Why brands must stop treating LGBT+ as a niche segment
I love that ad for Rowse Honey with the three hairy gay blokes. You know the one: they’ve amusingly re-purposed the “bear” word to its 21st century sexual context. I wonder how many parents have had to explain that one. And where’s Goldilocks?
Rowse Honey's latest ad features three gay bears
It’s great that some brands recognise that the world has moved on, and quickly. Can you believe that just over two years ago there weren’t any LGBT+ networks in advertising? We set up the first one as a general, ‘everyone is welcome’ network and I’m delighted to see many others have followed with networks in their own creative workplaces, and across holding companies.
That’s an amazing if belated change compared to other industries like law, where almost every decent firm has an active LGBT+ network nowadays. More importantly our own industry changes have not kept pace with changes in the audiences we serve. That’s where there has been a massive shift in attitudes and awareness. A shift that I believe has been overlooked by many.
PrideAM lobbies brands and their creative partners to include LGBT+ content in their mainstream communications.
There are at least two very good reasons why brands should include LGBT+ content:
1. Because it’s an important signal to consumers that you’re a progressive, inclusive brand. For those brands with a stated purpose, it is often another proof point of that purpose.
2. Because LGBT+ content now has much more than only niche appeal. Today LGBT+ themes are of relevance to significantly more consumers. And that’s the shift that I believe has been overlooked.
Consider these numbers: according to YouGov, 49% of 18-24-year-olds do not think of themselves as 100% straight. So, if your brand is aimed at millennials it sounds like at least half of them have a completely non-stereotypical attitude to sexuality and gender. Add to this their family, friends and work colleagues and that influence becomes even more significant.
If your brand is aimed beyond millennials, here’s another figure from the same study: 53% of the over 60s agree that “sexuality is a scale; it is possible to be somewhere near the middle”.
We’ve just completed our own PrideAM study which showed that 60% of the general population believe it is important that people of different gender identities are accurately portrayed in advertising and marketing. Even more - 66% - felt it was important to accurately portray people with different sexual orientations.
Talk to kids and they’ll tell you they have out LGBT+ friends at school, as well as friends who want you to use gender-neutral pronouns. And in most cases for them it’s just not an issue. Carrying PrideAM’s banner at Pride in London this year I found myself marching alongside an amazing 13-year-old girl who was out at school. She’d just got a girlfriend and told me shyly “but we haven’t kissed yet.”
We’re witnessing a seismic shift in attitudes to sexuality and gender. And these attitudes are now carried by the majority of consumers. Brands that ignore them, do so at their peril.
Of course, LGBT+ content should be woven into a carefully thought-through and broader inclusion and diversity strategy. That must always start from within. It must always be authentic.
PrideAM has published a white paper, Outvertising, which gives advice on authentic, inclusive marketing. It is celebrating best practice in this field with the Pride Brand Makeover.
Mark Runacus is president of PrideAM and co-founder of Karmarama. He tweets at @markrunacus.