03 May 2021
Online searches for Pride month have increased 100% since 2008
As most of the Western world marks the start of Pride Month 2021, we researched how the level of awareness around the month has grown over the past 13 years and whether corporate involvement in Pride has kept pace with this growth.
Google Trends and Google keyword search data indicates that searches for consumer-interest topics around Pride – terms such as ‘Pride Month’, ‘Pride gear’ and ‘Pride clothing’ have grown exponentially from 2004 to the present day, demonstrating the growing curiosity. This also represents a clear opportunity for businesses to educate and celebrate. The rate of growth seemed resilient even to the global pandemic in 2020.
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| Consumer searches | 1,869,125 | 2,761,180 | 4,402,580 | 6,531,330 | 8,261,081 |
In contrast, business interest in Pride peaked in 2019, but took a 15% dip in 2020. Searches for participation, sponsorship and opportunities around Pride followed the same general trend. We’re optimistic about a recovery in 2021, as early interest in Pride from businesses looks on track to equal or even surpass 2019’s peak. This does depend on the pandemic, though, as a new wave of Covid variants is likely to hinder most business involvement again.
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| Business searches | 1,980 | 2,680 | 6,500 | 5,530 | 6,895 |
This growing interest in business involvement in Pride is a result of a combination of changing views over time and the positive use of marketing by big name brands. Peoples’ mindsets are changing for the better but marketing still has a major role to play.
To find out how we can help your brand engage LGBTQ+ audiences authentically during Pride month, get in touch.