Not marketing to the LGBTQ+ community does more harm than good

npr.org

Whether you realize it or not, LGBTQ+ members in advertising and people in the LBGTQ+ community have begun to be rise exponentially. However, there are still companies that refuse to advertise to the LGBTQ+ community and are paying the price for it. According to the huffington post companies such as Chick-fil-a, Urban Outfitters, Exxon are not in support of the LGBTQ+ community, some companies like The Salvation Army even going so far as to actively lobby governments worldwide for anti-gay policies, including an attempt to make consensual gay sex illegal. What these companies fail to realize though is how crucial the LGBTQ+ community is in our society, especially as consumers benefiting the economy. For companies to sustain themselves and grow their businesses it is crucial they market to the LBGTQ+ community while they continue to be more and more accepted throughout society.

Companies that have marketed directly to the LGBTQ+ community have benefited greatly from this largely still untapped and growing market. Some companies may be surprised to find out the size of the LGBT community, with the spending power of American LGBT households at a whopping $800 billion according to Buisness Insider. This is why companies such as American Airlines and CoverGirl are smart when starting to be inclusive in their advertising. They understand how crucial it is for their companies to grow. Also, believe it or not but there are also some differences in heterosexual spending vs. LGBTQ+ spending which is something companies need to take into account. According to business Insider, gay and lesbian households make 16% more shopping trips than the average U.S. household, making the impact on total spending about 25% for same-sex households. This does not even account for the entire LGBTQ+ community and it is still much higher than opposite-sex households. While it’s important to understand that you can not stereotype based off this statistic, The numbers are especially high in gay men who on average shop 30% more than the average American, averaging out to about  $2,045 more per year spent on packaged goods. When I see statistics like this it is hard to wrap my mind around why anyone would not market to the LGBTQ+ community when it will clearly benefit their companies! Mark Elderkin, CEO of the Gay Ad Network, which focuses on the LGBT niche market even said mainstream gay messaging has “passed the tipping point, where there’s more to gain than there is to lose” for advertisers. At this point, companies need to wake up and put their beliefs aside in order for their businesses to not only expand but prosper.

While these companies in support of the LGBTQ+ community are thriving, companies not in support are not only missing out on potential growth markets but may actually be suffering. People in the LQBTQ+ community may not support a company that doesn’t support them as a community and as individuals. Many people in the LGBTQ+ community refuse to buy from companies that do not support LBGTQ+ rights, and rightfully so. I have a very accepting inclusive friend group, all of us coming from different backgrounds as well as all identifying everywhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Once one of my best friends, Terry and I found out that Chick-fil-a was anti-lgbtq+ we decided we would not eat there anymore. It’s not that we don’t like Chick-fil-a or its delicious waffle fries, but him being gay and me being bisexual, we do not want to support a company that doesn’t support us. Overall companies need to realize how crucial it is for them to market to the LGBTQ+ community.