Gay Market News. Gay Marketing is Out Now.

Gay marketing is Out Now. Gay Market News.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

VisitSweden Gay Marketing by Out Now

Lesbian and gay travelers are not looking to be marketed to - they want to experience respect and understanding as equal consumers of companies products and services. What does that mean to marketers? Talk with gay consumers, not at them.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
June 24, 2009

Topics: Gay and lesbian travel. Lesbian and gay tourism. Gay marketing. Out Now. VisitSweden. LGBT Travel. GLBT tourism and gay travel. Lesbian travellers. Gay and lesbian advertising and lesbian and gay marketing. Stockholm In Full Glory. Sweden. Out Now UK gay marketing campaign for Stockholm.

Sweden is one of those places you really have to visit to properly understand its people.

Long famed throughout the world for attributes of tolerance and respect for differences, there is a far more complex reality at play when you get to know many Swedes.

One city where you are well placed to do precisely that is Stockholm.

Out Now recently launched VisitSweden's largest gay marketing campaign to date in the UK market.

Called 'Stockholm In Full Glory' the campaign was managed by the UK Marketing Manager for VisitSweden, Linda Ericson - ably assisted by her fabulous colleague Christina Guggenberger of Stockholm Visitors Board.

The campaign draws upon the inspiration of Magnus Lindbergh of VisitSweden New York office and also uses the statue photography of Landeros Studios.

Talk With Consumers, Not At Them

Out Now visited Stockholm in January as a guest of the Stockholm Visitors Board and Visit Sweden.

In working with any new client - it is important to assess how much of the 'Gay Marketing 101' basics they already know, and how much hand holding is needed.

In the case of VisitSweden and Stockholm Visitors Board, it was clear that both organizations were well aware of the valuable importance of the lesbian and gay travel market to their overall marketing strategies. Both Stockholm and Visit Sweden already included gay microsites on their main web sites.

What we needed to do was decide what was it about Stockholm - beyond the stereotypes of ABBA and Volvo cars - that could appeal to any traveler, including gays and lesbians.

The Four Themes of Stockholm

On my return in January to cold, wet London it was clear to me what things had made an impact on me during my just-completed first trip.

Water - Stockholm is a place that is surrounded by the stuff. It is everywhere. But more than that, it is profoundly beautiful - and I believe actually helps explain the serene nature that many Swedes seem to carry around with them during their everyday lives.

Beauty - lives just about every place in Stockholm. The architecture, the archipelago, the clean lines of style and elegance that slice through the city. Beauty simply envelops the visitor to Stockholm.

Design - Many of the world's leading designs originate in Sweden. Stockholm flies the flag for great Swedish design extremely well. From clothing to architecture to furniture and more. Great design leads the way for Swedish culture.

Legends - Ask anyone to name some Swedish legends and you will probably be surprised. After the mandatory ABBA response, we discover a wealth of legends like Greta Garbo, Bjorn Borg, Ingmar Bergman and more. Even what I believe is quite possibly the most spectacular museum in the world - The Vasa Museum in Stockholm - is built right around the greatest Swedish legend of all, the massive 17th century ship The Vasa.

Start a Conversation

What impressed me most about Stockholm was how little I knew of what the city is really like, before I visited.

All those elements - beauty, water, design and legends - were almost completely unknown to me as being critically important parts of what makes up the fabric of Stockholm as a unique European destination.

Out Now's challenge was to create a strategy for starting a conversation with lesbian and gay travelers themselves about why Stockholm belongs on their travel shopping lists.

We used a range of techniques.

First, we visited Stockholm and filmed local Stockholm gay guys sending an invitation to their UK counterparts to visit.

Video: The various themes are available online for viewing at the YouTube channel for VisitSwedenUK.

Here is the Out Now video for Legends.

The Legends and Beauty theme videos also include some nice gay-welcoming messaging from two of the people we spoke with. Natural and authentic - and very, very appealing for other gay people to hear so naturally expressed about a potential tourism destination.

These videos are then linked to an online promotion where people visit to enter to win a free trip to Stockholm.

That is motivated by winning a free trip of course, but it was also a good opportunity for Out Now to deliver some real-time market analysis for our client, so we recommended that the selection of the favourite video of the four should be an element to enter. Brand promotion tied-in with useful market research insight. A nice and efficient approach. (How Swedish in design!)

The marketing package was then supported with print advertising in two leading UK gay media titles, Beige Travel and GT.

This weekend, the final element of the Stockholm UK gay marketing promotion for 2009 is delivered - with a gay media FAM trip to Stockholm by journalists from leading UK gay media products and websites.

All in all, this has been a campaign for which Out Now feels a great deal of pride. And one which the client thinks is "quite good".

"Stockholm offers a unique and exceptional experience and we want the gay community to feel especially welcome" says Linda Ericson at VisitSweden. "This campaign provides a good platform to get our message out there in a creative way, and let people know what makes Stockholm so special."

One More Thing

Stockholm has just become the second GayComfort accredited Preferred Partner destination in the GayComfort program.

More on that later, but suffice to say that Christina Guggenberger and her colleagues at Stockholm Visitors Board know a thing or two about lesbian and gay travel marketing.

It is never enough to just 'talk the talk' - and tick a box claiming "we are gay-friendly".

Gay and lesbian consumers are far more sophisticated than that.

They expect their suppliers to 'walk the walk' - by delivering truly gay-comfortable, welcoming accommodation and attractions when they travel.

Which is precisely what GayComfort does for the fine hotels and attractions of the Stockholm Gay Network.

The 'Stockholm In Full Glory' campaign continues.

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If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.
---------------

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Argentina Gay Marketing Tour De Force

One of the great parts of my work is meeting new people and seeing new places. Next month brings both when a gay marketing 'tour de force' takes hold of Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
June 18, 2009

Topics: Argentina. Buenos Aires. Gay marketing. LGBT entrepreneurs. GLBT market. Gay travel. Lesbian tourism. Gay and lesbian advertising. Out Now. Gay and lesbian marketing conferences. 2nd International forum of gay marketing specialists taking place next month in BA, Argentina.

Gay and lesbian marketing is literally spreading its reach around the entire globe.

One city with no illusions about the strong marketing potential of the global gay and lesbian market is Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Next month the 2nd International Meeting of Business People and Entrepreneurs Focused on The GLBT Market is taking place in Buenos Aires from July 15 - July 16.

Jam-packed with gay marketing goodness

The seminar program is formidable - with many leading gay marketing luminaries on the agenda.

I was privileged to be invited - and my seminar is called: Gay Marketing - How To Get It Right.

Or - as I am also delighted to offer: Marketing Gay - Como Crear Una Campana Efectiva.

The program features a well designed, high quality and very informative program of gay marketing content.

The event has received official recognition from the City of Buenos Aires - being allocated a certificate of financial importance - signifying just how seriously the city appreciates the immense value and power of the global gay and lesbian market.

Because of the global emphasis and importance of this Forum it is being sponsored by both the City of Buenos Aires Tourism Board and the National Argentina Tourism Department.

One presentation I am especially looking forward to is that from the President of the now global gay hotels brand - Axel Hotels - the highly respected Mr Juan P. Juliá.

Powerhouse organizers

The people behind this event are two highly impressive guys - Pablo De Luca and Gustavo Noguera.

Gustavo and Pablo are also behind some great gay targeted business initiatives including GMaps360 - an innovative gay and lesbian information maps service; and GNetwork360 - the organizing brand behind next month's gay marketing conference in Buenos Aires.

It is one of the highlights of my year to be invited to this leading-edge gay marketing event in Buenos Aires.

For those of you that can make it - please be sure to say hi there!

To register: click here.

The 2nd International Meeting of Business People and Entrepreneurs Focused on The GLBT Market takes place on July 15 and 16, 2009 at the very well-targeted 'hetero-friendly hotel', The Axel Hotel, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Reservations are limited, free of charge, and available now online. Book now to secure your - and your colleagues' - place.

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If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.
---------------

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras - Split Right In Two

Having lived in Sydney's gay and lesbian community for many years, I know that Sydney can really get its knickers into a twist over its much revered annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Now a fundamental change to the running of the event is threatening to split the event in two. Learn what happened.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
June 17, 2009

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is a much treasured Australian institution.

From humble beginnings as a street parade demanding gay rights back in 1978, the event has grown to become the largest nighttime gay and lesbian parade in the world.

Mardi Gras cops it for lots of reasons.

Some have criticized its increasing reliance on commercial sponsorship back in the 1990s.

It has survived near bankruptcy several times, yet comes back, year-after-year, to face off its critics.

Now though, a new Sydney gay and lesbian community row has erupted that some feel threatens the very nature of the event itself.

Split In Two

Mardi Gras has, since almost its very beginnings, had two key core components to its own existence: a street parade, followed by a party that was designed to get people safely off the streets.

This combined parade and party nexus saw the event evolve to become a multi-million dollar generator of revenues to NSW State and Federal Australian tourism coffers.

A few weeks back, Mardi Gras organizers announced - quite unexpectedly - that after consultation with their own members and volunteers it had been decided that they would separate the date of the annual Mardi Gras parade so that it ran one week earlier than the annual party - already announced and booked as being the first weekend of March in 2010.

This raised more than a few eyebrows - especially given that in almost all of its 31 years of existence, Mardi Gras had included a night street parade followed by an all-night gay and lesbian party. Many of the earlier ones of which became quite legendary. (Trust me - I was there. They were amazing.)

The story went quiet for a few days.

Meanwhile in the background a gay cruise company in the US - Atlantis Events - were discovered to have been publicizing on their website that their first gay cruise to Sydney was "timed perfectly" to coincide with the annual Mardi Gras Parade and Party.

Sounds like a smart gay marketing match made in 'strategic thinking' heaven, right?

Only problem was the ship is in town for just a couple of days - and one full week before the Mardi Gras Party was supposed to happen.

Ouch!

As they say - the truth will out, and a former President of the pre-bankruptcy incarnation of Mardi Gras - decided he would spill the beans, 'quietly' posting a note onto a gay media website that the decision to separate the parade and party dates for 2010 Mardi Gras had little or nothing to do with 'consultation' with gay community members and volunteers, and far, far more to do with keeping the interests of Atlantis Events happy.

Atlantis Events is listed on the Mardi Gras website as being a "major" financial partner of Mardi Gras.

Their own website has been hastily changed and now reads:

We’ll update our plans for Mardi Gras more completely in mid-2009, but Atlantis will offer priority access to all the major events during our weekend stay.

How it all resolves will be fascinating to watch - but expect fireworks to fly at this year's Mardi Gras Annual General Meeting in August. When the worlds of commerce and Sydney gay community politics collide, it is rarely very pretty.

I so hope this is not a case of 'the tail wagging the dog'.

Being split in two must surely hurt. I suspect we are all about to find out just how much.

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If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.
---------------

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Gay CUD or Gay CRUD?

Is it safe to ask for a favorite song at Paris bars? Not necessarily. I did, and they literally threw me out. The reason? For requesting songs the Paris DJ preferred not to play. Learn why.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
June 12, 2009

To regular readers I apologize in advance.

I do not normally discuss my personal situation.

No offence to any of you - but I like 'Ian Johnson - CEO of Out Now' to be someone other than me if I choose to go out for a quiet night.

As it happens, tonight I did have a work hat on - and was reviewing a Paris gay bar I had heard good things about called The Cud.

I made what I would have thought was a minor mistake in asking the Paris DJ to play two of my favorite songs. The bar man in fact - when I asked if I could request a song - actually had encouraged me to write these down on a piece of paper he gave to me to show to the DJ at The Cud.

The DJ made clear he did not want to play these songs. I then stuck that paper onto a random piece of blu-tack I spotted on the wall. Quite some distance away from the DJ booth at this Paris club.

I had forgotten all about the music request until about 20 minutes later -- when out of nowhere THREE muscled door attendants turned up, specifically to remove me from The CUD dance floor - to the shock of the Swiss people I happened to be chatting with at the time.

When I asked the door people what had happened (in my very bad French) they told those now around me (outside this Paris club, and who politely translated for me) that "I would know".

As I can assume only that the reason was that I had dared to ask for a couple of songs that I would like to hear played by the DJ at the club, to the DJ's obvious distaste - that response annoyed me more than just a little.

Is The CUD a great place for gay men to visit in Paris? Well, in my opinion, NOT if you might dare to ask the Friday night DJ for a song. Watch out!

PS - For those who care - my infracting songs requested then forlornly stuck onto a wall were "Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics" and "Situation - Yazoo".

Annoyed the DJ did not want to play either of my songs? A little bit, but not overly. I was more amused by him really. Maybe that set him off.

Angry the Paris DJ then had me ejected for "daring" to stick the piece of paper with the two request songs written on it onto the wall? Absolutely. Quite shocked by that really. Still am.

If The CUD wanted ever to allow these songs to be played I might consider going back...

But if tonight's DJ was there - I seriously suspect neither of us would miss the other. The only difference between us being that I would never try to get my "thugs" to manhandle him out of anywhere.

There you go. AYOR - 'At Your Own Risk' I guess that The Cud gay bar in Paris would have to be rated, for gays, lesbians and their friends, based on my personal experience, and my opinion.

---------------
If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.
---------------

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Gay Tourism and Tel Aviv

As I write this a very important new gay marketing event is taking place in Tel Aviv. The first annual Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Tourism Expo is now underway. And it looks like the start of something big.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
June 12, 2009

TOPICS: Gay and lesbian tourism. Gay travel. LGBT marketing. Lesbian and gay travel market. Middle East. Tel Aviv. Israel. AGUDA. Tel Aviv Pride. Gay and Lesbian Tourism Expo now underway in Tel Aviv.

One of the hardest places to explain - to those who've never been - must surely be Tel Aviv in Israel.

I approached my first visit to Tel Aviv this year with a mix of excitement and trepidation, wondering what was waiting in such a place?

When one's information is gleaned largely from the drive-by reporting of sources such as CNN and Sky News, you could be forgiven for ending up more than a little misinformed about what life in Tel Aviv is actually like.

There is a lot going on at the moment to investigate these very issues - especially as it relates to tourism development - and we will report back to readers in due course about that.

But in the meantime, today is Tel Aviv Pride day - and one thing many people may be surprised to learn is that today the first ever Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Tourism Expo - organized by AGUDA, the national GLBT Israel association - is happening in conjunction with Tel Aviv Pride.

This groundbreaking event is a sign that things are progressing in Tel Aviv.

Out Now has received various favorable comments from our client base expressing their surprise and their genuine interest in becoming involved with this event.

Tel Aviv Pride happens today and is part of many initiatives of gay and lesbian interest that are currently underway in Tel Aviv and Israel.

It will not be easy to help the rest of the world get past the lingering recollections left by the sound-bites of long departed journalists, but with improving market insight and better-informed strategic tourism marketing thinking - I believe it can be done. The product is great, we just need to bring the market to it to see that.

To all those lucky enough to be in Tel Aviv today - Happy Pride Day!

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If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.
---------------

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

OutGames: Princess Mary Invited

Australia's very own homegrown Princess Mary from Tasmania has just been invited by an Australian gay sports group to attend next month's OutGames, in honor of diversity. Learn how a gay and lesbian sports team from Sydney would value the support of a Princess in Copenhagen.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
June 9, 2009

TOPICS: Princess Mary. Copenhagen. OutGames. Lesbian and gay sports. Mark Burrows. Wett Ones. Gay and lesbian surf lifesavers. Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. Diversity and equality. Denmark. Sydney's Wett Ones gay and lesbian swimming sports team have invited Princess Mary of Copenhagen to next month's OutGames sports festival.

Crown Princess Mary, of Denmark is a woman that Australians have taken to their hearts.

After meeting the dashing Crown Prince Frederik, in Sydney during the 2000 Olympic Games, then falling in love and becoming Crown Princess - Mary, nee Mary Donaldson of Hobart, has become something of a living fairy tale.

Now, Princess Mary gets the chance to show her support for her home country during the forthcoming invasion of Denmark in next month's World OutGames.

Dear Mary...

One of hundreds of teams from around the world in all kinds of sports competing in next month's OutGames is Sydney's impressive Wett Ones swimming squad.

The Wett Ones are a great outfit - they are a gay and lesbian swimming group, fromed back in 1991, who invite anyone to join them - gay or straight - to foster the goals of community understanding, mutual support and fitness.

This group is sending almost one in every four of their 82 members all the way from Sydney to Copenhagen to compete in the Copenhagen World OutGames.

One of the team, Mark Burrows - who also organized the now iconic gay and lesbian Surf Lifesavers in Sydney's annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras - has just sent the Crown Princess Mary a letter inviting her to cheer the team on during the OutGames in Copenhagen.

The Mary Foundation

Her Royal Highness is Patron of The Mary Foundation - an organization that has as its stated objective the fact that 'Everyone has the right to belong'.

"I strongly believe that every individual has the right to belong to a community and to know that there are people who understand them and are concerned for their wellbeing. And this belief is the basis for The Mary Foundation," says Crown Princess Mary.

I will be there next month in Copenhagen to give a presentation on gay marketing at the invitation of the International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

You never know - if the Wett Ones swimmers get lucky, maybe I get to meet Crown Princess Mary.

Let's hope Her Royal Highness might be inclined to stop by. It would mean a great deal as a message of support to many, many lesbians and gay men - from all around the world.

Letter to Crown Princess Mary of Denmark

Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Denmark
The Mary Foundation
Amaliegade 8 B
DK-1256 Copenhagen K

Tuesday 9th June 2009

Dear Your Royal Highness,

I write to you on behalf of Wett Ones Swimming Club in Sydney, Australia. We are a gay and lesbian swimming club; welcoming anyone, gay or straight to join us. We will be visiting your home city of Copenhagen to compete in the 2nd World OutGames from the 24th of July until the 1st of August 2009.

Wett Ones was founded in 1991 and currently has 82 active members, 18 of which will compete in Copenhagen. We have been training hard over the last nine months and all hope to break personal records and hopefully take home a couple of medals.

The OutGames will be a melting pot of people from the world over, coming together in the name of sport. As you would no doubt be aware, events such as this are not just about the sport – people meet life partners and lives change in ways previously un-imaginable. How could anyone forget Sydney 2000 and Princess Mary?

I am writing to you via your ‘Mary Foundation’ which I understand supports issues such as diversity and assisting people with belonging to their community. This is something people in the gay and lesbian community are acutely aware of and we applaud you for recognising such an important issue. It is only when we feel like we have this sense of belonging that we can contribute back to our community.

Although this is short notice and an even shorter long shot; if you are in Copenhagen during our stay we would appreciate any support or involvement you would be able to give. For instance, to see you at the brand new Bellahøj Swimming Arena would be great.

We realise you are a very busy Princess with many obligations and many people to see but if you are feeling a tiny bit homesick then why not come and meet some fellow Australians. Support 'the old country' and reminisce about how your life changed in such unimaginable ways back in 2000.

Sincerely,

Mark Burrows
Wett Ones Swimming Club

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If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.
---------------

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Levi's Comes Out For Gay Marriage

Today New Hampshire voted to legalize gay marriage in that US State. One California company, Levi's jeans, has a gay friendly history. Now, as more US states vote in favor of gay marriage, the Levi Strauss company has made its boldest retail marketing statement yet - in favor of US gay marriage rights.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
June 3, 2009

TOPICS: Levi's Strauss, gay marketing strategies. Lesbian and gay equality. Jeans marketing. Clothing and textiles. US gay and lesbian community. LGBT equality rights. Business news. Levi's jeans puts gay marriage rights forward in its retail marketing.

Levi's jeans is one of the more gay friendly brands, and has been for quite some time.

Out Now has been tracking Levi's gay market strategic development activities going back almost twenty years.

From support of gay and lesbian staff through LGBT equality and diversity policies, to advertising in gay and lesbian media to staff devoting their time to gay rights and causes on the company's charitable '501 Days'.

Now, the company has come out front and center in support of equality for marriage rights for all Americans - including gay and lesbian people.

Gay Market News has long made the point that we at Out Now believe that it is not really about gay rights, or even about 'gay marriage', it is - at its most basic - all about love.

Levi's retail marketing in the US now sees the store mannequins sporting distinctive white knots - a symbol in favor of gay marriage equality for all Americans.

The company is unlikely to be seen by many in a cynical light on this.

When a brand takes a consistent and supportive stance in relation to marketing and supporting their gay customers, they earn a lot of gay community support 'credit points' - much of which translates into brand loyalty, which a campaign such as their current retail marketing 'White Knot' campaign can only serve to strengthen.

Levi's look good and people can feel good about their brand choice by knowing they are helping build a more equal future.

You can watch the gay Levi's TV ad at our YouTube.com/GayMarketing channel.

The White Knot campaign supports the right of gays and lesbians to marry.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.
---------------

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

LGBT Diversity Economic Forum at Europride in Zurich

Zurich, Switzerland takes center stage in the world of LGBT diversity and gay marketing this week.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
May 30, 2009

TOPICS:egma - European Gay Managers Association. IGLCC - International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Network. Zurich, Switzerland. LGBT Diversity issues. Out Now. Gay marketing. International LGBT Economic Forum.

Next week the city of Zurich takes center stage in the gay universe with the annual Europride celebrations taking place there.

Europride culminates next week on June 6 with a huge street parade and gay community party.

Before that there are many and varied cultural and community events taking place all across the wonderful Swiss city of Zurich.

One event that I have been privileged to be invited to speak at is being hosted by the Swiss Network organization for gay managers and professionals, in conjunction with egma - European Gay and Lesbian Managers Association.

International LGBT Economic Forum

This is part of the Zurich Europride 2009 series of cultural events.

The focus of this forum is very interesting, and brings together a powerhouse of lesbian and gay managerial decision-making talent.

LGBT Diversity & Inclusion: Friend or Foe? -- is the theme for the event, and it promises to be an action-packed collection of high-level plenary sessions and in-depth workshops running over two days in Zurich on June 4 and 5.

There are so many impressive speakers: including Angelo Caltagirone, President of egma and member of the board of Network; David Pollard, board member of the International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce IGLCC; Andreas Citeck, Global Business Development Executive, IBM Diversity Solutions; Erika Karp, Head of Global Sector Research, UBS Investment Bank; and Urs Eberhard of Switzerland Tourism.

The sessions are thought-provoking and promise to stimulate a lot of discussion, and probably some energizing debate too.

As well as the various plenary sessions, there are workshops and round-table discussions - all with some of Europe's leading management talent.

I am particularly looking forward to a presentation being given by Andreas Citack of IBM Diversity Solutions: Competitive Edge From Diversity and Inclusion: Real or Imagined? That is a topic that seems likely to focus delegates' minds on the overall LGBT Diversity and Inclusion theme of the forum as a whole.

If you are amongst those lucky enough to be attending this event, please do be sure to come up and say hello.

The International LGBT Economic Forum runs June 4 - 5, 2009 at Technopark, Zurich, Switzerland.

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AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

-------------------
To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

The Apprentice Targets Gay Market

Gay and lesbian travel market branding is not something new. But it is for one place. TV's reality show 'The Apprentice' where UK contestants recently tried their hand at 're-branding' the faded UK seaside town of Margate as a gay destination. Learn how badly they went wrong. And why.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
May 26, 2009

TOPICS: Gay market branding. Lesbian and gay market research. UK lesbian and gay marketing. The Apprentice. Margate, UK seaside resort. BBC TV. The Apprentice BBC TV show in the UK attempts to re-brand Margate as a gay target travel and leisure destination.

Reality TV is a taste I rarely enjoy.

One notable exception is the UK version of Donald Trump's corporate reality program - The Apprentice.

This year's offering has to me seemed weaker than any before it.

Nonetheless it was interesting to watch when the hapless contestants were given a task to 're-brand' a seaside UK destination - the town of Margate in Kent.

Margate and the Pink Pound

The format of 'The Apprentice' TV show is consistent across weeks, across continents, and across versions.

A collection of contestants vie for the 'best' result each week, and are rewarded. The losing team then slug it out in front of the high profile corporate celeb - which in the case of the UK program is the founder of Amstrad Computers, Sir Alan Sugar - and where one of them each week gets to hear that farewell catchphrase: "You're fired!"

When Sir Alan Sugar asked the teams to choose how to best re-brand the seaside town of Margate, one team decided they would target the gay market and attempt to turn Margate into a pink pound tourism magnet.

Their idea was not entirely flawed, although their execution almost entirely was.

What went right?

The team that decided to pitch Margate at the gay travel market did do some things right.

They travelled to the destination and did some fieldwork research. Admirable first market research step.

Admittedly this appeared to consist of not too much more than quizzing some locals about the gay life of Margate, but at least they apparently recognized some kind of need to identify existing product 'assets' they could seek to utilize in their re-branding exercise.

I would like to have seen them doing much more research asking non-Margate gay people - ie their key target audience - what things might attract them to consider a seaside vacation in a town like Margate.

They also had a gay team member who had some say in the selection of their models for a photo shoot campaign for a resulting tourism brochure and poster. (This worked okay, but many times having a gay staff member at a company in charge of corporate gay marketing strategy can be a recipe for disaster - as the individual in question can incorrectly seek to project their own personal experiences of gay life out onto the gay market at large. Usually a costly marketing error ensues.)

Having said that, little about their efforts made an impact likely to attract any kind of serious tourism success for Margate from the gay tourism market.

What went wrong?

There were so many things to fault the hapless team on that I will stick to just a couple.

Time management by their team leader appeared woeful.

We all know that deadlines can sharpen the mind's focus - but cruising blithely through a deadline, without even making any serious effort to complete their brochure, was clearly a fundamental error.

What was even worse though was the actual content they put into their brochure and their poster.

The graphic design visuals used by the team were 'tired' - shall we say. The font really looked like it would be more at home on the BBC's retro hit Ashes to Ashes than on The Apprentice.

The text on the poster was more than excessive in quantum, to say the least.

The worst mistake?

While it is hard to say what was the worst mistake made, it is quite likely their misguided attempt to use a rainbow flag map of the UK showcasing gay centres such as London, Manchester and Brighton and adding in 'Margate' as a fourth name on the map.

This really is unforgiveable as a fundamental error against the most basic of 'Gay Marketing 101' principles.

Margate is not, and likely never will be, a gay centre of the likes of those other cities.

So do not attempt to sell it as such.

There are plenty of good reasons to give lesbians and gay men to discover the joys of a holiday to Margate.

Trying to position the town as a leading UK 'gay capital' is definitely not one of them.

What they should have done?

First step - research. Find out what the target market (ie gay people not from Margate) think of the place.

Then consider the product. How could the location augment its product to better appeal to a gay audience.

For example, register local hotels into the GayComfort training, accreditation and marketing program to show the target audience that the product on offer in Margate would do a good job in service delivery to their needs.

Look into distribution. How should this audience best be reached? Online distribution is a key sales strategy with the gay market, and so partnering with effective and established gay travel and tourism operators could help do a lot to shore up any marketing effort applied by the team themselves.

Improve their woeful marketing. The little we saw of the team's marketing efforts really were sad - and misguided.

Martine Ainsworth-Wells, Marketing Director at VisitLondon - known to readers of Gay Market News - made some well considered remarks in the show's wrap-up episode.

The marketing nutshell?

In gay marketing - as with any effective form of market development strategy - the basics always apply.

In a nutshell - understand the target market, and their needs, then set about meeting those needs. Pure marketing basics.

It would work with Margate - or for Stockholm, or Berlin or Tel Aviv - or any of the many destinations that Out Now currently does exactly this kind of work with.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

---------------
To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

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Thursday, May 21, 2009

IGLTA Rocks Gay Market in Toronto

Toronto, Canada was the focus of the gay and lesbian travel market this month when the IGLTA annual convention rolled into town.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
May 21, 2009

TOPICS: International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association annual convention. Toronto, Canada. Lesbian and gay marketing. Out Now. IGLTA. GayComfort online training and accreditation marketing program. GLBT travel and tourism. Creating Cost-Effective Marketing Strategies. IGLTA convention held in Toronto, Canada.

Toronto, Canada has just found itself at the center of the gay and lesbian travel marketing universe.

The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association - IGLTA - has just concluded their annual convention in Toronto - an event that saw the great and the good of the lesbian and gay tourism marketing fraternity gather for four days of strategy, marketing - and fun.

One of the more exciting developments was the launch of various committees dedicated to enhancing the organization's focus on specific areas of future growth and development of lesbian and gay travel and tourism marketing.

I was invited to join the Education Committee - and it was very encouraging to see the high quality of ideas that resulted from the synergy of collaboration between all members of our Committee.

The business opportunities that arise from the IGLTA convention are very strong and for serious players in the world of gay travel, the IGLTA event is a 'must-attend'.

Creating Cost-Effective Marketing Strategies

Out Now presented an educational seminar that was all about how to utilize a range of smart marketing options that are low-cost, high-value opportunities to increase sales in today's challenging marketing environment.

It was a great experience to interact with so many esteemed colleagues from the world of travel marketing.

I was also pleased to learn a new acronym - SRO - that apparently means 'standing-room only'.

UPDATE: Watch Out Now Gay Marketing Class video here.

During this cost-conscious session I covered a lot of ground, including how to integrate social marketing online sites into an overall marketing strategy. We looked at Facebook, flickr, Linked-in, YouTube, Blogger and more.

Ideas about cost-effective PR marketing techniques were included - such as making effective use of databases and email marketing, as well as online and direct media approach integrated marketing techniques, to garner serious media coverage for your business.

We also reminded people that so-called 'old media' PR - involving journalists working at print media products - can often deliver far greater reach than the new media darlings of Web 2.0 fame.

Most importantly, whatever you do in terms of marketing, be sure to apply Return-on-investment (ROI) practices to really measure whether all the time you invest is making money for your business.

"Remember the point. To sell stuff." - That was a phrase I mentioned more than once about various aspects of the seminar.

It was really encouraging to see the large numbers of people taking detailed notes - and coming up to say how much they got out of the presentation. This was a very satisfying presentation to make and it was really gratifying to see it be so well received.

A great level of questions rounded things out with interaction between audience members helping all attending to take out some great budget-saving marketing ideas from the session.

We are planning to upload the video of the presentation to our YouTube.com/GayMarketing channel - and will update all readers of GayMarketNews.com about this soon.

Media Trade Show

Saturday morning at the convention included the annual media trade show.

I attended for the GayComfort Global Media Partners Network - and we are really pleased with the new gay travel marketing opportunities that have resulted for GayComfort media partners - and all our GayComfort members.

The media trade show highlighted the best of gay media from around the world.

Increasingly gay media continues to evolve to set new standards of professionalism and quality, making it much more effective for corporate clients we sell into gay media worldwide.

There are also some more exciting GayComfort announcements that will be made soon.

One more thing...

Air Canada Vacations announced a new partnership with GayComfort at the IGLTA convention.

More information of that and the benefits it delivers to gay and lesbian travelers is to follow...

For a detailed look at pictures from the IGLTA convention click on GayMarket at Flickr.

---------------

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

-------------------
To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Gay at Eurovision

The annual pilgrimage to TV screens by gay people the world over has ended. Boy-wonder Alexander Rybak of Norway won. And gay issues are as prominently linked to Eurovision as ever. Learn how.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
May 17, 2009

TOPICS: Eurovision. Gay and lesbian community. Gay market. Lesbian and gay marketing. Transgender. LGBT. Dana International. Israel. Graham Norton. Peter Tatchell. Alexander Rybak. Gay people and their connection to Eurovision.

Well that is over for another year.

One of the things that makes me pleased to live in Europe is the annual gay and lesbian pilgrimage to TV screens that millions of people make to watch the slow-motion car crash of music that is the Eurovision Song Contest.

This show makes you stop and scratch your head in wonderment that the best music that a continent - plus Israel, Russia and a few other Euro-hangers-on - can produce so often seems to involve a woman onstage playing an accordion, or a group of people pretending to play violins.

This year the cute-as-a-button 23 year old flirty young male singer and musician - Alexander Rybak - represented his adopted country of Norway and won with a record-setting lead in votes.

So what's the gay market appeal?

Eurovision has attracted the intense interest of gays and lesbians since around the time that the broadcasts were commenced in color - and that evergreen gay favorite - ABBA - took home the Eurovision prize in Brighton in 1974.

In the UK the event is telecast on state broadcaster BBC-TV.

This year's BBC telecast was hosted for the first time by out gay TV celebrity, Graham Norton.

Graham Norton is one of the new-wave of gay celebrities who has been openly gay - and very successful - since their careers began. More power to others like them.

Norton's nodding and winking gay sensibility was perfectly suited to the event for the many gays and lesbians holding Eurovision parties all across the UK.

Color and Movement

The point about Eurovision is all about stereotypes.

Out Now spends a lot of time educating clients how to get past the stereotypes that the media propagate about gay people.

Yet this one night of the year - sort of like some Europe-wide televised Pride fest - seemingly makes it okay for all to let loose, with gay abandon; and to ponder, marvel and laugh at the entertainment - watching OTT campy, colourful outrageous performances, ever so occasionally mixed with serious musical attempts to be crowned Eurovision winner.

Stereotypes are not reality for most nights of the year but - with Eurovision as with gay Pride festivals - on these very rare occasions it is so much fun to let loose and get imbibed with Euro trash stereotypes.

Watching the lighting and choreography - as well as the camped up gay market appeal - makes for a fairly innocuous fun evening's entertainment.

Alexander Rybak was a very easy-on-the-eye contestant for the millions of gay male voters across Europe. As was Sakis Rouvas for Greece and Alex Christensen of Germany who was joined onstage by burlesque celebrity Dita von Teese.

Ukraine's Svetlana was joined by some very muscled Roman gladiator-esque dancers.

The 2009 UK entry was penned by Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber.

Gay appeal and Eurovision are seemingly intertwined.

Israel was rejoicing and conflicted over the Eurovision win in May 1998 in Birmingham of Dana International - that country's biggest female transsexual star.

Gay rights

Graham Norton correctly pointed out to his BBC UK audience that this year's event was marred by "heavy handed" police tactics.

What he neglected to mention was that this occurred in the context of a gay rights demonstration.

Russian police earlier in the day arrested dozens of gay and lesbian Pride march attendees seeking to highlight the dire lack of equality suffered by Russian gays and lesbians.

Veteran UK campaigner Peter Tatchell was amongst those arrested then later released.

It leaves a bitter taste in this night of light entertainment to know that Russia continues to refuse to join a modern Europe acknowledging and accepting lesbians and gay men as equal.

Russia did not score well in the evening's vote - and next year's competition is off to Oslo, Norway.

Norway was the first country in the world to enact an anti-discrimination law protecting homosexuals.

Russia - take note.

---------------

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

-------------------
To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Tourism Expo

One of the newest - and most impressive - tourism destinations targeting the lesbian and gay traveler is Tel Aviv. Now comes details of a significant new travel marketing opportunity. Learn more.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
May 5, 2009

TOPICS: Tel Aviv. Gay and lesbian travel marketing. Gay marketing. LGBT tourism. Jerusalem. Jewish culture. Lesbian and gay destinations. Destination marketing. CVBs.

It is always exciting to discover new opportunities in life.

I spent the past few days discovering what makes Tel Aviv one of the up and coming 'hot' new destinations for gay and lesbian travel.

Thanks to the people out there I met with, I left utterly convinced that Tel Aviv is set to see a growing number of lesbian and gay travelers keen to discover the new 'in' destination.

What astounded me was the difference between what I usually see reported about Tel Aviv in the media, and what I actually saw on the ground.

Suffice to say that after CNN, Fox and Sky News pack up their cameras and chase their next drama, Tel Aviv gets on with the business of life.

Big business

One of the exciting new developments is the inaugural TLV Gay and Lesbian Tourism Expo - happening next month.

For a miniscule amount of money - travel companies, hotels, airlines, destinations, online booking agencies and more will get to showcase their wares to an eagerly receptive and growing gay and lesbian market over in Tel Aviv.

Out Now is pleased to be involved, and be sure to mention us if you are quick enough to take advantage of the special reduced price offer to get your tourism business out in front of more than 12,000 new gay customers next month. This will be the biggest event happening in Tel Aviv on June 12.

Here are the essential '101' details:

TLV Gay and Lesbian Tourism Expo

On Friday June 12, more than 12,000 gays, lesbians, families and friends will all be in one place. At the GLBT Community Center in Tel Aviv. 12,000+ customers — looking to learn more about gay travel.

As a high growth market region, your participation at the TLV Gay and Lesbian Tourism Expo in Tel Aviv will be one of the smartest marketing decisions you will make this year.

Some key facts.

Timed to coincide with the start of the 2009 tourist season.
Low cost
Prominent event position
Strategic location
5 hours of crowds before start of Tel Aviv Pride parade
Priced from just USD$350 — taking a stand at this event is a minimal expense in one of the world’s fastest growing gay markets.

Special rates apply only until 15 May, and remaining spaces are limited, so don’t miss out. Act now. Special bonus discount of up to USD$100 for IGLTA members.

For information, and to register today, contact:

Shai Doitsh
Head of Gay Tourism, Aguda
City of Tel Aviv
shai@glbt.org.il
www.GayIsrael.org.il
Phone: +972 - 50 - 382 0125

---------------

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

-------------------
To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

GayComfort and IGLTA - New Gay Travel Market Partnership Announced

The leading international organization for international gay and lesbian travel - IGLTA - has announced a partneship with Out Now's groundbreaking GayComfort online training, accreditation and marketing program. Learn more.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
April 29, 2009

TOPICS: Out Now. IGLTA. GayComfort online training and accreditation marketing program. International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association annual convention. Toronto, Canada. Lesbian and gay marketing. GLBT travel and tourism. New Out Now - IGLTA partnership sees GayComfort delivers enhanced quality product to the lesbian and gay consumer market.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Los Angeles, US (OUTNOW/IGLTA) April 29, 2009 -- Leading gay marketing specialists Out Now and the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) have announced a new partnership to help improve the quality of staff service delivered to the lesbian and gay consumer market.

Lesbian and gay travelers regularly rate how welcome they are made to feel as being the most important marketing factor affecting their travel decisions.

For years, this has meant many gay people having to pretend to be ’in the closet’ when on vacation, for fear they might not be treated equally with the respect accorded to other travelers.

GayComfort is Out Now’s innovative training, accreditation and gay marketing program - the only one of its kind designed to address this issue by delivering online training directly to staff working in hotels, tourist attractions and travel agents across the world. Staff learn how to better understand the travel concerns of their gay customers.

"Setting the industry standard"

GayComfort has been described as "setting the industry standard" for the effective training of staff on gay and lesbian sensitivity travel issues.

All hotel, attractions and travel agent delegates to the IGLTA annual convention will receive a complimentary 2009 GayComfort membership and one training package (a USD$118 value).

This valuable and important offer helps fulfill an important objective of the IGLTA - to enhance the quality of the travel product marketed to lesbian and gay travel consumers.

"IGLTA is pleased to be partnering with Out Now to bring better lesbian and gay travel market staff training to the global travel industry, thanks to the innovative GayComfort program," says Tom Nibbio, IGLTA Global Ambassador.

"Gay and lesbian travelers consistently remark that ’the missing link’ in the gay travel experience is knowing that they can relax and be themselves when on vacation," said Nibbio. "GayComfort solves that issue, by setting the industry standard for gay travel training. As a result, gay consumers know they can book and relax at every stage of their vacations. GayComfort is a great product for the travel industry wanting to tap into the multi-billion dollar global gay travel market."

Gay market travel concerns

GayComfort comprises a suite of online training knowledge for staff working in the travel industry worldwide. It covers key areas of gay travel concern such as appropriate terminology, debunking stereotypes and provides practical tips on how staff can make their lesbian and gay customers feel comfortable being themselves.

According to Ian Johnson, CEO of Out Now, GayComfort meets an important market need: "It is not about treating gay people differently, it is about teaching staff the skills they need to extend the same welcome that allows all other travelers to relax and be themselves on vacation without even thinking about it. Understanding the concerns of gay travelers makes all the difference - and GayComfort gives staff the practical knowledge they need to do this."

Existing GayComfort members do not miss out either - Out Now will credit their GayComfort membership with five training credits (a USD$95 value) after they register for the IGLTA convention. Destination CVB tourist offices that are IGLTA convention delegates also benefit - with 50% discount on Preferred Partner 2009 status in the GayComfort program (worth at least USD$2,500).

IGLTA Annual Convention - Toronto, Canada

To receive this valuable benefit, IGLTA members simply complete their IGLTA Annual Convention delegate registration, and then contact support@GayComfort.com - to redeem their complimentary membership, and full GayComfort accreditation and marketing benefits package from Out Now.

"IGLTA is the recognized leading industry body in the area of gay and lesbian travel, and Out Now is pleased to work with them to bring better levels of customer service to the travel industry and better gay marketing to the lesbian and gay communities," Johnson says.

Details of GayComfort are available at http://www.GayComfort.com and also at http://www.YouTube.com/GayComfort -- to register for the Toronto convention visit http://www.IGLTA.com/convention. On-site registration is also available.

IGLTA is the world’s leading authority, resource and representative of gay and lesbian travel. Its membership of more than 1,400 is located in 55 countries around the world and consists of accommodations, airlines, tour operators, travel agents, tourism offices and other key players in the tourism industry.

Out Now was established in 1992, and is a recognized leader in the development of gay and lesbian travel and gay consumer marketing around the world. Clients include Lufthansa, German National Tourist Office, South African Tourism, Barclays Bank, Citibank, Toyota and IBM. Out Now is presenting an educational seminar at the IGLTA Annual Convention on ’Cost Effective Marketing’. AdWeek called one of Out Now’s recent gay advertising campaigns "the year’s most talked about tourism ads."

GayComfort is a trademark of Out Now.

The IGLTA annual convention runs from May 7 - 10, 2009 in Toronto, Canada.

For further information contact:

Ian Johnson
CEO, Out Now
Phone: +1-310-878 4878
info(at)outnowconsulting.com
http://www.outnowconsulting.com
http://www.GayMarketNews.com
http://www.GayComfort.com
YouTube.com/GayMarketing
YouTube.com/GayComfort

Tom Nibbio
Manager - Partnerships
Phone: +1.815.621.6464
Fax: +1.312.595.1955
E-mail: Tom@IGLTA.org

###ENDS###
---------------

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

-------------------
To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Vale David Hiscock

One of Sydney's leading and most-loved gay DJs - Mr David Hiscock, died today. His life spanned the growth of Sydney's gay and lesbian community, from underground to mainstream.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
April 25, 2009

David Hiscock, one of Sydney's leading gay DJs has died.

With a career that spanned more than 30 years in music, David was one of the most well known and popular DJs of the Australian gay community.

After arriving in Sydney from Melbourne at the end of the 1970s, he spent years DJing at legendary venue The Newtown Hotel - and since 2004 had been a resident DJ at Sydney's The Midnight Shift.

His life touched many people.

In 2009 his retro-music set at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras was widely acclaimed by many to be the pick of the event's highlights.

His personal favourite theme song was Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive".

David Hiscock died this morning of a heart attack at his home.

His death has shocked many in the Sydney gay and lesbian community for whom dancing to David's track list was a regular and happy occurrence.

A remembrance event will be held at The Midnight Shift in Oxford Street, Sydney at 9pm (AEST) on Saturday 25 April.

It must be true that there are gods that can dance. Now they have the music.

David Hiscock played the soundtrack to people’s lives.

For me it will be never forgetting how he played the 12-inch dance mix of ABBA - 'The Visitors' at the 1988 Mardi Gras.

My first Mardi Gras - and his first as DJ playing at that event. I remember visiting his place just before that MG and him talking excitedly at length about his plans for the music he would play.

I last saw him two years ago at The Midnight Shift - and he played ‘The Visitors’ by ABBA again when he noticed I was on his dance floor. Very David.

Then, when you looked up at the DJ box, he smiled back at you to let you know he remembered the special song you liked. I expect thousands of people could tell a similar story.

That is how he was. A lovely man in a community where we need more like him.

His smile and his clear joy at playing the music - for all of us - is a lesson in a life very well lived.

Vale David - and thank you for the music.

With love,
Ian Johnson.

---------------

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

-------------------
To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

IGLCC Annual Congress - A 'Must Attend' Event

The leading global organization focused on corporate diversity and gay and lesbian business issues is the IGLCC - and their annual convention is headed to Copenhagen this Summer. Learn more.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
April 23, 2009

TOPICS: IGLCC. International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. OutGames. Copenhagen. Denmark lesbian and gay sports and cultural festival. IGLCC second annual convention. International Business Equality Index IBEI.

Business is increasingly globalized.

That is reflected in the growth of lesbian and gay business and marketing relationships, which are mirror this market trend towards business being done on a global scale.

The peak industry body responsible for focusing global attention on such matters is the very professional International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce - IGLCC.

We will be talking more about the important work this group does over coming months.

One very important note is that companies around the world are currently registering to take part in the IGLCC International Business Equality Index. To be included in the 2009 index, companies need to register by April 30. Details on how to register are to be found online here.

IGLCC Annual Congress

IGLCC is an organization growing in stature, and growing fast.

Their second annual convention is being held in association with the global sports and cultural event - OutGames - taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The world of business will be focused on gay diversity and business matters like never before from July 27 - 29.

There is a special 20% discount offer in place, but that ends by April 30.

By attending you will benefit from the following:

A series of workshops on current LGBT business issues delivered by renowned international speakers
Keynote speeches
Presentation of the IGLCC awards
Networking events
The exciting media unveiling of the first International Business Equality Index results
And all Outgames cultural and sporting activities for the week of July 25th to August 2nd

To make sure you register - and get to save 20% discount - you need to act now by following the instructions on the IGLCC website (click here for details).

Out Now is among the organizations to present to delegates - on lesbian and gay marketing issues - at the IGLCC Congress this July.

---------------

AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

-------------------
To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Anti-Gay Marketing Does Not Sell

At Out Now we talk about understanding gay consumer marketing concerns a lot. So what about using homophobia to sell a marketing message? Not a very smart idea. Learn why.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
April 23, 2009

TOPICS: Homophobia. Anti-gay marketing messages. Snickers Super Bowl homophobia in marketing. Advertising with gay themes. Buzzfree. Youth marketing. So gay. Using anti-gay marketing messages in advertising is not smart.

Sometimes you find your head is left shaking at someone's misguided attempts at marketing.

In the US state of Texas - a well intentioned cause-related marketing campaign backed by kids retailer Claire's has gone badly wrong.

And the 'cause' to blame? Homophobia.

Buzzfree

There is a campaign called Buzzfree that was set up by a cause related marketer in the US city of Dallas. BuzzfreeProm.com is currently down but we link to it in case it returns soon so you can discover for yourself that the cause being marketed by that site is a very worthy one - keeping US teens sober and away from alcohol and drugs during their school lives.

A particular theme taken up by one of their ads though has caused me to shudder with the ill-informed understanding behind it.

Some might even call it marketing ignorance.

From a King to a Queen - to a real stinker of an ad

The latest advertising imagery selected by the Buzzfree campaign includes the image you see above, suggesting that if young men drink they will end up in jail and that means they will be raped by fellow male inmates.

Rape is detestable. Check.

Jail is not nice. Check.

Being a 'queen' is equally terrible. Right?

Well, that seems to be the general idea expressed by the headline of of this little piece of marketing strategy. Being a queen is so scary as to stop young men drinking.

The use of the word "queen" in the headline alone is enough to flag this effort for using homophobia to sell its message.

The ad copy though takes it even further:

"Tonight, his dance card is going to be full because he chose to drink underage. And instead of celebrating with his class on prom night, he'll be toasting his new best friends."

These days that is not just ill-informed, it is just dumb marketing.

Big marketing mistake

Most young people these days have gay and lesbian friends.

They will often socialize in gay and lesbian venues. At school there are Gay Straight Alliances in many US schools.

If you want to gain credibility amongst kids, using homophobia to do it is not really the smartest way to proceed.

"Homophobic? That's your opinion."

The creator of the campaign stood by her decision to use this marketing approach. Liza Orchard runs a cause marketing company and when interviewed said:

"The poster doesn't foster a fear of being homosexual but a fear of going to jail."

She adds:

"If you find it homophobic, that's your opinion."

Well yes, Ms Orchard, it very much is my opinion.

A quick 'Gay Marketing 101' lesson for all readers.

If you put a universal synonym for "gay" in the headline of your ad as the 'big and scary' element and tell young people to be afraid of becoming a queen if they drink too much, many won't bother reading the body text.

Even if your intention is not to be homophobic, it is really just shabby marketing not to at least think - even better market test this - how all target audiences might perceive an ad that uses homosexuality as a negative element of the advertising.

If you want more?

Learn though that Ms Orchard is not alone.

Advertising giant Omnicom got it very badly wrong for the Mars brand Snickers in its 2007 Superbowl advertising.

And discover that you need to be very careful if you want to use gay themes in mainstream advertising successfully.

It helps of course if you are using a previously negative youth term such as "So Gay" in a positive way.

But that's another story.

For now, as of last night, the Buzzfree campaign has been pulled.

Stopping kids drinking is a smart idea. Linking being gay to jail and rape to do so? Very not a smart idea.

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AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Gay Market - Digital Technology

Gays and lesbians have a long history of being early adopters of new technologies. But the marketing and advertising of technology companies has failed to keep up.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
April 20, 2009

TOPICS: Technology and lesbian and gay market. Gay marketing and digital media. New UK gay market research. Gays and lesbians early adopters of new technologies.

Gays and lesbians are voracious consumers of the latest high tech gadgets, but the makers of the products seem willfully ignorant of a multi-billion value market opportunity sitting out there.

At Out Now we have almost two decades of leading-edge gay market research upon which to draw when we advise clients.

We have seen gays and lesbians behave as classic 'early adopters' in the market place with products from VCRs to analog mobile phones to laptops to DVD players to DVD recorders to digital phones to high speed broadband.

Gay and lesbian people have a strong need for the sense of community that enhancements in technology can bring.

Yet the makers of such technology rarely seem to understand the need for targeted marketing insight in designing advertising and marketing strategies specifically for the gay and lesbian market.

The notion that 'one size fits all' ought to be consigned to the dustbin of 1980s marketing, but in one of the 'leading-edge' consumer marketing industries - high tech - the marketing and advertising strategies being employed still exhibits a decidedly retro flavor.

This topic is touched upon in the current issue of New Media Age - an online specialist UK media source.

The NMA gay technology and media article makes several valid points.

Under the heading, Brands failing to seize online opportunities to target the gay market they make the valid point:

Gay men are more prolific users of the internet than the average UK consumer, providing an opportunity for online advertisers looking to cash in on affluent demographics, according to new research.

The article continues:

Despite gay people's heavier use of mobile technology than the average UK consumer, Ian Johnson, CEO and founder of gay marketing agency Out Now Consulting, said mobile phone companies were among the worst brands at targeting the demographic.

"A lot needs to be understood by brands about targeting gay people online," he said. "Very often brands such as mobile phone providers will just use mainstream campaigns on gay media sites, but the demographic is digitally aware and knows how it wants companies to market to it."

If you would like to learn more about this topic, please do get in touch with Out Now.

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AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

US Gay Marriage Gets Closer

There will come a time in our lifetime when the idea of two men or two women being married will be wholly unremarkable. That time is drawing nearer.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
April 15, 2009

TOPICS: Lesbian and gay marriage marketing. LGBT marriage market. US gay market. New York. Lesbian and gay marriage market opportunity is real and growing.

People are often afraid of change.

At Out Now an important part of our job is to understand change in the market and help our clients manage it by our designing and implementing effective gay marketing strategies.

Nowhere is change more visible at the moment than as encompassed by the fast moving issue of US gay marriage and civil partnerships.

This is a new gay market that will be worth many hundreds of millions of dollars in years to come. Out Now is at the forefront of research into the large market potential that gay marriage and civil partnerships represents for the US consumer market, and the corporations that market relevant goods and services.

If you would like to learn more about this, please do get in touch.

New York, Gay New York

We recently wrote about New York tourist authorities marketing their city as a gay tourism market destination.

Today the New York State Governor became the highest ranking elected US official to officially call for equal gay marriage rights for lesbians and gay men.

Governor David Paterson acknowledges the fate of his sponsored law could rest in the decisions made by a handful of elected Republicans, but he thinks that now is the right time for US gay marriage laws to be established.

"The timing was always right," Paterson said. "It's just who is willing to take that step. And I am."

Other US States Lining Up

Gay marriage is on a roll in the US - with newly minted laws passed last week in Vermont, which becomes the first US State where gay marriage has been officially voted on - and approved - by elected government.

In Iowa, and in Connecticut, anti-gay marriage laws were recently struck down by the courts, meaning that legally gays and lesbians can now marry in that State - as has been the case for several years in Massachussetts.

Many now believe that the gay marriage tide is turning away from anti-gay conservatives in favor of those who espouse equal marriage rights for all Americans. US same-sex marriages will become increasingly common in the years ahead.

So too will gay marriages. Gay weddings. Gay honeymoons. Even gay divorces.

"Big Business? - Meet Equality."

This is a new multi-billion dollar gay market opportunity forming right before our eyes.

Quite apart from the marketing opportunities though, as we constantly keep reminding readers of Gay Market News. It has always been all about love.

If my partner of 16 years and I were so minded we should be able to get married.

Millions of Americans ought to enjoy the same right.

It is all about justice and equality.

In fact its not even really about 'gay marriage'. It is about marriage. Equally. For all. Period.

And it is about time too.
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AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

New York, Gay New York

In 1969, a handful of dedicated gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people stood up for gay rights. This Summer New York celebrates the fortieth anniversary of Stonewall. And the world could not be more different.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
April 13, 2009

TOPICS: Gay and lesbian rights. Lesbian and gay equality. Stonewall. New York. Christopher Street. NYC and Company. Lesbian and gay tourism. Fortieth anniversary of Stonewall riots commemorated in new NYC gay and lesbian targeted travel marketing campaign.

Lesbian and gay equality is still being fought for.

Across America and around the world, gay and lesbian people continue to strive for equal treatment at work, legal equality and social respect.

In some places - such as Saudi Arabia and Iran - gays and lesbians can find their sexuality met with death. Just for being true to their own human natures.

So do not think for a second that the global gay rights struggle is over.

In the US market a current battle rages over the right for gays and lesbians to marry. That win seems a long way off still.

Nonetheless, there are moments to reflect on the progress made by gay and lesbian communities around the world.

This Summer, in New York City, a new advertising and tourism marketing campaign is going to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of an event that is often seen as the start of the modern gay rights movement.

Stonewall Riots

On a hot summer's night, almost 40 years ago, gays and lesbians were sharing a drink in a bar called the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, Greenwich Village, New York City.

Judy Garland - a long time hero of many gay people, had just died that week.

The mood amongst the NYC gay community at that moment was reflective and sombre.

Into this cauldron stepped the New York City police department, doing what was - at that time - purely a matter of routine. Rough up some gays and close down a gay bar. Protection money was often sought - and paid, but not this night.

On June 28, 1969 - the patrons at the Stonewall were in no mood for such treatment, and they stood and said 'no'.

More than that, they fought back.

In a riot that spanned three consecutive nights, the city's gays and lesbians said "Enough!" - in a moment that has echoed down the years ever since.

The Rainbow Pilgrimage

Whereas in 1969, city authorities were anti-gay, now in 2009 - the City's tourism authority - NYC and Co - has designed a campaign to celebrate New York City and its gay history.

Launched this week, The Rainbow Pilgrimage campaign is a testament to how far the city - and its sizeable gay and lesbian population - has progressed since 1969.

“I don’t think it’s ironic, I think it’s significant,” said Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, who is openly gay, at a news conference announcing the campaign. “You know, 40 years ago a group of people said enough was enough. And they struck back against police officers. They struck back against unfair treatment (and) created the modern LGBT civil rights movement.”

You can read more here.

Judy Garland would no doubt be amazed.

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If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Monday, April 06, 2009

Chicago Tribune - Gay Market Still Travels

Lesbian and gay customers are seen as a strong market opportunity in the economic downturn. The Chicago Tribune has an interesting take on this.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
April 6, 2009

TOPICS: Lesbian and gay travel marketing. LGBT marketing. Chicago. Gay and lesbian travel in the USA. Chicago tribune. Gay tourism. DINKs. Lesbian and gay disposable income.

Why is it that gays and lesbians are so often touted as being a marketer's dream market?

At Out Now we put this down to one or two key factors.

Education

Research samples in various countries around the world seem to regularly and fairly consistently show above average levels of education in lesbian and gay market research samples.

There are often arguments that this is caused by sampling bias. However, sampling where gays and lesbians are drawn from a random population sample (not perfect though - as many gays and lesbians may choose not to self-identify to market researchers) - also shows strong average education levels.

We believe that many gays and lesbians are coming to terms with their sexuality at a time when they are not finding peer acceptance - at school.

The result, for many of the gay people Out Now talks with? The gay student 'hits the books' as a means of gaining acceptance from parents and teachers instead.

DINKs

Lesbians and gay men are increasingly becoming parents. More children are growing up in gay households than ever before.

Yet most gays and lesbians remain firmly embedded at the heart of the DINKs market - "double income, no kids" households.

Children are a very expensive - and a very important - investment.

When households do not have children, then disposable income can be higher.

Gay travel goes on despite the economic gloom

The Chicago Tribune article today is interesting as it discusses the DINKs effect on gay travel habits.

Industry players recognize that for the gay and lesbian travel market, going on vacation is something more akin to a need perhaps rather than a mere 'want'.

In any case - those gay travel specialist businesses selling travel to gays and lesbians say that demand continues to be strong, when it has fallen in most other parts of the mainstream travel and tourism markets.

Here is an extract of today's Chicago Tribune article:

Gay travel: Tourism industry targets those less willing to give up vacations
Chicago, others step up marketing efforts to get share of 'pink money'

As Americans rejigger their budgets to abide the nation's economic gloom, travel plans are being routinely cast aside, leading to plummeting airline traffic and a tourism downturn around the globe.

But at least one demographic has refused to relinquish its passion for travel. Chicagoan Tim Engdahl is part of that group: gay, gainfully employed, with no kids and a lifelong wanderlust.

"I might cut back on other things throughout the year," said Engdahl, a 46-year-old nurse who took a Caribbean cruise in February and plans another later this year. "But I have to see what's worth it to me in life, and traveling is worth it."

Travel agents and industry organizations across the country say the gay and lesbian community has proven far less willing than straight travelers to sacrifice vacations. Hotel chains, destination cities and airlines hit hard by the flailing economy are now digging in and chasing what's known as "pink money."

Disposable income certainly plays a role in this. While more gay and lesbian couples are adopting children, a majority of families still fit under the designation of DINK—double income, no kids.

Chicago upped its reputation as a gay-friendly city in 2006 by hosting the Gay Games, and Mark Theis, executive vice president of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, said the city is more aggressively courting gay and lesbian visitors.

"Chicago, frankly, is just now catching up to other cities who have been aggressively wooing the pink dollar," he said. "We want people to know how gay-friendly we are and the wealth of attractive assets we have."

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AdWeek recently referred to one of Out Now's gay advertising campaigns as "the year's most talked about tourism ads." Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

-------------------
To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Right America Feeling Wronged

In 2008, when Out Now included South Carolina in a gay marketing campaign in the UK, local SC politicians reacted strongly against it. Perhaps this video - filmed in America just a few weeks later - places what happened into some kind of clearer perspective.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
March 28, 2009

TOPICS: Lesbian and gay marketing. LGBT community. Out Now. Amro Worldwide. US election campaign. John McCain. Sarah Palin. Democrats. Republicans. US conservative voters. Nancy Pelosi. HBO. Barack Obama. Homophobia. HBO TV special about right wing voters and their reactions against the election of Barack Obama.

The election campaign of 2008 was historic as it put a non-white US President into the White House.

But this does not sit well with the more than 50 million people who voted against Barack Obama.

At Gay Market News we do business, not politics - but the HBO special "Right America Feeling Wronged" is quite unsettling but compelling viewing.

Some of the supporters of John McCain and Sarah Palin could be described as "less than sympathetic" - at best - to the rights of equality under the US constitution for American lesbians and gay men.

From a door-knocking supporter of McCain:

"Our neighbours are...Can I say it? Two lesbians live there. They just put the Obama sign out. Interesting. No, I'm too afraid of them (to doorknock their house)."

One man interviewed says:

"I'm in the South! America might be ready for a black President, but the South aint. If it were left up to me - you wouldn't vote if you are a woman."

Maybe that helps explain the strong negative reactions of politicians in the South to the Out Now "So Gay" advertising campaign for Amro Worldwide. If the voters do not like it, their elected politicians are more likely to smell the electoral breeze and react accordingly.

As I told Associated Press last Summer:

"The politicians have a problem with gay people or believe that many of their constituents have a problem with gay people," said Johnson, who said he is gay. "That's politics, but it doesn't make it right."

Rest assured that we know full well that this particular set of people do not reflect all supporters of the US Republican Party.

But surely it is disturbing to hear one interviewee, when asked what McCain supporters had in common, say:

"We all hate the same things".

No matter which side of politics you personally support, John McCain - with a long political career and history of fighting for his own country surely deserved a better justification than that as a reason to be voted for.
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If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Gay Advertising Seen By Millions

Last year the misguided actions of some conservative US politicians turned a modest London gay travel advertising campaign into a global gay marketing sensation. Learn how.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
March 26, 2009

TOPICS: Lesbian and gay advertising. LGBT marketing. Out Now. Amro Worldwide. AdWeek. The "So Gay" advertising campaign - what really happened.

Last summer millions of people worldwide learned about an Out Now gay market travel advertising campaign. Here's why.

Yesterday in Gay Market News, we wrote about AdWeek describing the Out Now 'So Gay' campaign as "the year's most talked about tourism ads".

This is what happened.

Last summer in London a modest advertising campaign by a specialist gay tour operator created something of a media sensation.

The 'So Gay' advertising campaign - comprising 56 poster advertising panels lining the escalators at two of London's underground Tube subway stations - was a co-operative venture between Amro Worldwide and six US tourism destinations.

The advertising was created by global gay marketing specialist agency, Out Now, and was originally scheduled to appear for two weeks during London's annual gay Pride celebrations.

The campaign was expected to be seen by just two million people passing by on the escalators. Ultimately it became a campaign whose reach extended far beyond this - as it became known to a worldwide media audience of many millions of people.

The case provides an almost textbook example to politicians on the risks they choose to take when interfering in business decisions made by their own authorized marketing authorities.

All was going well in London during July 2008 until the governor of South Carolina - one of the six destinations participating in the 'So Gay' marketing campaign - heard of the advertising happening in London. Governor Mark Sanford then reportedly directed the South Carolina Parks Recreation and Tourism (SCPRT) Department to remove it .

This was never done by SCPRT, and the advertising posters remained in the Leicester Square Tube station for several months. Media worldwide took up the story, and the 'So Gay' advertising story became a global phenomenon.

According to Andrew Roberts, CEO of Amro Worldwide, the campaign was a good business decision for almost all concerned.

"Amro Worldwide has just had its busiest January ever," Roberts reports. "Our sales are currently double what they were this time last year. The rebranding and advertising work undertaken for us by Out Now has played a large part of that. Gay marketing is becoming increasingly mainstream, and it really seems such a shame that South Carolina politicians could not understand that the business opportunities more than justify the initial decision to be part of such an advertising campaign."

Ian Johnson, CEO of Out Now, said the 'So Gay' campaign was a very successful one.

"Out Now works for tourism agencies around the world, and the marketing effectiveness of a simple idea is proved yet again by this campaign," Johnson said. "To take 'So Gay' from an insult to high praise was a great outcome of our campaign in London. We are most pleased we were able to help Amro Worldwide, and almost all of the destinations in the campaign, to increase their share of the lucrative gay and lesbian travel market. It really is unfortunate that the South Carolina politicians chose to shoot their local tourism industry in the foot by rejecting what was always a smart tourism business decision to get involved in the 'So Gay' advertising campaign."

The industry leading publication AdWeek.com in their 2008 year-end wrap-up recently described the Out Now 'So Gay' campaign for Amro Worldwide as "the year's most talked about tourism ads."

"All the other destinations made good returns on their investment in the 'So Gay' campaign," Johnson said. "It really is ironic, and very disappointing to us, that the intervention of South Carolina's politicians last summer ultimately accomplished only one thing. They managed to damage their own local South Carolina tourism industry for years to come. Surely that is not the job these people were elected to do?"

The Amro Worldwide 'So Gay' poster campaign appeared on escalators in Leicester Square, and in elevators at Covent Garden London Underground stations, from June 27 2008. Two posters are still in place even today at Leicester Square. Featured destinations also included Atlanta, Boston, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Washington DC - all of which were pleased to be part of the "So Gay" campaign.

Copies of the poster can also be found today in many gay bars around the world, and in almost all the gay venues in South Carolina, which most definitely are "so gay".

To download the posters - visit www.amroworldwide.info/sogay.

Video of the 'So Gay' campaign is online at YouTube.com/GayMarketing.

Out Now Consulting is a leading global gay marketing specialist agency, founded in 1992. Clients include Barclays, IBM, Toyota, Citibank, German National Tourist Office, Visit Britain, Lufthansa and Time Inc. Magazines. Out Now recently won the "Outstanding Interactive" category in New York at the 'Images in Advertising' awards for an online campaign for their client Lufthansa.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

AdWeek Praises Out Now Gay Advertising

Out Now has enjoyed receiving favorable recognition from various directions over the years. Now, leading US trade publication - AdWeek.com - recognizes our work in creating effective lesbian and gay advertising.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
March 25, 2009

TOPICS: Lesbian and gay advertising. LGBT marketing. Out Now. Amro Worldwide. AdWeek. US advertising industry publication recognizes Out Now gay advertising campaign for UK based client.

Nowadays, traditional approaches to advertising are going the way of the dodo.

Out Now has recognized this, and we consistently adopt leading-edge strategies to make sure our clients achieve the maximum results for their investment in gay marketing activities.

One of our campaigns for UK based gay tour operator - Amro Worldwide - has received high praise from the leading US industry publication Adweek.

In a recent online posting, the publication called Out Now's "So Gay" campaign advertising for Amro "the year's most talked about tourism ads."

High praise we gratefully accept. It is nice when hard work gets noticed. Especially gratifying when it is on such a successful campaign as this one.

Gay media attention

This caught the attention of the leading UK gay online media site PinkPaper.com who reported:

Millions see AMRO's 'So Gay' ad

The world’s leading advertising magazine has dubbed a British gay ad campaign as the “most talked about tourism ad” of 2008.

Adweek has praised the posters for queer British firm Amro Worldwide which used the tagline “So Gay” to promote US destinations.

They appeared in two London underground stations beside the escalators and would have reached 2 million people. But because they caused such controversy, millions more got to hear about them.

South Carolina governor, Mark Sanford, inadvertently boosted the profile of the campaign, when he criticised it.

Out Now's Social Media Web 2.0 Management

These days, our role delivering Out Now 'world's best' gay marketing agency services requires a far wider view of 'media' than was the case in years past.

With the Out Now strategy for Amro, we managed a fast-moving story for the client, with appropriate and ongoing media insertions both via traditional mainstream media journalist interviews but also, very importantly, by way of comments made at online articles, blogs, and social media sites.

This was far from the traditional view of 'advertising' and PR - but was critical to making sure that our client's - and our own - position on the issue was being heard.

This was needed to make sure the facts got out, especially as the authorities that approved the ads, began to backtrack from their position by way of statements we knew to not be true.

Not the most pleasant environment in which to work, but one in which we found ourselves and we delivered great gay market outcomes for our client, as a result of our staying on the story all the way through.

"So Gay" Market Outcomes

In February 2009, Andrew Roberts, CEO of Amro Worldwide reported that the company had just closed out their "busiest January ever" - and, as a direct result of the Out Now rebranding and marketing campaign for them, had achieved in just fourteen weeks their entire previous year's turnover.

The results - as they say - speak for themselves.

Tomorrow we will post Part 2 to this backgrounder update to the "So Gay" story.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading-edge of sales results, please do get in touch.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

ITB + IGLTA = Gay Market Success

Last week in Berlin, the world's largest travel and tourism trade fair, International Tourismus Bourse - or ITB - took place. Gay travel featured very successfully.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
March 23, 2009

Gay and lesbian tourism. Gay travel marketing. Out Now. International Gay and Lesbian Travel association. IGLTA. ITB. International Tourismus Bourse. Berlin. Germany. Gay marketing.

Last week Berlin, Germany saw the annual ITB trade show take place - and gay and lesbian travel played a prominent part.

The growing mainstream awareness, acceptance and embrace of lesbian and gay tourism continues apace.

Out Now attended ITB and my schedule was filled with successful meetings with current and new clients.

We have been visiting ITB for eight years now, and the extent to which lesbian and gay travel is now strongly embraced by the mainstream travel market is radically increased now from the responses we experienced back in 2002, at our first ITB.

The strength of LGBT travel was further evidenced by the highly successful ITB presence of the pre-eminent global gay and lesbian travel organisation - the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association - IGLTA.

In their very first outing at ITB, IGLTA made a big impact.

IGLTA had a small, but prominent high-traffic area display at ITB - one that was consistently busy and being visited by many of the leading players in the world of tourism, travel and marketing.

This was the first year that IGLTA exhibited at ITB, but when I spoke with their Global Ambassador, Tom Nibbio - he assured me it will not be their last.

European Ambassador for IGLTA, Carlos Kytka, was also managing the IGLTA stand which overflowed with IGLTA member exhibitors.

It was really quite inspiring to see the extent to which gay travel is now viewed as an integral and important part of mainstream marketing.

Travel has always been an important part of our client marketing work at Out Now, and from what we are seeing in terms of new client work and the enthusiasm with which IGLTA was met at ITB - this trend shows no sign of abating anytime soon.

Gay market insight is Out Now: Gay Marketing. Solved. OutNowConsulting.com
To contact Out Now, send us an email.
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For information and help with understanding key gay and lesbian marketing issues, to most effectively understand and meet the consumer needs of the lesbian and gay market, rely on the gay market experts, Out Now. Leading in the gay market since 1992.

All content on all Out Now websites (C) 2005-2009, Out Now. If you find any material you believe is subject to other copyrights here, other than allowed fair use for copyright purposes, please contact Out Now with details. LGBT communications. Gay PR. Global GLBT marketing, gay public relations strategy, GLBT PR, LGBT issues training, gay advertising, LGBT market, lesbian and gay market research leaders, gay marketing. Gay Market News is Gay Marketing 101 - Out Now Gay Marketing, Advertising, Gay PR, Market Research. Travel Market. Training. Out Now Gay Market News -- Gay Marketing 101 gay market updates site.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

International Business Equality Index

One of the most influential international lesbian and gay organizations is calling for companies to step up to prove their diversity and equality credentials.

Ian Johnson, Out Now
February 5, 2009

TOPICS: IGLCC. Workplace equality and diversity policies. International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. International Business Equality Index.

The IGLCC is an increasingly important lesbian and gay organization.

They are currently inviting business from around the globe to take part in their inaugural International Business Equality Index.

The index sets its sights high in trying to figure out which is the most gay friendly business in the world.

The Index is a unique tool allowing corporations to draw external comparisons, which illustrate how their competitors are doing as well as internal comparisons that provide a better understanding of their own performance.

The deadline for completion of the survey online is April 30th 2009 with the results being announced during the International Conference on LGBT Human Rights held during the World Outgames in Copenhagen from July 25th to August 2nd, 2009.

"The International Business Equality Index is without a doubt one of the most important initiatives ever launched at the international level to advance LGBT diversity in the business world," says the Secretary General of the IGLCC, Pascal Lépine.

"It gives a concrete sign that a corporation supports the LGBT community by its dedication and commitment and provides vital access to our ever expanding market segment."

Out Now believes strongly in the important work that IGLCC is embarking upon, and encourages all international business to get involved.

Gays and lesbians in your workplace - and your gay customers - will thank you for it.

The International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (IGLCC) was founded in 2006 in Hamburg, Germany and is based in Montréal, Canada. The IGLCC is the world’s leading international LGBT business network.

If you would like Out Now to help you take your marketing to the leading edge, please do get in touch.

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To learn how to get lesbian and gay marketing strategy right -- rely on gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the leading experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency.