Manchester. Gay Pride Or Gay Rip-Off?

The ongoing clash between gay community Pride events and commercial interests rolls on. The latest installment? Last week's UK Manchester Gay Pride.


Ian Johnson, Out Now
August 30, 2008

Lesbian and gay pride events. Manchester. Marketing Manchester. Gay community celebration versus gay commercial profit exploitation.


Once it used to be so easy.

Lesbian and gay community members got together each summer and threw a party.

For themselves.

About themselves.

They called it Pride, or Mardi Gras, and all who came celebrated together and left happy after a shared sense of gay communion.

These past years though, we have witnessed the increasing intrusion of commercial interests into what was once a purely gay community event.

From Australia's Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras years ago to this year's Amsterdam's Gay Canal Boat Pride - the ongoing attempts by corporate interests to muscle into what started as gay community events of celebration boiled over - yet again - this week.

This time in Manchester in the UK.

Gay Pride Rip-Off in Manchester?

Marketing Manchester, the local tourism marketing agency, stands accused of hijacking Manchester's Gay Pride event - with alleged extortionate ticket prices just to enter the Canal Street gay village area.

Once tourism offices ran a mile from gay pride events. Now though many see them as potential tourism money spinners.

Openly gay Chief Executive of Marketing Manchester, Andrew Stokes, sees his organization stand uncomfortably accused of exploiting the gay community for commercial gain.

Phil Burke, Board Member of the local Pride committee and also the Chair of The Village Business Association said:

"The general feeling amongst the businesses, and a vast number of attendees, is that we no longer have a Manchester Pride that is an annual celebration of the LGBT community and The Gay Village.

"What we now have is Marketing Manchester’s Pride."

Gay Community Comes Last. Again.

Mr Burke's members it seems though are less than pure when it comes to commercial exploitation of gays and lesbians for profit in the name of 'gay pride.'

Individual venues within the Marketing Manchester Pride area were also charging door charges just to enter their venues within this already-paid-to-get-into space.

And that, naturally enough, adds up to a lot of less than impressed punters.

Partly I think the issue is not only about the mixing of community and commercial, but rather how it is done. When it is simply high entry price and no added value then of course people get understandably annoyed.

Or when it is a case of corporate sponsorship and branding triumphing over community spirit then that understandably leaves gay community members feeling cold.

Strong Need For Smarter Gay Marketing Approach

Personally I would not be at all disheartened to see the disappearance of corporate logos and sponsorships at gay pride events. There are many other more strategic ways to market to gay consumers than to just plaster corporate sponsors' branding all over a high profile gay Pride event.

In many ways, the current logo-plastering approach shows a distinct lack of imagination, and probably more than a whiff of opportunism on the part of the organizers and the sponsoring companies.

Simply charging extortionate entry fees to what was once a free community event is also a strategy likely to build strong community dissent.

Hardly good marketing, or even clever tourism promotion. A loud bunch of disaffected locals talk with tourists -- and they are unlikely to be very complimentary about the local powers that be. Not entirely likely to positively influence gay market tourists' attitudes about the location.

Smart gay community marketing ought to be so much more creative than that.

To really coalesce gay community marketing and corporate interests takes insight and experience.

Something that many attempts in recent days seem to be distinctly lacking.

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) 2008 - 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. 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

Matthew Mitcham Gay Gold

Matthew Mitcham, Australia's 20 year old gay Olympic gold medalist continues to excite gay communities worldwide. Will this translate into corporate sponsorship gold? Read more.


Ian Johnson, Out Now
August 24, 2008

TOPICS: Lesbian and gay marketing. Sports sponsorships. Matthew Mitcham. Gay sports stars. Olympics gold medal.

It is now just one day since the global gay community's new golden boy hero, Matthew Mitcham, took gold in the Diving finals at the Aquatic Center in Beijing.

Already the global gay media has reacted with excited coverage of Mitcham's achievement.

It is unusual for many to see that a gay man can win an Olympic gold medal.

The fact that Matthew Mitcham was out in advance of the Olympic Games has allowed him to be open and honest with the world, even as he took gold yesterday on the last day of competition at the Beijing Olympics.

It is not the first time a gay man has won gold at the Olympics.

But it is the first time it has ever been done by a male athlete so openly gay at the time of winning their medal.

And that honesty matters a great deal to the global gay community.

Here's hoping that the corporate world recognizes the immense regard with which this young man is held by the global gay and lesbian market. He deserves to see corporate sponsorship flow his way.

A truly touching thing is the thanks he has for the two people he feels helped most in his success at the Olympics - his partner Lachlan Fletcher and his Mum.

Enjoy this quite touching video of Matthew Mitcham's gratitude.



It remains to be seen whether the corporate sector will respond strategically with sponsorship deals for this new gay hero.

Mitcham's Mum, Vivienne, told hometown newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald her son was a man of "firsts".

"Coming out publicly, that was a first," said Vivien. "The highest score awarded to an Olympic dive ever, another first. How many more firsts can this child get? Can you find something else to be first in? He's just done so well. He deserves it."

Out Now thinks that smart companies will see the marketing and sponsorship opportunities presented by this new kind of gay sports hero.

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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.

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) 2008 - 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

Australia's Gay Olympic Hero

In an Olympic Games with 10,500 competitors, only ten athletes competing are openly gay. Today, Australia's Matthew Mitcham became my home country's first openly gay gold medal Olympian.


Ian Johnson, Out Now
August 23, 2008

Olympic Games. Gay athletes. Openly gay olympians. Corporate sponsorships. Gay marketing. Matthew Mitchum wins gold at Beijing Olympics.

The history of openly gay Olympians is not a good one.

The numbers of openly gay athletes in the world of sport remains very sadly limited.

Greg Louganis was a gay diver but was not always openly gay. Martina Navratilova was an openly gay athlete whilst still playing. Amelie Mauresmo is one of the few openly gay sports people out whilst performing at their athletic peak. Another was Ian Roberts, Australia's openly gay rugby league player.

Today, one of the only openly gay athletes of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and the only openly gay male athlete at this Olympics, Australian Matthew Mitcham took gold at the acquatic centre in the mens 10 meter diving finals.

Gay Aussie Olympic Hero

Matthew Mitcham has had a long road to his triumph today.

He previously had retired from diving suffering from depression, but a stint last year diving for money at Sydney's annual Royal Easter Show refreshed his appetite for competing in diving.

In a rapid return to form Mitchum has peaked at just the right time.

Through it all his boyfriend Lachlan has been there to cheer him on.

Watching Matthew Mitcham score perfect 10s on his final dive today filled me with pride. As an Australian, and as an openly gay Australian.

The fact that only nine women and one man (Mitcham) are openly gay out of 10,500 athletes in Beijing speaks volumes about the fear that gay athletes feel in coming out.

With potentially lucrative post-Olympic sponsorships to play for, many gay athletes prefer to play in the closet than take the bold step of being honest about their sexuality.

Matthew Mitcham was the clear exception - coming out in Australian media interviews months ago.

Gay Sports Sponsorships

So what does this mean for potential sponsorship deals for now 'gold medal Olympian' Matthew Mitcham?

In the past, gay athletes have often struggled to access sponsorship dollars, but we predict that may well change with Matthew Mitcham.

As gay marketing has moved out of the niche arena and into the realm of being part of mainstream marketing strategy, Mr Mitcham may well find his timing is just right in another area - becoming the first openly gay athlete to secure endorsements from corporations by way of sponsorship dollars.

One indicator that mainstream acceptance awaits was his inclusion in the Who magazine '100 sexiest people' list published in Australia earlier this year.

Time will tell, but we think that his being openly gay before going into the Games should stand him in good stead, and smart companies would do well to realize that most Australians now strongly support gay people in their society.

And Aussies tend to value personal integrity and honesty highly, something Mitcham has playing strongly in his favor.

No matter what fortune may await Matthew Mitcham in the area of sports marketing, the most important thing today is the sheer brilliance of his diving abilities.

Matthew Mitcham - you are a true sporting hero. Congratulations.

Gay market insight is Out Now: Gay Marketing. Solved. OutNowConsulting.com
To contact Out Now, send us an email.
-------------------

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) 2008 - 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. 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

Ellen DeGeneres Gets Married

Gay marriage in the US is a large new marketing opportunity. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi this weekend joined the gay weddings market in their home state of California.


Ian Johnson, Out Now
August 17, 2008

TOPICS: Ellen DeGeneres. Portia de Rossi. Gay weddings. Gay marriage. California gay civil unions laws.

It is sometimes ironic to regard how the critics of the gay community's growing social acceptance conduct themselves.

Out Now has spent near on twenty years helping corporations understand the various ways in which gay consumers perceive themselves in society.

One of those ways is "equal", or at the very least equally worthy of respect and equal treatment within society.

Never a stronger statement can be made then, than equal treatment of gays and lesbians in the area of marriage laws -- as an increasing number of countries can now attest.

The civilizations in countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Canada -- and even in the US state of Massachusetts -- have neither fallen, nor been diminished by the equal treatment of gay citizens in the area of these jurisdiction's marriage laws.

But what is quite odd to watch are the various ways in which people that are anti-gay manage to find ways to criticize that which they really do not like -- that is, gay people.

The latest example is the wedding yesterday of US media star Ellen DeGeneres to her new wife, Australian-born Portia de Rossi.

One would think that conservative forces, that oftentimes try to portray gay people as 'promiscuous, anti-society dangers' would be greeting with great enthusiasm the advent of gay marriage.

Getting married is probably one of the most mainstream, anti-revolutionary acts any couple can engage in.



If those critics who do not like gay people were, as they contend, merely worried that somehow gay people are potentially harmful to society's fabric, we would hear little from them against Ellen and Portia's marriage.

Marriage is one of the most socially conservative things any people can do. Hardly a risky societal business.

But of course, the reality is not that gays and lesbians are actually any threat at all to modern society's cohesion.

Anti-gay forces just do not like gay people. Simple fact. I just wish they would have the nerve to say it honestly.

Best wishes to Ellen and Portia in their married lives together.

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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.

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) 2008 - 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

Gay Market Sets Trends

There has often been a lot of anecdotal discussion that gay and lesbian consumers are trendsetters. Now new market research from the US seems to confirm that gays and lesbians tend to follow fashions more closely than the non-gay market.


Ian Johnson, Out Now
August 17, 2008

Gay market. Non-gay market. Lesbian and gay consumers identified by new market research as being trendsetters.

For years many have suggested that gay men and lesbians tend to be trendsetters.

The term innovistics is one that applies to the gay and lesbian market, so new US market research suggests.

The new market research by Harris Interactive, in conjunction with Witeck Combs Inc shows a range of interesting trends that gay men and lesbians tend to lead the market in.

The research was carried out in 2008 and analyzes both non-gay and gay market research samples in the same sampling, facilitating useful direct data comparisons.

This research relates to the US mainstream and gay market data.

One interesting result is that more gays and lesbians tend to upgrade to latest product models (45%) compared to the heterosexual market (33%).

Another way in which gay men and lesbians act as economic drivers in the marketplace is in the area of real estate.

Gay market trends tend to mean that areas in many urban centers where gays and lesbians choose to live are regenerated, with resulting increases in property prices following the move into an area of the gay residents.

That holds true of many areas in the world such as Surry Hills, Newtown and Darlinghurst in Sydney; and Hells Kitchen, Chelsea and Greenwich Village in New York City.

Most gay men (53%) told researchers they endeavor to keep up with the latest trends, compared to only 30% of straight men.

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.

Gay market insight is Out Now: Gay Marketing. Solved. OutNowConsulting.com
To contact Out Now, send us an email.
-------------------
All content on all Out Now websites (C) 2008 - 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. 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

Gays For Sale In Amsterdam

Corporate involvement with the gay and lesbian market requires careful management and understanding of certain issues. In Amsterdam today, its Canal Boat Gay Pride day -- and the corporate gay sponsorship marketing efforts of some of The Netherlands biggest brands look set to burn the marketers behind them.


Ian Johnson, Out Now
August 2, 2008

TOPICS: Amsterdam Gay Pride. Gay corporate sponsors. Gay Pride. Canala Boat Gay Pride. Dutch lesbian and gay market. The Netherlands gay and lesbian marketing. Corporate sponsorship in the Netherlands upsets some gays and lesbians.

Corporate sponsorships of gay and lesbian community events requires special insight -- and a degree of care that sits beyond the usual marketing department sign-off.

At Gay Market News we have covered this before, and the mainstream media in Australia was reporting on the risks to sponsoring brands of poorly conceived gay corporate sponsorships more than 5 years ago.

Today, some of the biggest corporate names in The Netherlands look set for strong criticism in protests against the increasing corporatization of a much loved lesbian and gay community event -- the Amsterdam Canal Boat Gay Pride.

Gay boats and gay marketing -- does it float the target market's boat?

Having lived in Amsterdam for over four years at the start of the decade I have watched the Gay Pride there evolve.

Along with similar events the world over, organizers are always keen to receive more funding -- from whatever source.

As the gay market has matured -- and actively target marketing to gays and lesbians has moved from being a marketing negative to a strong positive -- high profile events like Amsterdam Gay Pride have been keen to push themselves forward as being ideal sponsorship opportunities for corporate marketers looking for a new niche market opportunity to exploit.

A gay marketing match made in heaven. Right?

Not so fast.

Big brands and the gay market

As Out Now's Australian office was telling the Australian corporate sector almost ten years ago -- marketers need to tread carefully when choosing what to sponsor, and how.

Less is sometimes more, and the largest flag waving sponsorship opportunities are not always the smartest gay marketing move.

A fact that some of Holland's biggest brands are learning as I write this.

Today at the Homomonument, near to the Anne Frank Huis, a protest Gays For Sale is happening -- ridiculing those corporate brands seen as helping Canal Boat Gay Pride sell itself out to the highest bidder.

The brands involved are not small fry by any means. ING bank and TNT are two of Holland's most significant marketing brands and their approach to sponsoring Amsterdam's Gay Pride is being slammed.

Getting LGBT staff involved

Staff associations at brands like these love the idea that their company is getting involved with the gay community.

The problem is that the members of these associations -- which are incredibly important to support the equality, integration and acceptance of the gay employees -- ought not be running a brand's gay marketing strategy. That is not their remit. But that is often what leads up to protests against a brand -- like the one taking place in Amsterdam today.

Sad to say, but plastering corporate logos all over a Gay Pride boat tends to lessen -- not enhance -- the reaction people watching along the canals tend to have.

That can lead to resentment that the brand is encroaching onto what, for gays and lesbians, is a very important chance to celebrate who they are.

The brands risk being seen as party crashers, not as true members of the celebration. Not an especially good corporate marketing look.

Gays For Sale

Organizers of today's 'Gays For Sale' protest state:

To celebrate what we, and the Pride has transformed into, some of us will sell ourselves and the entire community to any company rich enough to buy us, on Aug 2nd in Amsterdam. This will predominantly be a 'Gays for Sale' event since lesbians and especially transgendered people do not earn enough yet to be attractive to buyers.

Ouch!

Any marketer that seeks that kind of response to their gay marketing efforts needs to rethink whether they really have any insight at all into the knowledge required to deliver successful gay marketing strategy.

Understanding other lesbian and gay communities' history with these kinds of sponsorships would probably be a really good place to start.

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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.

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) 2008 - 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

South Carolina So In The Closet

Last month Out Now found itself in the midst of a controversy over a gay advertising campaign we created for one of our travel clients, leading gay travel specialist, UK-based Amro Worldwide. Today a US newspaper makes an assessment of the political stink behind all this.


Ian Johnson, Out Now
August 1, 2008

South Carolina. Gay and lesbian travel marketing. Lesbian and gay tourism. UK gay market. Advertising to lesbians and gay men. Out Now campaign for Amro Worldwide. South Carolina is so gay.

The term 'so gay' is too often used -- and is, up until now, usually intended to connote a negative put-down.

Out Now last month put together a campaign for leading UK gay and lesbian travel company, Amro Worldwide.

The presumption behind the campaign was that it is long past time that the term "so gay" be considered acceptable as an insult.

The "so gay" term has a negative impact on most gays and lesbians as, to them, being "so gay" is far from a bad thing.

Campaign video

You can view the impact of the advertising for yourself online at YouTube.com/GayMarketing.

As you see in the video below, people are taking pictures of the advertising, discussing it and most importantly reading and absorbing the messages in the ads.



In a cluttered media environment such as the London Underground, that is a very strong advertising cut-through outcome.

US newspaper column today

The Olympian newspaper today reports on the Out Now "So gay" Amro Worldwide campaign.

Here is an extract of the report.

South Carolina needs to come out of the closet

Ruth Schneider

South Carolina is so in the closet.

At least that is the impression I got after state Gov. Mark Sanford and tourism officials pulled the plug on a London advertising campaign promoting gay travel destinations.

The ads — posted in London's underground — calls destinations across the globe "so gay." South Carolina joined the ranks of Boston, Atlanta, Las Vegas and New Orleans in being tagged as popular U.S. gay tourist areas.

Gay tourists in 2006 spent roughly $40 million dollars on travel, according to Travel Industry of America. That is 40 million good reasons to want to promote a gay tourist destination.

But South Carolina's politicians don't buy it — the state even refused to pay the $4,942 advertising tab.

State Sen. David Thomas, R-Greenville, called for an audit after the political blogosphere erupted with the news that South Carolina was "so gay."

"South Carolina is a wonderful, family friendly destination, not a Southern version of San Francisco. This campaign goes against our core values."

And a spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford, Joel Sawyer, added, "Our state tourism dollars should be talking about the beaches and attractions of South Carolina."

Sounds like Sawyer didn't read the text of the actual ad — it does in fact tout the beaches. Under the banner "South Carolina is so gay," it reads, "From plantations to The Civil War, golf to gay beaches ... There's nowhere quite like South Carolina."

Interestingly, Altanta had no such problems with the campaign. Officials with the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau actually considered the ad a steal, Gregory Pierce, executive vice president of the group, told Southern Voice, an Atlanta-based online newspaper.

"It was kind of a no-brainer for us because it was only ($5,000)," he said. "Somebody comes to us and asks if you want this kind of presence in a city that has direct flights to your city, especially with the value of the dollar and the pound being what they were."

What is clever about the advertising campaign is the use of the term "so gay." A taunt I recall hearing daily at recess in elementary school is being used in a positive way.

Amro Worldwide, the company that purchased the advertising, writes on its Web site, "Gays and lesbians have only in recent years begun to enjoy improved social status and acceptance. As part of that ongoing process, certain terms are 'reclaimed' by gays and lesbians as a means of removing previous negative connotations."

Instead of causing hurt by the use of the term, it gives it a new positive light.

Ian Johnson, founder and CEO of Out Now Consulting, who designed the advertising campaign, echoes those sentiments in an e-mail interview.

"The phrase 'so gay' when used as an insult is hurtful to many gay and lesbian people. Out Now felt ... the opportunity existed to communicate to the target audience, and a wider audience as it now turns out, that being 'so gay' is not at all negative to gay and lesbian people," Johnson wrote.

When Johnson worked on the campaign, he promoted the areas that were of most interest.

"Gay and lesbian tourists are as diverse as the mainstream. There is no such thing as a 'single' gay and lesbian market. Our job was to sell each location utilizing its strongest assets."

South Carolina doesn't want to be part of improving the social status of gays, and with the move by many state lawmakers, they are making it abundantly clear that tourism dollars from the gay community are also unwanted.

Let's spend our $40 million elsewhere and show that being "so gay" isn't a bad thing after all.

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.

Gay market insight is Out Now: Gay Marketing. Solved. OutNowConsulting.com
To contact Out Now, send us an email.
-------------------
All content on all Out Now websites (C) 2008 - 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. 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