Pride Report: Rainbows Over Madison Avenue May Lead to Pots of Gold

Another diversitydriven newcomer to that calendar of commerce is the month of June known as Pride Month to members of the LGBT lesbian gay bisexual and transgender community Scores of mainstream advertisers are now taking advantage of the four weeks of parades parties and other events to express their support of and solidarity with Americans who are LGBT and not so incidentally pitch productsAmong the bluechip brands wrapping themselves in rainbows are ABC Family Chevrolet Chobani CocaColaamp160Equinox Expedia Google Android Honey Maid Maytag Sabra Target Tylenol W Hotels and Wells FargoIt39s easy to be cynical about those commercials print ads videos and posts on social media Adidas Converse and Nike are peddling collections of Pride merchandise such as shoes Tshirts and caps as is Target The Chobani commercial is gimmicky opening with a beautiful young woman in bed and waiting until the last moments to reveal that her bedmate is who39d a thunk it another beautiful young woman it39s as if the only reason they39re lesbians is to provide a surprise ending for the adStill it39s early days for aiming ads at the LGBT market perhaps Madison Avenue ought to be graded on a curve for a while That39s especially true for brands that are not only targeting LGBT consumers in media directed at them for instance the Logo cable channel magazines like the Advocate and Out and websites such as Towleroad and the Gaily Grind but also are featuring LGBT consumers in ads that run in media meant for the general marketThat mainstreaming of LGBT consumers is relatively new a stark departure from the decades when most major advertisers and their agencies avoided any association with the LGBT market for fear of backlash from religious conservatives in the form of boycotts and protests Despite data indicating that no rightwing boycott ever materially affected sales of any brand the complaints were typically followed by craven kowtowing The relatively few brands in those days that courted LGBT consumers were confined to categories where research indicated they outspent the general market alcoholic beverages led by Absolut apparel retail and travelIt39s no coincidence that mainstream advertisers39 sea change in attitudes toward the LGBT market began after polls started showing that more than a majority of the public was in favor of gay marriage Just as there39s an old saying in political circles that the Supreme Court follows the election returns it39s also true that most of the denizens of Madison Avenue who hawk products in such prosaic categories as packaged foods are loath to get too far ahead of public opinionWhile pushing the envelope can pay off for products that hope to be perceived as hip or trendy social platforms have made it easy for fans of mainstream brands who regard an ad as stepping over a line to share that opinion immediately But underscoring how times have changed when haters complain these days brands usually brush them off or proclaim full support for LGBT consumersThe LGBT audience couldn39t be blamed for dismissing the newlyarriving brands as Johnnycomelatelies to the Pride parade wondering quotWhat took you so longquot But most advertisers climbing aboard the bandwagon are being welcomed cordially and often enthusiastically that39s particularly the case for iconic megabrands including Chevy and Coke that are massmarket mainstays and as such were labeled long shots to ever reach out to the LGBT market A key reason for those reactions is that in a capitalist consumerist society like the United States many people believe that being marketed to represents being included accepted or even embracedThere are it needs to be said LGBT activists with second thoughts about the trend taking a dim view of equality through commercialism or skeptical about the credentials of advertisers that suddenly are lusting after what the British call the pink dollar Those activists would much rather advertisers adopt proLGBT corporate policies than run ads depicting a samesex wedding or sell Pride Tshirts In response a growing number of advertisers targeting the market are advocating for issues important to LGBT consumers and discussing how they treat their own LGBT employeesSometimes progress can come in a commercial instead of a courtroom or a legislative chamber Happy PrideThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage management or associated bloggers

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Pride Report: Rainbows Over Madison Avenue May Lead to Pots of Gold

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Stuart Elliott

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Pride Report: Rainbows Over Madison Avenue May Lead to Pots of Gold

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