Editorial - Online Gay Shoppers - January 1, 2002
By Michael Paré, Toronto ON
It seems strange in this age of political correctness to mark out people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) as 'different', and so different that they deserve to be written about separately. From an online marketing point of view, however, LGBT Internet users constitute a demographic all of its own, and a desirable demographic at that.
LGBT Internet users are perceived as constituting a wealthy demographic with a larger than average disposable income. In a 2001 survey report from Forrester Research, Washington D.C., for example, which discussed the online travel-buying habits of gay and lesbian Internet users in Europe, an analyst described these users as a "lucrative niche market" and a "marketer's dream audience."
Interestingly, a Greenfield Online Retail Index, Wilton CT, USA., survey conducted in late 1998 found that the household income of gay and lesbian Internet users was only slightly higher than that of the general Internet user population. Ninety-two percent of the respondents agreed, however, that they represent a "powerful economic force," possibly because of their greater disposable income.
A second study from the same research company and released in June 1999, discovered that gay and lesbian Internet users exercise brand discrimination based on the stance of companies towards the gay community. About 77 percent said they have changed the brand of a product they purchase because of a company's positive stance towards gays and lesbians, while 87 percent had changed brands based on a company's negative stance.
If a company's 'gay-friendliness' is seen as important to LGBTs, then it should be important to online marketers too. Not only do LGBT Internet users generally have more money to spend, they also spend more time using the Internet than non-gay people and are also more likely to buy online. According to a study released by Witeck-Combs Communications and Harris Interactive 2001, LGBT Internet users are more likely to shop at both retail sites and online auctions, and to bank online.
For some reason, those polled for this study were also asked whether or not they wear seatbelts when sitting in the front of a car. We can't think what a person's sexual orientation has to do with their proclivity for seatbelts but maybe we just lead a sheltered life. It just goes to show that you can't take every survey result seriously.
Anyway, back to the surfing and the shopping. The survey from Witeck-Combs Communications, a USA gay marketing & public relations company, found that 32 percent of LGBT Internet users now go online for over 21 hours a week, up from 25 percent in April 2000. Only 17 percent of non-gay Internet users spend over 21 hours a week online.
Sixty-three percent of LGBT respondents said they were likely to buy goods or services over the Net, in comparison with 59 percent of non-gay respondents.
About 26 percent of LGBT Internet users took part in online auctions in the past three months, while 28 percent conducted their banking transactions online in the same period.
For LGBTs living in communities where their sexual orientation is seen as unacceptable, the arrival of the Internet must indeed have been a godsend, and not just from a shopping point of view.
With the arrival of the Internet, LBGTs suddenly had access to easier communication, easier access to information, and a growing community of people with similar concerns and interests. Those who wished to participate in discussions or activism without compromising their privacy could now do so.
This is true even for those people living in countries where homosexuality is completely taboo. In certain Muslim countries, homosexuality is punishable by prison terms, fines, corporal punishment, or even death. Wired magazine reported in 2000 that the Internet offers gay Muslims "a safe and anonymous space for a community that lives in constant fear of being discovered."
As a result, the fastest growing group of LGBT Internet users is expected to be that in the Middle East, which Computer Economics, an USA research company predicts will grow by 198 percent in the next four years.
Overall, Computer Economics says that the number of gay and lesbian Internet users globally will increase from 13.5 million 2001 to 22.4 million by 2005. Can your company afford not to be "gay-friendly"?
By Michael Paré, Toronto ON
Originally published on Toronto Digital Queeries
It seems strange in this age of political correctness to mark out people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) as 'different', and so different that they deserve to be written about separately. From an online marketing point of view, however, LGBT Internet users constitute a demographic all of its own, and a desirable demographic at that.
LGBT Internet users are perceived as constituting a wealthy demographic with a larger than average disposable income. In a 2001 survey report from Forrester Research, Washington D.C., for example, which discussed the online travel-buying habits of gay and lesbian Internet users in Europe, an analyst described these users as a "lucrative niche market" and a "marketer's dream audience."
Interestingly, a Greenfield Online Retail Index, Wilton CT, USA., survey conducted in late 1998 found that the household income of gay and lesbian Internet users was only slightly higher than that of the general Internet user population. Ninety-two percent of the respondents agreed, however, that they represent a "powerful economic force," possibly because of their greater disposable income.
A second study from the same research company and released in June 1999, discovered that gay and lesbian Internet users exercise brand discrimination based on the stance of companies towards the gay community. About 77 percent said they have changed the brand of a product they purchase because of a company's positive stance towards gays and lesbians, while 87 percent had changed brands based on a company's negative stance.
If a company's 'gay-friendliness' is seen as important to LGBTs, then it should be important to online marketers too. Not only do LGBT Internet users generally have more money to spend, they also spend more time using the Internet than non-gay people and are also more likely to buy online. According to a study released by Witeck-Combs Communications and Harris Interactive 2001, LGBT Internet users are more likely to shop at both retail sites and online auctions, and to bank online.
For some reason, those polled for this study were also asked whether or not they wear seatbelts when sitting in the front of a car. We can't think what a person's sexual orientation has to do with their proclivity for seatbelts but maybe we just lead a sheltered life. It just goes to show that you can't take every survey result seriously.
Anyway, back to the surfing and the shopping. The survey from Witeck-Combs Communications, a USA gay marketing & public relations company, found that 32 percent of LGBT Internet users now go online for over 21 hours a week, up from 25 percent in April 2000. Only 17 percent of non-gay Internet users spend over 21 hours a week online.
Sixty-three percent of LGBT respondents said they were likely to buy goods or services over the Net, in comparison with 59 percent of non-gay respondents.
About 26 percent of LGBT Internet users took part in online auctions in the past three months, while 28 percent conducted their banking transactions online in the same period.
For LGBTs living in communities where their sexual orientation is seen as unacceptable, the arrival of the Internet must indeed have been a godsend, and not just from a shopping point of view.
With the arrival of the Internet, LBGTs suddenly had access to easier communication, easier access to information, and a growing community of people with similar concerns and interests. Those who wished to participate in discussions or activism without compromising their privacy could now do so.
This is true even for those people living in countries where homosexuality is completely taboo. In certain Muslim countries, homosexuality is punishable by prison terms, fines, corporal punishment, or even death. Wired magazine reported in 2000 that the Internet offers gay Muslims "a safe and anonymous space for a community that lives in constant fear of being discovered."
As a result, the fastest growing group of LGBT Internet users is expected to be that in the Middle East, which Computer Economics, an USA research company predicts will grow by 198 percent in the next four years.
Overall, Computer Economics says that the number of gay and lesbian Internet users globally will increase from 13.5 million 2001 to 22.4 million by 2005. Can your company afford not to be "gay-friendly"?
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