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LGBTQ Consumers Hungry for Better Ads and Brand Activism

21 Mar 2018

A recent survey of marketers and consumers by Grindr’s digital magazine and market-research firm Brand Innovators found that only 15.6% of LGBTQ people feel “very positively” toward companies that roll out Pride-themed ad campaigns and then leave it at that for the rest of the year. 

By contrast, over 40% of the more than 4,100 LGBTQ respondents said they feel very positively toward advertisers who work LGBTQ themes into their branding “regularly or continually.”

The poll asked 1,500 INTO readers and 2,600 Grindr users about their attitudes toward LGBTQ-focused advertising, while Brand Innovators surveyed 278 marketing execs across multiple consumer industries on their brand strategies.

53% of the marketing professionals said they spend 0% to 4% annually on LGBTQ consumers; 29% spend between 5% and 9% on that demographic; while just 3% devote 20% or more of their annual ad spend to queer customers.

Fast Company has reported that savvy brands are finding opportunities by tapping into LGBTQ iconography–and not just among young queer consumers, but among all young consumers.

70% of respondents said that “a brand’s reputation as being LGBTQ friendly (or not)” directly influenced their purchasing decisions.

The message to marketers is clear: consistent inclusive advertising and clear actions from the business to show they are inclusive towards customers and their employees are valued more than one-off Pride-based campaigns.