What is the Gay Market?
Gays and lesbians are sometimes
elusive to quantify, but major advertisers have increasingly found that their efforts are well worth the investment to find
them and for good reason. A recent study conducted by the Connecticut-based Greenfield Online, found that the average annual
household income for gays and lesbians is $57,000. The New York-based Company, Spare Parts, Inc., which helps companies market
to gays, estimates that the United States gay and lesbian population is between 15 million to 23 million. According to another
study (Inter@ctive Week, August 30, 1999. Pg. 20.), the US gay community consists of over 19 million people with an estimated
buying power of $800 billion. Worldwide, these figures are much larger.
Below
is a benchmark that helps to bring this market more into focus, allowing us to compare it to other diversity niche communities
in the US marketplace.
| Market | Population | Buying Power | Buying Power
Per Capita
|
| African American | 30 Million | $535
Billion | $17.8K |
| Gay American | 16.5
Million | $450 Billion | $27.3K |
| Hispanic American
| 31 Million | $383 Billion | $12.4K |
| Asian American | 11
Million | $229 Billion | $21.0K |
Sample Demographics Analysis From Various Gay & Lesbian Websites:
(Click
on links for more detailed demographics)
- GaySports.com
- 90% Male / 10% Female - GayWork.com
- 70% Male / 30% Female
| - ProudParenting.com
- 30% Male / 70% Female - GayWebSource.com 90% Male / 10% Female
|
Reaching The Gay Market:
Reaching the gay market effectively means creating advertising and
other marketing communications specifically directed toward their consumer mindset. In the early '90s, it was sufficient
to run mainstream advertising in a gay publication to capture the attention of the market. Today, with more marketers vying
for the gay consumer dollar, the bar has been raised. Gay consumers now expect advertisers to address them for who they are,
directly and openly. In focus groups nationally, gay men and lesbians express a definite preference for advertising that specifically
reflects their mindset and sensibilities.
Rarely can gay marketing efforts
rely on traditional advertising alone. Extending your reach among this audience requires understanding the community infrastructure
available to access them. The result is often a sophisticated mix of advertising, direct marketing, community presence and
Internet promotions.
