consumerism

Advertising Industry Shocked to Learn Gays + Straights Buy The Same Crap

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Who knows how much was spent studying the consumption habits of gay Americans, but the data reveals at least this much: We’re greedy materialists just like breeders.

Mindshare, a giant media buying and creative agency, polled 1,452 homos (two-thirds men, one-third women) to find out what they’re buying, reading, eating, and just generally consuming. According to Mindshare’s business planning director Lisa Antonucci, the firm went into the project thinking “this was kind of a niche audience, reaching niche publications, but what the study really uncovers is these consumers are more in the mainstream.”

Ya don’t say!

Turns out we’re not all spending cash on slings and Slide, but rather iPhones and high-speed Internet connections — and at greater frequencies than heteros. Which actually means we’re consuming more media than most of America.

Oh, and do we care about brands that specifically target the gays? You bet your ass. AdAge: “Purchasing decisions also weigh heavily on quality of products (76%), the price of the product (72%) and the brand’s reputation as being supportive of gay/lesbian individuals and causes (30%). It’s that commitment to the gay community that respondents took most to heart in gay-inclusive marketers’ ad campaigns as well — 69% said companies did a good job targeting gay consumers because the company openly funds or sponsors gay/lesbian causes or events, while 54% liked how ads depicted gays and lesbians as part of the diversity of today’s America.”

Which means … we’re suddenly slaves to Calvin Klein because the brand plays loose with sexuality? Heh. Probably.

PLUS: Revisit one of our favorite (unintentionally?) homoerotic ads from yesteryear.

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