consistently index higher than their heterosexual counterparts," added
Witeck.

James Quilty, vice president, Travel and
Tourism Research at Harris Interactive, states, "Travel suppliers and
intermediaries have become increasingly aware of the importance in tailoring
their products and services to meet the needs of gays and lesbians, a
significant travel segment."

HRC launches GLBT buying guide

2005-11-30T15:13:00.000-06:00

Gay and lesbian consumers are perhaps the most-aware shoppers in United States about what brands have a positive track record on gay issues...and which ones don't. To help guide GLBT and GLBT-friendly Americans on their holiday spending sprees, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has developed a website and publication called "Buying for Equality."

As the HRC website states: "The Human Rights Campaign’s Buying for Equality guide provides you with the information you need to support products from companies that support equality. Making the choice to support fair-minded businesses can help affect real change in workplaces across the country. "

Here's a link to the "Buying for Equality" online guide: http://www.hrc.org/buyersguide/buyersguide.htm

American Airlines Vacations launches GLBT microsite

2005-11-29T17:34:00.000-06:00

Although they've been a long-time friend to the GLBT community through sponsorships and inclusive employment practices, that AA Vacations division of American Airlines has now launched a microsite aimed at attracting millions of loyal gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) customers. The new site, www.AAVacations.com/rainbow, highlights more than 50 popular destinations around the world and provides hotel information based on what they've determined to be gay-friendly criteria.

GLBT in the Work Place

2005-11-28T17:04:00.000-06:00

The Human Rights Campaign (www.hrc.org) has dedicated an entire section of its website to GLBT issues in the workplace, which ranging from articles on same-sex partner benefits and non-discrimination issues to the organization's annual Corporate Equality Index. HRC's Corporate Equality Index has become the gold standard for rankings of companies and their relationship with the gay, lesbian and transgender community.

There's a wealth of knowledge in HRC's "Work Life" section. If your company is looking to be ranked by the powerful GLBT political group or if you're just looking for more information on corporate benefits for same-sex partners, this should be your first stop.

http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Work_Life

GLBT Census adds 175 Brands

2005-11-10T17:13:00.000-06:00

We received the press release below, which announces that a prominent online GLBT consumer survey has added 175 brands to its stable of companies that it's watching and rankings. Announcements like this help prove that the GLBT market is growing in importance to America's top companies.

GAY/LESBIAN CONSUMER ONLINE STUDY ADDS MORE THAN 175 NEW BRANDS
Bank, Beer, Wine, Hotel, Rental Car and Auto Insurance categories include new brands

NEW YORK, NY (November 1, 2005) - The Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Study (G/L Study), an annual survey of the demographics, lifestyles, psychographics, and media patterns of the world’s largest gay/lesbian consumer panel online, has introduced more than 175 new brands to its survey. The new brand information will provide marketers with opportunities for more effective sponsorship programs, grassroots marketing, media planning and buying, and overall increased ROI for multicultural marketing efforts.

The new brands cover some bellwether companies in top consumer categories such as finance (banks), beverages (beer and wine), travel (hotel and car rental), and automotive (insurers). They join the several hundred brands already represented in the study.

According to Jeff Garber, president of OpusComm Group, a G/L Study partner, companies can leverage the new brands information with the existing depth and breadth of information in the G/L Study to create high-impact advertising.

“Marketing toward the gay/lesbian consumer has matured and become more sophisticated, as more companies recognize the significant benefits of targeting this consumer group,” said Mr. Garber. “Marketers need equally sophisticated tools to drive greater impact. The G/L Study provides this, with detailed information on the demographics, psychographics, and shopping behaviors, as well as both gay/lesbian and mainstream media patterns, of gay and lesbian consumers.”

Companies who count GLBT as part of their multicultural marketing efforts are using the G/L Study to benchmark their impact so budgets can be modified for maximum ROI. “The ability to track so many companies and brands and the influence they’re having on GLBT consumers is a key advantage,” said Mr. Garber. “Not only is it a measurement of overall sales impact, but the companies measured in the study have a new, valuable tool for tracking their competition.”

With approximately 8,000 respondents, the 2005-2006 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Study is the largest and most comprehensive gay/lesbian consumer and media study and the only one sponsored by a major university. The G/L Study is conducted by G/L Census Partners (OpusComm Group and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University), and is exclusively available through Scarborough Research.

In addition to the new brands measured by the G/L Study, it also includes hundreds of brands in leading categories, including: auto manufacturers, airlines, credit card companies, computer companies, cruise lines and gambling destinations, cable and network television (including the leading television shows watched), national/mainstream newspapers as well as gay/lesbian magazines, and websites, including both mainstream and gay/lesbian websites. For full details of the G/L Study, including a full list of measurements, please log on to www.glcensus.com/survey.cfm

PlanetOut buys LPI

2005-11-09T17:45:00.000-06:00

Big News: PlanetOut is buying LPI, the publishers of two of the nation's largest gay publications OUT and The Advocate. The deal is estimated to be worth about $31 million.

Another example of the growing importance of the GLBT market...

SAN FRANCISCO, November 9, 2005 -- PlanetOut Inc. (Nasdaq: LGBT) today announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of LPI Media Inc., and affiliated direct marketing and publishing entities for $24.0 million in cash and approximately $7.1 million in seller-financed debt. PlanetOut will also reimburse certain prepaid and other expenses totaling approximately $1.0 million.

LPI, a privately-held company, is the nation's leading publisher targeting the gay and lesbian market, distributing more than eight million copies of its magazines each year. LPI publishes The Advocate and OUT, which are the two largest circulation LGBT magazines in the U.S., as well as the acclaimed Web sites Advocate.com, OUT.com and related e-commerce sites. PlanetOut intends to finance the cash portion of the purchase price with cash on hand.
PlanetOut expects this acquisition to be accretive, with LPI 2005 annual revenues for its consolidated entities currently estimated to be approximately $29.0 million.

More info: http://www.planetoutinc.com/press/releases/?sernum=260

Simmons Landmark Gay and Lesbian Consumer Study Now Available

2005-10-24T16:54:00.000-05:00

Simmons, an Experian company and leading authority on the behavior of the American consumer, today announced that it has released the Gay and Lesbian Consumer Study, the most comprehensive study available of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) population in the United States.

Unlike other consumer studies that use opt-in samples or other nonprojectable samples, Simmons uses a national probability sample survey that provides reliable information about the size, characteristics, and behaviors of the GLBT population.

"Advertisers want to know more about the GLBT population,” said Chris Wilson, president and COO of Simmons Market Research. “Now, for the first time, advertisers have a definitive source on gay and lesbian purchasing behaviors.”

With an estimated annual buying power of over 600 billion dollars, the GLBT population is drawing increased attention from advertisers and marketers. The study contains over 40,000 variables offering unique insights into the consumer attitudes and behaviors of the GLBT population segment relative to the general market.

GLBT Study Highlights GLBT adults are more likely than the total adult population to have participated in the following activities in the last 12 months: ·

Dined out at restaurant (not fast food)
Cooked for fun
Attended a live concert
Attended a live theater show
Gone to a nightclub, bar or dancing

GLBT adults are more likely than the total population to: ·

Enjoy buying new gadgets and appliances ·
Be the first among their friends to have the latest electronic equipment ·
Get the electronic products they want regardless of cost ·
Say that their friends ask their advice when buying electronic equipment

The top five cable networks viewed by the GLBT population in the last week:

A&E
Discovery Channel
Lifetime
HBO
CNN (cable news)

The new Gay and Lesbian Study will be published twice a year. For more information, please visit us at www.smrb.com or contact Evan Goldfarb at (269) 857-1335 or evang@smrb.com. Simmons Market Research Bureau

Simmons, an Experian Company, has been a leading chronicler of the American consumer for over 50 years. From the products they buy and the brands they prefer, to their Internet shopping behaviors, attitudes, and lifestyles, Simmons measures over 30,000 American consumers each year using statistically projectable samples. Simmons' samples include the largest representation of all Americans, including, Hispanic, African American, Asian and other consumers and are used by over 500 clients worldwide to provide the most complete picture available on America's consumers.

Nondiscrimination in the Fortune 500

2005-09-13T16:05:00.000-05:00

Here's some great news that we received from Echelon Magazine about a recent survey nondiscrimation clauses at Fortune 500 companies. As we've said before (and will say many more times), before a company can say "we value you as a customer" to gays and lesbians, they first need to show that they value GLBTs as people. Protecting employees from discrimination is a tremendous first step...

A record 460 (92%) of FORTUNE 500 companies include gay and lesbian employees in their nondiscrimination policies, according to Equality Forum, a national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) civil rights organization. Full listings by company name, revenue, state and industry, along with letters of support from CalPERS, Citigroup, Harvard University, The Rockefeller Foundation and the Ford Foundation, are posted at: www.equalityforum.com/fortune500/

“When over 90% of the FORTUNE 500 companies recognize the value of their gay and lesbian employees, it is time for Congress to listen and respond,” stated Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director of Equality Forum. “Only sixteen states have laws prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination in private employment, and no federal protection exists for gay and lesbian Americans.”

Equality Forum began contacting FORTUNE 500 companies in 2003, when 323 (65%) companies explicitly offered workplace protection to their gay and lesbian employees. In June 2005, Equality Forum entered into a collaboration with Professor Louis Thomas of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and Professor Ian Ayres, William K. Townsend Professor, Yale Law School.

Hurricane Relief Fund for GLBT Community

2005-09-12T15:53:00.000-05:00

PRIDE HOUSTON HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF FUND LAUNCHED TO PROVIDE DISASTER RELIEF TO GLBT RESIDENTS OF THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA
New Orleans Mayor's Office and Pride Houston spearhead fundraising; Coors Brewing Co. provides seed money to launch fund

Representatives from the New Orleans Mayor's Office and Pride Houston have partnered to spearhead a campaign to raise disaster relief funds earmarked for GLBT residents of the greater New Orleans area. Coors Brewing Company has donated $10,000 in seed money to start the fund and has helped coordinate the logistics of setting up this relief effort.

Concerned Americans can donate to the fund by credit card at www.pridehouston.org or by mailing checks to Pride Houston Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, P.O. Box 66071, Houston, TX 77266.

Pride Houston Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund is a registered 501(c)(3) organization (ID# 76-0360374). All donations are tax-deductible and will be processed by the Montrose Counseling Center for distribution of clothing, food, hygiene items, cash and counseling for those in need.

Driving Towards Gay Loyalty Rewards

2005-08-08T18:24:00.000-05:00

Here's a great article from our friend Michael Wilke at Commercial Closet about what some car companies are doing to attract AND KEEP their gay customers. We fully agree with the very last line of the story: loyalty is the best way to earn loyalty.

Commercial Closet: Driving toward gay loyalty rewards
by Michael Wilke, Commercial Closet

Advertisers often vaunt the loyalty of the gay market, but few offer something back.

But as they get more savvy about gay marketing, Avis Rent A Car and Ford Motor Co. are starting to go beyond simple ad campaigns. They're now offering incentives to lure more green from gay wallets, including shopping discounts and donations to community organizations.

Avis Rent A Car System, which entered the market in 2003, created the unique "A Card" last year to create value and brand awareness. The red-and-white card carries a special code for 10 percent discounts at TLA Video, 20 percent off gay magazine subscriptions and more. It ties in with Avis' campaign tagline, "You're A-list to us," touting the company's lack of extra charge for domestic partner drivers.

Over 1.5 million A Cards have been distributed in magazines and at film festivals and events -- and they're used a lot. TLA Video enjoyed nearly $300,000 in sales from its relationship to the card in 2004.

Avis supports gay film festivals

"What we were looking for was a platform to create a relationship with the customer," explains Scott Deaver, executive vice president of marketing for Cendent Car Rental Group, which owns Avis and Budget Rent A Car. "In the wider world, we're realistic. We know that car rental's not the highest-interest category -- people don't break a sweat over it. That's not a great platform to build a relationship on, so we asked our ad agency to pick something that people think about more often, like entertainment."

So since 2003, Avis has directly supported gay film festivals across the country. Since the A Card requires no registration (meaning, there's no way to create a database to communicate directly with cardholders), Avis launched a sweepstakes for a "VIP Festival Pass" trip to the 2006 gay film festivals in Miami, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

Avis also tracks traffic to a Web site (http://www.avis.com/prouder) to determine the effectiveness of its campaign. "A lot of corporate advertisers don't even have a page dedicated to the community," notes Jay Arnold, president of Impax Marketing in Philadelphia, which handles Avis' gay market account.

Avis also tried a donation program, in which $1 for every reported rental went to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) in 2003. The effort failed, however, since few people were willing to fill out paperwork for such a low donation.

It's fortunate that Avis is well-established in the market: Its bigger rival, The Hertz Corp., quietly arrived this year. Hertz has not yet created dedicated ads or initiated a presence at major events, however.

Ford Motor brands' giveback offers to HRC, GLAAD

Ford Motor Co. began introducing its brands Jaguar, Volvo and Land Rover to the gay market in a series of one roughly every six months, starting in January 2003. (Ford has not yet brought its own brand name out, and as yet there is no indication when it will.)

Building on a new sponsorship of the Human Rights Campaign, Jaguar began an annual giveback purchase offer program with $1,000 donations going to HRC for a purchase or lease. Less than a year later, Volvo followed with $500 donations; a few months thereafter, Land Rover jumped in at $1,000 a sale. Last year, the brands switched the donations for Volvo and Land Rover to GLAAD, while Volvo remained with HRC.

"The program is based on what LGBT people tell us they're looking for: companies that support us," says John Butler, senior strategist at Witeck-Combs Communications, the Washington D.C. firm that handles Ford's gay marketing.

The donation sizes reflect the cars' price differences, something Witeck-Combs tested with focus groups. "We had to figure it out -- what amount does it take to get consumers to do something?" says Butler, noting the failure of the Avis $1-to-GLAAD effort.

The program is working well. A Ford source reports that 2004 showed nearly three times as many redemptions as 2003, and that Volvo has done best of the brands. Both HRC and GLAAD report positive results. The idea is working so well that Ford and HRC are now exploring ways to apply the idea outside their original relationship.

Butler says the ability to measure market response is particularly relevant in the face of pressure from a recent evangelical boycott threat recent evangelical boycott threat against Ford. "I felt like we had a little jump of people turning in their purchase promotions" -- that is, supportive lesbians and gays responding to the threat -- Butler says.

A recent survey of 697 visitors to CommercialCloset asked what they do when gay-friendly companies are boycotted. Most (65 percent) claimed to support the company with purchases. Another 21.8 percent said they simply cursed fundamentalists, while just 13.2 percent said they bothered to call or write to the targeted company with support.

As competitors crowd in and evangelicals attack, advertisers have a strong interest in creating trackable campaigns that show the fruits of their efforts while also giving back to the community. After all, loyalty is the best way to earn loyalty.

Posted on Gay.com: http://www.gay.com/business/article.html?sernum=1674

Gays: A class of super shoppers

2005-08-08T17:46:00.000-05:00

A new national survey by the National Gay Newspaper Guild of 3,800 readers of gay and lesbian publications found that their readers are more socially outgoing, travel more frequently and are more concerned about health and fitness than the general U.S. adult population. Here are examples of some of their findings:

Readers are more than three times as likely to have a personal trainer and three times as likely to belong ot a health club as adults in general.
Readers are more than three times as likely to go to movies, parites and clubs as the average adult.
Readers dine out an average of 11 times per month, compared with seven times for the general population.
They spend $604 per year for casual clothing, compared with $247 for adults in general, and $461 per year for business attire, compared with $156.
One-quarter of readers have a net worth of $500,000 or more, compared with 14 percent of adults in general.

The full press release of the study, which was conducted by Harris Interactive, can be found online at http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050801005217&newsLang=en.

National GLBT Business Convention

2005-08-05T14:33:00.000-05:00

MergeMedia President Dawn Meifert will be presenting at this year's National GLBT Business Convention in New Orleans. The convention is presented by Echelon Magazine and takes place October 31 - November 1, 2005.

Anyone interested in reaching the GLBT market would be well served in attending this important convention. Here are more details:

Presented by Echelon Magazine , the source for GLBT Business Professionals, The National GLBT Business Convention is set to be one of the leading forums for top entrepreneurs and executives. Senior members of the GLBT business community unite to discuss issues on workplace advocacy, GLBT recruitment, GLBT vendor programs, political influence and entrepreneurial development which are all vital to our business recognition and success.

The National GLBT Business Convention provides a powerful platform for the GLBT business community to be recognized as a principal element in the strength of America's economy.
The convention is a straightforward, comprehensive and independent discussion of where our business community is headed. Attendees gain useful information about small business financial strategies, marketing, investment opportunities, entrepreneurial insight, GLBT marketing and enjoy networking with the country's GLBT movers and shakers.

The two day seminar includes morning motivational sessions, deal-making business expos, over 14 workshops, hosted luncheons and cocktail receptions.

Oct. 31, 2005 - GLBT Media Forum
Nov. 1, 2005 - Main Convention

Registration is now open. Please call us today: 323-653-1960 or visit www.echelonmag.com.

Bonus: As part of registration, all attendees will receive a complimentary yearly subscription to both Echelon Magazine and DiversityInc

Under the GLBT Microscope

2005-07-11T15:44:00.000-05:00

Today, Spain’s first ever legally-recognized same-sex marriage took place. Two men, who have been a couple for 30 years, took their vows in a city council room in the Madrid suburb of Tres Cantos.

Meanwhile, here in America, we’ve seen a great deal of back-and-forth motion on the issue of gay marriage. Some states are embracing the idea of recognizing gay unions, mostly calling them “civil unions” rather than “marriage.” On the flip side of the coin, other states have outlawed them through voter referendums and constitutional amendments.

Where does that leave the American gay consumer? For one, they’re left with a mix of hope and disappointment.

As a result, however, gays and lesbians are increasingly paying attention to the corporate behavior of the brands that they use. A company that shows its support of the gay community, whether through anti-discrimination policies and same sex benefits and/or sponsorships of GLBT-related events, can make huge gains in attracting this fiercely loyal group to their products. Likewise, a brand that expresses an opposing view stands to lose this consumer base for a long time…and believe us, the GLBT community has a very long collective memory.

And what about those gay agnostic companies somewhere in the middle? They may not lose their existing gay customers, but they certainly won’t put themselves in a position to tap this $615 billion market either.

Something to consider:
What are your company’s policies toward its GLBT employees? If it’s anything shy of a written anti-discrimination policy and same-sex partner benefits, there’s definite room for improvement. Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s leading gay rights organization, just published its “State of the Workplace for LGBT Americans” report. It can be accessed online at www.hrc.org/sotw.

Politics & GLBT Marketing

2005-07-05T16:19:00.000-05:00

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind for supporters of gay and lesbian rights. Canada and Spain passed laws granting full rights of marriage to its gay citizens, and the United Church of Christ has endorsed same-sex marriage, making it the largest Christian denomination to do so.

What does that mean for brands looking to burn themselves into the minds of GLBT consumers? If they’re willing to take a stand, it means a lot. There’s no better way for a brand to say “we value you as a customer” than to first say “we value you as a person.”

Here are three recent examples, two good and one bad, of companies that have gotten involved in the public dialogue about gay rights and same-sex marriage:

On June 22nd, Nike, one of the world’s most recognizable shoe brands, announced its support of two Oregon GLBT civil rights bills: legislation to create civil unions and an antidiscrimination bill. Gay rights groups from the statewide Basic Rights Oregon to the national Human Rights Campaign publicly praised Nike in the media and to their tens of thousands of collective members for the company’s support of the legislation.

During last year’s elections, Pete Coors was running for one of Colorado’s seats in the US Senate on a conservative platform, including the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would amend the U.S. Constitution to limit marriage in this country to one man and one woman. In a show of support for its GLBT consumers, we suggested that Coors Brewing Co. announce publicly that they, as a company, do not support the Federal Marriage Amendment. The company, which has been battling misconceptions and untruths since the 1970s about its relationship with the GLBT community, was the only major U.S. company to do so. From a marketing and public relations perspective, it gave us another opportunity to showcase the Coors Brewing Co.’s decades-long allegiance to its gay and lesbian consumers.

Unfortunately, not all companies have been so wise when wading into the political waters. Microsoft flip-flopped on a gay rights bill up for a vote earlier this year in the Washington State Legislature. First, the company publicly supported the bill. Then, after a meeting with a Seattle evangelist who threatened a national boycott, the company withdrew its support of the legislation. The bill lost by a single vote in the state’s Senate (the House had already passed it). A few weeks later, Microsoft did an about-face and said that it would publicly support similar future legislation, but not before its image was bruised in the eyes of gay consumers.

Don't Be "Gay Vague"

2005-06-27T17:32:00.000-05:00

The following article about MergeMedia's thoughts on GLBT marketing appeared in the June 27th issue of Adweek and Mediaweek magazines:

Don't Be "Gay Vague"

“Gay vague messaging is a waste of marketing dollars,” says Dawn Meifert, president of Merge Media Group, one of the nation’s most successful new gay agencies.

“Vague actually works against your brand. The GLBT market knows when advertising is trying to straddle a line – be ‘kind of gay’,” she laughs.

“And as everyone knows by now – there’s no such thing as ‘kind of gay’.’”

Meifert started Merge because she noticed gays and lesbians were either absent from advertising – even in gay media – or their representation was insultingly unrealistic.

“Gays and lesbians have traditionally been either the punch line of advertising or ridiculous caricatures,” Meifert observed. “The reality is that the GLBT market is a broad, upscale, more educated and savvy group. And if you talk to us correctly, we’re one of the most lucrative and loyal demographics in the history of marketing.”

Meifert sites recent research showing the GLBT market is worth more than $600 Billon in revenue. Gays are also America’s most brand-loyal demo, with 87% reporting that they will try and stay with “gay-right” brands.

“’Gay-right’ doesn’t mean militant or loud. It’s respect, commitment and value,” Meifert says. “Demonstrate those attributes, offer a product that fits their lives, and gays will loyally buy your brand.”

“Our strategic creative is rooted in the fundamentals of packaged goods marketing. It’s disciplined, rational and keeps the target always top of mind,” Meifert adds. “It’s amazing how many otherwise intelligent brands approach this market so blindly, so incorrectly. It’s simply a waste.”

Merge efforts have begun to pay off for major American brands. For instance, Merge has won a three-year national GLBT marketing contract with Colorado-based Coors Brewing Co. to dispel decades-old misconceptions about the company and its relationship with the GLBT community.

The Dallas-based agency is also creating a series of public service announcements for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The first PSA featured Academy Award nominee Julianne Moore.

Meifert’s strongest advice to brands reaching out to the $613-billion market is to be focused and direct. Respect the audience and speak openly to them.

“Don’t equivocate,” Meifert says, smiling. “Don’t do ‘kind of’ marketing – unless, of course, you only want to ‘kind of’ sell your brand.”