Ian Johnson, Out Now
November 21, 2007
TOPICS: Gay community marketing. Lesbian community marketing. Gay market demographics. PlanetOut Inc. [NASDAQ:LGBT]. Gay.com Lesbian consumer market. GLBT community. Gay ghettos dissipate. Trends in lesbian and gay living. Gays and lesbians moving out of the lesbian and gay ghettos of the world.Gay Market News has covered often the topic of how gays and lesbians have traditionally clustered in local communities, usually in larger urban centers, for reasons of solidarity, security and to socialize.
That gave rise to the term "gay ghettos" to describe this trend for certain areas including Darlinghurst in Sydney, West Hollywood in Los Angeles, Soho in London, and Greenwich Village, and latterly Chelsea in New York to become geographical and commercial centers for the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Well, as they say, everything changes, nothing stays the same.
In Australia for example, the gay and lesbian community is on the move -- from the inner city Sydney gay ghetto heartlands of Darlinghurst, Surry Hills and Newtown, out into the suburbs.
As the gay communities of the world move on, so too does the gay consumer market and associated business that targets gay customers.
Just two weeks ago, one of the best loved lesbian and gay inner city pubs - The Newtown Hotel - closed its doors for good.
Similar trends are happening in other places in the world. How to correctly interpret this shift in gay demographics, and how to respond to the new challenges this presents for marketers targeting gay consumers, is becoming increasingly important to gay market success.
We believe that two trends are intersecting here.
Growth of the Internet in the Gay Market
It is around a decade since we all began hearing of the "internet revolution".
Well, the revolution may not have been televised, nor even on time, but it has certainly been online. Most consumers (even my 68 year old mother) have seen their lives radically transformed in recent years by the proliferation of high speed broadband access.
That is especially true amongst the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Out Now has been tracking the growth of the lesbian and gay hunger for early adoption of new technologies since 1992. From VCRs, to TiVo, from the introduction of mobile phones to iPhones the gay market has always been at the forefront as early adopters of new technology.
So too with the internet.
Out Now recently saw our first 100% gay market internet access market research result in the Irish lesbian and gay market.
The internet has also had a profound effect on how people socialize. Dating sites like Gaydar and PlanetOut Inc.'s [NASDAQ:LGBT] Gay.com have caused many people that might otherwise have been out at the Newtown Hotel in Sydney to stay in and chat and arrange to meet online.
The recent upswing in sites like Facebook, MySpace and Bebo have accelerated that trend.
So gays and lesbians no longer feel so compelled to be living near their local gay bar to be able to socialize.
Increasing Social Acceptance of the Gay Community
The other trend driving gay migration out of gay ghettos is the increasing acceptance of lesbian and gay people in general society.
As more lesbians and gay men come out with friends, family and at work, there is less need to be hidden from others, and correspondingly less need to cluster together in so-called gay ghettos in search of social support.
Lesbian and gay people are becoming far more common as out, valued members of communities all across America, Australia, the United Kingdom and in many other parts of the world.
The loss of gay ghettos is a likely dividend of this dissipation of the economic center of gravity for many lesbian and gay businesses, including gay bookshops - which have seen the likes of Barnes and Noble and Amazon eat up their clientele, again courtesy of the internet, along with changing gay and lesbian geographic location trends.
The Future
So what does it all mean?
Out Now predicts the trend towards disaggregation of gay and lesbian community ghettos is likely to increase.
That means for marketers the challenge is to reach lesbians and gay men with well developed, relevant communications delivered to the very many places where lesbians and gay men now choose to live.
It will not be easy to do that, but the value of the market makes it a challenge well worth meeting.
Traditional free-to-street press gay and lesbian media needs to move online fast or find their gay consumer market has just moved away.
The internet will only increase in its impact in our daily lives for all of us, including the lesbian and gay consumer market, and embracing that fact is key to future success in the lesbian and gay market.
Somehow though, I expect I will still feel sad when I next visit my old stomping ground in Sydney that the Newtown Hotel will now be just a piece of Sydney's gay and lesbian history.
To learn more about the lesbian and gay market demographic -- contact Out Now. Gay and lesbian market research specialists since 1992.
-------------------
Access market research and gay marketing at the leading edge -- gay marketing expert strategic advice from Out Now -- the experienced global strategic gay marketing, research and communications agency, specialized in targeting the lesbian and gay consumer market.
Want to receive Gay Market News by email? It's easy--click here.
Out Now Consulting has since 1992 worked for our clients in delivering leading edge marketing solutions in all facets of gay and lesbian marketing, including understanding gay and lesbian communications issues. To get expert gay marketing communications, research and marketing strategy insight, from the leading gay and lesbian communications marketing experts; contact Out Now.
For reaching gay consumers, lesbian and gay market research, GLBT advertising, gay PR, GayComfort™ training and gay marketing strategies, choose OutNowConsulting.com. LGBT communications successfully reaching the lesbian and gay consumer market since 1992. To contact Out Now, send us an email. Helping brands marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians. Out Now Consulting and Gay Market News will keep you updated on all the latest gay marketing, GLBT community market research, LGBT travel and gay tourism, gay and lesbian communications, gay PR and gay advertising developments. Gay market insight is Out Now: Gay Marketing. Solved. OutNowConsulting.com GayMarketing101.com. All content on all Out Now websites (C) 2007 - 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. Out Now Gay Market News -- Gay Marketing 101 gay market updates site. LGBT communications. Gay PR. Global gay PR marketing, gay public relations strategy, GLBT PR, LGBT issues training, gay advertising, LGBT market, lesbian and gay market research leaders, GLBT marketing. Gay Market News is Gay Marketing 101 - Out Now Gay Marketing, Advertising, Gay PR, Market Research. Travel Market. Training.
gay market gay advertising gay marketing gay tourism gay travel pink dollar pink pound gay agency advertising marketing travel tourism gay lesbian gay and lesbian market research glbt lgbt communications community pink euro
0 comments:
Post a Comment