The Census is Thinking about Counting Gays in 2020

NGLTF's campaign to queer the 2010 census may pay off... in 2020. The census just announced they are considering counting gays in the 2020 census, and are seeking advice on how to do it. Read more here.

Gays and Lesbians Leading the Nation in Mobile Internet Usage

Some new data was just published showing that gays and lesbians are among the leading groups in the nation when it comes to mobile internet usage. And no, hours spent on Grindr was not one of the survey metrics. It turns out that we're more likely than the general population to own Smartphones, and more than twice as likely to make purchases from them. In fact, in the past week, 28% of us have made a purchase using our Smartphone, 63% of us have found info on a local business using it, and 36% of us have used it to receive or redeem deals or specials like Groupons. The data was published in 5th Annual LGBT Community Survey by Community Marketing, Inc., which can be found here. 

New Study: Openly Gay Applicants 40% Less Likely to Get Job Interviews

Openly gay applicants are 40 percent less likely to be granted an interview than their heterosexual counterparts, according to a study published Tuesday in the American Journal of Sociology. The study was the first of its kind to test the receptiveness of employers to gay male job applicants. It sent two fictitious resumes to more than 1,700 entry-level, white collar job openings in the U.S. The resumes were nearly identical, except each mentioned a different affiliation with a school organization. Read more here. 

New study on how gays and lesbians perceive advertising

A new study from the University of Miami interviewed 25 gay and lesbian Americans of different age, ethnic, and professional backgrounds on their reactions to commercials exemplifying dominant gay and lesbian portrayals. 
According to the study, five specific strategies emerged within these minority consumers to interpret the messages catered to them:

• Gay men accepted the perception of "higher disposable income of gay male households" and transformed material consumption into a definition of self-worth. "I was on many consumer panels because I fit the profile of gay men who have disposable income and travel a lot," one participant said.
• Participation in the mass market was equated to membership in mainstream society. "We got money. We contribute to the corporation. We contributed to big business. We got families. We are part of the mainstream now," a participant said.
• Targeted advertising was identified as an essential step in achieving social political inclusion. "Consumer rights and citizenship, civil rights are intricately connected in the United States […]. And when we express our identity as a consumer, that reinforces and strengthens our identity as a citizen," a participant said.
• Perpetuating problematic depictions of gays as effeminate men or lesbians as "sexualized femme" was tolerated in the interests of social inclusion. "I was ambivalent when watching this commercial. It's playing up the stereotype. But for me, if you can see gay people on TV in Texas, it's positive," one participant said.
• Participants were willing to give up something of their subcultural identity for the sake of total acceptance in society. "When we are truly accepted in the society, we will just blend in […] even that might mean sacrificing our uniqueness," a participant said.

Source: "How Minority Consumers Use Targeted Advertising as Pathways to Self-Empowerment: Gay Men's and Lesbians' Reading of Out-of-the-Closet Advertising" Journal of Advertising Vol. 40 No. 3 Fall 2011.

Study Paints a Better Picture of Today's Real Modern Family

Edelman has just wrapped up an interesting study on changing US family dynamic and demographics. Among the most interesting findings include that just 4% of US families have stay-at-home moms and working dads with children under 18 years old. That's right, just 4%. Furthermore, the study points out how economic pressures and blended family models have redefined individual roles within the family: skill sets have replaced gender, and 62 percent of moms and 54 percent of dads feel that parenting roles will be redefined away from the traditional “mom and dad” roles of the past. This creates a new opportunity for marketers to think in terms of skill set versus gender, opening up the entire family as a target. The study, which was commissioned in August 2011, included in-depth interviews with 2,482 consumers among a cross-section of today’s modern family: single parents, working moms, gay partners, multicultural heads of households and grandparents.

New Stats on LGBT Affluents

Some new stats were released last week on LGBT Affluents - that is, members of the LGBT community with household incomes of $100K+. The data, which comes from the 2011 Ipsos Mendelsohn Affluent Survey, shows that LGBT affluents have household incomes that are 25% higher than those of heterosexual affluents. Here are the full stats: 

New Data on Brands that Support LGBT Nonprofits/Causes

97% of LGBT Internet users say they are likely to consider brands that support nonprofits/causes that are important to them as a gay or lesbian person. That's up from 85% in 2007.

Study Concludes Gays Make Better Bosses

Here's an interesting Details Magazine article highlighting results of a research study indicating that gay male bosses produce 35 to 60 percent higher levels of employee engagement, satisfaction, and morale than straight bosses. No word on why women were not included in the study.

The Business Case for LGBT Inclusion

Thought this was a nice article by Mark Kaplan from Diversity Executive that would be worth sharing to my readers:

The driving force behind the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) civil rights movement is fair and equitable treatment. For companies, a key driver is a compelling business case. There are four elements to the business case for LGBT inclusion:

Legal: The legal environment is evolving. More and more countries are establishing legal protections for LGBT employees. In the United States, while there is no federal law in place, 21 states and several municipalities have laws against workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation, covering more than 150 million Americans.

Most of the nations of Western Europe, as well as South Africa, ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. In Hong Kong, a similar ban on workplace discrimination has been discussed but not yet passed, and India recently decriminalized same-sex sexual behavior. While laws don’t necessarily create the most compelling business case — with the exception of avoiding discrimination claims — a legal framework is often the starting point for inclusion.

Recruitment and retention: Successful global companies are continually working to attract and retain the best staff. Given that LGBT employees are 5 to 10 percent of the working population, it has become increasingly important to be able to show both a favorable reputation and a solid track record of inclusive practices to attract this increasingly visible segment of the workforce. LGBT visibility is rising in most major business centers across the world, even in places traditionally hostile to the notion of equality based on sexual orientation.

The millennial generation has grown up with positive images of LGBT people; thus their attitudes are far more inclusive. As organizations compete for these highly skilled newer entrants to the workforce, it will be important to demonstrate inclusive policies.

LGBT employees are more likely to stay with employers who practice inclusion. Stonewall Institute in the U.K., a counseling and research firm, found that LGBT employees who are able to be “out” at work are less likely to leave. In a 2009 study by nonprofit inclusion association Catalyst, researchers found LGBT employees working in organizations with effective and inclusive diversity practices believed they had better workplace relationships, as well as greater organizational commitment and career satisfaction, than LGBT employees working in organizations without them.

Productivity and performance: Productivity suffers when LGBT employees are on guard, worrying about the consequences of exposing such basic parts of their lives as family and personal relationships. When an organization is clear and proactive about having an inclusive environment, LGBT employees can put all of their energy into work tasks.

A recent study conducted by Stonewall Institute revealed that LGBT employees who are able to be out at work are 20 to 30 percent more productive. Moreover, the Catalyst study found that LGBT employees who work in organizations with employee networks, resource groups or mentoring programs are anywhere from 7 to 16 percent higher in their workplace experience scores. Feeling safe to be out at work is critical to being able to build important workplace relationships.

Marketplace: Numerous studies have documented the financial opportunity presented by the LGBT market. For instance, LGBT buying power is expected to reach $845 billion in 2011, according to research by public relations firm Witeck‐Combs and consultancy Harris Interactive. Moreover, 89 percent of LGBT respondents to a 2006 poll by Harris Interactive said it’s important for employers to have nondiscrimination practices.

Mark Kaplan is president of MGK Consulting LLC, an international consulting practice headquartered in the U.S. He can be reached at editor@diversity-executive.com.

LGBT Workers Show Loyalty Toward Supportive Businesses

Via Michelle Garcia at The Advocate:

Seventy-eight percent of gay American employees say they make their work-based purchase decisions based on a company's "LGBT friendliness," according to a new survey.

The survey of 1,400 focused on the business-to-business trade where gay people are making purchasing decisions on behalf of their employers. Results show that these decision-makers often refer to their nonwork consumer loyalties to do business with gay-friendly companies.

"We call this the 'trickle up' or multiplier effect, where a lesbian consumer might choose a gay-friendly hotel for her personal stays, but also could make a booking for 100 rooms at a similarly known gay-friendly hotel for a company meeting, because of that same loyalty," Community Marketing Inc. president Thomas Roth said in a press release about the survey his company conducted.

Nearly the same amount of respondents, 76%, said they would cease doing business with a company once its revealed it is antigay or not supportive of gay people.

The survey was done in conjunction with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

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.”

Gay and Lesbian Buying Power Continues to Grow

Gay and lesbian consumers are more optimistic than many Americans about the overall direction of the country, its future economic growth, the job market and their own personal financial condition, according to survey results published by market research publisher Packaged Facts. Armed with this confidence and $743 billion in estimated 2010 buying power, the U.S. population of LGBT adults is expected to amp up discretionary spending on products and services in the wake of the recession and emerging recovery.

Based on conservative assumptions, Packaged Facts also estimates that the U.S. gay and lesbian population likely exceeded 15 million adults in 2009. The gay and lesbian population is projected to increase to more than 16 million adults by 2014. The cohort's buying power, visibility and influence on America's marketing landscape are also expected to increase over the next five years.

The U.S. and even global trends towards marriage equality and other forms of legal recognition over the past decade have triggered an increase in the visible presence of gay and lesbian households and, consequently expanded the measurable market space for consumer goods and services of all kinds. This market space today just as likely will include children's products and apparel, as an increasing proportion of the gay and lesbian population is choosing to become parents. Both trends offer expanded opportunities for marketers to include same-sex couples and LGBT family households just as they do among other cross-sections of the American consumer market.

"A sustained, focused marketing campaign dedicated to earning trust and building brand loyalty among gay and lesbian consumers is a vital component of a successful strategy in the LGBT market," says Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts. "We've seen a high response measured in the LGBT community supporting gay-themed print ads with images of gay and lesbian people and featuring tailored wording. Likewise, investing in microsites specifically geared toward gay and lesbian consumers can generate a substantial return because many indicate that they would use or prefer to use LGBT-tailored websites as opposed to a company's general website. Even appropriately themed advertisements that appear on blogs have greater potential to attract members of the LGBT community than other consumers as a whole."

LGBT Buying Power in the U.S. Grows to $743 Billion

The buying power of the U.S. LGBT adult population in 2010 is projected to be $743 billion, according to a study by both Witeck-Combs Communications and Packaged Facts.That's an $11 billion increase over last year. The 2010 projection is slightly less than some earlier estimates due to the continued lagging economy and jobs market.

“Buying power projections are frequently a standard business measure for companies and policy decision-makers. This offers us a reasonable snapshot of the projected annual economic activity of America’s diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population even in this faltering economy,” said Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck-Combs Communications.

Social media usage skyrockets among LGBT Americans

A recent national survey by Harris Interactive revealed that 54 percent of gay and lesbian Americans read blogs, compared with just 40 percent of heterosexual Americans. That 54 percent is up considerably from just 32 percent in November 2006.

Harris also found that 36 percent of gay and lesbian respondents read blogs focused on news and current issues, versus 25 percent for heterosexuals. The figures for other types of blogs are 25 percent and 16 percent, respectively, for pop culture; 22 percent and 14 percent for politics; and 16 percent and 8 percent for travel.

As far as blogs that feature gay and lesbian news and interests, 35 percent of gay and lesbian respondents said they read those blogs, with 53 percent of those readers saying they visit the blogs weekly and 19 percent saying they do so daily.

When it comes to social-networking sites, Harris found that 73 percent of gay and lesbian respondents were members of Facebook, compared with 65 percent of heterosexual respondents. The figures for other social-networking sites: 32 percent and 22 percent, respectively, for MySpace; 22 percent and 16 percent for LinkedIn; and 29 percent and 15 percent for Twitter.

As for visiting those social-networking sites, 55 percent of gay and lesbian respondents said they do so daily, and 30 percent said they visit several times daily, versus 41 percent and 17 percent, respectively, for heterosexual respondents.

Americans' acceptance of the gay population reaches record highs

New data from Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs survey gives us something else to celebrate following pride weekend. For the first time ever, Americans' acceptance of gay/lesbian relations just crossed the 50% threshold
:

Also, look at the dramatic increase in the percentage of men who consider gay/lesbian relations morally acceptable. 62% of men 18-49 now feel this way vs. 59% of women 18-49. While technically this difference is not significant due to the +/- 4 percentage point margin of error, it's still pretty shocking that it's so close and possibly even higher among men in this age range:

The research goes onto reveal that regardless of religious persuasion or political affiliation, acceptance is increasing across the board. For more information and the methodology, click here. 

LGBT Consumers More Optimistic About the Economy

Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs recently released the results of a study, and the results aren't surprising to those familiar with the LGBT consumer market. One in four LGBT adults believe the US job market will improve within the next six months, compared with just one in 10 heterosexual adults. Also, just 20% of LGBT adults say they expect their household's financial condition to worsen in the next six months, compared with 32% of heterosexual households. The study was conducted among 2,509 adults in the US, 336 of which identified as LGBT. The full results and methodology of the study can be found here.

Largest Ever Gay Market Research Study to Launch in 14 Countries

Stretching through 14 countries right across Latin America and Europe, the world's largest gay market research study ever to be undertaken is about to launch.

Developed by Out Now -- a leading specialist global marketing agency -- the new study will survey lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people living in fourteen countries. From Mexico's border with Texas right across the world to Israel and to the top of Sweden -- this will be the most comprehensive study of its kind ever to be undertaken.

With an overall population of three quarters of a billion, these regions are home to more than 35 million lesbian and gay people living diverse lives.

It is the first time a gay community targeted market study has been conducted across so many countries at one time.

The countries being surveyed in the '2010 Out Now Global LGBT Market Study' are: in Latin America - Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay; and, in Europe -- France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

The study will cover many areas including consumer habits, incomes, education levels, media usage, parenting, relationships, travel, employment, discrimination, equality concerns, aspirations and more.

The research has attracted corporate attention: the European arm is being sponsored by Berlin Tourism Marketing and the Latin American research is being sponsored by Delta Air Lines. In Latin America, the research is also being undertaken in conjunction with GNETWORK360, the region's leading LGBT networking organisation.

Learn more here

Keeping Up With Gay and Lesbian Consumers

Recession or no recession, LGBT consumers continue to spend. A new report (conducted between July and September 2009) from San Francisco based Community Marketing showed that within the previous 12 months, 29% of gay and lesbian consumers purchased a laptop computer, 28% purchased PDA's or smart phones, and 17% purchased cars. More findings from the report can be found in this AdWeek article. 

Top Gay-Friendly Companies

        

As a followup to yesterday's story on HRC's buying guide, the following companies go above and beyond, having scored an 80 or above in HRC's guide and having also appeared on DiversityInc's Top Companies for Diversity List:


Where to Shop:
Target

Home and Garden: 
Monsanto Co.

Banking and Finance:
American Express
Bank of America
Capital One Financial Corp.
Citi
Fannie Mae
HSBC
JPMorgan Chase
KeyBank
MasterCard Worldwide
Wells Fargo & Co.
Comerica

Apparel and Accessories:
Target
Macy's
JCPenney

Eating Out:
Darden Restaurants

Food and Beverage: 
The Coca-Cola Co.
General Mills
Johnson & Johnson
Target
PepsiCo
Procter & Gamble
Kraft Foods

Fun and Games: 
Microsoft Corp.

Hitting the Road:
Chrysler
Ford Motor Co.
General Motors Corp.
Toyota Motor North America

Household Products: 
SC Johnson
Colgate-Palmolive
Procter & Gamble

Health and Beauty:
Johnson & Johnson
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.
Abbott 
SC Johnson
Bayer
Procter & Gamble
Colgate-Palmolive

Kids: 
Bright Horizons Family Solutions
Bayer
Abbott 
Procter & Gamble

Pet Care:
Procter & Gamble
Colgate-Palmolive
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.

Planning a Trip: 
Hyatt Corp.
Marriott International
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
The Walt Disney Co.
Wyndham Worldwide Corp.
MGM MIRAGE

Staying Entertained:
Time Warner
The Walt Disney Co.
Cox Communications

Technology:
AT&T
Cisco Systems
Dell
HP
IBM Corp.
Microsoft Corp.
Eastman Kodak Co.
Sprint
Xerox Corp.

Insurance and Healthcare: 
Aetna
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida
BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina
Kaiser Permanente
MetLife
Prudential Financial
WellPoint