LGBTQ Influencer Partnerships That Have Us Seeing Rainbows

As a content creator, it is imperative to share products with your audience that are authentic to your brand. The month of June is a great example of how LGBTQ influencers and celebrities create partnerships to represent themselves, their community and the importance of Pride Month. From full campaigns, to rocking rainbow merchandise at the parade, to speaking on panels, to simple Instagram ads, these influencers are creating content that represents a personal aspect of their lives, while building long lasting relationships. We’re sharing five collaborations that have us seeing rainbows, and five tips to create meaningful paid content!

#BlogHer19 Speaker Corey Rae for We Are Queer

We love seeing influencers partner with brands who represent the LGBTQ community year round. We can’t think of a better fit than 2019 #VOTY Impact Award Winner, StyleCaster Contributor, and Transgender Activist Corey Rae for We Are Queer. June is an important month for Corey as it is her birthday, “rebirth” anniversary, pride, the anniversary of CoreyRae.com and coming out through her blog. Corey offered a discount for We Are Queer merchandise on her Instagram and we ran to shop all things rainbow!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bylrj_zn_jb/

Laverne Cox for Smirnoff

After Smirnoff’s Vice President, Jay Sethi, spoke at #BlogHer19 Food, it was clear to us that Smirnoff prioritizes equality above all. Alcoholic beverages have been historically marketed to straight men, but that’s not the case with this favorite brand. We love to see that Smirnoff’s advertising has always included women, and their #Pride campaign leverages Laverne Cox, a transgender woman, to push boundaries in the vodka space. Smirnoff is also taking action by donating almost $1.5 million dollars to the Human Rights Campaign by 2021. Smirnoff welcomes everyone, no matter their sexual preference or identity and to that we say, cheers!

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByVYiCgAFf9/

JVN for DIFF Eyewear

Let’s be real… we pretty much buy anything Jonathan Van Ness endorses, because he’s JVN. However, it’s incredibly refreshing to see DIFF partner with someone other than previous bachelor and bachelorette contestants, and for a good cause! We’re obsessed with #JVNxDIFF, particularly their rainbow shades, for pride. DIFF also picked up on JVN’s signature sayings for their marketing campaign and are donating a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair sold. YASSS HENNY!

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByF7aPqAfcq/

Michael Sam with Under Armour

Take out your tissues, this one is a doozy! Michael Sam became the first openly gay football player in 2014. We still shed a tear watching him kiss his boyfriend after accepting his draft pick. Although Michael has stopped playing football, he is still an advocate for LGBTQ athletes. We appreciate his authenticity speaking on a panel with Under Armour and for being an Athlete Ally. Plus Under Armour’s UA HOVR™ SLK EVO x Pride sneakers are SO cute.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByoXDczBaAD/

ME Undies with Mark Kanemura

So here’s the scoop. We’ve spent many hours watching Mark Kanemura’s hilarious, flirtatious, and downright impressive dance videos on his Instagram. In most of his videos, he strips down to his underwear. We are HERE. FOR. IT. We cannot think of a better paid partnership than Mark and ME Undies for their Pride Collection. Mark’s content isn’t curated (it’s literally him dancing around in his bedroom) and for that reason this ad comes across as extremely authentic and real. Basically, we love it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByLhj3EBJRG/

What can we take away from these collaborations?

1. Be authentic. Only promote products you really love and that represent your brand. Your audience can tell if you are not being true to yourself.

2. Your content should always look like you! If you dance around in your underwear in your organic posts, do it in your ads! It will probably engage better with your community anyway! The brand you’re collaborating with will thank you.

3. Jump on trending topics that are relevant to you. It’s great to support holidays and causes that are close to your heart. #Pride has been used over 18 million times on Instagram! It’s an awesome opportunity for your content to be discovered by new, like-minded viewers.

4. Be a fearless influencer. Reach out to brands that you admire for partnership opportunities. If you play football and only wear Under Armour, don’t be afraid to reach out to Under Armour. They’ll definitely be happy to hear from you!

5. You don’t need to be famous to make a difference. Promote causes that are near and dear to your heart. Your audience will appreciate your transparency.

Whether you’re part of the LGBTQ community, an ally, or just love rainbows, it’s important to build brand relationships and collaborations that represent YOU. We look forward to seeing your Pride Month content!