Advertising to gays and lesbians is an art, not a science. But there
are general principles that are guaranteed to increase the return on
your investment.
acknowledge | feature | design | color | size & frequency
Gay people feel almost completely ignored in mainstream media.
Other things being equal (price, value, etc.) they are far more likely
to buy your products and services if they feel you’re talking “directly” to
them. When you do, it makes them feel welcome. It also develops a sense
of trust and safety that interacting with you will be a pleasant experience
and not a situation to be hassled or ridiculed.
Incorporate the words gay or lesbian in your headlines or tag lines.
Volkswagen’s “Drivers Wanted.” Could easily be turned into “Gay Drivers
Wanted.”
“Proudly Serving the Gay Community”
“
We Welcome Straight People, Too.”
[Humor isn’t just allowed in our papers; it’s .]
I advertise in mainstream
papers too. Why should I go to the expense of creating a
different ad? Isn’t my presence in your paper an indication that I
welcome gay business?
Yes, it is. But if you don’t acknowledge
our specialized audience either directly or indirectly you’re losing
the opportunity to maximize your ROI. It’s a little like a car company
advertising on the Black Entertainment Network using all white drivers.
There’s a sense the advertiser is reaching out in a half-hearted
way. In a recent poll conducted by Commercial Closet, only 18% of
gay people said that mainstream ads in gay papers would work as effectively
as ads that specifically address them.
Use same-sex couples, not heterosexual ones, even if there’s nothing
particularly romantic about your product or service. You can also use
visual cues like clasped hands that happen to be of the same sex. Or
you can have a spokesperson reference their partner.
A vacuum cleaner company has a male spokesperson utter this headline
about his unseen partner, “With other vacuums the more you use them,
the less they work. Well, he thought that was a problem.”
A highly effective way of gaining attention, respect and loyalty is to
use a gay sensibility in your ads. Use humor, provocative visuals or
playful code words that telegraph
an insider-ish knowledge or empathy. This is your chance to be far more
audacious — and attention getting — than you could ever be in a mainstream
newspaper.
“ We’ve got rings, Give us the finger.”
— Jeweler
“ Out vs. In”
— Financial Advisor for Stock Market
“ Coach is a bitch!”
— Travel Agency
But what if I’m
not familiar with gay culture? How will I know what kind of references
to make or the type of slang I should use?
That is why we are here. We will
have the creatives in our art departments work on it — free of charge.
Don’t assume that the products you feature in mainstream papers will
appeal to gay consumers.
A liquor store customer was dissappointed that hardly any of our readers
returned his ad coupon for beer. Our Sales Executives recommended that
he not use a coupon and change the sale item from beer to wine. Suddenly,
he saw a marked increase
in sales.
Gay purchase decisions are as likely to be influenced by design as well
as price and value. Ads that don’t meet a high design threshold are
likely not to be read. That means a clean, more sophisticated design
is going to be more effective. Do not be afraid of white space, it
is your friend.
Four-color ads have a 45% higher effectiveness rating than black and
white ads, according to Starch Research, an independent research company.
If four-color is out of your budget try adding a second color to your
black and white ads.
I’m in retail, not
design. What do you mean by a ‘well-designed’ ad?
Here is what it doesn’t mean:
Using a font that’s too small, cramming as much information as you
can into as little space as possible, using a drab headline, or a
boring visual, talking features instead of benefits. We’ll be more
than happy to have our creative departments offer suggestions or even
design an ad for you. Simply call your account executive for a free
consultation.
According to Starch, the size and shape of your ad have an impact on
effectiveness. Plus another way to increase the effectiveness is through
keeping your image in front of the consumer. Phil Rockstroh, an Account
Executive with 17 years of experience in the gay and lesbian market touts
frequency as one of the best advertising tools.
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