Queer community 'far more receptive to advertising'

As the role of brands in society continues to evolve, three-fifths (60%) of LGBTQIA+ people in the UK believe that brands should express their views on political and social issues compared to 41% of non-LGBTQIA+ people.

The queer community also believes that brands should take this further and get involved with social issues (59% vs 37%) and are more likely to reject a brand if its views are not aligned with their own, out-pacing the non-LGBTQIA+ audience (64% vs 50%).

That is according to a new national research project by Outvertising, the volunteer-run LGBTQIA+ advocacy group which strives to make UK advertising and marketing more inclusive.

Carried out in partnership with YouGov, the study explores the LGBTQIA+ community’s attitudes towards advertising and media to equip marketers with a better understanding of this cohort of consumers.

When brands do advertise, the LGBTQIA+ community is more likely to be persuaded by advertising to guide purchase behaviours (40% vs 31%), and then recommend items that they see in ads to their friends and family (31% vs 24%).

For brands that get voice, authenticity, values, and message right, LGBTQIA+ people are ready to be your champions.

Advertising is largely recognised by the LGBTQIA+ community as a factor behind how they feel. More than half of LGBTQIA+ people claim that advertising affects how they perceive their body image, compared with just 1 in 3 non-LGBTQIA+. Young people are especially susceptible, with 68% of LGBTQIA+ Gen Z consumers agreeing.

Brands also have a responsibility to ensure authentic and ‘real’ representation in ads is prioritised, even more so as the LGBTQIA+ consumer is more likely to favour seeing ‘real looking people’ in ads than their non-LGBTQIA+ counterparts (70% vs 64%).

But more than just ‘real’ representation, there is a distinct preference for certain types of messaging from brands. The data indicates that the LGBTQIA+ community wants to see messaging that aligns with LGBTQIA+ rights (58% VS 10%), gender issues e.g. #MeToo (45% vs 8%), environmental rights (63% vs 35%), and human rights (62% vs 24%).

The study reveals that to connect with an LGBTQIA+ audience, TV is critical, alongside the community’s love for online content consumption. The queer community is more likely to enjoy watching ads on TV (24% vs 18%) and engage with ads on social media (43% vs 23%).

Not only this, they are more likely to find online advertising (51% vs. 41%), cinema (24% vs. 14%), podcasts (12% vs. 9%), and billboards (20% vs. 17%) captivating.

The research shows that, with the current media landscape’s focus on attention, brands and their media partners should rethink how they engage with the community through traditional channels, while also addressing the need for digital media to have a place front and centre in the media mix when targeting the community.

Outvertising joint CEOs Lucy McKillop and Marty Davies said: “LGBTQIA+ inclusion in marketing has been proven time and time again to positively affect brand affinity, reputation, and sales.

“And, it allows for people in our community to see themselves on TV, billboards, in radio and print – which strengthens identity, promotes acceptance, and ultimately, contributes to better quality of life for members of the community.

“We believe it is imperative for brands to activate on the findings found within this report to understand where the community is consuming, what they want and need from brands, and how to ensure everything they do is authentic and representative.”

TOPICS:data-driven marketing LGBTQ+TV advertising