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While listening to the radio the other day, I heard a teaser for an upcoming Marketplace (7/7/08 show, Racing after gay consumer segment) that made me stay by my radio to wait for the show air. The teaser was something to the effect of, and I'm just giving you the gist of what I recall, 'car manufacturers race to advertise to the untapped gay market.' My immediate response to this promo was to talk back, and I do mean to speak out loud, to my radio, "What!? What do they mean untapped market? Subaru has been advertising to us for years. Wasn't Volkswagen one of the only sponsors to not pull their commercials for the Ellen "coming out" episode and after? So who just now discovered this market? Or rather, who feels it's now a safe risk marketing to gay consumers?"
I don't know why it makes me feel better to make commentary as if the radio can hear me and will respond, but I can tell you my dogs seemed quite interested in what I had to say. They sat quietly, ears perked, cocking their heads to the side as if listening with great interest. Of course for all I know they were probably hearing, "What good dogs. Who are my good dogs? Is it time to go for a walk? Who wants to go for a walk?" They didn't get their walk as they hoped, we had to wait for Marketplace.
When the show finally aired, it left me a little ruffled, and I can't exactly pinpoint what about it bothered me so. Right off, I found myself disagreeing with the assertion in the intro that GM was cutting edge in marketing to the gay population. I don't know, perhaps they are and I just over look their print ads and television commercial spots featuring gay couples, printed or aired in gay magazines or on television. Or maybe it's just because companies who did it first are the ones who stick out in my mind, and always will. I remember the companies, like Subaru, who were the first to buy air time on LOGO when it was a brand new channel. And I remember quite clearly the first time I saw a television commercial targeted directly to us, featuring gay couples. It is not to diminish that GM was at the Detroit Pride event with some clever marketing, and that they are trying to reach a the gay market, but that isn't enough for me to call it cutting edge.
I think what bothered most though was the bit with Adam Bernard, the chairman of GM Plus, the company's resource group for its GLBT employees. He was discussing how GLBT customers are likely to consider employer practices, treatment of GLBT employees, and workplace equality when buying a car. And with that point I will not disagree, I know that was a large point of consideration for us when we bought a new car last year. He went on to say that because we factor these things in when buying a car, they made sure they had all of their company policies in line and that they offered things like domestic-partner benefits, before they marketed to GLBT customers. Which, while it was the smart thing to do, because I sure wouldn't buy a car from them if they didn't, it bothers me because they should be offering these things to their employees and treating them all equally because it's the right thing to do. Not just because they want our money. For the record, GM got 100 rating on the HRC Corporate Equality Index. Perhaps that is not how his point was meant to come across, and maybe the way the piece was edited together the sound clip ended up out of context, I cant' say. All I can say is that it didn't come across quite right to me.
The segment finished by bringing up The American Family Association's boycott of Ford, after Ford placed ads in a gay magazine in 2006. It goes on to imply that this is why other car companies are reaching out to gay consumers in more subtle ways. It would seem to put customer driven businesses between a rock and a hard place when it comes to advertising, especially if you are a company
