Business leaders around the world are discussing LGBT issues, and how they affect their customers, suppliers, colleagues and employees. But here’s the thing. None of us are LGBT. We’re all either L, G, B or T; some of us identify with other labels like Q or I; and some don’t want to be labeled at all. We may be united in a struggle for equality, but demographically, we’re divided.
Sometimes, you can and should speak of us as one community, but not always. This is particularly relevant in consumer marketing. Companies positioning their business or services as being LGBT-friendly, aren’t marketing to specific consumers. They’re making a statement that they are progressive, inclusive and all-welcoming. It’s a message that resonates far beyond the LGBT travel market, to LGBT allies, millennials — even prospective employees. When Greater Fort Lauderdale and Marriott Hotels put transgender people in their marketing, it’s not because they see the transgender market as lucrative and untapped. They’re sending a broader message that their destination or their hotels are modern and relevant. It’s powerful branding, but it’s not targeted marketing. As consumers, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and trans people have different needs, spending patterns and pain points. Even within these individual segments there are broad divides: the travel patterns of gay families resemble those of straight families much more than those of gay singles.
The LGBT travel market started as the gay travel market — and demographically, it’s easy to see why. Persistent pay inequality means that two men are likely to earn more than two women, or a man and a women. Gay men are still much less likely to have kids than their straight or lesbian counterparts, so they have more disposable income to spend on travel, and the availability to travel year round, not just during school vacations. Gay men and lesbians travel very differently too. According to research from Community Marketing and Insights, men are more likely to seek out urban gay neighborhoods and nightlife, and lesbians are more likely to look for outdoor and active vacations. Lesbians care more about seeing images of lesbians in travel marketing and men are more likely to rely on magazine articles for travel inspiration. We travel differently, and we respond differently to marketing messages, platforms and imagery.
The past five years have seen a big shift towards inclusive marketing. It’s a heartwarming trend for those of us who have been fighting for equality, but it’s not targeted marketing. If your goals include increasing your share of the LGBT consumer market, you need to speak directly to each segment. Because none of us is LGBT.