 |
 |
 |
|
||
 Home Services Portfolio Press Resources Contact |
|
Once upon a time not so very long ago, the solution to creating a marketing presence in the gay community was as simple as taking the ad you ran in the daily newspaper and buying space for it in a gay publication. The solution for a Pride Day supplement ad was running a shot of a drag queen, remembering to include your logo, making it easier to remember which drag queen was the spokesmodel for which product. And once upon a time, a gay marketing campaign was simply remembering to place your ad in the Pride Day supplement once a year. Things have changed. Like other consumer segments, gay consumers have become both more sophisticated and more cynical. A sequined drag queen and effete stereotyped images are not tolerated as representative of gay men, to say nothing of the lesbian population. Boycott tactics once used against companies that marketed to gays and lesbians have been hijacked and are now used against companies -- just ask Dr. Laura, who had SkyTel Communications, GEICO, Xerox and Procter & Gamble either pull advertisements or decline to advertise on her show for fear of offending the gay community, or perhaps more accurately, of losing the valued gay market. The Internet provided a gay audience in numbers previously unheard of, and an opportunity to research the market segment with that much more depth. And the number of marketers vying for the gay audience and the gay dollar increased, requiring better tactics and execution to have their brand break through. In short, the value of the gay market segment itself increased. Was it the disposable income, the brand loyalty, the early-adopter influence or the simple economic math that made courting the gay audience such an attractive proposition? Whatever the case, marketing to the gay community has become a nuanced effort that can no longer rely on traditional marketing tactics alone. Today's gay consumer demands a commitment from advertisers willing to broach the market that extends beyond slapping a pink triangle or a rainbow flag onto the corner of an ad. That commitment extends into workplace policies, community involvement and a level of understanding of the issues surrounding and enveloping the gay community at large. Companies like American Express, American Airlines, Capital One, Crest, Nivea, IBM and Subaru are gay marketing leaders because they chose to be by their actions: by creating workplace policies and associations for gay employees; by constructing and instituting diversity programs; by courting the gay audience on their own terms, by tailoring creative to them, with words and images that they could relate to as gay individuals, as gay consumers willing to spend their gay dollars, often times, faster than their straight counterparts. The stalwart brands marketing to the gay audience remain beer and beverages. The reason is simple: it's a strategy that's paid off time and time again. There's a high probability you won't see Rufus Wainwright in a half-time beer commercial any time soon, but there's an equally high probability that same beer company could be the marquee sponsor at the club he's singing at. Or you could see his face used in an ad the beer company's created specifically for the gay market. And although Absolut has done exceptional work in this market, it doesn't have to be just beer and beverages that "get it". Dominion groceries has created ads specifically for gay publications. Funny, simple irreverent ads that make the gay audience aware that Dominion is aware of them, and values them on their own terms. Maybe someone at Dominion read that Greenfield Online statistic that said gay consumers prefer to buy from companies that advertise to the gay and lesbian consumer market, and 44% will buy from these companies even if the prices are somewhat higher. Or maybe it's just something they realized for themselves. Either way, it's what marketing to the gay community is all about; a balancing act of marketing to the gay community without offending the gay audience, without offending your existing core audience. About Wilde Marketing Wilde Marketing is a gay marketing and advertising agency offering comprehensive advertising, marketing communications, strategic and public relation services to companies who understand the value of engaging gay consumers in this country. The company is located at 2722 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4N 2H9, 416.821.3074 phone, 416.483.3513 fax. For more information, email Wilde Marketing. |
|
||
|
|
© 2002 Wilde Marketing - Gay Marketing |