Richmond Comes Out: 3 Ways Your Brand Can Too
Have you heard the news? Richmond is out.
As a member of Richmond Region Tourism’s LGBT advisory committee, I’m so excited to see the OutRVA campaign launch – and thrive.
For the past four years, we’ve promoted Virginia’s capital city to LGBT travelers through a campaign called Rainbow Over Richmond. We ran advertisements in nearby states, organized press trips and created online content to educate prospective travelers.
I loved visiting journalists’ reactions a few hours into the press tours. “Whoa, I never expected this. Richmond is COOL,” was a common response. Yeah, we know!
But for year five, we wanted a refresh. In came the incredibly creative students from VCU’s Brandcenter. The result? OutRVA.
Are you interested in connecting with LGBT consumers, too? Here are three tips to get you started:
Look internally
Do your LGBT employees have a seat at the table? If not, pull up a few chairs, their insights are valuable. Examine the possibility of creating an LGBT affinity group or employee network.
"Having an LGBT employee resource or affinity group sends a very clear signal that the company values and respects all its employees. This means that employees or potential employees understand they can bring their whole self to work and be valued, respected and supported," said Beck Baliley, deputy director of employee engagement at the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay rights advocacy group and creator of the Corporate Equality Index.
"Having an LGBT resource group helps attract top talent and retain the employees you have. Externally, ERGs [employee resource groups] can help a company understand its relationship to the LGBT market and collaborate to establish or improve brand presence in that market," Bailey added.
In addition to their experience, creating an LGBT network makes financial sense. According to a 2006 report by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications, 55 percent of LGBT consumers choose to do business with companies that have a commitment to diversity and equal treatment of employees.
Diversify your vendors and suppliers
Make sure you’re working with diverse suppliers – from SWAM-certified businesses to companies with NGLCC certification, meaning they’re majority owned by LGBT individuals. These groups not only help prove you’re committed to supporting minority markets, but bring diverse, well-rounded insights and solutions.
“Our team works every day to identify diverse suppliers that can compete for business at Capital One. We believe it’s important that our suppliers represent backgrounds as diverse as our customers and associates,” explained Stacey Lawson, program lead in Supplier Diversity at Capital One. “The diverse perspective that these suppliers bring to the table helps us continue to innovate, which is a critical success factor for Capital One. They work hard and deliver effectively, and together we are making a positive impact on the communities where we live and work.”
Choose your sponsorships wisely
According to the same report by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs, with quality and value being equal, four out of 10 gay consumers prefer to purchase products from companies that advertise in LGBT media.
Luckily, you don’t have to be a huge brand when an even bigger advertising budget to accomplish this. Connecting with your city’s annual Pride event or advertising in local LGBT publication are great options to show your support.
What are some of your favorite LGBT marketing campaigns? Please share in the comments below.
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