TOPICS: UK lesbian and gay market. Gay Civil Partnerships. Gay weddings market. Gay market for honeymoons. Global gay marketing issues. Gay and lesbian market boycotts. Companies targeting gays and lesbians using tailored lesbian and gay marketing strategies. Gay marketing. Lesbian marketing. Brands becoming more interested in understanding and reaching their gay customers.
Elton John marries David Furnish today in UK.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
New Research Shows Official UK Government Estimates of Gay Civil Partnerships ‘Vastly Underestimated’ – Perhaps by a Factor of Ten
Gay and lesbian couples head for the registry office as new research reveals latest Whitehall figures on the size of the UK gay population is at odds with current government estimates on UK Civil Partnership numbers.
London, UK December 21, 2005 -- Gay and lesbian Britons in their thousands are expected to march down the aisles of local registry offices from today, when ceremonies commence under new UK Civil Partnership laws.
The British government has said they predict between 11,000 and 22,000 lesbian and gay individuals to register their civil partnership over the next five years.
However a gay market specialist agency relied upon earlier this year by Barclays Bank to measure gay lifestyle, consumer patterns, and civil partnership intentions in the UK believes that currently published official government statistics “vastly underestimate” the numbers who will actually register their relationships under the new laws.
According to Ian Johnson, a director at Out Now Consulting – a gay and lesbian specialist marketing agency, with 15 years experience in the field – new findings from the latest research on UK gays and lesbians show that the official government estimates are unrealistic. He says that the current UK government figures are out of sync with both Out Now's latest UK gay market research and also with newly released Whitehall figures on the total number of UK gays and lesbians.
“The government estimates about Civil Partnership numbers just don’t seem to add up,” Johnson said.
“The current figures of between 11,000 and 22,000 registrations appear to be far too low. More than 1,000 UK couples applied for registration in the first week. To suggest that only a few thousand are expected to register each year after that seems to vastly underestimate the numbers revealed in Out Now's research,” Johnson said.
“The actual number of gay Civil Partnerships seems likely to be up to ten times higher than the current government estimates.”
Out Now have just released new findings from a detailed analysis of the lifestyles of the readers of the highest circulation UK lesbian and gay magazines.
Results from the 2005 Out Now Diva and Gay Times Readers Surveys – the most comprehensive lesbian and gay research study carried out in the UK to date – show that a much higher number of UK lesbian and gay couples intend to register their Civil Partnerships than the officially released government estimates would imply.
Based on this new research, up to 274,000 couples say they intend to enter Civil Partnerships, complete with honeymoons, over coming years - Britain’s new form of gay civil ‘marriage’.
This is a figure far higher than government estimates of as few as 11,000 and a maximum of just 22,000 individuals being in civil partnerships by 2010.
For years Out Now has used the figure of six percent to measure the total percentage of gays and lesbians in society.
This week it was reported that official Whitehall estimates now also agree with this six percent figure, which means Whitehall now agrees with Out Now that there are just under 3 million lesbian and gay adults in the UK.
“Now that Whitehall agrees with us that six percent of people in the UK are gay or lesbian, it becomes quite unrealistic to believe, as the UK government currently says that it does, that out of this group of nearly three million people in the UK, no more than 22,000 people will be in Civil Partnerships by 2010,” Johnson said. “The government’s estimates seem not only to be very low, they seem, in fact, to us to be quite wrong.”
“Whitehall last week said that it accepts that our figure of six percent of British adults being lesbian or gay is correct,” Johnson said. “That means there are 2.9 million lesbians and gay men in the UK. These new research findings from the 2005 Out Now Diva and Gay Times Readers Surveys reveal that up to 274,000 registrations might eventually take place in the UK," Johnson said. “Even if only half these people actually do so in the next five years, the research suggests that we should still expect to see Civil Partnership registrations being up to ten times higher than the currently accepted government estimates”.
Officially released government estimates were initially much higher, but were revised downwards around the time of the Queen's Speech announcing the new laws.
“It is very impressive that the UK has taken this step, but we do feel that wrongly estimating its effects does no-one any good in the long term. This research, which is the most up-to-date information available about British gay and lesbian lifestyles, including partnership intentions, suggests very strongly that far more gays and lesbians plan to say ‘I do’ than the British government is suggesting,” Johnson said.
Notes to editors:
Official UK government estimates: “The Government expects between 11,000 and 22,000 people to be in a civil partnership by 2010.” Source: UK government ‘Women and Equality Unit’ website, 12 December 2005.
Official Dutch statistics (Source: Statistics Netherlands, CBS) released in November 2005 show that in the four years since legalised gay marriage commenced there in 2001 (civil partnerships commenced three years earlier), around a quarter [22% of recorded lesbian and gay couples are either in registered partnerships or married.
Were a similar trend to occur in the UK that would lead to an expected total of (22% of all 504,000 UK lesbian couples and 22% of all 360,000 gay male couples, that is, 22% of all 864,000 gay and lesbian UK couples) just under 200,000 [190,080] couples becoming civil partners in the UK during the next four to seven years.
Diva magazine is the leading European media product for lesbian women and Gay Times is the UK and Europe’s largest publication for gay men.
Of the readers surveyed in relationships the proportion who intend to register their relationship is as follows:-
70% of Diva readers are currently in a relationship and 29% are single. 48% of the Gay Times sample were single, 50% were in a relationship.
Of the female couples 43% preferred the option of registering their Civil Partnership to full marriage (38%), whereas with Gay Times 51% preferred Civil Partnership to full marriage (29%).
54% of the Diva sample intend to register their partnership from December 2005 onwards, compared to 39% of the Gay Times sample. 71% of the lesbian couples intend to take a honeymoon afterwards, compared to 57% for gay male couples.
Publication of this information must be credited as the "Out Now Consulting 2005 Gay Times and Diva Reader Surveys", for copyright reasons.
The report by Out Now Consulting, was undertaken following independent research with more than 1,000 readers of Diva and Gay Times magazines between March and September 2005.
Sample size is 1118 respondents.
Gay Times and Diva (published by Millivres Prowler Ltd.) are Europe's best selling gay and lesbian glossy news stand magazines.
Established in 1992, Out Now Consulting is a leading source for gay marketing knowledge and is a global gay market agency relied upon by brands targeting lesbian and gay customers. Services include Training, Advertising, Public relations, Market research and Strategy development.
Out Now clients include Barclays Bank, IBM, Toyota, German National Tourist Office, Qantas Airways, British Tourist Authority, Lufthansa, South African Tourism and Citibank.
For further information please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
UK mobile: +44-7906 553 990
BE landline: +32-2-514 6443
BE mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: http://www.OutNowconsulting.com
updates: http://www.GayMarketing101.blogspot.com
Kim Watson, Head of Media, Millivres Prowler Ltd.
UK landline: +44-20-7424 7460
web: http://www.millivres.co.uk
# # #
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Gay marketing is Out Now. The global LGBT marketing agency.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Ford's Gay Market Three Point Turn
TOPICS: US lesbian and gay market. Ford Motor Company. Gay market for cars. Global gay marketing issues. Gay and lesbian market boycotts. Companies targeting gays and lesbians using tailored lesbian and gay marketing strategies. Gay marketing. Lesbian marketing. Brands becoming more interested in understanding and reaching their gay customers. Ford changes position due to criticisms of withdrawing its advertising from gay media.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Ford Motor Company has reversed its position on advertising to gays and lesbians - again.
Actually that is not entirely fair as the official word out of Ford is that it has for many years supported staff workplace gay and lesbian diversity, and that was not changing at all. What had been suggested was that Ford would withdraw its advertising from the US gay and lesbian media and wind back its sponsorships of gay and lesbian events.
Gay and lesbian community activists saw these steps being not, as Ford had contended, due to budget constraints, but rather due to a tacit deal done between Ford and a US anti-gay conservative group. Earlier this year the group had boycotted Ford brands due to their advertising in gay and lesbian market media and Ford's sponsorships of lesbian and gay pride events. Ford stood their ground at that time and the groups withdrew their boycott. Then earlier this month it was revealed that Ford planned to wind back their gay and lesbian marketing activities, which was not well received by the gay and lesbian communities around the world as well as their supporters. The conservative group seemed to claim Ford's scalp by saying Ford was moving away from gay marketing due to the pressure tactics they had utilised.
In any case, last week Joe Laymon, the company’s group vice president for corporate human resources said in a letter addressed to gay and lesbian community leaders: “It is clear there is a misperception about our intent,” the letter said. “As a result, we have decided to run corporate ads in these (gay) targeted publications that will include not only Jaguar/Land Rover, but all eight of Ford’s vehicle brands. It is my hope that this will remove any ambiguity about Ford’s desire to advertise to all important audiences and put this particular issue behind us,” Laymon wrote.
“We value all people regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and cultural or physical differences,” Bill Ford, chair and CEO of Ford (pictured), also said in a different statement issued earlier in the week.
Are there lessons to be learned from Ford's 'three point turn' on these gay marketing issues? Mainly this: it is important for brands to demonstrate consistency and commitment in all their marketing, including the lesbian and gay consumer market. Gay and lesbian marketing requires an understanding that lesbians and gays give and expect brand loyalty from brands targeting gay and lesbian customers. And as Ford has learned, in gay marketing, that brand loyalty is a two way street.
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Ford Motor Company has reversed its position on advertising to gays and lesbians - again.
Actually that is not entirely fair as the official word out of Ford is that it has for many years supported staff workplace gay and lesbian diversity, and that was not changing at all. What had been suggested was that Ford would withdraw its advertising from the US gay and lesbian media and wind back its sponsorships of gay and lesbian events.
Gay and lesbian community activists saw these steps being not, as Ford had contended, due to budget constraints, but rather due to a tacit deal done between Ford and a US anti-gay conservative group. Earlier this year the group had boycotted Ford brands due to their advertising in gay and lesbian market media and Ford's sponsorships of lesbian and gay pride events. Ford stood their ground at that time and the groups withdrew their boycott. Then earlier this month it was revealed that Ford planned to wind back their gay and lesbian marketing activities, which was not well received by the gay and lesbian communities around the world as well as their supporters. The conservative group seemed to claim Ford's scalp by saying Ford was moving away from gay marketing due to the pressure tactics they had utilised.
In any case, last week Joe Laymon, the company’s group vice president for corporate human resources said in a letter addressed to gay and lesbian community leaders: “It is clear there is a misperception about our intent,” the letter said. “As a result, we have decided to run corporate ads in these (gay) targeted publications that will include not only Jaguar/Land Rover, but all eight of Ford’s vehicle brands. It is my hope that this will remove any ambiguity about Ford’s desire to advertise to all important audiences and put this particular issue behind us,” Laymon wrote.
“We value all people regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation and cultural or physical differences,” Bill Ford, chair and CEO of Ford (pictured), also said in a different statement issued earlier in the week.
Are there lessons to be learned from Ford's 'three point turn' on these gay marketing issues? Mainly this: it is important for brands to demonstrate consistency and commitment in all their marketing, including the lesbian and gay consumer market. Gay and lesbian marketing requires an understanding that lesbians and gays give and expect brand loyalty from brands targeting gay and lesbian customers. And as Ford has learned, in gay marketing, that brand loyalty is a two way street.
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Monday, December 19, 2005
UK gay weddings begin
TOPICS: UK lesbian and gay market. Out Now Consulting. Gay market for weddings. Civil partnerships. UK lesbian civil partnerships. UK gay civil partnerships. Companies targeting gays and lesbians using tailored lesbian and gay marketing strategies. Gay marketing. Lesbian marketing. Brands in UK becoming more interested in understanding and reaching their gay customers. First UK lesbian and gay weddings. Gay and lesbian civil partnerships now a reality in UK gay market.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Britain's first lesbian and gay weddings took place on 19 December 2005, under the new UK gay civil partnerships laws. The gay honeymoon market alone is estimated by Out Now to be worth more than 600 million pounds.
Grainne Close and Shannon Sickels, became the first UK couple to enjoy equal rights under UK civil partnerships laws, following their civil partnership ceremony today in Northern Ireland.
Out Now expects that many more gay and lesbian couples than the 11,000 - 22,000 couples over the next five years currently estimated by the UK government will actually register their gay or lesbian civil partnership under the new UK civil partnership laws.
700 gay and lesbian civil partnerships will be registered in the UK by Wednesday and 1,200 will be by the end of this month. The gay honeymoons market looks like being far larger than official UK government estimates would suggest. Whitehall recently agreed with Out Now that the total size of the gay and lesbian market in the UK is effectively 3 million gay and lesbian adults, or approximately six percent of the total UK population.
Out Now gay market research shows that that around 200,000 couples seem likely to be registered in lesbian or gay civil partnership by 2010. This leads to a gay honeymoons market which we estimate as being worth an extra 600 million pounds to be added to the already lucrative lesbian and gay market.
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Britain's first lesbian and gay weddings took place on 19 December 2005, under the new UK gay civil partnerships laws. The gay honeymoon market alone is estimated by Out Now to be worth more than 600 million pounds.
Grainne Close and Shannon Sickels, became the first UK couple to enjoy equal rights under UK civil partnerships laws, following their civil partnership ceremony today in Northern Ireland.
Out Now expects that many more gay and lesbian couples than the 11,000 - 22,000 couples over the next five years currently estimated by the UK government will actually register their gay or lesbian civil partnership under the new UK civil partnership laws.
700 gay and lesbian civil partnerships will be registered in the UK by Wednesday and 1,200 will be by the end of this month. The gay honeymoons market looks like being far larger than official UK government estimates would suggest. Whitehall recently agreed with Out Now that the total size of the gay and lesbian market in the UK is effectively 3 million gay and lesbian adults, or approximately six percent of the total UK population.
Out Now gay market research shows that that around 200,000 couples seem likely to be registered in lesbian or gay civil partnership by 2010. This leads to a gay honeymoons market which we estimate as being worth an extra 600 million pounds to be added to the already lucrative lesbian and gay market.
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Out Now gay market research acknowledged
TOPICS: UK lesbian and gay market. Out Now Consulting. Gay market push. Civil partnerships. UK lesbian media. UK gay marketing. New UK gay market research. 2005 Out Now Diva and Gay Times Readers Surveys. Lesbian and gay marketing strategies. Companies targeting gays and lesbians using tailored lesbian and gay marketing strategies. Gay marketing. Lesbian marketing. Global lesbian and gay market. Brands in UK becoming more interested in understanding and reaching their gay customers. UK newspaper correction acknowledges Out Now gay market research source.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Here is an item in the 'For The Record' section from today's issue of The Observer newspaper in the UK:
"In '3.6m people in Britain are gay - official: First Whitehall figure settles long-running debate' (News, last week), we quoted statistics showing spending among gays and lesbians. These reflected a six-month period, but implied that they were for a full year, effectively halving the market size. We also failed to attribute the figures to Out Now Consulting, as sourced through the publications Gay Times and Diva. Apologies."
Our gay market research work was referenced in the original gay marketing item in The Observer last week (but this was wrongly credited in that gay marketing story - about large brands targeting the gay and lesbian consumer market - to our UK gay marketing client Barclays Bank).
The correct citation for the quoted gay market data in the original article is: "2005 Out Now Diva and Gay Times Readers Surveys".
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Here is an item in the 'For The Record' section from today's issue of The Observer newspaper in the UK:
"In '3.6m people in Britain are gay - official: First Whitehall figure settles long-running debate' (News, last week), we quoted statistics showing spending among gays and lesbians. These reflected a six-month period, but implied that they were for a full year, effectively halving the market size. We also failed to attribute the figures to Out Now Consulting, as sourced through the publications Gay Times and Diva. Apologies."
Our gay market research work was referenced in the original gay marketing item in The Observer last week (but this was wrongly credited in that gay marketing story - about large brands targeting the gay and lesbian consumer market - to our UK gay marketing client Barclays Bank).
The correct citation for the quoted gay market data in the original article is: "2005 Out Now Diva and Gay Times Readers Surveys".
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
3 million gays in Britain - official
TOPICS: UK lesbian and gay market. Barclays Bank. L'Oreal. Hilton Hotels. Gay market push. Civil partnerships. UK lesbian media. UK gay sponsorship. UK gay marketing. Out Now Consulting. New UK gay market research. 2005 Out Now Diva and Gay Times Readers Surveys. Gay and lesbian sponsorships. Lesbian and gay marketing strategies. Companies targeting gays and lesbians using tailored lesbian and gay sponsorship strategies. Gay marketing. Lesbian marketing. Global lesbian and gay market. Brands in UK becoming more interested in understanding and reaching their gay customers.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Here is an article on gay marketing and brands targeting the gay market that appears in the British press today.
Out Now is related to this story in three ways. It quotes one of our gay market clients, Barclays Bank.
Our research work is also referenced in the item (wrongly credited as "Barclays research". Note that The Observer article also fails to reveal over what period the expenditures quoted were actually made - a very important but missing fact!). The correct citation for the quoted data below is: "2005 Out Now Diva and Gay Times Readers Surveys".
Finally, and very significantly, British administration officials at Whitehall have concurred with the figure used by Out Now for over a decade to measure the numbers of lesbians and gays in society.
Here is today's article from The Observer:
[###OBSERVER ARTICLE BEGINS###]
3.6m people in Britain are gay - official
First Whitehall figure settles long-running debate
Denis Campbell, social affairs correspondent
Sunday December 11, 2005
The Observer
Six per cent of the population, or about 3.6 million Britons, are either gay or lesbian, the government's first attempt to quantify the homosexual population has concluded.
Whitehall officials have answered the much-debated question 'how many of us are gay?' by declaring that the true number is one in 16.66. Previous answers have ranged from one in five to as few as one in a hundred, and many people have believed the figure to be one in ten.
Treasury actuaries came up with the estimate when analysing the financial implications of the new Civil Partnerships Act, which comes into force this month and allows same-sex partners to marry and gives them similar rights to married couples in areas such as tax, pensions and inheritance.
There are an estimated 1.5 million to two million gay men, lesbians and bisexuals in the 30 million-strong workforce, according to the Department of Trade and Industry. Given the UK population is just under 60 million, that means that the gay community has between three and four million members.
'This is a significant moment,' said Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, the gay equality campaign group. 'For the first time the government has robustly acknowledged the existence of a substantial number of gay people in modern Britain. This is welcome and long overdue.
'Historically people have got bogged down in endless rows about this with some of the more colourful gay activists insisting as many as 20 per cent of the population was gay, while people who were opposed to gay equality, such as Norman Tebbit, claimed it was one in 100. Six per cent feels like a sensible estimate.'
Publication of the figure comes as big name companies such as Barclays bank, Hilton hotels and cosmetics giant L'Oreal join the growing rush to cash in on a gay economy which is worth tens of billions of pounds. Barclays has just received research which showed that gays and lesbians enjoy a combined annual income of £60 billion.
It has recently funded 300,000 copies of a guide to civil partnerships for same-sex couples, and in February is holding workshops at branches in Brighton, Manchester, Birmingham, London and Blackpool, where staff will guide gays and lesbians through the financial consequences of marrying - and try to attract new gay customers in the process.
Barclays spokesman Michael O'Toole admitted the bank is very keen to woo Britain's gays and lesbians by portraying itself as sympathetic to gays' desire for equality. 'We want to position ourselves as the bank of choice for Britain's gay and lesbian community,' he said.
'There's more of a push going on now to enter this market of about 2.5 million adults. It's a good time to do that because civil partnerships remove a great injustice.' Staff have been advised to make gays feel as comfortable as possible 'about their personal circumstances' if, for example, they want to discuss getting a joint mortgage. Advertisements in the gay press for the workshops will reinforce that message.
The Hilton chain is trying to entice gay couples to hold their civil partnership celebrations by offering tailor-made parties and even the chance to hold the ceremony at some hotels.
Barclays' research [CORRECTION: RESEARCH DATA IS ACTUALLY SOURCED FROM OUT NOW RESEARCH: 2005 Out Now Diva and Gay Times Readers Surveys] revealed that gay and lesbian people have greater disposable income than heterosexuals. Among the 1,000 gays who took part, men had spent on average £626 and women £519 on holidays and mini-breaks. Gay men also spent more than lesbians on clothing, £374 compared with £249, as well as furniture and fittings, where they typically spent £300 to women's £263.
That reflects the fact that the typical gay man working full-time earns an average £34,168, compared to £24,783 for a lesbian. Both figures, though, are much higher than the salaries earned by the average male and female British worker of £24,236 and £18,531 respectively.
Among the respondents, 40 per cent of the women and 25 per cent of the men were professionals; 11 per cent of the women and 13 per cent of the men were managers; five per cent of the women and six per cent of the men were senior managers; and eight per cent of both sexes were clerical and office workers.
Chasing the pink pound: companies trying to grab a slice of the £60bn gay economy
Banking
Barclays bank is holding a series of seminars in cities where there is a significant gay population to explain the financial implications of civil partnerships to existing and potential gay and lesbian customers. Has paid for 300,000 copies of Get hitched!, a guide to 'gay weddings' to help explain the rights and responsibilities involved. Gives funds to gay rights group Stonewall and has floats at Pride, the big gay festivals.
Leisure
Hilton Hotels is wooing gay couples to hold civil partnership celebration parties at its 70 branches across the UK; some are licensed to hold the registration ceremony itself. The Hilton Avisford Park in Arundel, West Sussex, is holding its first 'gay Christmas' break from 24-27 December for £599 a head.
Grooming
L'Oréal is advertising its Hydra Energetic Daily Anti-Fatigue Lotion for men in publications such as FHM and Loaded with a man beside the words 'You think you look the business. She thinks you look overworked'. In publications such as Attitude and Gay Times, the 'she' has become 'he'. Rob Robillard of L'Oréal Paris says: 'The gay market is important to L'Oréal and our success with gay men is a key priority.'
[###OBSERVER ARTICLE ENDS]
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Here is an article on gay marketing and brands targeting the gay market that appears in the British press today.
Out Now is related to this story in three ways. It quotes one of our gay market clients, Barclays Bank.
Our research work is also referenced in the item (wrongly credited as "Barclays research". Note that The Observer article also fails to reveal over what period the expenditures quoted were actually made - a very important but missing fact!). The correct citation for the quoted data below is: "2005 Out Now Diva and Gay Times Readers Surveys".
Finally, and very significantly, British administration officials at Whitehall have concurred with the figure used by Out Now for over a decade to measure the numbers of lesbians and gays in society.
Here is today's article from The Observer:
[###OBSERVER ARTICLE BEGINS###]
3.6m people in Britain are gay - official
First Whitehall figure settles long-running debate
Denis Campbell, social affairs correspondent
Sunday December 11, 2005
The Observer
Six per cent of the population, or about 3.6 million Britons, are either gay or lesbian, the government's first attempt to quantify the homosexual population has concluded.
Whitehall officials have answered the much-debated question 'how many of us are gay?' by declaring that the true number is one in 16.66. Previous answers have ranged from one in five to as few as one in a hundred, and many people have believed the figure to be one in ten.
Treasury actuaries came up with the estimate when analysing the financial implications of the new Civil Partnerships Act, which comes into force this month and allows same-sex partners to marry and gives them similar rights to married couples in areas such as tax, pensions and inheritance.
There are an estimated 1.5 million to two million gay men, lesbians and bisexuals in the 30 million-strong workforce, according to the Department of Trade and Industry. Given the UK population is just under 60 million, that means that the gay community has between three and four million members.
'This is a significant moment,' said Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, the gay equality campaign group. 'For the first time the government has robustly acknowledged the existence of a substantial number of gay people in modern Britain. This is welcome and long overdue.
'Historically people have got bogged down in endless rows about this with some of the more colourful gay activists insisting as many as 20 per cent of the population was gay, while people who were opposed to gay equality, such as Norman Tebbit, claimed it was one in 100. Six per cent feels like a sensible estimate.'
Publication of the figure comes as big name companies such as Barclays bank, Hilton hotels and cosmetics giant L'Oreal join the growing rush to cash in on a gay economy which is worth tens of billions of pounds. Barclays has just received research which showed that gays and lesbians enjoy a combined annual income of £60 billion.
It has recently funded 300,000 copies of a guide to civil partnerships for same-sex couples, and in February is holding workshops at branches in Brighton, Manchester, Birmingham, London and Blackpool, where staff will guide gays and lesbians through the financial consequences of marrying - and try to attract new gay customers in the process.
Barclays spokesman Michael O'Toole admitted the bank is very keen to woo Britain's gays and lesbians by portraying itself as sympathetic to gays' desire for equality. 'We want to position ourselves as the bank of choice for Britain's gay and lesbian community,' he said.'There's more of a push going on now to enter this market of about 2.5 million adults. It's a good time to do that because civil partnerships remove a great injustice.' Staff have been advised to make gays feel as comfortable as possible 'about their personal circumstances' if, for example, they want to discuss getting a joint mortgage. Advertisements in the gay press for the workshops will reinforce that message.
The Hilton chain is trying to entice gay couples to hold their civil partnership celebrations by offering tailor-made parties and even the chance to hold the ceremony at some hotels.
Barclays' research [CORRECTION: RESEARCH DATA IS ACTUALLY SOURCED FROM OUT NOW RESEARCH: 2005 Out Now Diva and Gay Times Readers Surveys] revealed that gay and lesbian people have greater disposable income than heterosexuals. Among the 1,000 gays who took part, men had spent on average £626 and women £519 on holidays and mini-breaks. Gay men also spent more than lesbians on clothing, £374 compared with £249, as well as furniture and fittings, where they typically spent £300 to women's £263.
That reflects the fact that the typical gay man working full-time earns an average £34,168, compared to £24,783 for a lesbian. Both figures, though, are much higher than the salaries earned by the average male and female British worker of £24,236 and £18,531 respectively.
Among the respondents, 40 per cent of the women and 25 per cent of the men were professionals; 11 per cent of the women and 13 per cent of the men were managers; five per cent of the women and six per cent of the men were senior managers; and eight per cent of both sexes were clerical and office workers.
Chasing the pink pound: companies trying to grab a slice of the £60bn gay economy
Banking
Barclays bank is holding a series of seminars in cities where there is a significant gay population to explain the financial implications of civil partnerships to existing and potential gay and lesbian customers. Has paid for 300,000 copies of Get hitched!, a guide to 'gay weddings' to help explain the rights and responsibilities involved. Gives funds to gay rights group Stonewall and has floats at Pride, the big gay festivals.
Leisure
Hilton Hotels is wooing gay couples to hold civil partnership celebration parties at its 70 branches across the UK; some are licensed to hold the registration ceremony itself. The Hilton Avisford Park in Arundel, West Sussex, is holding its first 'gay Christmas' break from 24-27 December for £599 a head.
Grooming
L'Oréal is advertising its Hydra Energetic Daily Anti-Fatigue Lotion for men in publications such as FHM and Loaded with a man beside the words 'You think you look the business. She thinks you look overworked'. In publications such as Attitude and Gay Times, the 'she' has become 'he'. Rob Robillard of L'Oréal Paris says: 'The gay market is important to L'Oréal and our success with gay men is a key priority.'
[###OBSERVER ARTICLE ENDS]
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Kraft response to boycotts
TOPICS: US lesbian and gay market. US lesbian media. US gay sponsorship. US gay marketing. Out Now Consulting. AFA boycott. Anger at Ford in US lesbian and gay market. Brands target gay and lesbian market. Kraft sponsorship of Chicago 2006 Gay Games. Gay and lesbian sponsorships. Lesbian and gay marketing strategies. Companies targeting gays and lesbians using tailored lesbian and gay sponsorship strategies. Gay marketing. Lesbian marketing. Global lesbian and gay market. Bloggers express anger at Ford Motor Company gay marketing decision. Kraft response to threatened boycotts by conservative groups to boycott the brand.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Allow me to call a spade a spade.
Gay people are not just disliked by some groups - our very existence, and the support by some companies of gay marketing, seems open to criticism by anti-gay groups. Having said that, it has been encouraging to say the least that lesbian and gay citizens across the world have taken great heart from the fact that business has recognised and in many ways validated the relevance, existence and importance of gay people as an included part of the corporate vision.
The fact that most adult gays and lesbians have harsh memories of feeling excluded at some point in their lives - whether by family members, friends or workmates - goes some way to explaining why the ongoing drama unfolding around Ford and its apparent buckling under questioning from a conservative anti-gay pressure group resonates so very badly for the brand in the US, and across markets around the world.
Gay marketing does not actually require any kind of political commitment - other than perhaps understanding the values behind, and the supporting of, various quite 'human' goals such as equality and respect.
In fact in its absolutely most basic form, gay marketing simply requires understanding that supporting lesbian and gay customers has, in 2005, become a sensible business strategy. Gay marketing is embraced as good business in markets across the world.
The calm and supportive acceptance, and indeed welcoming, by most of British society, and the corporate sector, this week of the correctness of legal recognition of gay and lesbian civil partnerships in the UK is a case in point, and is in very sharp contrast to the harshly negative rhetoric now being directed against Ford brands.
In diverse markets, gay and non-gay, all across the world, reaction against various Ford brands including Ford, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover is being expressed by those many people offended by corporate Ford's apparent capitulation to pressure applied earlier in the year against Ford by anti-gay lobbying instigated by the US anti-gay group, the American Family Association.
It seems that it never really had to be that way.
Kraft took a very different approach earlier this year. Here is the text from an email sent to Kraft staff by management when the brand was criticised by similar anti-gay elements in the US market for the brand's decision to support the Chicago 2006 Gay Games with a sponsorship deal, as announced earlier this year.
To see for yourself the different results garnered by these two very different approaches, just google "Ford gay market" and "Kraft gay market" at this time to see how much value Kraft's approach has actually now bought the brand - not just from lesbian and gay people, but from an even larger part of society comprised of the family, friends, and other supporters of the lesbian and gay market.
Ford could only wish for such favourable press at this point in time.
Whether or not Kraft's approach is just good gay marketing, or is actually good corporate citizenship, you really would be hard pressed to write a more effective response to anti-gay pressure groups than this email sent to Kraft employees by management in 2005:
[###KRAFT QUOTE BEGINS###]
From: Marc Firestone, Executive Vice President, Corporate Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Kraft Foods Inc.
Subject: Kraft's Contribution to 2006 Gay Games
Through all of our councils, we support various initiatives that demonstrate how strongly we believe in diversity, through involvement in the community. Our sponsorship of the 2006 Gay Games is one of almost 1,700 cash and in-kind grants we make annually.
It can be difficult when we are criticized. It's easy to say you support a concept or a principle when nobody objects. The real test of commitment is how one reacts when there are those who disagree. I hope you share my view that our company has taken the right stand on diversity, including its contribution to the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago.
You may have questions or might have had questions from friends and family about our contribution to this event. While Kraft certainly doesn't go looking for controversy, we have long been dedicated to support the concept and the reality of diversity. It's the right thing to do and it's good for our business and our work environment.
Diversity makes us a stronger company and connects us with the diversity that exists among the consumers who buy our products.
Diversity is more than a word many people like to say. At Kraft we truly respect all kinds of differences. And diversity is not a selective concept. By definition, it's nothing if not inclusive. We respect diversity of ethnicity, gender, experience, background, personal style and yes, sexual orientation and gender identity. Recognizing, respecting and valuing these differences helps us be a more successful business and a workplace where all employees can realize their full potential.
For more than a decade, we have had employee councils that promote our awareness of diversity. The newest of our nine diversity councils is the Rainbow Council, which strives to provide a forum for support and networking among gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender employees; raise awareness within Kraft and promote involvement in the community. Each council has an executive sponsor and I have been the Rainbow Council's sponsor since last year.
To repeat:
It can be difficult when we are criticized. It's easy to say you support a concept or a principle when nobody objects. The real test of commitment is how one reacts when there are those who disagree. I hope you share my view that our company has taken the right stand on diversity, including its contribution to the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago.
[###KRAFT QUOTE ENDS###]
Compare these corporate Kraft remarks, and the resulting consumer response generated, with the current negative remarks and gay market fury now enveloping Ford - and all of its associated brands - when considering how best to respond to threats made by anti-gay groups against gay marketing initiatives.
At the end of the day - make your gay marketing decisions on a business basis, but also understand that brands that stand for important attributes such as strength, reliability, honesty and dependability will likely do very well, in any market - and with any group of consumers.
It would probably have been nice for Ford if people could have attributed all these attributes to their brands. Current anger against Ford, and its current actions in the gay market, suggests that is certainly not what is now happening.
Standing up for what you believe in inspires almost all people, and, also, in the long run, probably even those who may not initially agree with you.
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Allow me to call a spade a spade.
Gay people are not just disliked by some groups - our very existence, and the support by some companies of gay marketing, seems open to criticism by anti-gay groups. Having said that, it has been encouraging to say the least that lesbian and gay citizens across the world have taken great heart from the fact that business has recognised and in many ways validated the relevance, existence and importance of gay people as an included part of the corporate vision.
The fact that most adult gays and lesbians have harsh memories of feeling excluded at some point in their lives - whether by family members, friends or workmates - goes some way to explaining why the ongoing drama unfolding around Ford and its apparent buckling under questioning from a conservative anti-gay pressure group resonates so very badly for the brand in the US, and across markets around the world.
Gay marketing does not actually require any kind of political commitment - other than perhaps understanding the values behind, and the supporting of, various quite 'human' goals such as equality and respect.
In fact in its absolutely most basic form, gay marketing simply requires understanding that supporting lesbian and gay customers has, in 2005, become a sensible business strategy. Gay marketing is embraced as good business in markets across the world.
The calm and supportive acceptance, and indeed welcoming, by most of British society, and the corporate sector, this week of the correctness of legal recognition of gay and lesbian civil partnerships in the UK is a case in point, and is in very sharp contrast to the harshly negative rhetoric now being directed against Ford brands.
In diverse markets, gay and non-gay, all across the world, reaction against various Ford brands including Ford, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover is being expressed by those many people offended by corporate Ford's apparent capitulation to pressure applied earlier in the year against Ford by anti-gay lobbying instigated by the US anti-gay group, the American Family Association.
It seems that it never really had to be that way.
Kraft took a very different approach earlier this year. Here is the text from an email sent to Kraft staff by management when the brand was criticised by similar anti-gay elements in the US market for the brand's decision to support the Chicago 2006 Gay Games with a sponsorship deal, as announced earlier this year.
To see for yourself the different results garnered by these two very different approaches, just google "Ford gay market" and "Kraft gay market" at this time to see how much value Kraft's approach has actually now bought the brand - not just from lesbian and gay people, but from an even larger part of society comprised of the family, friends, and other supporters of the lesbian and gay market.
Ford could only wish for such favourable press at this point in time.
Whether or not Kraft's approach is just good gay marketing, or is actually good corporate citizenship, you really would be hard pressed to write a more effective response to anti-gay pressure groups than this email sent to Kraft employees by management in 2005:
[###KRAFT QUOTE BEGINS###]
From: Marc Firestone, Executive Vice President, Corporate Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Kraft Foods Inc.
Subject: Kraft's Contribution to 2006 Gay Games
Through all of our councils, we support various initiatives that demonstrate how strongly we believe in diversity, through involvement in the community. Our sponsorship of the 2006 Gay Games is one of almost 1,700 cash and in-kind grants we make annually.
It can be difficult when we are criticized. It's easy to say you support a concept or a principle when nobody objects. The real test of commitment is how one reacts when there are those who disagree. I hope you share my view that our company has taken the right stand on diversity, including its contribution to the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago.
You may have questions or might have had questions from friends and family about our contribution to this event. While Kraft certainly doesn't go looking for controversy, we have long been dedicated to support the concept and the reality of diversity. It's the right thing to do and it's good for our business and our work environment.
Diversity makes us a stronger company and connects us with the diversity that exists among the consumers who buy our products.
Diversity is more than a word many people like to say. At Kraft we truly respect all kinds of differences. And diversity is not a selective concept. By definition, it's nothing if not inclusive. We respect diversity of ethnicity, gender, experience, background, personal style and yes, sexual orientation and gender identity. Recognizing, respecting and valuing these differences helps us be a more successful business and a workplace where all employees can realize their full potential.
For more than a decade, we have had employee councils that promote our awareness of diversity. The newest of our nine diversity councils is the Rainbow Council, which strives to provide a forum for support and networking among gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender employees; raise awareness within Kraft and promote involvement in the community. Each council has an executive sponsor and I have been the Rainbow Council's sponsor since last year.
To repeat:
It can be difficult when we are criticized. It's easy to say you support a concept or a principle when nobody objects. The real test of commitment is how one reacts when there are those who disagree. I hope you share my view that our company has taken the right stand on diversity, including its contribution to the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago.
[###KRAFT QUOTE ENDS###]
Compare these corporate Kraft remarks, and the resulting consumer response generated, with the current negative remarks and gay market fury now enveloping Ford - and all of its associated brands - when considering how best to respond to threats made by anti-gay groups against gay marketing initiatives.
At the end of the day - make your gay marketing decisions on a business basis, but also understand that brands that stand for important attributes such as strength, reliability, honesty and dependability will likely do very well, in any market - and with any group of consumers.
It would probably have been nice for Ford if people could have attributed all these attributes to their brands. Current anger against Ford, and its current actions in the gay market, suggests that is certainly not what is now happening.
Standing up for what you believe in inspires almost all people, and, also, in the long run, probably even those who may not initially agree with you.
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
US gay market anger at Ford
TOPICS: US lesbian and gay market. US lesbian media. US gay mens media. US gay marketing. Out Now Consulting. AFA boycott. Anger at Ford in US lesbian and gay market. Brands target gay and lesbian market. Gay and lesbian advertising. Lesbian and gay marketing strategies. Companies targeting gays and lesbians using tailored lesbian and gay marketing strategies. New gay market research, new lesbian research. Gay marketing. Lesbian marketing. Global lesbian and gay market. Bloggers express anger at Ford Motor Company gay marketing decision.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Personally, I am not a huge fan of boycotts as a form of social advancement. Vengeance is, to me, a dish best not served. Earlier this year though the right wing group called American Family Association threatened Ford Motor Company with a boycott due to the company's equal treatment of gay employees, its support for gay rights organisations and its advertising in lesbian and gay media.
The boycott was suspended after just a few weeks, however it is being widely reported today that Ford has this week decided it will no longer advertise in certain US gay market magazines because they attract a predominantly gay readership.
The fury unleashed in the blogging community is something to behold! And not just from gay bloggers - there are people of all backgrounds online as I write this actively agitating against Ford. There are talks of boycotts, phone protests and even a suggestion that Ford motor cars be put in Gay Pride parades and people bash them for a $5 donation.
I do not think gay marketing needs threats to make it relevant to brands - I have worked on enough gay market research projects to know that for many brands, gay marketing is a purely business decision, not a political one.
Nonetheless, for your information, it is important to capture some of the anger Ford has unleashed amongst lesbian and gay market customers, as well as a broader audience.
I can't think that the American Family Association group's members will buy enough Ford motor vehicles to compensate the brand for the loss they seem likely to suffer as a result of this loss of support from the lesbian and gay market, around the world.
Here is a typical comment by a blogger from AmericaBlog.blogspot.com: "I think the point here is that what kind of company would enter into "negotiations" with an unrelated group of hatemongers whose only complaint is that the company advertises in GLBT magazines? Since when does a company allow itself to be dictated to by the American "Family" Association, a group which will end up demanding ...that Ford no longer advertise in magazines which are purchased by women who might use contraceptives, then men who might look at nekkid pictures of ladies (a la Playboy)? " "The point here is that we must certainly question, just as we did with Microsoft, the spine of any company who would "negotiate" business decisions based on some unrelated group of Americans whose only real objection is that the gay market exists. We not only deserve an explanation for this, but should demand Ford publicly make a statement divorcing itself from the claims of the AFA." "We all know that AFA boycotts, which come around as often as the daily sunrise, are rarely very effective - particularly because their damned list of threatened companies is too huge for any reasonable person to manage. And their own history as an organization is more than suspect, particularly in reference to their claims of member numbers and influence. They are basically a media whore organization operated by members of the same family - a ne-er-do-well group of people who have no ability to constructively produce anything in our society so they earn a living running their mouths about "values" they neither possess or aspire to. . ." "It might be nice that Ford has adopted friendly policies for gay employees, but being forced to remove advertising from GLBT publications because some hate group wants those publications shut down is outrageous. And I for one would never trust a company with such a weak spine to sell me car, let alone effectively service one." "Another thing I'd like to point out here - sure, Mississippi is a big closet, but there are gays living there, and they drive cars and need them serviced. There should be some way to identify these dealers (AND FORD) and point out that because of this ridiculous pandering, no gay customer could approach those dealers for service or sales and feel confident of receiving appropriate attention. The dealers involved should be hit hard - and be accused of giving preferential treatment to customers who belong to the American Family Association. Kevin | 12.03.05 - 3:07 pm |"
{###QUOTE ENDS###]
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Personally, I am not a huge fan of boycotts as a form of social advancement. Vengeance is, to me, a dish best not served. Earlier this year though the right wing group called American Family Association threatened Ford Motor Company with a boycott due to the company's equal treatment of gay employees, its support for gay rights organisations and its advertising in lesbian and gay media.
The boycott was suspended after just a few weeks, however it is being widely reported today that Ford has this week decided it will no longer advertise in certain US gay market magazines because they attract a predominantly gay readership.
The fury unleashed in the blogging community is something to behold! And not just from gay bloggers - there are people of all backgrounds online as I write this actively agitating against Ford. There are talks of boycotts, phone protests and even a suggestion that Ford motor cars be put in Gay Pride parades and people bash them for a $5 donation.
I do not think gay marketing needs threats to make it relevant to brands - I have worked on enough gay market research projects to know that for many brands, gay marketing is a purely business decision, not a political one.
Nonetheless, for your information, it is important to capture some of the anger Ford has unleashed amongst lesbian and gay market customers, as well as a broader audience.
I can't think that the American Family Association group's members will buy enough Ford motor vehicles to compensate the brand for the loss they seem likely to suffer as a result of this loss of support from the lesbian and gay market, around the world.
Here is a typical comment by a blogger from AmericaBlog.blogspot.com: "I think the point here is that what kind of company would enter into "negotiations" with an unrelated group of hatemongers whose only complaint is that the company advertises in GLBT magazines? Since when does a company allow itself to be dictated to by the American "Family" Association, a group which will end up demanding ...that Ford no longer advertise in magazines which are purchased by women who might use contraceptives, then men who might look at nekkid pictures of ladies (a la Playboy)? " "The point here is that we must certainly question, just as we did with Microsoft, the spine of any company who would "negotiate" business decisions based on some unrelated group of Americans whose only real objection is that the gay market exists. We not only deserve an explanation for this, but should demand Ford publicly make a statement divorcing itself from the claims of the AFA." "We all know that AFA boycotts, which come around as often as the daily sunrise, are rarely very effective - particularly because their damned list of threatened companies is too huge for any reasonable person to manage. And their own history as an organization is more than suspect, particularly in reference to their claims of member numbers and influence. They are basically a media whore organization operated by members of the same family - a ne-er-do-well group of people who have no ability to constructively produce anything in our society so they earn a living running their mouths about "values" they neither possess or aspire to. . ." "It might be nice that Ford has adopted friendly policies for gay employees, but being forced to remove advertising from GLBT publications because some hate group wants those publications shut down is outrageous. And I for one would never trust a company with such a weak spine to sell me car, let alone effectively service one." "Another thing I'd like to point out here - sure, Mississippi is a big closet, but there are gays living there, and they drive cars and need them serviced. There should be some way to identify these dealers (AND FORD) and point out that because of this ridiculous pandering, no gay customer could approach those dealers for service or sales and feel confident of receiving appropriate attention. The dealers involved should be hit hard - and be accused of giving preferential treatment to customers who belong to the American Family Association. Kevin | 12.03.05 - 3:07 pm |"
{###QUOTE ENDS###]
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Gay weddings market in UK starts
TOPICS: UK lesbian and gay market. Europe gay and lesbian media research. Europe lesbian media. European gay mens media. UK gay Marketing. Out Now Consulting. New lesbian and gay market research findings. Ian Johnson. Gay marriage market research data in European gay and lesbian markets. Gay market research data in Europe's gay and lesbian markets. Brands target gay and lesbian market. Gay and lesbian advertising. Lesbian and gay marketing strategies. Companies targeting gays and lesbians using tailored lesbian and gay marketing strategies. New gay market research, new lesbian research. Gay marketing. Lesbian marketing. Global lesbian and gay market. Media coverage of Out Now Consulting about gay marriage marketing in UK.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Yesterday saw a great deal of media coverage in the UK and around the world about the issue of gay marriages in the UK.
Out Now Consulting was featured in the context of valuing the gay honeymoons market, the market impacts of this new development in UK markets and across the world. Much was made of the findings of our recent research with Gay Times and Diva magazines in the UK lesbian and gay media market.
Here is some sample coverage.
From The Times newspaper (Monday 5 Dec 2005):
"How popular are these civil partnerships proving? Nearly 1,000 couples are expected to make the trip to a register office today to give notice for a ceremony on the first day it becomes possible, 21 December. More than 400 couples have pre-registered in Brighton alone, with hundreds more in Islington, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Richmond in London, and several dozen in Edinburgh and Glasgow. A study by marketing firm Out Now Consulting estimates that the gay wedding market will be worth £600 million a year in a pink pound honeymoons economy."
From The Independent (Monday 5 Dec 2005):
"The gay wedding market will be worth about £600m a year, according to a study by Out Now Consulting, a marketing firm."
From The Observer (Sunday 4 Dec 2005):
"Civil partnerships will create a lucrative spinoff industry of gay stag and hen weekends, wedding parties and honeymoons. Ian Johnson of Out Now Consulting, a specialist marketing firm which recently analysed gay and lesbian lifestyles, said the market could be worth as much as £600m."
From BBC World Service, Europe Today programme (Monday 5 Dec 2005, radio interview with Ian Johnson, Out Now Consulting):
"Companies need to not only want the pink pound, they need to understand how to get it. The brand has to credentialise itself. Companies can face cynicism. The target audience is looking for those brands - and those destinations - that want their business, to earn that business."
... Ian Johnson, Out Now Consulting, 5 December 2005.
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Yesterday saw a great deal of media coverage in the UK and around the world about the issue of gay marriages in the UK.
Out Now Consulting was featured in the context of valuing the gay honeymoons market, the market impacts of this new development in UK markets and across the world. Much was made of the findings of our recent research with Gay Times and Diva magazines in the UK lesbian and gay media market.
Here is some sample coverage.
From The Times newspaper (Monday 5 Dec 2005):
"How popular are these civil partnerships proving? Nearly 1,000 couples are expected to make the trip to a register office today to give notice for a ceremony on the first day it becomes possible, 21 December. More than 400 couples have pre-registered in Brighton alone, with hundreds more in Islington, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Richmond in London, and several dozen in Edinburgh and Glasgow. A study by marketing firm Out Now Consulting estimates that the gay wedding market will be worth £600 million a year in a pink pound honeymoons economy."
From The Independent (Monday 5 Dec 2005):
"The gay wedding market will be worth about £600m a year, according to a study by Out Now Consulting, a marketing firm."
From The Observer (Sunday 4 Dec 2005):
"Civil partnerships will create a lucrative spinoff industry of gay stag and hen weekends, wedding parties and honeymoons. Ian Johnson of Out Now Consulting, a specialist marketing firm which recently analysed gay and lesbian lifestyles, said the market could be worth as much as £600m."
From BBC World Service, Europe Today programme (Monday 5 Dec 2005, radio interview with Ian Johnson, Out Now Consulting):
"Companies need to not only want the pink pound, they need to understand how to get it. The brand has to credentialise itself. Companies can face cynicism. The target audience is looking for those brands - and those destinations - that want their business, to earn that business."
... Ian Johnson, Out Now Consulting, 5 December 2005.
For further gay marketing information, or to seek gay market advice, please contact:
Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
landline: +32-2-514 6443
mobile: +32-4737 60886
web: OutNowConsulting.com
updates: Out Now Gay Market Updates
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
World AIDS Day
Just for today - no marketing in this post. Just some thinking.
In about three hours from now, a 25 year old Australian called Van Nguyen will be hanged in a Singapore jail.
His crime was to be caught in transit at Changi airport, aged 22, smuggling almost 400 grams of heroin to Australia from Cambodia. He admitted his crime and explained it was to try and help his brother who was labouring under $30,000 worth of debt. Noble to some perhaps, but the Singaporean authorities have a mandatory death sentence for anyone convicted of trafficking more than a few grams. Van had spent most of his short life working hard to try and support his single refugee mother and to keep his twin brother out of trouble.
Despite pleas from world leaders - including Pope John Paul II, the new Pope Benedict, former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, current NZ Prime Minister Helen Clarke, and others - this young man will almost certainly be dead by the time you read this.
I can't sanction anyone doing what he did, and certainly do not approve of drug trafficking, but I cannot stop feeling so sad that this young life will be taken too soon. I just cannot understand that any human being should have the right to voluntarily take any another person's life, by whatever means, no matter what they did.
Today is World AIDS Day.
Watching CNN today was a most sobering experience. The published reports say that there are now 20 million people dead from AIDS.
That is more than 2,200 people dead each day. Almost 100 people, that somebody knows and loves, dying - every single hour.
Every day.
For 24 years.
Think now how many people knew and loved and deeply miss these people. Think of someone you care about and then imagine they were gone because of this very preventable disease.
That is the reality of World AIDS Day 2005.
Whoopi Goldberg, one of the earliest public supporters to recognise the imperative of fighting this virus, tellingly said on BBC World today: "If we can't at least help the children living with HIV and AIDS, we may as well all pack it in."
Most people I know have lost someone they knew and cared about because of AIDS.
Today for me is a very somber moment to reflect upon the tragedy of lives cut short.
I know in the US it is currently fashionable to lionize Ronald Reagan - but I remember so clearly during my student years at university in the mid-1980s how strongly we protested against his administration's continued unwillingness to do anything meaningful to stop the spread of what was first known as GRID ("Gay Related Immune Deficiency) - a name subsequently changed to AIDS once it became clear that HIV shows no discrimination whatsoever in whom it infects. Had Reagan acted to prevent the spread of HIV from the outset, today might have been so much different.
The majority of people now newly infected are not gay at all, but are predominantly heterosexual, and are predominantly women and children.
I can't help thinking how many people would still be here if only Reagan could have brought himself to publicly acknowledge AIDS long before he actually did in 1987 - more than six years after the illness was first diagnosed.
Here's wishing for an end to early death and needless suffering for all.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
In about three hours from now, a 25 year old Australian called Van Nguyen will be hanged in a Singapore jail.
His crime was to be caught in transit at Changi airport, aged 22, smuggling almost 400 grams of heroin to Australia from Cambodia. He admitted his crime and explained it was to try and help his brother who was labouring under $30,000 worth of debt. Noble to some perhaps, but the Singaporean authorities have a mandatory death sentence for anyone convicted of trafficking more than a few grams. Van had spent most of his short life working hard to try and support his single refugee mother and to keep his twin brother out of trouble.
Despite pleas from world leaders - including Pope John Paul II, the new Pope Benedict, former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, current NZ Prime Minister Helen Clarke, and others - this young man will almost certainly be dead by the time you read this.
I can't sanction anyone doing what he did, and certainly do not approve of drug trafficking, but I cannot stop feeling so sad that this young life will be taken too soon. I just cannot understand that any human being should have the right to voluntarily take any another person's life, by whatever means, no matter what they did.
Today is World AIDS Day.
Watching CNN today was a most sobering experience. The published reports say that there are now 20 million people dead from AIDS.
That is more than 2,200 people dead each day. Almost 100 people, that somebody knows and loves, dying - every single hour.
Every day.
For 24 years.
Think now how many people knew and loved and deeply miss these people. Think of someone you care about and then imagine they were gone because of this very preventable disease.
That is the reality of World AIDS Day 2005.
Whoopi Goldberg, one of the earliest public supporters to recognise the imperative of fighting this virus, tellingly said on BBC World today: "If we can't at least help the children living with HIV and AIDS, we may as well all pack it in."
Most people I know have lost someone they knew and cared about because of AIDS.
Today for me is a very somber moment to reflect upon the tragedy of lives cut short.
I know in the US it is currently fashionable to lionize Ronald Reagan - but I remember so clearly during my student years at university in the mid-1980s how strongly we protested against his administration's continued unwillingness to do anything meaningful to stop the spread of what was first known as GRID ("Gay Related Immune Deficiency) - a name subsequently changed to AIDS once it became clear that HIV shows no discrimination whatsoever in whom it infects. Had Reagan acted to prevent the spread of HIV from the outset, today might have been so much different.
The majority of people now newly infected are not gay at all, but are predominantly heterosexual, and are predominantly women and children.
I can't help thinking how many people would still be here if only Reagan could have brought himself to publicly acknowledge AIDS long before he actually did in 1987 - more than six years after the illness was first diagnosed.
Here's wishing for an end to early death and needless suffering for all.
Global gay marketing, gay advertising, lesbian and gay market research leaders. Gay Marketing 101 - The Out Now Updates.
OutNowConsulting.com | GayMarketing101.com
Companies marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
Better targeting of the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Out Now is your lesbian and gay advertising, training and marketing partner. Leaders in lesbian and gay research, strategy, advertising, communications and training.
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