Brands Who Know How To Market To LGBTQ
Thousands of people line the streets of major U.S. cities in celebration for their fellow LGBTQ loved ones every June. Except this year, it looked a little different. Pride is a massive, month-long celebration each year that emphasizes, very publicly, the LGBTQ community. This year, the weight was put on influencers and brands to carry pride without the typical events this year as it shifted to a largely digital celebration due to COVID-19.
LGBTQ influencers have become huge role models for the younger generation in the struggle for equality and self acceptance. The fact that brands have the ability to now partner with these creators in a way that highlights their support is something that changes the way our culture views pride today. In this blog, Hollywood Branded will be looking into diversity within the LGBTQ community and the ways in which Pride was stayed alive through online brand partnerships.
Let's Get Schooled On Pride
Pride month began as a way to commemorate the Stonewall riots that took place in 1969. These riots were demonstrations enacted by people within the LGBTQ community in response to the police raid that happened in Manhattan, New York City at the Stonewall Inn. The riots are now considered to be some of the most important events leading up to LGBTQ liberation.
Although this process has been long and tedious for people within the community, being able to celebrate their accomplishments so publicly is a huge step in the right direction. Pride gives people the chance look back on how far they’ve come and evaluate the ways in which progress still needs to be made.
Pride, as a whole, is a way of promoting equality and visibility for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.
Pride Online
One major difference between Pride in 2020 and years past is the fact that it was primarily online. Because of COVID-19, Pride parades all around the country have been either postponed or cancelled altogether.
This being said, Pride 2020 did not come to a halt, completely. This gave brands and influencers the ability to spearhead Pride online. In doing so, many partnerships came from this that highlighted diverse voices within the LGBTQ community and allowed for them to use their platform to speak on this important topic. These diverse voices are especially important this year because of the Black Lives Matter protests that are taking place. It is important to note that these two topics go hand in hand because the stonewall riots were initiated by a black trans woman by the name of Marsha P. Johnson.
Additionally, it emphasized the impact that influencers have on their followers and the importance of promoting a message that you care about online in times like this. There are so many negative events going on around the world, but with influencers choosing to use their platforms to promote a positive message, they continue to educate those who want to listen.
Representation Through LGBTQ Influencers
One objective that many brands aimed to achieve was representation within the community. Although letting LGBTQ voices be heard is a wonderful achievement, making sure that people of all backgrounds are represented is necessary if Pride is to be successfully carried out online to its full capacity.
Some examples of brand partnerships that highlighted a variety of different voices include campaigns done with Taylor Phillips (@taylorjphillips), Sarah Lugor (@sarahlugor), and Team2Moms (@team2moms).
Taylor Phillips
This collaboration between Taylor and Tommy John is very characteristic of the brand deals that you will find on his instagram account. Taylor and his fiancé, Jeff, have taken it upon themselves to educate their followers about all things LGBTQ. This partnership in particular is a great example because it was a post that benefited both parties. It allowed for a product to be promoted in a way that did not compromise Taylor’s normal content and it created a space for Pride education and awareness.
Sarah Lugor
This second example with Sarah Lugor allowed for much more creative expression. Lugor is growing her audience on multiple platforms which now includes TikTok. Her content ranges from comedy skits, to reactions, to even singing. In this post, Lugor is recognized as an “LGBTQ+ Trailblazer” which gave her a platform and opportunity to express her experience as a member of the LGBTQ community and its impact on her life as an influencer. TikTok partnered with Lugor and other LGBTQ creators to give them heightened exposure and a platform to project their voices.
Team2Moms
This third partnership between Team2Moms and Ralph Lauren is a great example of representation within the LGBTQ community. They took this opportunity to educate their followers on the battle for racial, gender, and sexual equality. Although this is not an uncommon topic for Team2Moms, it was a great stepping stone for Ralph Lauren. They have made a very intentional effort to highlight LGBTQ voices and create merchandise that aims to educate and voice their support. Being able to merge multiple topics into their posts allowed for a wonderful collaboration between these women and a successful brand.
Authenticity
One major topic of discussion when it comes to these partnerships is authenticity. As members of the LGBTQ community have said, it is easy to feel tokenized in this society.
There is a balance between partnering with a company that desires to spread the true message of Pride versus being coaxed into working with a brand that is using your platform as a way to gain support because of their specific focus on “trending” topics of social justice.
In recent years, there has been a large shift with more of a year round emphasis being placed on issues of LGBTQ awareness. One great example of an organization that allows for corporate support of the community is The Trevor Project. They have given companies such as Google, Netflix, CocaCola, and more the opportunity to raise awareness and give monetary support to this organization that focuses their efforts towards crisis and suicide prevention within the LGBTQ community.
In analyzing this, it is important to note that this is a two way street. Influencers should partner with brands that fully align with the content that they already post and promote a message that they are deeply passionate about. And on the flip side, brands should aim to collaborate with influencers that articulate, to a wider audience, the core values of that brand.
If done correctly, the values of both parties should not be compromised and the benefits of the partnership will reflect positively in engagements and sales for the influencer and brand.
There are more factors that play into this, and specific events such as Pride should not be the only intention of collaboration once a relationship has begun.
Although it is permissible to collaborate specifically for Pride, the intention of both the company and an influencer should be to either have a preexisting relationship with the other party, or they should intend on it being the advent of many more fruitful collaborations further down the line.
Issues of Social Justice
As modern society is making many shifts within its cultural morals, it is extremely beneficial to understand the importance of education through social media. As it pertains to Pride, the events that took place over the month of June show how members of the LGBTQ community have learned to adapt.
Social justice issues are always going to be prevalent, but it's necessary to stay grounded in your beliefs especially as a person that possesses a larger audience. Being able to eloquently present the points that you find imperative, like the influencers listed above, can further a cause in ways that traditional methods have not been able to achieve.
Show Your Pride
Pride month gives everyone within the LGBTQ community the opportunity to speak their truth and broadcast to the general public how to get involved. The fact that brand partnerships give influencers the opportunity to capitalize on a portion of their identity that they so strongly desire to bring awareness to is a huge step in the right direction.
Check out our other blogs about celebrity endorsements, influencer marketing, and marketing in Hollywood below.
- 7 Steps to Secure the Right Influencer To Post For Your Brand
- 4 Celebrity Endorsement Ads Paired With Unexpected Brand Categories
- What Makes a Good Celebrity Endorsement – For a Beauty Brand
- The Most Effective Celebrity Endorsements For Super Bowl 2018
- Top Celebrity Beverage Endorsers
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