Big Brands - Pink Pounds

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TOPICS: Gay and lesbian market. Lesbian and gay marketing in the UK. Global gay market. Lesbian and gay advertising and promotion in the UK. New gay marketing and advertising campaigns by larger brands targeting gay customers.

Out Now Consulting featured in page 7 article in Marketing Week (UK) magazine: Big Brands Commence Battle for the Pink Pound

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Out Now Consulting is featured in the January 5, 2006 issue of Marketing Week magazine in the UK.

The article is a good discussion of the current strong interest amongst British brands in targeting gay and lesbian market customers. Partly this is due to the advent of Civil Partnerships laws in the UK last month, and also partly due to better gay market data, such as the gay market research Out Now has been releasing in recent weeks.

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London, UK (MARKETING WEEK) January 5, 2006 -- by Jonathan Harwood

Big Brands Commence Battle for the Pink Pound

The first same-sex civil unions took place in the UK last month, heralding a new "gay wedding" economy worth millions of pounds. The Civil Partnerships Act has thrown the spotlight on the pink pound, along with recent spats such as Ford's decision to scrap ads in the US gay press to appease conservatives. The car giant later performed a U-turn and decided to allow campaigns to run following pressure from gay rights groups.

Some companies feel that it is worth marketing specifically to the gay community.

After all, the total income of the UK's gay and lesbian community is estimated at 60 billion pounds by specialist marketing company Out Now Consultants. Gay honeymoons alone could be worth 600 million pounds to the travel industry.

Chief executive of the (London) Pride festival, Jason Pollock, says there are behavioural differences between the gay and straight markets, adding that the gay population includes a high proportion of early adopters of new technology: "The point is that blue-chip companies cannot afford to ignore us".

However, advertisers that want a slice of this lucrative market must show they understand the sensibilities of their customers, and observers agree that gay consumers, like those in other niche groups, still see themselves as being outside the mainstream.

Ian Johnson of gay marketing specialists Out Now Consulting says that most large corporations in the US "actively develop gay marketing strategies". His company, which has clients including IBM and Toyota facilitates understanding between consumers and clients.

Johnson agrees that marketing to the gay community requires a different approach that "complements the brand strategy but is tailored to maximise its effectiveness". That means brands must consider their creative work when aiming at the gay market. "The biggest no-no is the use of overtly heterosexual imagery in a gay marketing context," he adds.

Using gay imagery to entertain or titillate a largely heterosexual audience will not attract gay customers either, Johnson warns.

Whatever approach a brand takes towards attracting the pink pound, marketers would be wrong to ignore the economic significance of the gay community.

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Ian Johnson, Director, Out Now Consulting
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