What has been the most significant change in consumer behavior in the last ten years, and how has the impacted the way you think about marketing and communications?
I would say that the biggest and most significant change in consumer behavior over the past 10 years has been in the power of content creation and distribution, of which social media in all of its forms has been the strongest catalyst for this change. It has allowed all of us to have a more level playing field in terms of our voices being heard, and it has enabled a whole new world of individuals and new media companies to emerge and take on some of the more traditional media entities we’ve become accustomed to over the past few decades.
How this has impacted marketing and communications is that our job has been to follow the eyeballs, AKA all of those individuals who are now spending more and more time on social media, including consuming more and more video via TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube.
Using the latest in cutting-edge technology, we’re able to bring our clients’ messages more directly to a targeted LGBTQ+ audience all around the world using all of these platforms.
How has the landscape of LGBTQ+ marketing evolved since you began your career, and what major shifts have you observed?
When we started in LGBTQ+ marketing 30 years ago, the opportunities in reaching this community were almost exclusively in local and national print advertising.
The rise of niche LGBTQ+ websites over the years, along with the evolution of advertising technologies starting with banner ads and email campaigns and now mobile apps, video and social media advertising, has allowed us to grow and bring our clients’ messages to a more relevant LGBTQ+ audience.
Along the way, we’ve seen society evolve as well, with same-sex marriage and other rights afforded to the LGBTQ+ community that have allowed businesses large and small market to this community without feeling the stigma of years past.
The MAPS Newsletter
Sign up today for exclusive MAPS insights and interviews like this in your inbox as soon as they’re published.
What external or internal challenges to LGBTQ+ marketing might be expected in the current political climate – if any – and how can these be pre-empted or resisted by major brands?
We’re definitely seeing the tide turning, or perhaps the pendulum swinging, in the other direction now with this newly-declared “War on DEI” our country is experiencing today.
We’re not really seeing brands being pre-emptive nor resisting this negative swing, although a few, including companies such as Costco, are holding the line the best they can. I think this scenario is going to be with us for a few years, unfortunately, as businesses large and small are finding it best to kind of stay quiet and wait out this politically-motivated, negative push.
Latest MAPS Interviews
- Hear what David Shiffman thinks is the one question every CMO should ask themselves.
- Discover which brand’s approach to marketing and communications still inspires Orli LeWinter.
- Find out what Jake Beniflah thinks the biggest mistake is that brands make when trying to engage multicultural audiences.
What has been the defining moment of your career, and why?
I don’t think there has been any one defining moment in my LGBTQ+ career. It was a huge deal when we first went online with GayWired.com back in May 1995. We thought this whole LGBTQ+ Internet thing might just end up being a fun hobby for the next few years.
But then, around September of 1995, PlanetOut launched with the full fanfare of a Silicon Valley, VC-funded dot com business. It was at that point that we realized we were truly onto something.
How MAPS Can Help
Get in touch to share your objectives and our free MAPS Snapshot will help you understand how your brand is perceived on any of today’s fast-moving issues.
What one piece of advice would you share to those start in their career in marketing communications?
I think the most important thing is to always realize that with whatever new ideas and strategy you may have that you’d like to use to launch your business and differentiate yourself from the pack, it’s always best to try and watch carefully how your audience reacts and engages with what you have to say.
You may not have it all figured out 100% from the day you launch, but if you stop and listen, your audience will tell you what they like and don’t like, and they’ll tell you what they’d like to hear more of you from in the future.
Top Insights
- DEI Backlash: Why Some Brands Survive and Others Get Burned
- Why AI Privacy Should Be Every Communications Leader’s Top Priority
- Amazon’s 5-Day Office Mandate: Will It Pay Off or Backfire?
