The history of LGBTQ+ brand support/allyship has been a roller coaster. Historically it had been considered risky for brands to express support for the community and whatever support there was, typically was relegated only to Pride month in June. Gradually, over the last two decades, the pendulum swung in the other direction, to the point it was considered risky for brands not to support the community for fear of being called out in social media. In 2023, the pendulum took a significant shift back, as a reaction to some inclusive marketer tactics:
– Bud Light engaged transgender model Dylan Malvaney as an influencer, as did Nike.
– Hershey engaged Fae Johnstone, a 27-year-old trans woman, as one of five women featured on limited-edition chocolate bars as part of their International Women’s Day celebration.
– The North Face featured the model Pattie Gonia, a drag artist and activist, in a video running through the woods wearing a North Face rainbow mini-dress with matching rainbow leg warmers as part of its Summer of Pride celebration.
– Target offered a wide assortment specially produced Pride merchandise throughout its stores.
All received significant opposition from right wing conservatives. In some Target stores, displays were destroyed and workers were harassed. Bud Light and Target awkwardly pulled back their support, which then engaged the wrath of the LGBTQ+ community for not being sincere in their support and having the courage of their convictions. A study published in the March 20, 2024 edition of the Harvard Business Review entitled Lessons from The Bud Light Boycott, One Year Later, found that 8 months post Pride event, Bud Light sales and purchase incidence had decreased 28% nationally. The decline was approximately 32% in more Republican counties versus 22% in more Democratic counties. Retailers & distributors permanently reduced its shelf space, and many bars removed Bud Light tap handles. In the case of the North Face, Marjorie Taylor Green tweeted that it made her want to switch to generic brand clothing, and Lauren Boebert called for a boycott of all North Face Products. Despite this, the North Face stood behind their campaign and did not back down.
As Todd Murray, Founder/President of Gaybors Agency shared, 2024 cuts in Pride support have been based on corporate fear. They don’t want to be in the bull’s eye. According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, 87% of executives believe that taking a public stance on a social issue is riskier than staying silent. In 2024, many brands decided that making a bold statement of support for the community during Pride month was not worth the perceived risk and they pulled back on support. Significantly less Pride merchandise was produced and marketed at retail, and ad spend, social media and specific content were reduced.
There has also been a pullback in DEI spending and interest by high profile companies such as Brown Forman, Ford, Lowe’s, Tractor Supply, Deere & Co. & Harley Davidson. According to Robyn Streisand, Dual Founder/CEO of The Mixx and Titanium, the first certified minority owned and operated agency founded 28 years ago, also a B-Corp, multi-cultural marketing peaked in 2020 during the political unrest associated with George Floyd’s murder and the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. In this controversial 2024 election year, she’s observed that many brands have pulled away from anything that can be perceived as political support for either party.
Why The Community Should Matter To Brands Economically
Kate Wolff, Founder and CEO of Lupine Creative and Co-Chair and Co-Founder of Do the WeRQ, an LGTBQ+ grassroots organization and platform for change geared toward the advertising and marketing industry, feels it’s more important than ever for brands to future-proof themselves by supporting the LGBTQ+ community due to its incredible size, growth rate, and spending power. It’s the largest minority in the U.S. and it cuts across every race, ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic group, age, and body type. According to a 2024 research report by Mintel, nearly half of the US population has a family member or friend who is LGBTQ+, and the community’s spending power is estimated at $1.4 trillion this year. According to a Gallup poll in 2021, 20.8% of Gen Z identified as LGBTQ+ in the U.S., up from 10.5% in 2017. In that study, 56% of the U.S. LGBTQ+ identifying population was between 18 and 34. If younger than 18-year-olds were included, the percent would be even higher.
A 2020 study by Credit Suisse found that the LGBT inclusive stocks basket outperformed non-inclusive stocks. It showed that publicly traded companies that pursued solidarity with the queer community delivered above-average performance. A 2020 report from the U.S. Census found that same-sex couples had higher incomes than heterosexual couples, and a 2017 article in the Harvard Business Review cited that 2017 marked the point at which gay men in the U.S. surpassed straight men in average annual income.
Kate shared that while there’s been much progress in LGBTQ+ support nationally, there has also unfortunately been a correlation of hate. According to the ACLU, earlier this year, 527 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were pending in different states and in 2023, 500 bills restricting LGBTQ+ rights were introduced in the U.S., more than in the past 5 years combined. 86 of those bills passed and hate speech about the community has been rising on social media. Industry watchdog GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) in its Advertising Visibility Index, shared that LGBTQ+ people were featured in only 3% of the 436 ads from the top 10 largest advertisers. Advertising spend on community media was reported as only 0.03% of all media, and only 1.5% of all multicultural media spend in the U.S.
Kate Wolff expressed that Gen Z expects brands to behave like people, and more than any other age cohort, they relate to brands through social media. The brands they choose are part of their identity. Micro-affirmations by brands can be powerful and companies need to show they’re listening to their audience. As Todd Murray shared, “Younger community members are more demanding. Brands need to figure it out now, or it will be too late. The world is changing. Social media is holding brands to account and you have to show up. You need to talk to young people and hear their stories.”
Insights from the 5 sector experts I interviewed coalesced around 9 important themes regarding how brands can best navigate planning for 2025 for authentic LGBTQ+ impact, within the context of balancing support for other multicultural groups.
1) As Robyn Streisand shared, if brands are true LGBTQ+ allies, that should be part of the mission, vision and value proposition, and there must be an internal corporate champion at the highest level. Jamie Dimon Chairman of JPMorgan Chase was cited as a role model who speaks frequently about community support both inside and outside the company and walks the talk. As Kate Wolf shared, support must be part of the entire company’s commitment, so a Marketing executive who oversaw development of a community initiative that received negative backlash is supported by the organization and not blamed. As she stressed, there needs to be a back-up plan with planned responses and actions if unsurprising backlash happens.
2) Robyn Streisand also stressed that building trust, support and loyalty from the LGBTQ+ community is a long-term proposition. It’s all about the long game, requiring from brands consistent actions, authenticity, and less emphasis on the now.
3) The community responds when brands show they care. In the 2024 LGBTQ+ Advertising and Brand Experience Study conducted by the advertising measurement organization DISQO with Do The WeRQ, 17% of the 6,000 individuals surveyed had a negative impression of brands that celebrate Pride month, including conservative activist groups, some of whom are disproportionately vocal. In contrast, 80% of the LGBTQ+ people surveyed had positive views of brands that support Pride Month. When asked “Have you ever intentionally purchased a product marked with a Pride celebratory message because of the message”, 26% of respondents overall said yes, vs. 73% among LGBTQ+ respondents. As Matt Wagner, VP Client Services at LGBTQ+ marketing and consulting agency Target 10 stated , “Queer consumers are hyper aware of how brands act”.
Todd Murray shared that the reaction among community members to supportive ads that come across as sincere is “I’m excited to spend with brands that provide a space and place for me and my family.” Brands can show they care through authentic programing, dedicated sections on websites with relevant content from and for the community beyond the basics, and by providing a safe experience and place to meet others.
4) LGBTQ+ support should be year-round, not one month or one event that uses the rainbow logo. In the previously mentioned DISQO study, when asked how important it was that brands show support for the LGBTQ+ community year-round, 50% of the general population said yes vs. 88% of the LGBTQ+ population. As Matt Wagner shared, “companies are trying to figure out what consistent engagement outside of celebrating Pride in June looks like, when it stops being Pride marketing and becomes authentic LGBTQ+ engagement.”
5) Robyn Streisand expressed that support should extend beyond marketing to include supplier diversity programs and ongoing community focused ERG’s (Employee Resource Groups) internally in companies. According to the DISQO study, inclusive workplace policies were the #1 action that brands can take to show support. In advertising, the community should be involved in all roles that impact ultimate success of the message, including writing, storyline, language, intonation, message nuances, and the fine points of production that can all make a difference in making the community feel heard. Matt Wagner shared that involving LGBTQ+ directors, copywriters, graphic designers, and community experts in the project from start to finish ensures not only the right LGBTQ+ insights are harnessed, but the look and feel is authentically and uniquely queer. “A wide variety of identities involved can mean that not just one particular queer POV shines through, but many. There needs to be a real connection in the work, and lived experience from those within the community can best result in campaigns that will resonate and not appear tone-deaf.”
6) The entire community should not be painted with one broad brush as there are significant differences among different gender identifying subsegments. A well-received effort involves showing more nuanced understanding and representation. It’s essential to have different shades of the rainbow on the marketing team. While it’s unrealistic to market to all the nuanced identities, one strategy is to let different members of the community “speak” alternately in marketing communication. Matt Wagner shared Kenvue’s CARE WITH PRIDE® program for brands including Neutrogena, Tylenol, and Listerine to elevate diverse voices year-round. In a partnership with Jubilee Media, it focused on individualized storytelling and authentic representation by 5 diverse key opinion leaders through “pass the mic” type content on its Spectrum series. Todd Murray gave the example of a program for BetterHelp Online Therapy, where people shared their challenges and how therapy has helped them.
7) Todd Murray expressed that brand investment in LGBTQ+ causes and organizations should be a mix of top-tier organizations like the Trevor Project and Human Rights Campaign (HRC), but also very importantly, investments in smaller, more local organizations that really need the support to survive and do good. Smaller non-profits can address the challenges and uplift the voices of real, everyday people on a very local level.
8) Understanding the queer media ecosystem can be just as important as the actual message. As Matt Wagner pointed out, context and environment matter for reaching micro targets with nuanced messages, and getting the best return on media spend. He suggested exploring not only legacy queer platforms, but also smaller, newer ones like Autostraddle, a news and entertainment site for the community, and So.Gay, a site that focuses on gay culture.
9) There is a lack of creativity and innovation in LGBTQ+ marketing – but LGBTQ+ community members can amplify that creativity. The typical message is Brand X is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community, and the same mega LGBTQ+ influencers tend to be utilized by different companies which can create confusion. Micro-influencers can better reach micro-targets. They’re known to have higher engagement rates, can generate more creative and engaging messaging, and can span interest realms from performance art, to graphic arts and fashion. As Matt Wagner pointed out, “general marketing agencies tend to develop creative that talks to queer people about queerness, and there are other messages that can engage the community.”
Key Take-Aways
In spite of some recent opposition, brand support for the growing and economically huge LGBTQ+ community matters more than ever, yet it’s undeniably challenging to figure out how best to show up. What’s key is that that companies articulate their support throughout organizations and embed it in the company’s mission, vision and values. What’s needed is having:
- The right, representative, “in-touch” teams working on messaging and media placement
- More nuanced understanding of the market through better marketing research
- More original thinking regarding what messaging can be and where and how to deliver it
- Year-round marketing support that goes beyond marketing to include internal corporate policies
Special thanks to Graham Nolan, Co-Chair, Storytelling & Partnerships at Do The WeRQ, for introducing me to such an amazing group of professionals with such great insights to share. To quote Graham, “The pressures of election year communications and the general need to reassess given tense discussions in the marketplace creates new challenges for CMOs. But wise marketers seeking growth will use this time to strategize and determine what committed investment and policy look like in the face of backlash. The stats and the spend are firmly in favor of committed support for diverse experiences, but leaders need a decisive map of how to connect to that spend so they can stop reacting and start acting.”
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