In light of President Obama’s announcement that he supports gay marriage, I thought it would be à propos to examine the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) market.
According to an updated analysis by Witeck Communications, the total buying power of adult LGBT individuals is projected to be $790 billion this year. The LGBT community is a big market, totaling 15 – 16 million people; that’s 6.7% of the U.S. population.
Now, pay close attention:
- Almost half (47%) of LGBT adults are more likely to purchase a company’s products or services when an advertisement has been tailored to an LGBT audience.
- Nearly three-fourths (74 %) of LGBT adults are likely to consider brands that support nonprofits and/or causes that are important to them as a LGBT person. (Charities, take note.)
- Nearly nine out of ten (87 %) LGBT adults say they are likely to consider a brand that is known to provide equal workplace benefits for all of their employees, including gay and lesbian employees. Plus, nearly half (49%) of LGBT adults say that they are extremely or very likely to consider these brands.
- Seven out of ten (71 %) LGBT adults said they are likely to remain loyal to a brand they believe to be very friendly and supportive to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community “even when less friendly companies may offer lower prices or be more convenient.
- Nearly half (47 %) of LGBT adults are more likely to consider purchasing a company’s products or services when they see an advertisement that has been clearly tailored to “a gay audience with gay imagery and people and speaks to me as a gay person.”
Resource:
Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications, “LGBT Adults Strongly Prefer Brands That Support Causes Important to Them and That Also Offer Equal Workplace Benefits” (2011)
When a charity makes the news for being dishonorable, boy, does everyone cringe. How can people accept money from hard-working donors and then squander it?
And on what? For “paying for fundraising services and doling out cheap giveaways,” explains an article in The Huffington Post.
A CNN investigation shows that the charity “has spent tens of millions on marketing services, all the while doling out massive amounts of candy, hand sanitizer bottles and many other unnecessary items to veteran aid groups.”
I checked Guidestar for the organization’s most recent Form 990 from 2010. Here’s what it says to describe its mission and activities:
To celebrate, commemorate, promote, and recognize the work of men and women in service.”
To raise awareness of the conditions affecting America’s veterans, to address concerns of veterans, and to improve the quality of life for disabled women veterans.”
Somehow, sending veterans coconut M & Ms does not address their concerns in my books.
Here are some other interesting facts:
- The only full-time employee taking a salary is the chief administrative officer, which in 2010 was $55, 884. One part-time secretary took home $6005. Both positions were instituted in 2010.
- None of the officers took any pay.
- Most of its grants and allocations were non-cash goods: shelter and relief supplies, wellness vitamins, medical supplies, legal services, food, clothing, water, hygiene and personal health products.
- The organization did give away $209,865 in cash grants to four nonprofit groups, the largest of which was $105,000 to Disabled Veterans’ Life Memorial Foundation in Del Ray, FL. to build a memorial.
- Fundraising expenses went to two marketing companies that managed its direct mail marketing programs and offered consulting. Total in 2010: $18,566,485.
- Total direct mail, communications, and contract labor expenses came to: $25,486,789. This does not include advertising and promotion and other expenses.
- IT expenses totaled $400,188.
Related:
Where Did Disabled Veterans National Foundation Funds Go? (Nonprofit Quarterly)
Not only has JC Penney rebranded its stores and image, it’s also taken a position on what constitutes motherhood in America. In its recent Mother’s Day newspaper insert, the company uses storytelling to showcase its products for mothers.
Each page tells the story of a different mother and her family. The first one has an East Indian-American woman and her three daughters. The second shows a mother with her special needs child, her sisters and mother. The third has a single mother with her three daughters and granddaughter. And, then comes the fourth:
The story of a mother with her two daughters, her mother and her same-sex partner. Yes, you read that correctly.
It appears that some people weren’t too thrilled with this definition of the American family. Take the outspoken group, One Million Moms, the “pro family advocacy” organization, for example.
By jumping on the pro-gay bandwagon, JC Penney is attempting to gain a new target market and in the process will lose customers with traditional values that have been faithful to them over all these years,” OMM, a division of the American Family Association wrote on its Web site.”
“We want to be a store for all Americans,” Penney’s spokeswoman Kate Coultas said. “Our May book honors women from diverse backgrounds.”
Well, in the 1950s and into the early 1960s, single and divorced mothers were looked upon negatively. These women were labeled and criticized by many within their communities. And look what happened over time.
Our views and perspectives evolve – what was taboo at one time or another, becomes mainstream soon enough when there’s general acceptance. The more advertisers that portray diverse families of all kinds, the more accepting our society will become of the differences.
I realize that in the case of same-sex partners or spouses, religious groups feel that they cannot be accepting because of their religious doctrines. I understand their difficulty with this. Yet, when all is said and done, the U.S. was founded on rights for all, no matter what their backgrounds, cultures, or orientations, as long as they don’t break the law. And, even then, laws change and evolve, too, to accommodate what societies adopt as the “norm.”
So, kudos to JC Penney for honoring all women and setting a positive example!
Ad copy:
You’ll often find Wendi, her partner, Maggie, and daughters elbow-deep in paint, clay or mosaics. “Even as babies, the girls toddled around in diapers, covered in paint,” said Wendi. They come from a long line of artists, which includes grandma Carolyn. Visiting her art studio in Greenbury, Texas is a favorite outing. And like any grandma, this one loves to bake – pottery, that is.
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