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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.
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.
Q: 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?
A: 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.
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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 .
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.
Q: 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?
A: That is why we are
here. We will have the creatives in our art departments
work on it — free of charge.
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“ We’ve got rings, Give us the finger.”
— Jeweler
“ Out vs. In”
— Financial Advisor for Stock Market
“ Coach is a bitch!”
— Travel Agency
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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.
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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.
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Q: I’m in
retail, not design. What do you mean by a ‘well-designed’ ad?
A: 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.
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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.
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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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