The Risky Business of Courting LGBT Customers

"Although there may be very specific types of businesses that have to be very careful, the ultimate reality appears to be that most people do not feel strongly enough to stop patronizing corporations that target this market. In actual fact, it increasing seems like the opposite may be true - companies that aren't seen as conforming to the new norms may find it harder to attract and retain the customers and employers they want." 

Read the full story at Investopedia. 

Old Navy Launches Pride-Themed T-Shirts

Yesterday, Old Navy released a line of Pride-themed T-shirts. 10% of the proceeds will go to the "It Gets Better" project. A spokeswoman for the store released a statement saying, "our customers and employees are of many different ethnicities, faiths and lifestyles, and we support them all.” 

Macy's to Test "Spring Break" Promotion in Chicago This Weekend

In an effort to depart from the outdated traditional department store image, Macy's will test what looks like a pretty interesting promotion targeting college students this weekend in Chicago. The event will happen on Saturday from 2-5pm at their State Street store. It's slated to include sales, giveaways, drinks and live music. They've promoted it across an array of social media and will even be sending vans to all area college campuses on Saturday to bus students to and from the store. In recent months, I've noticed a noticeable change in their men's inventory and now get all my Diesel stuff there when they have sales. I even opened up a Macy's charge... I'm becoming more and more like my mother. Anyways, read more about the promotion here. 

Starbucks Unveils New Logo

(photo credit: Associated Press)

Yesterday, Starbucks unveiled its new logo, as seen on the cup on the right of this photo. Previous logos are on the cups to the left of it. Most notably, the new logo doesn't contain the word "coffee" or even the name "Starbucks."


According to this Wall Street Journal article, the new logo reflects the company's new emphasis on selling Starbucks-brand products in supermarkets and other channels beyond its retail stores.

2011 Buying For Workplace Equality Guide

The Human Rights Campaign recently released an updated version of its guide to hundreds of American brands rated on their treatment of LGBT employees. “Buying for Workplace Equality 2011” classifies businesses and their products into red, yellow and green categories based on their score on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index, a nationally recognized benchmark of LGBT inclusion. You can view and download it here. 

Gay Gift Guide 2010

Here’s a great article by Maia Spotts and the gang over at change.org:

Now that the Thanksgiving leftovers are running out, and you smartly avoided the Black Friday melee, you may be thinking about what to get the special folks in your life this holiday season. But, buyers beware! As Target taught us, scratching that consumer itch can sometimes have some pretty nasty consequences. Let your purchases count toward more than airline miles with this handy dandy super gay-friendly shopping guide. This is the year of supporting LGBT business owners. Because if you have to get that perfect tea set for Aunt Susan, or a great book for your nephew, or the coziest T-shirt for your best friend, why not have that money go into the hands of an LGBT business owner?

Your best bet for all things local and gay owned is The Pink Pages. Just click on your city and voila! Find a local gay florist for that perfect holiday wreath. Or a used book store for one-of-a-kind treasures. How about a gift certificate to that great gay-owned restaurant in town? You can also check out gayfriendlybiz.com for more local gay-owned businesses. If you need a little nudge in the idea department, try these on for size: How about a subscription to an LGBT rag for a year of delightful page turning? OUT, the Advocate, and Curve are some classic favorites. Out There is a new culture magazine for the International Gay that is glossy and artsy and delectable.

Want to introduce your little cousin to the idea that families come in all different shapes and sizes and genders? And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson is always a good go-to read. There are a few new great ones on the shelves you might also want to consider. Mommy, Mama, and Me, and Daddy, Papa, and Me by Lesléa Newman are great reads. Patricia Polacco's In Our Mothers' House is a lovely story about two moms and their three adopted kids.




Nothing says "I love you" like a big, warm hug. At the Free City SuperShop, hugs come in the form of supersoft t-shirts, sweatpants and hoodies. Gay-owned, hand-crafted in Los Angeles, this is the softest sweatshirt money can buy.




Did some say Gourmet Chocolate?! At gay-owned Cacao in Portland, OR, the staff will put together and ship to you a mind-blowing box of chocolate-y treats, the likes of which you have never tasted before. I speak from experience. It's not easy to part with, so be sure to gift this one to someone who'll share.




A Different Light bookstore is where to go for your favorite bibliophile. This gay-owned San Francisco landmark (with an online store) is one-stop shopping for everything from LGBT fiction, to history, to hard to find copies of DNA magazine.




The complete South of Nowhere DVD set (all three glorious seasons) should fit the bill with any teen drama lover in your life. It's got everything you want from a high school show: racial tension, a lesbian love affair, teen steroid abuse, a motorcycle crash and I won't give away what happens at the Prom. If you buy it on Amazon, be sure to use this link and 5% of your purchase will be donated to PFLAG.




Over at LoveandPride, you can pick up an Erase the Hate pendant, with 10% of the proceeds going to the Matthew Shepard Foundation. In fact, you can pick up an Erase the Hate T-Shirt, too.




The Ellen DeGeneres Show is offering a super comfy T-Shirt with an awesome message: "Be Cool Be Kind Don't Judge." This is a gift that keeps on giving. Every time you step out the door, you remind folks about respectful living, plus 10% of the proceeds go to the Trevor Project.

Hmmm. PFLAG. The Matthew Shepard Foundation. The Trevor Project. Now we're talking true holiday giving. If I had to choose one aspect of the LGBT cause to support right now, it would be the crusade to end schoolyard bullying. We have lost too many young men and women, boys and girls, because no one at their school knew or cared enough to step in and stop anti-gay bullying. Gift giving is great, and the importance of supporting local businesses can never be overestimated. While you search for the perfect gifts this year, please consider including a donation in a loved one's name to a worthy charity. We will all benefit from it. Here's how you can help:

The Trevor Project is the best place to start. A nationwide suicide prevention project aimed specifically at LGBT youth, this organization has become the leader in the anti-bullying movement. By providing numerous options for a young person to reach out and speak to a kind, compassionate, loving individual, the folks at the Trevor Project have undoubtedly saved thousands of lives. Monetary donations help keep the phone lines open and the chat rooms online.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation with its Erase the Hate program is working to establish zero tolerance programs throughout the country.




The Ali Forney Center provides housing for homeless LGBT youth in and around New York City. A donation right now can provide a holiday meal or a gift for a resident. Just be sure to put "Holiday Gift" as your reason for donating.




True Colors, a "sexual minority youth and family services" project based in Connecticut, trains youth LGBTI advocates, organizes an annual national conference and runs an LGBTI mentoring program. While many of their services are aimed at Connecticut's youth, they are working nationally to help train other communities to enact the same powerful change.




Dan Savage's It Gets Better program has become an international phenomenon, and rightly so. Rumor has it there is a book in the works, and nationwide events and heaps more of the awesome viral videos that have impacted the nation. Donations go to It Gets Better, as well as Trevor Project and GLSEN. You can also pick up a T-shirt, if you're looking for something like that. While you're there, upload your own It Gets Better video and give the whole world a gift.




Consider donating a tool kit to your local school. Providing teachers and administrators with the tools to create a Hate Free zone, a zero tolerance policy, or a GSA can be invaluable to students. The Trevor Project Tool Kit is free! The GLSEN Safe Space Kit is only $20, and you can donate it to a school of your choosing, or GLSEN will choose one for you.




Help fund a Challenge Day. As seen on MTV's "If You Really Knew Me," a Challenge Day empowers students to "Be the Change," to share their own stories of struggle and to hear other's stories, a process which often leads to not only tolerance of differences but inclusion of those students once ostracized by their peers.

The holidays should be a time for being with loved ones. While so many in the LGBT community are lucky to have families who support us, or have created our own supportive communities, too many young LGBTQ kids struggle and suffer with fear of rejection, humiliation, exclusion and loneliness. After unwrapping your new copy of The Kids Are All Right or cracking the binding on David Sedaris' Holidays on Ice or packing up for a New Year's sail on Olivia Cruises, be grateful for those you have to support you, and let others know that you support them as well.

Happy Holidays from all of us on the Gay Rights team.

Campaign Launches for Sicily's First Outlet Village

Check out the campaign that the viral media company Mosaicoon put together to launch the opening of Sicily's first Outlet Village. The YouTube video already has close to 100,000 hits:

 

And they've done a great job on the website too. Thanks to Marco who reads BrandFabulousness all the way from Sicily for reaching out to me with this story.

Companies Take Note of Growing LGBT Buying Power

Thought this was a nice chart and article from Traci McMillan:

Awareness of the LGBT community is growing due to its rising image in the mainstream media, whether in the hit TV show Modern Family, or in the news headlines on California’s Proposition 8 banning gay marriage.

Now, large corporations are taking notice and jumping on the bandwagon to tap into the $743 billion lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender consumer market.

Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck-Combs Communications, an early marketer in the LGBT space, said the largest companies “are the biggest change agents.”  The big brands pay more attention to trends and “are more adept at moving.”

MillerCoors is a case in point. After the merger two years ago of SABMiller Plc and Molson Coors Brewing Co., the combined company’s number one objective was to market to “a complete consumer base,” a euphemism for minorities, including lesbian and gay consumers, said Doug Sanborn, head of multicultural and LGBT marketing and community relations. 

The company's market research revealed that between 4 percent and 7 percent of consumers belonged to the gay and lesbian community, and in metropolitan areas this subsection was even higher --10 percent to 12 percent. More importantly, MillerCoors' research showed that 85 percent of LGBT consumers were likely to make purchasing decisions based on which companies market to them.

In 2009, the company won the Essential Piece Award from the Matthew Shepard Foundation, for being a business leader in inclusion and support of gay and lesbian employees.

Other businesses not yet reaching out to the gay community risk missing out on a lucrative market. The gay and lesbian population is expected to grow to more than 16 million adults by 2014, according to a report from Packaged Facts. That's an increase from the estimated 10.5 million gay and lesbian adults following the 2000 Census, according to research by David Smith and Gary Gates. 

Over the next several years the LGBT segment is projected to see an increase in buying power, visibility and “influence on America’s marketing landscape,” the report said.

Progressive Corp. decided to make its way into the LGBT market early in 2009. Progressive advertising director Miriam Deitcher said the company realized that few insurance companies had made any moves in the LGBT community.

“Given this segment includes an estimated 15 million plus adults, we saw a great opportunity to connect with a large number of people that, to date, have rarely felt supported by the industry,” Deitcher said.

So the auto insurance company went to work.  It began to advertise in LGBT media and sponsoring events.  It also created a “Faces of Pride” Facebook page, which has 18,500 fans.

Since the onset of Progressive’s outreach, it has seen an “increase in brand awareness from the LGBT demographic,” Deitcher said.

The company said its strategy was “not designed to make a political or social statement or to endorse or advance any political agenda or lifestyle,” it just wants to be “consumers’ number one choice for car insurance,” according to Deitcher.

Packaged Facts reports that 58 percent of LGBT consumers are more likely to buy everyday products and services that market directly to their community, a figure lower than MillerCoors estimates, yet still substantial.  Among other things important to these consumers is the “perceived ‘gay friendliness’ of companies that choose to support causes that benefit the LGBT community,” the report said.

Ken Hunt, owner of Steel Gym in New York City, said the LGBT community is a market that should be sought after because it has “a lot of disposable income despite the recession.” Hunt and his gym have blazed the trail for other gay-owned businesses.

“It is more than a gym, it is a community,” Hunt said.  The owner believes it’s important to promote safe activities, to educate the community and to give back to causes, which is why his company has taken an active role on the board of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, or GLAD.

“We are not afraid to reach out, we are not afraid to advertise,” Hunt said.

The “everyone is welcome here” gym has had such strong success- it was voted No. 6 gym in the country by Muscle and Fitness magazine- that it is looking to expand to Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami. 

Michael Murphy, senior vice president of Fleishman-Hillard, said the LGBT community is both influential and affluent.  That is why the international public relations company started its Out Front practice group that focuses on LGBT communications and outreach.

Murphy said the group's brand loyalty is highly coveted.  According to the LGBT consumer index by Community Marketing Inc., 53 percent of the LGBT population admits brand loyalty.

Witeck said the key to this brand loyalty is knowing that the “company is authentic” and can be trusted.

Though the community does not have higher earnings than other racial and ethnic groups, it does have greater buying power through large amounts of disposable income.  This power is mostly due to more two-earner households and fewer children, Murphy said.

But in order to really tap into the market, Murphy said a company must start by looking inward.  “You have to practice what you preach,” he said.  Murphy suggests looking at human relations and corporate responsibility to see how LGBT employees are treated within a company.  Fair policies and employee work groups supporting LGBT are key.

Murphy sees employees within a company as the best “brand ambassadors in the community.”

In making the move outward, Murphy warns against stereotypes and cliches, such as rainbow flags in advertising and marketing campaigns.  He advises businesses to complete their market research and to test the campaign to make sure it is respectful through use of employee focus groups.

“The return on investment can be exponential if [the company] does it right,” Murphy said.  The market is not only untapped over all, but Murphy pointed out that each letter within the acronym ‘LGBT’ signifies a different untouched segment.

Another segment of the LGBT population is the aging community, the boomers who are the adults that have been "out" the longest.

Murphy said it's not just corporate America that stands to benefit by getting into the LGBT space.  Fleishman-Hillard expanded its public relations skills to assist in the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago; to help market for the LGBT community center in Chicago, the Center on Halsted; and to start a public health campaign via the Ohio Department of Health. 

The Ohio Department of Health noticed that the LGBT community had specific health concerns.  They were alarmed that the LGBT smoking rate was twice the rate of that of heterosexuals, so they worked with Fleishman-Hillard to launch a prevention campaign aimed at the group.

Despite the potential rewards, many companies still fail to reach out to the group. Witeck believes the reason is an underlying homophobia. 

A few companies worry that if “they take on a gay customer, they lose a homophobic customer,” he said.  “Some haven’t gotten past the equation.”

Campell's Soup Situation Gets Even Uglier

-PLEASE SEE ABOVE UPDATE REGARDING THIS STORY-

Request Foods, the Campbell’s Soup affiliate that teamed up with the “Family Research Council” to run this discriminatory ad advocating against civil rights, is an even dirtier company than we thought. Thanks to a tip from a BrandFabulousness reader, I learned that the president of Request is a guy named Jack DeWitt, who has a long history of contributing toward anti-civil rights causes, and is even rumored to have ties to Eric Prince of Blackwater Security. Isn't it amazing that Campell's would have any ties whatsoever to such an inhumane company that would sponsor this piece of garbage? Especially considering Campbell's excellent track record with the LGBT community?

Meet the Grandma That's Our New Hero

Take a look at this awesome YouTube video a mom/grandmother made against Target. This was in response to their $150,000 donation toward a candidate that opposes equal rights for gay and lesbian citizens. The store is in major PR crisis mode now, facing a nationwide backlash and boycott for their move. 

5 Lessons The Gay Rights Movement Can Learn From Mary Portas

I love this. Mary Portas is the founder of a shopper marketing agency in the UK, and I just came across this article that Michelle Penny wrote about how the lessons Mary teaches to businesses apply equally to the fight for LGBT equality:

1. Focus On The Why

The reason so many of the businesses that Mary deals with are failing is because they’ve lost focus on the “Why”.  These businesses know what they want to do, which is sell their goods, but have lost the vision, the “why” that gave them the passion to start in the beginning, and the “why” which makes them stand out from the rest.

And it’s that same “why” which cause many gay rights campaigns fail to have an impact. It is all too easy to get focused on what we want – equality, gay marriage, protection from discrimination – but forget to let everyone know the why. And that why is the most important bit. Why is what creates the passion, the sense of community. The desire to act.

Tell people that you want gay marriagem and  they might sign your petition. Tell people the whys, like you being able to take your partner’s hand and walk out of the church in front of friends and family together like you’ve always dreamt of, but at the moment can’t, and you’ll find you not only have signature, but a fellow marcher at the next protest.

2.  Don’t Lose Yourself In Vagueness

Mary only needed to step inside village store Clealls to know what was wrong. It was trying to do too much. Buying in 4000 different lines meant this store was packed full of anything you could think of, not  because everyone wanted them all, but instead in the hope that by having so much that people would at least find one thing to buy. The reality though is it left them bewildered and confused.

Mary’s solution was to refine the stock and provide a much clearer message about what Clealls were offering, and it’s a lesson we as a community fighting for more equal rights can also learn from. Yes we do want equality on all levels, but to push for them all at the same time only does one thing. It dilutes the message. Shout about gay marriage one day and homophobic bullying the next, and you’re going to end up either dividing your supporters into two very different groups.. either that or just end up confusing everyone so much they give up.

3.  Don’t Try To Be Everything, Focus On What You’re Best At

Few of us are blessed at being amazing at everything (though we’re sure Mary Portas is the exception to this) and it’s important to recognise this. Personally I  know I can do two things. I can write  passionately and emotively and I can stand up, fool about and make people laugh. What I can’t do is stand up and make a passionate and emotive speech.  For me it’s too much pressure on my broad gay shoulders, and  instead of giving me the buzz I get when I fool around in front of people and make them laugh, it makes me VERY VERY nervous, which in turn makes me VERY VERY poor at speaking.

And so that means I don’t do the serious stuff. I stick to (trying to) be funny and instead of making the speeches, I write the speeches for people who can pull the serious, emotive stuff  off but would readily admit they’d struggle to come up with five words by themselves.

And both of us admitting that isn’t a bad thing. It’s important we all recognise our limitations. Angela from the bakery Maher & Sons couldn’t. She felt that the only way she could achieve success in her business was for her to stay in charge of  everything. The end result was Mary and her couldn’t work together. To move forward and achieve, you have to be able to recognise that you’re not good at everything and that’s alright. Let everyone play to their strengths. Don’t try and be everything.

4. The Faces Behind The Cause Are Just As Important As The Cause Itself

The problem with many of the businesses that Mary dealt with was that they didn’t see themselves as part of the brand. They saw their business as a very separate thing from them and something that should thrive on it’s own. The reality though is people don’t connect with business structures they connect with people, so just like Mary made the Fosters sisters central to their brand with their promotional shots that now hand in their greengrocers, it’s important that our fights have faces too.

Don’t believe me? Take the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal fight. Think about that and it’s likely you don’t picture random soldiers, you picture Lieutenant Dan Choi. Whether he likes it or not, Choi has become what people connect with, not the cause. He encompasses all that the fight is about and why it must be won. Without him yes there would still be support, but would it be so passionate? I don’t think so.

5. Don’t Just Try To Get The Support Of The Community, Become Part Of It

One of the biggest problems with the village shop Clealls was that it’s owners had moved from South London, opened up the store then expected everyone to come. Expected everyone to go “Wow a friendly village store I must go in”.

It doesn’t work like that. The owners Chris and Juliet didn’t make any real effort to bond with the locals so the locals had no real feeling of connection to the store. There was nothing to pull them in apart from the 4000 very confusing product choices. Seeing that this was as much of a problem as what they were selling, Mary set about to get them working within the community and getting to know people. The result? People warmed to them, got to know them, and in turn felt a pull to the store.

And this is something that’s just as crucial in the fight for LGBT equality. We all walk past people asking us to do this or that for charity because we don’t know them. There’s no connection. Would you walk past that person if they were a friend or neighbour you say high to every morning? No, you’d stop, talk and probably sign up because you trust them. There’s a connection, and that’s important in getting people on board.

Add the personal element to your campaign and people find it very hard to say no.

Neiman Marcus tops the list for gay and lesbian bridal registries

Source: Experian Simmons Fall 2009 LGBT Consumer Study (index vs. non-Hispanic adult population)

New LGBT-Targeted Daily Contest Site Launches April 15th

Unicorn Booty (yes, that's right) is a daily contest site targeted to the LGBT community that will be fueled by the power of social networking. Each day, the sight will give away a free product from a different featured company. Users simply leave a comment about the product on the site for a chance to win. Companies can promote their products by purchasing a day on the site starting at $30, and 10% of all proceeds go to LGBT-friendly non-profits (the first being Seattle-based Lifelong AIDS Alliance). Here is their video press release:

And here's more on how it will work:

Pink is the New Green: Corporate America Courts The Dominating Spending Power Of The LGBT Community

  Pamela Raymond just published this article, which has some nice updated figures I haven't seen recently. The original article can be found at The Vital Voice.

 As the economy shakes from dramatic dips and turns, businesses are taking a pointed look at its advertising budgets and seeking ways to maximize its effectiveness to those still willing to spend their hard earned dollars. This leads companies to start thinking about how it “speaks” to its best consumers or how to cultivate new awareness amongst the general consumer pool.

   One consumer pool that has gotten more attention is the LGBT segment. With a projected buying power to exceed $835 billion by the year 2011, according to a study by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications, it’s easy to see why this group is becoming highly sought after.

    The “pink dollar” or the “Dorothy dollar” as it is commonly known, refers to the purchasing power of the LGBT sector in the United States with incomes over $50,000 a year. This group is also identified as DINKs, “double income, no kids”, and has more disposable income to spend on higher end goods and services. “Pink” is the new “green” for many companies and organizationsthat seek out the brand loyalty of the LGBT consumer and hope to translate that to cold, hard cash.

    National marketers are jumping on the LGBT bandwagon at noticeable rates. Gay and lesbian cable station, LOGO, has over 80 major brands sponsoring various programming and events as well as digital entertainment is gearing itself more towards content and relevancy for the LGBT market. Target marketing within this community is hitting a bull’s eye for many corporate brands.

    With so many dollars up for grabs, the LGBT segment has become so powerful and influential in spotting trends and setting trends that companies want to get a piece of the action. According to a study of in 2008 by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications, a premier collaborative in tracking LGBT tastes and behavior triggers, of the gays and lesbians taking the survey, 48% said they follow the latest trends and styles compared to 38% of heterosexual adults. Lifestyle products from liquor to linens see the vast potential in catering to the LGBT consumer. Adoption of the emerging online communications tools is more popular in the LGBT community. 55% of gays and lesbians read blogs and 55% use the social media site, Facebook, compared with 38% and 46% of heterosexuals, respectively. 23% of LGBTs are members of the professional social media site LinkedIn. Only 13% of heterosexuals claim membership with LinkedIn. As corporations strive to maximize its presence and relevancy online, the LGBT community is already utilizing the various social, professional and personal engagement tools offered by the Internet. Successful online advertising and awareness campaigns targeted to the LGBT segment will impact the ROI of many companies set on capturing the valuable “pink” dollars as the economy evolves. Online communications statistics are based on a 2009 study by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications.

    Established entities are going one step further in its courting of the LGBT community by developing specific campaigns to engage the community directly. ABSOLUT Vodka introduced during Pridefest 2009, the limited edition Pride ABSOLUT bottle to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The packaging featured a rainbow design to honor the men and women who fought back on the streets of New York City in 1969. ABSOLUT Vodka is also a major sponsor of the LOGO television show, RuPaul’s Drag Race with heavy product integration including a signature lounge utilized by contestants during deliberations.

    Is this a bold move for ABSOLUT? Not according to Jeffrey Moran, Vice President of Public Relations, Event Marketing, Sponsorship and Multicultural Marketing at Pernod Ricard USA, distributor of ABSOLUT Vodka. Moran states, “We don’t consider it to be a bold move. ABSOLUT was one of the earliest major advertisers to participate in LGBT media with ads dating back to 1981. So you see, we’ve been honoring pride and celebrating the achievements of the LGBT community for many years. Through communityspecific advertising, promotions and charitable contributions, ABSOLUT is of the most consistent marketers to the LGBT community and continues to be synonymous with vodka at gay and lesbian bars and living rooms from coast to coast.”

    Moran also commented, “In today’s marketing landscape, it’s not enough to just roll out TV ads or run bar promotions and expect consumers to notice and call for the brand. We need to engage the consumer and do something experiential, something relevant to their lifestyle. We have a long standing relationship with the LGBT community, but we don’t take it for granted. We have to constantly innovate if we want to stay relevant. As the first spirits brand to offer an LGBT-specific bottle at retail stores, ABSOLUT continues to show its innovation and relevance.” In this economy, target marketing to groups of similar consumers is on the rise. Dr. Mary Albrecht, Professor of Marketing at Maryville University St. Louis explains the desire behind companies taking a targeted approach. Dr. Albrecht remarks, “Target marketing is seen as more efficient because it potentially reduces the waste in marketing efforts especially in advertising and promotion. Waste is reaching someone who is not in the target market with your ad message. Target marketing is also considered more effective because the company can customize the marketing program specifically to that homogenous target market. However, as the company develops different marketing programs for different target markets the marketing cost is likely to increase.”

    Dr. Albrecht goes on to say, “Companies seek markets that present good opportunities. Companies like Procter & Gamble can cherry pick the most attractive market segment opportunities. They carefully select the product-market combinations that have a high probability of success and those segments become their target markets. Companies choose target markets that are substantial enough to be profitable, accessible to the company through channels of distribution and communication, and have needs that fit the company can satisfy with its product mix.” The LGBT market would certainly qualify as a substantial and profitable segment with estimates of population growth to reach 16.3 million by 2011.

    The “pink” dollar rules in this economy. Brand loyalty is becoming more important to stable sales and potential growth. The LGBT community is a powerhouse in impacting corporate bottom lines. Jeffery Moran of ABSOLUT Vodka sums it up best when describing why the LGBT dollar is so important, “Our mission is to be the coolest vodka on the planet – so there’s no way to be cool unless you’re doing great things for all your consumer segments, and since the LGBT consumer is clearly the coolest, we wanted to be sure that we celebrate all the milestones together. In an ABSOLUT World, everyone is encouraged to be true to themselves. That world is more colorful, diverse and respectful. As people celebrate Pride this year, we want them to be proud of who they are and let their true colors shine."