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Should I consider using gay media?

The problem is that no one knows how big the market is. The figures

suggest that something like one in ten people would identify themselves

as gay, but the truth is uncertain. Like all identifiable consumer

groups, gay people have lifestyle traits that make them more susceptible

to certain commercial messages.

What is the profile of a gay consumer?

The gay press has carried out extensive readership surveys. A high

percentage of their readership are ABC1. Most possess credit cards, take

two or three holidays a year, shop in lifestyle stores and own their own

cars.

Is this what is meant by the term the pink pound?

Yes, gay consumers are regarded as having high disposable incomes. Gay

couples with double incomes generally don’t have children to clothe and

feed. In a recent reader survey conducted by the Pink Paper, over half

their readers earned over pounds 20,000 a year. It estimated that they

have an average pounds 3500 more to spend a year than heterosexuals.

What is the best way to reach gay people?

The best way is through the gay press. There are several magazines,

including Gay Times. This has now been joined by a raft of trendier

titles such as Attitude (above), a glossy, fashion-led magazine, which

attracts advertisers from fragrance and fashion houses and holiday

firms. There are also the weekly free papers Pink Paper and Boyz, and

the bi-monthly lesbian magazine Diva. According to the Pink Paper, a

quarter of their readers take The Independent and 47% buy The Guardian.

Gay media afficionados believe more advertisers would spend in a gay

national paper section than they currently do with the gay press.

Is there gay coverage in other media?

Apart from the gay pages in Time Out there is little available. There is

no gay national newspaper section or gay radio station. A gay radio

station format was proposed called G104.9FM for the London FM licence

that went to XFM. The Independent was said to be toying with the idea of

a separate section before its recent change in ownership.

Are advertisers squeamish about these opportunities, who uses them?

Mike Ross, advertising manager at the Pink Paper, says a rising number

of advertisers are taking advantage of gay media, and that it is an

excellent one in which to launch a new product. ’Gays are generally

leaders in fashion, they’re not afraid to experiment in new things, and

certainly have the disposable income to do it.’