FH Out Front Blog

The Publisher: More Q&A with Falls Church News-Press Owner-Editor Nicholas F. Benton

Today, we conclude our two-part Q&A with Falls Church News-Press owner-editor Nicholas F. Benton. In this conversation, Nick talks about the challenges of covering the LGBT community and addresses the future of independent community newspapers and the impact of the Internet on his work. Let us know your thoughts and check out the next weekly edition of the News-Press out tomorrow in the DC area and online at www.fcnp.com.

Ben Finzel: Your business focus is, first and foremost, on serving the needs of your readership, regardless of whether they are straight or gay. Do you feel a special responsibility to be more representative of our community given your own background?

Nick Benton: Yes, absolutely. To me, being gay obviously shapes my overall value structure which in turn permeates everything about the newspaper. This may have something to do with the fact that my own “coming out” was in the context of the civil rights, women’s and gay liberation and peace struggles of the late 1960s. In my editorials and in the focus that I bring to news coverage, I emphasize core values of equal rights, fair play and a more compassionate society. I consider my “constituency” to be the underrepresented in society, including the young, the elderly, the infirm, minorities based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and so forth. My news coverage emphasizes issues of affordable housing, schools, social services and the kinds of economic development that can help fund these. I often write directly on LGBT issues, as well, and when I introduced Wayne Besen’s column earlier this decade, I was pleased that my readers embraced it fully without complaint. I was frankly surprised by that.

Furthermore, I and my newspaper are active within the community. I serve on a number of boards promoting small business, the arts, education and LGBT issues. I sponsor an annual food drive, and a scholarship at the local high school for students who intend to enter careers focused on “enfranchising the disenfranchised.” I founded the “Diversity Affirmation Education Fund” in my name for the Falls Church School System, making a couple of large financial contributions that have gone to bringing the diversity-affirming “Challenge Days” to the local high school, and now also the middle school. As a board member of the local Chamber of Commerce, I convinced it to become the only such body in the entire state to go on record against the Marshall-Newman Amendment, the constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage in Virginia.

I also feel strongly that I have a special responsibility to my advertisers, many of whom are smaller businesses and including those who have been advertising with me from Day One in 1991 to the present. My responsibility takes the form of producing a good newspaper that people are eager to read every week. As a result, my advertisers are more successful, can hire more employees and so forth. This is my “pro-family” policy, to help families succeed by helping the businesses that employ them and can help pay for their children to buy new clothes and go to college. It should not go without saying that my newspaper circulates in one of the most demographically-attractive regions of the U.S. from an advertiser standpoint. We are the only newspaper in an area of 100,000 souls that have $4 billion in annual disposable income, one of the highest-income-per-capita regions of the nation. If only more national advertisers could appreciate what a great “bang for the buck” they’d get by being in my newspaper, we’d all benefit.

The Influencer: Q&A with AfterElton.com Editor Michael Jensen

Our Pride Month special focus series wraps up today with a Q&A with AfterElton.com editor Michael Jensen. At a time when entertainment continues to dominate much of our culture, and drive much of society’s engagement with our community, it seems fitting to talk about pride and what it means now with one of the leading online authorities on entertainment.

If you’re like me, you visit - and enjoy - AfterElton.com regularly. It is one of the most visited gay entertainment news sites on the Web. If you’re unfamiliar with AfterElton.com, it’s the site for news, information and commentary about entertainment for gay and bisexual men (the ladies have their own site as well – the fabulous AfterEllen.com).

As Michael explains in our conversation, the site reports news as much as it reflects it and it serves a really important purpose in holding a mirror up to the entertainment community to reflect what is important to gay- and gay-friendly audiences. In so doing, it influences a great deal of what our community has to say about entertainment and the media.

We think Michael makes a great case for the power of online communications and the power of sites like AfterElton.com to shape the conversation about gay and lesbian people. Once you’ve read his interview, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Now, on with the show…

Ben Finzel: Tell us about the business model for AfterElton.com. You’re owned by Logo and are part of the Viacom family. How has that helped your growth and development?

Hot Time, Summer in Iowa City?!?

Aloha! Me and the BF are headed off to Hawaii next week for vacation. We were Googling ourselves to death trying to find a great place to get away, and we chose the Brady Bunch/Growing Pains route of trekking to Hawaii. But apparently, I should have considered Iowa as well!

We tweeted earlier this week about a great read from the Chicago Tribune about Iowa’s sudden status as a LGBT destination. Why? One could assume, as the article does, that our gaydar is tuned to the state because of the gay marriage law that took effect April 27. I’m not an Iowa-hater…I just don’t know much about the state. Plus, how could I not appreciate a fellow Heartland state?!?

This article is a great read, especially as it relates to how local businesses are recognizing the bling-factor of reaching out to a new tourist audience—LGBT couples looking to wed, or those who support such a progressive stance in the state. Reporter Josh Noel gives a great run-down of places to go if you are headed out the Iowa-y. Mad props to Iowa-based companies who are truly being inclusive in their marketing outreach. Tourism is an industry that has been challenged in this recession. Glad to see that Iowa folks understand that to attract a consumer, you need to speak to the consumer. Has anyone been to Iowa recently? Did you spend Des Monies in Des Moines?

Other random musings (as I dream about Waikiki Beach):
• 80s concert during Pride Weekend was great! We had such support from the LGBT and straight community here in Cleveland. Apparently, everyone loves doing the Thriller dance! Kudos to my pops for coming out on Father’s Day. And, speaking of the 80s, what a day yesterday. The loss of two great icons-- Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. As someone who clearly loves music, I am at a loss on how to describe the impact of MJ on pop culture and pop music. Truly, there was no one else like him.

• I’ll admit it. I love my NJ Housewives on Bravo. I flip a table every time a new episode is about to air. And, I have to respect crazy Danielle and Bravo SVP Andy Cohen for calling out the use of the word “gay” from one of the cast members as a synonym for “stupid.” We all know it’s a common expression—“that’s so gay.” Doesn’t mean that we have to embrace it.

Gay Advertising on the Small and Big Screens

With summer and Pride upon us, many people our having a little more time to enjoy the movies, catch up on DVR'd favorites, or just flip on their new digital TV signal. This past week, three advertisements with LGBT references or issues hit TV and local theatres, yet only one made brief headlines. A quick summary of each is below:

(via Queerty) Long-time inclusive advertiser, Orbitz, released the above advertisement with it's subtle reference to LGBT audiences (check out the HRC-esque logo on the one golfer's polo).

(via Joe.My.God) Similarly, fast-food Taco Del Mar chain's spot for their roasted fajita burrito gave a quiet shout out to LGBT surfers by the inclusion of a Gay & Lesbian Surfer Association sticker on the first surfer's board. Both of these symbols, largely recognized by only our community (I didn't even notice the GLSA sticker, but we don't catch many waves here in the Midwest). Both of these ads fall into what former FH client Commercial Closet called "gay vague" advertising.

Is Progressive Living Up to Its Name?

In the latest Progressive Insurance ad, two men enter a Progressive Insurance store asking an agent for advice. Who knew that these two men would cause such a chatter?

To be honest, I saw the ad several times and questioned whether the men were gay, but never took a closer look.  Slate did. According to a Slate article, the men exhibit gay mannerisms, subtle body language toward one another, and one wears  a rainbow shirt. Additionally, the quirky Progressive associate, Flo, looks at both men when asked about their financial situation.

Because two men walk into a store together, are they gay? As a consumer, what components lead us to assume that these men are gay? Is it clothing, their body size, their voice or their mannerisms?
The ad was not intended to target gay audiences, but the ad itself does not have an overly masculine tone. So, it doesn’t alienate the LGBT population and it doesn’t upset anti-gay advocates. Does that mean Progressive’s ad is, in fact, progressive?

At the close of 2008, we predicted more gay-vague ads. Could Progressive’s ad campaign fall into this category? I think so. The ad has all the makings of a gay-vague ad, giving Progressive an opportunity to reach a broad audience, gay or straight. With this movement toward gay vague, companies maximize their marketing dollars, targeting both the influential gay population and the general market consumers.

So, the last question is – does Progressive allow gay couples to have joint car insurance?  I think I might give them a call now.

If you haven’t seen the ad, click here.

The Editor: Q&A with Washington Blade Editor Kevin Naff

As I mentioned in my Q&A with Tracy Baim last week, regular readers of this blog know of my strong support for LGBT media. As much as I believe so-called “mainstream media” (MSM) must cover our community more, I also recognize how vitally important it is that we have strong, vibrant LGBT media outlets to ensure that all of the facets of our community are covered on a regular basis (and not just during Pride month).

So, I was thrilled when Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff agreed to participate in our Pride Month Q&A series. Kevin is increasingly recognized as one of the driving forces in LGBT media and the paper he edits is growing in importance and relevance. Kevin has done a very good job of evolving the paper’s presence and offerings. He is also a really nice guy and a friend of this blog. 

As in many communities, this is Pride Week in Washington and every day is chock full of events and observances leading up to this weekend’s Pride parade and festival. That makes this a great week to talk with Kevin about pride, media coverage and the future of the Blade.

Ben Finzel: We link to Blade stories quite frequently in our posts and in our tweets. The Blade has become one of the news outlets that sets the pace for LGBT news nationally. How do you balance that responsibility with your interest in covering the Washington community?

Kevin Naff: This is something we grapple with on a weekly — and sometimes daily — basis. The Blade is unique in that we have two distinct audiences: a local print readership and a national (and international) online readership.

Our local readers are looking for City Council coverage, local A&E events, etc., while our online readers come to us because of the Blade’s reputation for covering national politics, the White House, Congress, Supreme Court and more. You’d be surprised at how many IP addresses we see from places like Iraq, Kuwait and other international hotspots where the U.S. military is active. There are thousands of closeted service members and many of them check the Blade site for news on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

We work hard to balance our responsibilities to those two audiences. It sometimes means we can’t cover something that’s happening overseas because an important local story needs our attention. I wish we had the resources to devote more coverage to international issues, because the plight of foreign LGBT people is woefully underreported.

Renaissance Woman: More Q&A with Windy City Media Group Publisher Tracy Baim

Welcome back to our conversation with Windy City Media Group publisher and executive editor Tracy Baim. In today’s conclusion to our two-part Q&A, Tracy shares her thoughts on the differences between LGBT media and so-called “mainstream” media and talks about the future of LGBT media. 

Given my strongly held views about the importance of LGBT media – and appreciation for the important role they play in reporting all of the news – I was particularly interested in Tracy’s comments. I think you will be too.

Tracy’s comments on marketing to our community should be highlighted in every public relations, marketing and communications class and used as the primer for how and what to do by anyone in our industry planning outreach to our community. I could not have said it better myself, and am thrilled to be able to share Tracy’s insight with you here. 

Ben Finzel:  You cover our community 365 days a year where your so-called “mainstream” counterparts generally only pay attention to us a few times a year (including during Pride). Have you noticed an increase in “mainstream” media following LGBT media on key stories? 

Tracy Baim: There are some stories that get universal coverage by all; marriage in Iowa is an example. The mainstream covered that as it happened, as it should. The LGBT media cover that kind of story in much deeper ways. That gives our readers a context for why things happen, and why they continue to happen. Someone reading just the mainstream may have been shocked to learn about that happening, but our readers would have had years of coverage related to marriage that set the stage for the recent successes (and setbacks). We will have many more follow-up stories on marriage, and explore it on a deeper level.

There are hundreds of stories the mainstream does not cover within the LGBT community. Maybe once every few years they cover LGBTs in sport, for example, but every week in Windy City Times you see LGBT athletes in our community, whether in gay leagues or in mainstream sports. Same with entertainment, the bars, culture, etc. The mainstream will do some coverage, and more frequently now does include gays in coverage of, for example, a home and design issue. But they just do not have the space or access to do the kind of depth a weekly gay newspaper, with a Web site updated daily, can do. This is no different than any "niche," for example African-American, Latino, Asian, women's etc.

Also, I would say as a whole the mainstream media has not done a good job of covering the diversity of the LGBT community: it's still mostly white gay men. Even most LGBT media are not very diverse, but we pride ourselves at Windy City Times in trying to cover all aspects of the community.

Renaissance Woman: Q&A with Windy City Media Group Publisher Tracy Baim

Hello and welcome to Pride Month on the Out Front Blog! Today, I’m pleased to present the first in our series of Pride-focused Q&As. Today’s conversation is with our friend Tracy Baim, publisher and executive editor of the Windy City Media Group (WCMG) in Chicago. 

WCMG is Chicago’s largest chain of gay and lesbian publications and reaches 50,000 readers with its weekly newspaper Windy City Times (founded in 1985), and numerous other media properties online, in print and over the air. This year marks Tracy’s 25th anniversary in LGBT media. She’s a true media and communications pioneer.

And if that’s not enough, Tracy also served in a leadership capacity for Gay Games VII in Chicago (when she was our client) and the founder of the Chicago Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Tracy is an accomplished business person, movie producer (more on that later) and out lesbian. 

Tracy had so much to share with us that we have cut our conversation into two parts. Today, part one of our conversation focuses on the Windy City Media Group and pride. Tomorrow, part two looks at broader media trends.

We’ve been pleased to call Tracy client, colleague and friend. I think that after reading her Q&A, you’ll just call her “brilliant.” And I think you’ll agree: she is a true Renaissance Woman.

Ben Finzel:  Tell us a bit about Windy City Times and your other media endeavors (including the upcoming film “Hannah Free” which you produced that opens this month).

Tracy Baim: I was a co-founder of Windy City Times newspaper in 1985, with three gay men. For 24 years, WCT has served the Chicago-area LGBT communities as a weekly newspaper. I left in 1987 and for 13 years ran a newspaper called Outlines in Chicago, but then purchased Windy City Times back from one of the co-founders in 2000. WCT has adapted and changed many times over the years. We have a significant Web presence, and enhance our community coverage through a bi-weekly club guide called Nightspots, which was founded almost 20 years ago, as well as online content through Windy City Queercast, QueerTVNetwork.com, Identity, Out! Guide, and articles and photos online that do not appear in our print publications.

Windy City Times is an award-winning newspaper which covers local, national and international news, features, entertainment, sports and more. We have dozens of reporters and photographers based around the country covering our community through first-hand accounts. We also have bloggers, videographers, radio co-hosts and a wide range of voices in all of our media.

In 2007, I launched ChicagoGayHistory.org as a labor of love, to start a video oral and written history project for Chicago. I interviewed more than 270 people on video, and the Web site started in early 2008. At the same time, WTTW public TV in Chicago was working on a documentary, Out and Proud in Chicago, and I consulted for them and provided hundreds of photos. As a result of that collaboration, a publisher approached me to do a book, and the result is Out and Proud in Chicago: An Overview of the City's Gay Movement, a glossy, 4-color book with more than 150 articles covering 200+ years of Chicago's LGBT history. I edited and co-wrote the book, which is the first comprehensive overview of Chicago's LGBT community.

In 2008, I partnered with writer Claudia Allen and director Wendy Jo Carlton to work on a lesbian feature film, Hannah Free. The film, which stars Sharon Gless (Cagney and Lacey, Queer As Folk, Burn Notice) and some amazing Chicago-based actors, has its world premiere at the oldest LGBT film fest in the world, Frameline, on Pride Sunday, June 28, in San Francisco, at the Castro Theatre. I am executive producer of the film, which is a flashback, period piece about the more than six-decade-long relationship between two women. While newspapers and journalism are my love, I also realize that movies have a long-lasting impact on the way we see ourselves, and how society sees our lives. I wanted to show a new side to lesbian lives, especially among different generations.

Ben Finzel: How are you covering pride – both the month and accompanying announcements and the actual events – this year? What has changed in your coverage over the past few years?

Tracy Baim: We cover all aspects of the LGBT community, by both listing and promoting events ahead of time, and then covering them as they happen. Because we now have video, we will be adding that to our pride coverage for the first time. We also have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, and we will use those to promote what we are doing on our Web site.

I think the LGBT press can still provide a unique role of gathering together information from a wide range of groups and making sure they get their information out in a comprehensive way to the wider LGBT community. The Internet makes it easy for groups to promote among their core followers, but a media company provides a "one-stop" location for seeing all that is happening.

In covering pride, the mainstream can only do so much. We can run a lot more in our print and online editions.

Ben Finzel: Are you seeing the same level of corporate involvement in Pride celebrations as you have in previous years? Beyond the economic impacts of this terrible economy, how does your pride-related advertising this June compare to last June?

Tracy Baim: The Pride Parade itself seems to have more and more corporate participation. However, those corporations, a lot of them, still just think having a float in a parade is "outreach." Many of them are still afraid to brand with print and Web advertising to the LGBT market. So, unfortunately, I have not seen much growth in the courage of brands to do a comprehensive campaign to target LGBTs. There are so many who still just tippy-toe into the community one Pride day a year. That is no way to market. They know this in every other market, but they do not use that same basic marketing 101 in working the LGBT market.

There are exceptions, but they are just that, exceptions.

Ben Finzel: Tracy, thank you for making the point we so often make about the importance of understanding how to “do a comprehensive campaign to target LGBTs.”  Tippy-toe doesn’t cut it, and your real-world advice in this regard is really important. 

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the conclusion of our two-part conversation with Tracy. In tomorrow’s post, Tracy talks about “mainstream” media and consolidation (or lack thereof) in the LGBT media community.

Where Are You Off To?

The weather’s improving, shorts and swimsuits are hitting the retail rack and many gay and lesbian travelers are packing their bags for a summer getaway. But just what cities and companies will be receiving the majority of LGBT tourism dollars? If history is any indication, it’s those places of business and leisure that directly communicate and connect with our community.

This week, Gay.com announced its 2009 Travel Awards, which included long-standing havens of inclusiveness:

• Favorite Airline:  Delta
• Favorite International Destination: London, England
• Favorite Romantic Getaway: Paris, France
• Favorite Domestic Destination: San Francisco, CA
• Favorite Resort Town: Provincetown, MA
• Favorite Hotel Chain:  W
• Favorite Guest House: Island House, Key West
• Favorite Casino: Mandalay Bay
• Favorite Car Rental Company: Enterprise

Tourisme Montreal Gets Out, Online

Our friend Tanya Churchmuch of Tourisme Montreal wrote us recently to tell us about a new tourism promotion program launched by her organization. It’s called the Insiders program and features news, information, tips and travel advice from five different Montrealers representing different themes. One of the five is Daniel Baylis, a gay man, blogger, journalist and columnist (that's him in the photo at left). As part of the program, Daniel has his own blog, a Twitter account and a Facebook profile. Tourisme Montreal is actively promoting these social media aspects of the program and issued a press release last week encouraging people to read, follow and friend Daniel (we’re now following him on Twitter).

Known for its gay-friendly reputation and wonderful gay “village,” Montreal is using this program to highlight its reliance on social media and online communications for travel outreach. The Insiders program also marks a shift in focus with the entire program built on Web-based advertising and social media engagement. Daniel and his four colleagues are part of a fairly large shift away from the traditional print plus online advertising model that is still practiced by many destination marketing organizations. The Montreal program is still fairly new, so it’s hard to say if it will work, but we’re betting that the high interest in online communications and social networking among members of our community will at least make Daniel’s efforts successful (if not the others).

Check out the program and let us know your thoughts. We’ll share interesting tidbits we learn from Daniel along the way via our Twitter feed (reposted in the upper right hand corner of the blog).  Let us know if you plan a trip to Montreal, and if you do, what role the Insiders program played in encouraging you or helping you to make plans.

Photo courtesy of Tourisme Montreal.

Levi’s Campaigns for Harvey Milk

Last week, Levi Strauss & Co. launched the “Give Them Hope Now” campaign to raise $500,000 to support the Harvey Milk High School. The high school, located in New York’s East Village, was founded as a safe space for LGBT and questioning young adults. The Harvey Milk High School is a public school operated by the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI), the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit social service, education and advocacy organization dedicated to serving LGBT and questioning youth.

Levi’s launch of the “Give Them Hope Now” campaign includes a Web site housing a series of videos, a direct means for donations, social media integration opportunities and information about Levi’s corporate involvements. According to an AdAge article, the campaign utilizes digital outreach efforts with banner ads, e-mail outreach to bloggers, social media and community outreach through Facebook, Twitter, AOL, Glam, Hulu, MSN and Yahoo, pre-roll video and editorial coverage.  In addition to the campaign’s heavily digital components, Levi partnered with Regent Media, photographers and celebrities to generate additional awareness and host monthly fundraisers.

My two favorite elements are the videos and the social media opportunities. The Web site offers heartfelt videos with real life stories of LGBT youth. The videos raise awareness and educate visitors of HMI’s commitment and importance in the lives of these youth. These videos highlight a diverse group of HMI alum and volunteers – male, female, youth, adult, Caucasian, African American and Hispanic. It’s important to see a variety of faces and life experiences – giving potential donors a story they can relate to. 

My second favorite element of the Web site is its social media and grassroots outreach component. Each video has a social media sharing opportunity, giving people a chance to post the videos and the campaign on their social networking site of choice.  These stories are personal ones, and the grassroots elements give people a chance to tell their stories while supporting the campaign and its goal.

It is evident that the LGBT community is a priority audience for Levi’s and this partnership with HMI not only aligns with the company’s brand position, but positions Levi as a leader in the LGBT market. I look forward to seeing the campaign’s progress and commend HMI and Levi for their efforts in making a difference in LGBT youth’s lives.

Our Advocates on the Airwaves and Ads

 

Yesterday I blogged about two recent marketing pieces that leveraged prison rape and negative references about femininity to “humorously” promote their brand. These and other poor choices of words and images in advertising are common, and FH Out Front is not the only one raising these LGBT communications issues.

Today the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced the launch of its new Advertising Media Program, which will work to ensure and promote truthful and inclusive depictions of the LGBT community in all forms of advertising. This program was formerly the Commercial Closet Association (CCA) and has now been merged into GLAAD and included as part of its broader agenda (note: CCA was an FH Out Front client). 

In the release, GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano said, “Words and images matter and can shatter stereotypes. Fair, accurate and inclusive media images prove that we are connected through common, human experiences. And these are images that we – and advertisers – have a responsibility to share.”

Cleaning Up Corporate Communications

Maybe it’s because I’ve recently been researching the hygiene industry for a client or because H1N1 coverage has me washing my hands with near paranoia fervency, but yesterday’s article, Fox Offends With Prison Break Soap Promo, by the Advocate piqued my germaphobic interest.  

Apparently Fox’s marketing team for the successful series about two brothers exposing a federal conspiracy while breaking in and out of jail repeated a 2008 promotional stunt by sending a bar of soap with press materials to media outlets. Fox’s communication pros were apparently hoping to “lather up excitement for the two-hour series finale airing Friday, May 15.”

Lesbians Optimistic About 2009 Economy

    The current issue of Curve has a very interesting poll* on the lesbian economic outlook for this year. Almost half of lesbians see the glass half full: 49 percent say “I’m making some cuts, but overall I’ll be Ok.” Fourteen percent said things are looking good from where they stand, and an 11 percent said “Recession? What recession?”

Based on this poll, about 75 percent of lesbians have a positive outlook on the economy. That is a promising number. So who is getting our attention? Advertisers in the magazine lean heavily on the travel and tourism side with Sweet and Damron among others, along with online dating and music festivals. The list seems pretty varied, however the majority are gay and lesbian companies. From the non-gay and lesbian business community: Bridgestone (yes, the tires), Visit Las Vegas and Subaru.

There needs to be a little more diversity within these pages. As pretty much the only nationally distributed lesbian publication, this is an important platform in reaching your optimistic, forward-thinking, brand-loyal female. The diversity in support will compliment the diversity of women that grace each page of the publication and our community.  In addition to celebrities, authors and musicians, Curve recognizes ten powerful lesbian politicians.

I’d like to take a moment to highlight two Latinas who made the list: Rosie Mendez, NYC councilmember and Mautner Project board member, and Sheriff Lupe Valdez – the highest ranking law enforcement officer in Dallas County, Texas.

I digress. Our community will only diversify as time passes and progress is made. There are plenty other ways to communicate with this audience as alternatives to advertising in publications; some ways even more credible. Ways of connecting with your audience have grown exponentially, mainly through the digital arena ( social networking, bloggers, Twitter, etc.) And as each dollar spent on your product is increasingly becoming more and more valuable, so should targeting a population which is most willing to listen and take action.

*Curvemag.com

Iowa Gets It!

Why does Iowa get it? I just ran across a new ad from OneIowa.org. The ad is to be applauded for many reasons.  I encourage you to see for yourself (click here). The primary reason I love this is that it does not focus on the recent legalization of gay marriage in Iowa but instead on the rights of all Iowans to enjoy the benefits of marriage. They have shifted the message to be more relevant for all Iowans, not just gay ones.

Communication channel of choice? I congratulate OneIowa.org for rolling out this new ad on Youtube, the perfect medium to offer broad distribution and allow for many different audiences to see it: gay, straight, young, old, black, white. Brilliant! I will note it has been picked up and featured on many other websites now, so it is enjoying the freedom of being viral online.

And finally their website, while cut down to the essential key information, is well done. My favorite section is "Our Stories." I read every one of them, and enjoyed them for their honesty and diversity - gay, straight, single, bi-racial.

So, what do you think of how OneIowa.org communicated this message? And do you agree with their approach? Please share your thoughts. I'd love to hear what you think.

Parents, Family and Friends Unite!

I am so glad to see PFLAG membership growing nationwide. What can we attribute this to? It seems California's Proposition 8 alongside other states anti gay initiatives are all part of the spark. And films like "Milk" are reminding the public of how long the LGBT struggle has been underway. And a new film, "Prayers for Bobby" is about a mother’s journey from rejecting her gay son to becoming an advocate for LGBT rights.

PFLAG reports a rash of inquiries into starting new chapters locally. They currently are in 500 communities. PFLAG's national executive director, Jody M. Huckaby reports "If there is a silver lining to the set-back our families experienced on Election Day, it is that our allies in communities across the country have started to mobilize at the local level and work for change." What are some of the issues PFLAG is organizing to fight? Gays seeking adoption of children, constitutional amendments banning same sex marriages..... Many parents and families see their well adjusted, successful adult children in healthy partnerships with same sex partners and are asking why can't they have what we have?

While the fight remains the same one many of us are familiar with, adding in the power of PFLAG and it's growing membership gives me reassurance that our LGBT voices will be heard in some new ways.

Anti-Prop. 8 Ads: Too Little, Too Late or Just Right?

As the California Supreme Court hears oral arguments today on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, a debate is growing in our community about the effectiveness of the recent advertising and public outreach conducted by LGBT advocacy organizations in opposition to Proposition 8.

One of the tools generating the most heat is a television commercial produced by Equality California. The ad is simple and straightforward, but some in the community feel it’s not strong enough pointing out that it doesn’t use the words gay or lesbian (or bisexual or transgender for that matter) and it seems too mild to effectively counter the incorrect, harmful charges being leveled by opponents of LGBT equality.

Here’s the ad:

I’m not sure how I feel about this ad, and perhaps that’s the problem. It doesn’t immediately grab me as a "must view" (the way some other ads, produced by others, have in the past), but it doesn’t seem so obviously ineffective as to be a total waste of time. I think my middle of the road reaction means the ad misses the mark.

When Times are Tough, the Tough Go Online

What's important to you during these recessionary times? I have been thinking about it in light of friends being laid off of work, home foreclosures rising to record numbers, businesses large and small folding, new cars stacking up on docks. So here are my top 3 most important things that I try to focus on and remember during these tough times:

1. Relationships.

Relationships are one of the few things I can control. My relationships with my friends, co-workers, relatives, partner, even strangers is something powerful and important to me. So, online sites like LinkedIn and Facebook have become a lifeline. I have reconnected with probably 25 friends over the past 4 weeks. All online. And I love being able to go online to send an e-card to a friend to help lift their spirits or go online to LinkedIn and write a recommendation for a former co-worker. And the LGBT market has such a wealth of websites and blogs (like this one) that can lift my spirits. I like to cruise through 365gay.com and gayagenda.com to catch the latest news in our world.

2. Style and Fashion.

I love this one. Shopping on a budget is possible! Even in these difficult times you can find great sales to stay stylish. Some of the sales in retail stores are incredible. And what you can find online is equally as enticing. And that includes some high end brands. I bought a new yoga mat the other day and added a yoga bag and yoga pants to my order from Gaiam because of the great pricing they were offering. I noticed in the March issue of OUT magazine the first 6 full pages are fashion advertising........someone must still be buying Gucci and Prada. I check out gay.com/style to stay up to date on all kinds of style tips for my home and my life.

3. Entertainment.
               
The LGBT market loves to be entertained. Whether we are actually traveling to an exotic beach or watching a movie like Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire, we can be entertained. I find the vicarious experience of watching movies a great way to experience a foreign country, especially when I am not going to be able to travel there any time soon. Even having friends over for a little grilled food and glass of wine has become more fun than going out to eat nowadays. Planetout.com has a great entertainment section for the latest on celebs, movies, books, etc. Right up my alley!

I'd like to hear from you. Please share with me what's important to you in these times?

Tackling Double Standards (from the sidelines)

Every year I have to share my birthday (or birthday weekend) with one of the most celebrated all-American, largely masculine events of the year – the Super Bowl. Not one for touchdowns and injuries, I typically join in the social aspect of the event and enjoy the commercials that cost a fortune and captivate us all.

And while we’re not here to debate whether this year’s selections were a hit or a flop, I was intrigued by DiversityInc.’s article about one ad that was left out of the collection. Reporting off a longer story from 365gay.com, DiversityInc. examined how GetToKnowUsFirst.org, an LGBT advocacy group in California, was unable to air its commercial featuring an African-American gay couple during the Big Game on KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. The same ad was rejected for inclusion during the inauguration ceremonies weeks earlier by California’s KABC-TV.

Is it Real or Faux?

 

Have you seen the new Nike ad causing all the stir? Nike reports they did not know anything about it. And yet they are the subject of blogs and articles on this "homophobic" ad. What's going on? As it turns out, the Nike ad under scrutiny was published in CMYK Magazine, a quarterly magazine targeting advertising and design professionals. The ad was actually part of a quarterly student ad design competition. Designed by a student from Miami Ad School, the ad is not a real Nike ad after all.

What's all the fuss? The ad itself reads "The Only Thing Worse Than Going to the Ballet Is Going to the Ballet to Watch Your Son." The tagline says "Raise a Champion, Nike Kids." Even though the ad is fake, and no fault of Nike's, it is still causing a stink and offends some of us. CMYK's publisher does not apologize for printing it and argues that it could have multiple interpretations. In fact, it was only after bloggers became outraged and GLAAD became involved that CMYK issued an official apology. To me, even that is a bit lame as the publisher says he did not see it as antigay.

For Nike, they were just the unfortunate brand selected for the false ad. But, Nike has had its own share of problems with past controversial ads. In July 2008, Nike pulled their basketball shoe ad after concerns were raised that the ad was antigay. The ad shows a basketball players face in the groin of an opponent who is dunking the ball. It reads: "That Ain't Right." Nike agreed -- after complaints -- to drop the ad campaign "...to underline our ongoing commitment to supporting diversity in sport and the workplace."  Given these recent stories, I am hoping sensitivity to the LGBT market is top of mind for Nike.

And good news for the LGBT market and Nike. Nike received a 100% rating by the HRC Corporate Equality Index rating for 2008 and 2009. Clearly Nike is doing quite a few things right. Now, with that I am encouraged!

Protests from Both Sides

This weekend, many LGBT individuals across the country came together in major cities to protest and urge legislators to hasten action and repeal on the Defense of Marriage Act. Similar to our posts covering Day Without a Gay and the November Prop 8 protests, I was interested to see how the news media depicted the weekend ‘s events. Luckily, our friends at Queerty had already pulled together quotes from various markets this morning, which you can find here.

Queerty Editor in Chief Japhy Grant’s comment that “…the coverage of the event is another opportunity for LGBT activists to make their case…” and “…for most Americans, it's out of sight, out of mind…” deserves additional examination.

Dollars for Business Sense

  Last week, as I was reveling in the glory that is vacation, I realized that it was time to make those dreaded resolutions. Every year I try to do it.  Spend more time with family. Eat better. Work out more (or work out, for that matter). Reconnect with old friends.

This year I wanted to be different. In addition to making a personal resolution that I will undoubtedly break, I wanted to make a LGBT-olution that I intend to keep. My idea? Research and support more companies and organizations that are making a concerted effort to communicate directly to me as a gay man. Instead of my routine retail therapy stops (Target, Best Buy, Banana Republic), are there companies that try to know me better? Know my interests? Support causes that are important to our community?

Pillow Talk

Hollywood continues to be cloaked in the mystery of who is really gay in Hollywood. Why are LGBT people in Hollywood not out? Partly I suppose to protect their jobs, careers, and faux marriages. But what about those brave folks who have come out?  The recent Out 100 from Out magazine highlights some of our heroes, our heroines, our idols and our favorites. From actors, musicians, artists, designers, producers, architects, correspondents, directors, editors, writers, promoters, filmmakers, comic book writers, campaigners and even a knight (Ian McKellen)- they have it covered. An impressive list of folks, many gay and out of the closet. All interested in advancing the LGBT conversation. And interesting backgrounds each.

      
So, why is Hollywood still cloaked in mystery? Many of us still remember Hollywood in the Rock Hudson and Doris Day years with movies like Pillow Talk, one of my favorites. The movies they made together made us laugh and fall in love with both of them. And the mystery of their sex life was OK back then. No one seemed to need to know what was really going on behind the curtain. While we suspected, we kind of enjoyed the mystery. Today, no mystery goes uncovered. While I can say I am proud of so many people in Hollywood coming out, I am also sometimes shocked. Most recently I read that Clay Aiken came out by appearing on the cover People magazine -- for $500,000. We don't need to be paid to come out, do we?

Corporate America Backs Gays

I read about this topic in an article recently and was thrilled. I also questioned it. Who in corporate America backs gays? And what are they doing to show this? I am tired of companies claiming they support LGBT workers then doing  little to nothing to really show that support. So, who in corporate America really backs gays? This online article from 2006 highlights many companies that offer their support, and others who struggle.

One company that surprised me was Raytheon, they make missiles and radar equipment. Not exactly consumer products. Consumers don’t buy many missiles. So companies like Raytheon surely go unnoticed by most consumers. But Raytheon stands out as a great example for other corporations. They target an recruit LGBT workers, and then the company backs them with support both in their local communities and with employee benefits. Others like IBM, Proctor & Gamble, Wells Fargo, Ernst & Young and Motorola were not surprises. Read the article for more excellent examples, including an interview wiht one of our Ernst & Yound clients Mike Syers.

And the good news in all of this? In the annual HRC Corporate Equality Indexon the Fortune 500 businesses and their demonstrated support of the LGBT market, a majority of corporations surveyed offer health benefits for domestic partners. So, maybe corporate America really is leading the way for the LGBT audience and equality.

Get Noticed by LGBT Travelers

Destination selected. Hotel booked. Boarding pass in hand. As LGBT travelers, our travel decisions are influenced by a city's attractions/offerings and a company’s authentic LGBT outreach.  We’ve discussed numerous times our community’s large buying power and brand loyalty. So, it’s not surprising to see companies target us even more as a primary audience during this time of economic uncertainty.

Last week, Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI) released the findings of a recent study revealing the top destinations, hotel brands, and airlines for LGBT consumers. CMI asked a panel of LGBT consumers which companies are doing the best job of reaching out to the LGBT community. So who is doing enough to get noticed? Drum roll please…

Last Thursday, Steve shared Chicago’s move to the top five gay travel cities. Though I am pretty pleased to see a Midwest city in the top five most visited destinations, I was interested to see how the Midwest ranked according to LGBT outreach. Not high enough.

According to CMI, the cities topping the charts for direct outreach to the LGBT community include: Las Vegas, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Springs, and Provincetown. So what’s the ROI? Cities that are directly engaged with the LGBT community were ranked in the top 20 most visited cities. Las Vegas, San Francisco, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Springs were ranked in the top seven. I’m interested to see the shift cities like Philadelphia and Provincetown will see in their rankings in the coming years.

The hotels that ranked highest for LGBT promotional efforts include W Hotels, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, and the Hyatt.  Kimpton Hotels has been at the forefront of LGBT marketing and community outreach.  The study also showed noted efforts by Paris Las Vegas — which stands as a huge achievement of the hotel’s efforts. Paris Las Vegas is widely known for their LGBT advertisements and support of community activities. I might not be a huge fan of Vegas, but I commend Paris Las Vegas for their package offerings, internal LGBT training initiatives, and authentic community involvement.

To no one’s surprise, American Airlines is the industry leader in LGBT marketing. Nearly 60 percent of those surveyed wrote in the company’s name, affirming the company’s achievement as a brand that truly invests in our community.  From community events, organizational partnerships, and advertising and marketing efforts, American Airlines has exhibited a dedication and commitment to the LGBT community.

What are other companies doing to get noticed? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Top Trends – Questions and Answers!

Many of us are curious about trends and trend spotting. We ask questions such as: how do we spot a trend? what is the life cycle of a trend?  and what are the upcoming trends for 2009? We have addressed trends affecting the LGBT market before. Well, a just published report on the website www.trendspotting.com has some additional answers for those of us who are trend spotting.

             

Checking out trendspotting.com’s Top 15 Questions (and Answers), they admit right up front that spotting a trend is a bit tricky, and a lengthy process. However, they offer a quick 4 step process to help us along the way. I decided to start with the first and most important question to kick off my curiosity; “How do I actually spot consumer trends? And then how do I apply them?”

          

Here’s their recommendation- Ask yourself if a trend you’re tracking has the potential to:

            

1. influence or shape a company’s vision
2. inspire someone to come up with a new business concept or brand
3. add a new product, service or experience for a certain customer segment
4. speak the language of those consumers already ‘living’ the trend; show them you know what they’re excited about in your campaigns, branding and your conversations with them

Think of trends in the LGBT community that began with us. LGBT-exclusive travel has been popular for many years –think Olivia Cruises, Atlantis or RSVP. We often are among the first to set the trends in fashion and routinely jump quickly into new technology. And as we age, we have LGBT retirement communities in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Fe and elsewhere.

                  

So, ask yourself what new trends you can spot in the LGBT community using the 4 step process above. You might just discover the next consumer trend.

Trick or Treat?

The Google advertising machine that feeds paid advertising spots to not only Google but other web servers appears to have hit a snag. On The Bilerico Project's web site, ads are showing up on California's Proposition 8 asking viewers to support the protection of traditional marriage in California. Yes, that’s one of three propositions across the U.S. (in California, Arizona and Florida) focused on preventing marriage between two people of the same sex. Readers of Bil Browning’s fun and quirky web site, the Bilerico Project, wrote in to report this unusual and unexpected ad on his web site whose tagline is “daily experiments in LGBTQ”.

               

Bil investigated and reports that Google’s official position (I found it on ThinkProgress.org) from Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder, is that the company opposes Proposition 8 in California. However, the company position is not consistent with their Advertising Policies. In Google's Advertising Policies it states that any advertising that is focused against the LGBT community (and other minority groups) is not permitted. See the inconsistency?

 

So what's Google up to?

It makes me wonder if the Google advertising machine is more focused on profiting from their advertising than upholding their policies. I love the way Bil points out in his blog, what if there was a ballot measure to rescind interracial marriage? What would Google do if an advertiser had an ad in support of segregation? Chilling thought! And how about those LGBT employees at Google? How could they be feeling about their California-based company? Where’s the trust? Where’s the integrity?

            

What do you think Google is up to?

The Word "Gay"

As we near the end of the seemingly longest-ever U.S. election campaign, a minor controversy has erupted over the advertising strategy employed by the opponents of Proposition 8 in California. Proposition 8 is the anti-gay statewide ballot initiative that would, in the words of Hilary Rosen of The Huffington Post, amend the state constitution to “take gays and lesbians out of the equal protection clause.” The controversy is over the use of the word “gay” in the “No on 8” television advertisements. As it happens, many of the ads don’t use the word “gay.” 

Does an ad promoting equal rights for gay and lesbian people have to use the word “gay?” Is it any more, or less, effective if it doesn’t? It’s a good question, and one that I haven’t thought much about until lately. I’m not privy to the discussions about advertising strategy that the "No on 8" team has had, but I can guess that they’re trying to cast as wide a net as possible to reach the largest possible group of voters with a “no” message. 

Here's my take.

If an ad is effective and makes its point without using the word gay, that’s fine. Here’s an example of an ad that proves that point:

But I think that at least some of the advertising and outreach about "No on 8" needs to plainly say what Proposition 8 is about: the denial of rights to gays and lesbians. Yes, the issue is about equality, but it’s about equality for all, including (specifically) gays and lesbians. Clear communication requires being up front (out front?) about what you mean and why what you say is important. Here’s an example of an ad from the same campaign that proves that point (featuring the fabulous Margaret Cho and her friend Selene Luna):

If Proposition 8 is defeated, this controversy will probably be forgotten. But if Proposition 8 passes, I’m sure we’ll see lots of commentary about the ineffectiveness of the messaging and the mistakes made by opponents in not using the word “gay” more often and more obviously.

What do you think? Do you have to use the word “gay” to be effective in gay and lesbian communications?

Where will you be when you are 65? 70? 75?

We all hope you will not be aging alone. Recently I read an article on Boston.com about gay aging issues (“Gay Elders Distinctive Challenges Get Closer Look”). According to the article, an estimated 2.5 million gay seniors living and aging alone in America is a reality. It’s a scary statistic, isn’t it? We tend not to think much about it, as gays we like to think we are always young. And youth and good looks is what is celebrated, not an aging gay population.

                  

So where does that leave the older gay population? As Laura Nguyen pointed out in her recent post “Booming New Ad Campaign”, a recent Newsweek article highlights some alarming statistics about the aging gay boomer population. Among them, over the next 25 years, the number of Americans age 65 or older will increase by 12 to 20 percent. Out of those seniors, seven to 10 percent are predicted to be members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community. This is truly an invisible population to many.

Why? Many of these persons never came out to family, friends or coworkers. They remain caught in limbo between the straight world and the gay world. Now that they are aging they don’t know where they fit. And they are afraid of bias and anti-gay treatment at senior centers or from the health care system. If they are alone, as many are, the problems escalate. Who to call with medical issues? Who can they turn to for financial advice or assistance? Their vulnerability is enormous.

   

For those gay couples who are aging, they face a different set of challenges. Lack of rights for same sex couples rises to the top of the list. You better be armed with the appropriate legal forms if you want to get in and see your partner in the hospital. Or if need to make some major medical decisions, you’ll need more forms! Recently, AARP decided to tackle the issue (full disclosure: they are a Fleishman-Hillard client, although none of our team works with them). The largest advocacy group in the world for persons over 50 years old, is going to focus on gay and lesbian aging at a conference organized by SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) and sponsored by AARP this month. This is a huge deal! AARP sponsoring an event that features workshops on a variety of issues related to the older GLBT audience – a first! Are you over 50? YOU should sign up for AARP today and show your support.

                   

Issues of aging and the struggles are difficult for us all. For a generation that many of us don’t know, it can be devastating. How can you help? Find out more by checking out AARP, SAGE and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. They are all working to help support our elderly gay friends who face unique challenges we never imagined.

   

Whither Gay Media in this Economy?

Lost amidst all of the coverage about the faltering economy is a consideration of the impact of the corporate meltdown on gay and lesbian marketing and communications efforts by the companies being affected.

The fall of big banks like Washington Mutual, the sale of Wachovia and the perceived threat to many other financial institutions could mean less ad dollars are available for LGBT media.

Banks like Washington Mutual were leading advertisers in gay publications, regularly appearing in print publications like the Advocate and Curve. It’s not yet known if JPMorganChase (which bought Washington Mutual after the government purchased it), will continue with WaMu’s aggressive advertising and outreach efforts. Other financial leaders not currently seen as threatened – Amerprise Financial, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and others – are also regular advertisers in LGBT publications. In fact, the most recent Advocate includes full-page ads from all three of the latter corporations.

So, what happens if these advertisers pull their dollars? We’ve said before that we’re a viable, and valuable, audience, particularly in a down economy when consumer loyalty is all-important to companies across the spectrum. So, if major LGBT advertisers pull their ads, what will happen to LGBT publications? Here's my take:

Levi's "Gets It"

Here is another lesson in corporations being fully engaged with our community.  Levi Strauss & Co. is throwing its support behind the effort to defeat California’s Proposition 8 which would ban gay marriage. 

Regardless of where we stand on this issue, we should tip our hats to Levi’s latest announcement today because it is another layer in a long line of successive shows of support, engagement and recognition of our community and its issues.

Our constant drum beat on this site has been that companies need to be fully engaged in our community, including hiring and operations policies, to fully reap the benefits of LGBT consumer loyalty in answer to their marketing efforts. Levi’s is a case study in doing it right. And while they are not the only company who “gets it,” they do seem to be blazing a trail for other companies to follow in reaching the gay and lesbian market.

Madison Avenue: You’ve Got Mail

Yesterday kicked off the fifth annual Advertising Week in New York, with the best and brightest from Madison Avenue and all corners of the globe converging on the city to discuss the current state and future of this long standing form of communication. Yet with all of advertising’s advances and innovation, some outdated stereotypes and references still make their way into today’s print and television spots.

Today, our client Mike Wilke, president and founder of Commercial Closet Association, a leading educational organization for the advertising industry on the proper inclusion of LGBT references in advertising, issued a call to action to Madison Avenue’s leading executives. Backed by a host of New York government officials and advertising industry leaders, the letter calls for an end to any lingering lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender stereotypes, homophobia and transphobia in commercial advertising. It coincides with a diversity hearing being held today by The New York City Committee on Civil Rights to examine the progress made in the advertising space.

Hoping to encourage action from top firms and advertisers everywhere, Wilke noted in a recent Advertising Age story that a “critical mass of things that have been followed by the media” recently show great potential for advertisers to change their ways. New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, and others are backing Commercial Closet’s call-to-action in the hopes to create a more aware and accepting society of LGBT people.

This call to action, if heeded, can deliver great benefits to both the LGBT community and businesses in general. From the Super Bowl blockbusters to the daily spot that flashes across the screen during our favorite show, we’re constantly internalizing messages, images and themes about our world and those in it. And while consumers should do their part to be cognizant of inappropriate uses of a particular stereotype, advertisers are equally responsible for providing  appropriate references of all diverse people.

I encourage you to take a look at Commercial Closet’s Web site, which houses a library of recent and older commercials from around the globe. Some inspire, some disappoint – but all are examples to the power of communication and the need for appropriate references of LGBT people. After you’ve taken a look, let us know what you think.

Booming New Ad Campaign

There is great interest surrounding the boomer population, from the business community to the financial community, to the gay and lesbian community. Over the next 25 years, the number of Americans age 65 or older will increase by 12 to 20 percent. Out of those seniors, seven to 10 percent are predicted to be members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community.

According to a great Newsweek article out last week:

• Gay seniors are twice as likely as straight seniors to live alone
• Gay seniors are 10 times less likely to have someone care for them when they are ill
• Gay seniors are half as likely to have health insurance than heterosexuals

We have reason to be concerned. These individuals face numerous challenges, but many of us are completely unaware of the hurdles they overcome each day. This is a population that lacks visibility both within the LGBT community and within the overall community.

As we learned from GoodAsYou last week, Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)  recently launched a new series of print ads aimed at increasing the visibility and education. The images of LGBT seniors will appear in New York print publications and on subway cards, phone kiosks, and bus shelters. These photos fall under the slogan, “Because there is no expiration date on a full, active life.” SAGE selected both staff members and those who they have close relationships with. These are real people, with real struggles and real stories to tell. I love their ability to capture the diversity of the LGBT population. It’s refreshing to see an ad campaign focused on LGBT seniors that truly reflects their lives.

A PDF of the ads can be found here.

To learn more about the challenges of LGBT seniors, please visit the Newsweek article, “Long Invisible, Gay Seniors Seek Respect, Services” or check out our Q&A with Michael Adams of SAGE.

401k’s, IRA’s and our financial world

Where do we start with the recent financial mess we’re in? I watch my 401k sinking and wonder what should I do? Ride it out, right? It’s hard when that is your retirement wasting away. And with the financial world falling apart around us you have to ask what more could I be doing?

          

So, I looked at my finances. And thought about where I could start saving more to sock away a CD or two. One obvious place is my discretionary spending. Another way of saying shopping. I am a female, I love to shop. I can’t help it, it’s genetic I am sure! Anyway, one source I love and have begun to trust as well is Queercents from our friend Nina Smith. She has a fun, sometimes quirky but always humorous site that shares others' insights into the world of being gay and financially aware. See for yourself, by checking out the site. I love their recent post Turning Spenders into Savers; Why We Buy. And I love her motto; we’re here, we’re queer, and we’re not going shopping without coupons!

Levi's and Logo Unbuttoned

Stuart Elliott of the New York Times is reporting that Levi's has signed an agreement with Logo for a campaign called Logo Unbuttoned. The campaign will be built around a new late-night block of uncensored programming called "Saturday Nights Unbuttoned Presented by Levi's." The programming, which will run from 1-3am on Sunday mornings, will include uncensored versions of Logo programs such as "The Big Gay Sketch Show," "Queer as Folk" and "The L Word." It will be exclusively sponsored by Levi's and will tie in to the company's new "Live Unbuttoned" ad campaign.

There's already been a fair amount of talk online about the commercialism of this move, the idea that Logo will only show uncensored programs in the middle of the night, etc. I'm more interested in the idea that old-fashioned sponsorship ("back to the 50s" as openly gay Logo president Brian Graden told Elliott) is alive and well on gay broadcast networks. Levi's made headlines last year with their now award-winning broadcast advertising and this new partnership appears to be another step in their efforts to fully engage with our community. 

We'll have to see what the programming is like and how the Levi's advertising is integrated into it (or not), but on the surface, I think this sounds really interesting. The campaign will include videos (click here to see a few of them on the New York Times Web site) and other online tools to both extend the branding and highlight the LGBT people Levi's is positioning as living "unbuttoned."

We've written a fair amount about fashion and marketing and the good, and bad, attempts by marketers to leverage their interest in our community into increased sales. In some of the more cynical examples, I think the effort has fallen flat because marketers tried only to be "hip" by talking about gay and lesbian issues and themes without really demonstrating any real affinity or understanding of the realities of our lives.

It seems to me that the challenge for Levi's with this latest effort is to be genuine. One of Levi's strengths has always been their heritage as the company that invented the jean. They've been surpassed over the years by Calvin Klein and then Jordache and then Gap and then all of the new wave of designer jeans that people will pay hundreds of dollars to own. But through it all, Levi's has always been the original. If Levi's can stay true to its heritage while also honestly and openly highlighting the truth of our lives through the lens of their jeans, I think they'll be successful in this campaign.

What do you think? Take a look at the campaign info highlighted above and share your comments with us below.

Change, Part 2

We’ve had a fair amount of change on this blog as we’ve grown up. Good friends have come and gone. And so it is again. Sadly (for us, anyway), this month the Out Front Blog is losing two good friends: Eddy Evans and Rich Ferraro will become Out Front Blog Alumni (note the new name for this section). Eddy is moving back “home” to London and Rich is moving to a major LGBT advocacy organization to work on public relations (he'll have more to say in his final post next Monday). 

With their departures, we are losing two determined, distinctive and defining voices. We’re going to miss them both a great deal. Fortunately, we won’t have to do without Eddy’s musings on Project Runway or updates about the latest cultural developments in London.  And we’ll still have Rich’s keen analysis of advertising and reports on the New York social scene. To relive any of those moments, readers need only click on the biography pages for Eddy and Rich to see a complete list of all of their posts. 

If you’d like to offer farewell wishes for Eddy and Rich, please feel free to do so in the comments below.

Happily, we have found two new bloggers to add to our team. I’m pleased to announce that Michael Murphy and Bryan Blaise will be joining us on the Out Front Blog over the next few weeks. Michael is a former broadcast news media relations executive who joined the Cleveland office of Fleishman-Hillard in 2007. He has a strong background in healthcare and corporate reputation work and is an Ohio native. Bryan is a corporate reputation and media relations expert and has worked with Rich on Commercial Closet Association outreach. He joined the Chicago office of Fleishman-Hillard in 2007.

Oh, and there’s one other change. In addition to renaming the Former Contributors section “Alumni,” we’ve moved the entire blogging team under one category. So now, we’re all Bloggers instead of the distinction between “Bloggers” and “Contributors.”  If you’re looking for a specific post by a specific writer, it should be even easier to find it now because we’re all in one alphabetical list. 

Stay tuned for Michael and Bryan’s debuts coming soon. In the meantime, if you’d like to welcome them to our team, go for it in the comments below.

Milwaukee’s "Gay Neighbor" Campaign

Milwaukee’s skyline just got more interesting. A new campaign in Milwaukee, Wis., aims to raise awareness of gay and lesbian community members in their upcoming campaign, “Gay Neighbor.” The media campaign, sponsored by the Cream City Foundation, illustrates gays and lesbians as average people in the community through billboards and bus shelter advertisements. The 30 billboards will be revealed this week.

Ads direct residents to the campaign Web site to learn more about gay and lesbian  Milwaukeeans’ stories and struggles. A few featured include a family and their adopted daughter, teens with their gay and lesbian parents, and LGBT children with their parents. There is a nice variety of stories, from couples, to singles, to widows, to parents, and people of color. You can go to their Web site to read these stories and share your own. 

For a sneak preview of the upcoming ads, check out this Web site (or click here ).   

Adweek: The Joke's Over

Adweek magazine ran a great feature story today that serves as a state of “gay ads.” Our client Mike Wilke, Executive Director of Commercial Closet Association, was interviewed for the piece and explains that the idea that “homophobia sells” is on its way out the advertising industry’s door.

In addition to Wilke, reporter Ellie Parpis quotes several winners of the Images in Advertising Awards including the VP of Marketing at Levi’s and a creator of the Garden State Equality ad that we wrote about previously.

An interesting comment was posted in response to the online version of the story from a reader in the UK. He said that the two ads that were recently pulled in the UK were found offensive due to “differences in humour”  – one for Heinz mayo which was attacked by anti-gay groups and the other was the ad for Snickers that received complaints from gay groups including the HRC that Laura wrote about last week.

He argues that America should “let the UK determine the suitability of ads” shown on UK television, however especially in today’s internet age – I would have to disagree. As Laura mentioned, the Snickers ad was defamatory to a segment of our community and promoted negative gay stereotypes. These stereotypes are international in nature, and any action that can be seen as an example of violence to the gay community is never “humourous.”

International homophobic ads have already made their way onto YouTube and are seen by users all over the world. If anything, the “buzz” around the ad only being released in the UK can result in the ad becoming a viral hit. American audiences read the media reports and actively look to see why the ad is controversial. And while it was US based groups like HRC that issued responses to the ad, it was the UK viewers who took action. 

More importantly, these are international brands who should not risk alienating part of their audience – regardless of location. If a brand releases a homophobic ad overseas but is friendly to the domestic gay community, it calls into question their true intentions.

Perhaps what the reader is getting at is the need for an international agreed upon best practices that advocates against global homophobia by some of the leading gay rights groups.

The bottom line for brands is that education is still needed – and is rewarded. I’ve seen a large amount of the coverage that Nike received for its homophobic ads, but I’ve also seen the positive mentions that Levi’s has received for winning this year’s Images in Advertising Award for “Outstanding Commercial” – not only is Levi’s portrayed as gay-friendly, but is heralded as a smart and ethical marketer.

What Mr. T Says Matters

For years Mr. T and his macho persona have made many people laugh, but last week the room was silent.

The Snickers commercial, featuring Mr. T, left Mars Inc., maker of Snickers, in the limelight for their anti-LGBT messaging. The ad shows Mr. T publicly ridiculing a man speed walking in an exaggerated manner that could be considered flamboyant. Furthermore, Mr. T says, “You’re a disgrace to the man race, it’s time to run like a real man” which is followed by rapid shooting of Snickers bars and the slogan, “Get some nuts.”

Though the ad was pulled, it does raise a few issues for me including race, gender, LGBT, and violence issues. According to the HRC, this imagery overtly evokes stereotypes of gay men. Additionally, this ad also could serve as an example of racial discrimination and racial stereotypes of the African-American objection toward the LGBT community. The ad insinuates negative messages that sustain and perpetuate racial, specifically African-American, anti-gay stereotypes. We have all seen the power the media plays in our society and must be conscious of the message we are sending.

Regarding the issue of gender, the imagery of Mr. T and the speed walker creates a definitive line of masculinity and diminishes the existence of those outside of such boundaries. This was best summed up when Eric Bloem, deputy director of the Workplace Project for the HRC Foundation said, "The ad's message … perpetuates the notion that GLBT people are less than other people." Acts of violence toward any person and perpetuated messages to tolerate violence are unacceptable for any reason.

Ads have the power to make us laugh, cry, and buy. There are also ads that make us think about our vision for the future and the world we would like to see. Next time you see an ad, think about the message it sends to you.

Commercial Closet Association's Images In Advertising Awards

This Monday, our client Commercial Closet Association held their fourth annual Images in Advertising Awards. The event was attended by a theatre full of advertising and marketing professionals from nominated companies and advertising agencies.

Levi’s was the night’s big winner, taking home the award for “Outstanding Commercial.” Ben blogged about this commercial when it was first released but as a refresher - ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty produced the spot with two separate endings. The ad depicts a young male pulling on a pair of Levi’s jeans as the street below him comes crashing through his floor, leaving him face-to-face with an attractive stranger in a nearby telephone booth. In one version of the ad, the stranger in the phone booth is a woman; in a second version, the stranger is a man. In both versions, the two individuals smile flirtatiously at each other, then walk off into city side by side.

I’m very pleased with the winner this year – not only was the ad creative and visual, but Levi’s took risks. Robert Cameron, VP of Marketing at Levi’s, accepted the award and explained that while at first the spot was going to be used for gay broadcast outlets, Levi’s quickly broadened their ad buy to include national cable channels like Bravo.

Here's the winning ad:

A personal and crowd favorite came from political action committee Garden State Equality and their two ad agencies (Kaplan Thaler and Blue Jersey) who took home the Outstanding Nonprofit Campaign award. Garden State Equality (LINK) released two spots that advocated for equal rights for New Jersey gay citizens.

The 'Think Equal' commercial mirrored the PC vs. Mac ads by having one woman represent “marriage” and a second represent a “civil union.” They are both equal until the “civil union” shares her frustration about not being allowed into a hospital when her partner was admitted.

The second ad, 'Busy Family,' shows a gay family eating dinner while President Bush described the American family. When Garden State Equality accepted the award, the winner noted that it was indeed him and his family in the spot.

Other highlights from the night included Frank DeCaro from Sirius OutQ Radio (pictured in this post with Executive Director of Commercial Closet Association Mike Wilke) who hosted the evening. Some media in attendance commented on DeCaro's comical emcee skills including Ken Wheaton at Advertising Age who mentioned DeCaro's admiration of the amount of chocolate consumed in Switzerland (winner of Outstanding Travel Campaign) in his event review and Hannah Wareham at The Advocate who included his jokes about being a "beige volkswagen."

While I was disappointed that I didn’t receive a new pair of Levi’s jeans in the gift bag, a wide variety of the nominated companies took advantage of the opportunity to get in front of the gay advertising community. The Philadelphia Tourism bag including a backpack from Showtime, sleeping mask from sponsor Tylenol PM, Hugo Boss cologne, L’Oreal Vive Pro for men, and a CD from jazz singer Marcus Goldhaber that is currently playing on my computer.

Be sure to look for features about the event on here! TV news and in the New York Blade in coming weeks.

*Photos by Brian M. Westbrook / photos.brianwestbrook.net 

No Wedding Rings for Hyatt?

As same sex marriages continue in California, all eyes are now on the amendment on the November ballot in California that seeks to overturn the state supreme court ruling that legalized the marriages a mere two months ago. Media coverage has turned from images of happy couples celebrating their unions to speculation about the fate of the amendment (the latest polls show a majority opposed to the amendment) and profiles of the leaders on both sides of the debate. Predictably, funding for and against the amendment has also received a fair amount of attention. As the Washington Blade reported yesterday, it’s that last point that has caused the latest round of controversy.

According to the Blade article, the owner of a Hyatt hotel in San Diego has given $125,000 to an organization that supports the amendment. That would not ordinarily be news if not for the fact that the Global Hyatt Corporation (owners of the brand, but not every individual hotel that carries the brand name) is widely known for its engagement with the gay and lesbian community including sponsorship of a Pride program with GLAAD and a national advertising campaign that we (and others) have cited for its gay-positive and appropriate tone and messaging. According to the Blade article, gay rights advocates have labeled the San Diego situation the “Hyatt of Hypocrisy” and are picketing the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego which is owned by Doug Manchester.

A Hyatt corporate spokesperson was quoted in the Blade article as saying that it’s a “personal decision of Mr. Manchester that doesn’t involve Hyatt” and “his name is on the door, but it’s not the views of Hyatt.” Pretty mild commentary given the starkly drawn lines this situation paints.

Although it’s a tough situation – what do you do when a franchisee supports a message contrary to your corporate position? – the answer should not be difficult to determine. Hyatt needs to pick a side and stick with it. As we’ve said many times before, the challenge for corporate communicators in situations like these is to be consistent in your commitment. If Hyatt believes what it says about its commitment to engagement with our community (and I believe it does), it needs to draw a stronger point of differentiation between the corporation and one of the owners of a property that carries its brand. While Hyatt can’t control what an individual hotel owner may choose to do or say, it can (and should) try to control its brand and the ways in which it is perceived. 

My advice? Hyatt should unequivocally restate its commitment to engagement with and support for the gay and lesbian community and clearly and definitively explain that the views of individual owners are not the views of the corporation. By “uncoupling” the views of an owner from those of the company, Hyatt can begin to repair some of the damage that has been done to its reputation. Consumers don’t often make distinctions between the brand and individual hotels, so it will be even more important for Hyatt to make those distinctions clear and consistently communicate what Hyatt’s values are and why they are consistent with its past actions and its future plans.

What do you think?  Any other advice for Hyatt in this situation?

GM Hits the Brakes

I’ve written a fair amount about auto marketing to gays and lesbians and offered advice to carmakers for ways to bolster market share in a weakening economy. Several major automakers have been leaders in advertising to our community, but the more engaged public relations programs that actually move sales have been few and far between. 

Last week, GM was the focus of a Marketplace radio interview about its “cutting edge” techniques to reach out to our community. It was an interesting piece, and it featured our friend Joe LaMuraglia of gaywheels.com which is great. The story focused on GM sponsorship of an event at Motor City Pride in Detroit but focused on how “subtle” the campaign was and highlighted our community’s “disposable income” far more than our loyalty as consumers. While both points are important, the latter is perhaps more relevant in an economic downturn when automakers (and others) are looking for ways to bolster sagging market share by boosting sales of their products.

This background was all brought into stark focus today with an announcement by GM of “very tough actions” to dramatically reduce their costs and save billions of dollars. While it’s too early to tell if these actions will mean the end of gay outreach and other activities, I hope they don’t. GM needs all of the friends it can get – and it still needs to sell cars. As Joe LaMuraglia said in a press release this week announcing the top ten most researched vehicles on gaywheels.com in the second quarter, “research has consistently indicated that the LGBT consumer is an early-adopter and a trend setter.”   

I’m not suggesting that marketing to gays and lesbians will save the company, but taken as part of a broader PR effort it can certainly help build new markets for the company and help create loyalty with a powerful, yet largely untapped segment of the autobuying public. As we’ve written before, GM has been making real inroads in conducting outreach to our community. They ought to expand these efforts and their competitors ought to join them in courting the gay and lesbian dollar to earn gay and lesbian loyalty.

P.S. If you’d like to read more about automaker advertising to our community, check out Joe’s guest column on the Pink Banana Media Blog from two weeks ago.

It Really Is An Honor To Be Nominated

Commercial Closet Association (yes, one of our clients) recently announced the nominees for the Fourth Annual Images in Advertising Awards. This year’s list includes an interesting mix of the usual suspects and the unexpected. In the former category are companies such as Orbitz, Levi Strauss, Subaru and American Airlines who are well known for their advertising to our community. In the latter category are unexpected honorees such as Hershey, the San Francisco 49ers (the first time a sports team has been nominated), Best Buy and Microsoft. It’s a fascinating list and you can check it out here.

In the wake of the Heinz ad debacle in the UK, Commercial Closet’s focus on those folks who understand how best to leverage the tools of advertising to reach us effectively and respectfully is timely. It’s also a really useful counterpoint to the confusion caused by Heinz’s decision to pull their gay-positive deli mayonnaise ad that aired briefly in England. Ironically, the Heinz ad earns a 100 score from Commercial Closet on the organization’s brand new Web site (you can view it here).

At a time when gay and lesbian communications issues are caught up in coverage about gay marriage and attacks from fringe elements claiming equal marriage rights will bring about the end of civilization as we know it, it really is an honor to be nominated for advertising that gets it right. I hope that the companies honored with nominations this year will both tout their nominations this year and keep developing effective, appropriate advertising that sells products while respecting all people.

The winners will be announced in an event (hosted by Frank DeCaro) at New World Stages in New York City on July 28th. We’ll follow-up later this summer with an update on the winners.

Friend of the Bride

Olivia is the brand that comes to mind first for most people in connection with lesbian travel and entertainment. It is a company that has grown and defined itself with the coming of age of our own community since the early 1970s, after Olivia’s founding as a record label for female artists.  So, when the California same sex ruling was announced a few weeks ago, San Francisco-based Olivia was among the better positioned companies able leverage its marketing efforts quickly toward soon-to-be-wed lesbian couples.

With their own wedding travel package offer underway, Olivia General Manager Lisa Henderson, who also is an FH Out Front client, recently discussed marketing amid the flux of West Coast weddings that began yesterday.

Steve: Olivia is marketing a wedding/honeymoon component of its fall Mexian Rivierra cruise. Do you think honeymoons will become a new growth area for Olivia cruises and land excursions?

Lisa: We would like to be top of mind when someone is planning a honeymoon, or a wedding.  We have been integral in so many of our customers life milestones and celebrations. We’ve been helping the lesbian community celebrate anniversaries, weddings, birthdays and every other special occasion you can imagine for over 35 years.

Steve: Is same-sex marriage in California a marketing platform that both LGBT and non-LGBT companies can leverage equally?

Smooth Operator

This is an advert deserving of the hype usually reserved for Super Bowl commercials. I watched it repeatedly for literally 15 minutes after Tanya at Girlports.com forwarded a link to us about a new campaign for the Phillips Satinelle Ice Epilator hair removal product.

The campaign features day-in-the life visuals of an understatedly beautiful woman that turns heads while walking down the street. Of course, the long dark hair and glisteningly smooth legs happen to be those of a 25-year-old model.

We follow this iconic figure of fresh-faced feminine allure from a morning jog on the beach through a day of dance rehearsals, a photo shoot and a backstage makeup session, including a sultry leg shave before taking the stage behind a microphone with a group of just-as-leggy women dancing in the background.

These images and the accompanying soft vocal soundtrack are a perfect vehicle to send Midwest housewives directly to the local Walgreens after seeing the commercial on Lifetime or Oxygen.

Gay Media Matters Redux

Last month, I blogged about the importance of gay media and discussed the potential sale of The Advocate and Out to a new publisher in light of current owner PlanetOut’s financial difficulties. At the end of last week, we learned (thanks to the Gay & Lesbian Leadership SmartBrief) that Mediaweek and other publications are reporting that a unit of here! Networks has signed a “binding letter of intent” to buy the magazine and book publishing arm of PlanetOut for a reported $6 million. According to the article and a press release on the the PlanetOut Inc. Web site, the deal is expected to close by August 31.

I hope this announcement is good news and that here! will continue to promote the power of our voices in these important print publications. here! seems to be a on a tear lately, with growing success in broadcast and online ventures so I’m hoping that means their “deep pockets” will be put to good use in bolstering these gay print media icons.

I was also interested to see the circulation and ad page figures for both The Advocate and Out mentioned in the article. Apparently, although the circulation figures are up for both magazines, the ad pages were down last year. The article cites several reasons for the slide (lack of a publisher for part of the year, a decline in entertainment and pharmaceutical advertising, etc.), but I wonder what you think. We’ve talked a bit lately about advertising and various new campaigns aimed at our community. At the same time, we’re hearing about the decline of gay print advertising in two leading print publications. Is this evidence of a trend or just a symptom of PlanetOut’s troubles? Share your thoughts in the comments below.   

Market Mashup

Nina Smith at Queercents recently alerted us to a guest blog by Sarah Dopp on how people  who "reject traditional gender roles" throw a wrench in today's marketing machine. In doing so, though, those people then have to deal with an excessive amount of messages that don't apply to their non-traditional lives.

It's an entertaining read to start the week. 

Absolut-ely

It’s Friday and the weekend is just a few hours away. You’re daydreaming of a crowded room where the lights reflect off glittered shirts, the vibrations surge through your heels, and the sound of laughter mixed with a bass beat fills the air. You have arrived, you lean over the bar, and say  “Absolut and tonic with lime.”

Earlier this week, ABSOLUT® VODKA unveiled the first LGBT-specific ads as part of their 'In An ABSOLUT World' campaign. According to the Community Marketing Consumer Index, vodka is the preferred spirit of lesbians and gay men. Lesbian respondents were five times more likely to drink vodka than any other spirit. Of all the vodkas, lesbians were most likely to choose Absolut. Thirty-six percent of gay men prefer Absolut, followed by Grey Goose (27%). Absolut began advertising and marketing to the LGBT community in 1979, the first-ever to conduct LGBT market outreach.

This week, Absolut made, what may be considered, another great stride by revealing two new print ads created by SPI Marketing/Moon City. The two print ads are positioned as “humorous and socially conscious.” According Absolut’s news release, the ads include ‘Ruler,’ (see graphic) a humorous look at gay men and their fascination with perfect, eight-inch measurements, while ‘Stadium’ engages on the issue of gay marriage when one half of a gay couple ‘pops’ the question during a sports outing.

It’s odd to me that this ad is targeted to the gay male population. This question of measuring up seems more targeted to a general male demographic versus gay men.  Furthermore, there is more than a trace of a perpetuated mentality and stereotype about a sex-driven culture for the gay male community. I must admit that I haven’t seen the “Stadium” ad, but I’m interested in how the ad depicts gay marriage, what the implications are and how the public will respond.

Gay marketing is built on fostering and enriching the relationship with the community. To do this effectively, marketing professionals must identify a values-driven message that directly aligns with this specific audience. What are your thoughts?

Massachusetts "Ads" Gays and Lesbians

More evidence of the growing influence of the gay and lesbian travel dollar. The folks at Edge Boston reported last week that the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism’s new $5 million ad campaign will feature same-sex couples among the 90 ads to be produced.

Perhaps one of the reasons Massachusetts has decided to include us in their new ad campaign is the ranking Massachusetts gay mecca Provincetown earned in the most recent Community Marketing Inc. gay and lesbian travel survey. According to the Edge Boston story, Ptown ranks 9th (in a three-way tie with DC and Miami) out of all destinations in the survey – not bad.  However, it ranks 18th among GenY gay men, and it’s likely the 1st ranking among senior lesbians that pulls it up to 10th in the rankings.

My partner Mark and I are big Ptown fans (we went there last summer and have already made plans to return this year) and we’re neither GenY gays nor senior lesbians. On our most recent visit, we saw a pretty diverse group of folks, but Ptown does seem to attract an older crowd than it used to (when I was the age GenY kids are now) and I guess that’s echoed in the survey rankings. I’m not sure that the ad campaign will mean more younger gays and lesbians will visit Ptown, but I’ll bet it will have an overall positive impact on gay and lesbian travel to the Cape. 

The Edge Boston story doesn’t say whether or not the gay images will be used solely for gay outlets or if the state might be bold and consider running “gay” ads in “mainstream” publications to really demonstrate their commitment to diversity. I think where the ads are placed will likely have an impact on who sees them as well. In any case, I’m glad to hear this news and I look forward to learning more about the campaign.

What do you think?  Will you be going to Ptown this year?

Best Practices in LGBT Multicultural Marketing

While in Chelsea this weekend, I walked past a phone booth with an ad by Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) promoting safe sex. There always seems to be a new ad campaign promoting safe sex in Chelsea, but instead of the typical white man staring at you with STD statistics written below, this ad showed two African American men nearly kissing with a tagline on how safer sex is “how we show our love.”

I did a search on the “I Love My Boo” ad campaign and found some NYC bloggers have covered this campaign already. Living Out Loud blog has photos of all of the ads in the series – which focuses on raising awareness of safe sex among African American and Latino gay men.

My first thought was that the ads seemed a ? stereotypical, as readers of Rod 2.0 have noted. The men in the ads are wearing what blog readers referred to as “hood attire” and the text is written as slang.

However, the slang and photos are appealing to GMHC’s target audience for this campaign: African American and Hispanic men that have sex with men. This population, according to The New York Times and reported by Rod 2.0 have seen an alarming 34 percent increase in HIV infection from 2001 to 2006 in New York City alone.

Additionally, GMHC launched the “HIV: We’re Not Taking it Lying Down” campaign which promotes safer sex among women of color.

I think GMHC actually did great market research for these series of ads. Beyond that, it’s the perfect campaign to show that LGBT marketing goes beyond the average gay white male. Our community is a diverse one – full of different races, interests, and genders. What works to communicate an effectively to one audience may not work for another. In this case, GMHC decided to do display advertising campaigns and strategically brought it to the streets and neighborhoods “where HIV infections are disproportionately high among women and young men of color,” according to a GMHC press release.

The campaigns does more than promote safe sex among women of color and African American and Latino men who have sex with men, it also raises awareness of the fact that these communities exist – and promotes an opportunity for marketers of products that include these target audiences to engage in LGBT marketing efforts that are properly researched in order to ensure the best and most engaging messages are delivered.