Are You Ignoring 10% Of Your Potential Customer Base? There are more than 35 million gays and lesbians in North America. $514 Billion (US) Spending Power. Brand Loyalty.  Only 365Gay.com captures all of North America's gay and lesbian consumers.

The LGBT Market

Today more than ever advertisers must spend their money carefully, targeting the exact market they want to reach.  At ten per cent of the population, the Gay and Lesbian market represents the largest most affluent minority marketing group in North America. 

More highly educated, occupying higher paying jobs, and possessing large disposable incomes, Gays and Lesbians represent a segment of the population which cannot be ignored. 

A marketing survey in the US by Simmons Market Research Bureau shows the annual value of the gay and lesbian market is in excess of $514 Billion (US).

Simmons found the Average household income for gay men was $52,624 (US) or 41% above national average.  Among lesbians it was $42,755 (26% above the national US average). 15% of the male households polled had an income over $100,000 (US).

62% of the men polled were college graduates, and 47% held managerial jobs.

The poll concluded that the gay and lesbian community represented the ultimate DINK (double income, no kids) market.

The Associated Press called it "Advertising's most elusive yet lucrative target market"

The publication Computer Economics projects that between 2001 and 2005, the number of gay and lesbian Internet users will grow from 13.5 million to 22.4.

In addition to the growth in gay and lesbian Internet users, the online population of users affiliated with the gay and lesbian community will grow rapidly in the next five years. Computer Economics estimates that family, friends, co-workers and others affiliated with gays and lesbians will total 28.5 million in 2001 and rise to 46.1 million by 2005.

"The online gay and lesbian community is growing at a much higher rate than the overall Internet population due to the privacy, relevant information, and virtual communities that are available online and are particularly attractive to gays and lesbians," said Computer Economics senior research analyst Catherine Huneke.

Community Marketing, Inc., the San Francisco-based gay and lesbian travel communications firm found that "Not only are gays and lesbians traveling more frequently, they are spending more and visiting more exotic destinations than the mainstream."

Advertising Age said that the gay media has emerged as the fastest growing ad market for the third consecutive year.

"Marketing in the new millennium will be all about talking to specific consumer segments, including gays and lesbians," says Angelo Vassallo, a regional marketing director at Seagram Co., which began running ads with a gay theme for Chivas Regal Scotch this year.

"It's no longer enough just to be in a gay publication," adds Andrew Isen, president of WinMark Concepts, a gay-marketing consultancy in Washington. "Now, gay consumers want to see ads that reflect their lives and culture."

Additional studies over the past year show that the majority of gays and lesbians support businesses which target them in ads.

A survey conducted in May by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. reveals that consumers who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) have deeper trust for products and brands that not only target gay consumers, but even more so for products offered by companies that have progressive policies toward gay and lesbian employees. Fifty-six percent of all gays sampled agreed that they trust brands more from progressive companies -- with 41% reporting they ``strongly agree.''

About 365Gay.com

With corporate offices in Los Angeles and Toronto 365Gay.com is the only gay and lesbian media company to completely cover North America.

The leader in gay news and information, 365Gay.com has news bureaus throughout the United States and Canada, and in London and Sydney, Australia.

One ad in 365Gay.com will be seen by hundreds of thousands of people in big cities and small towns from New York to Los Angeles, from Key West To Baffin Island, and from St John's Newfoundland, to Vancouver.

365Gay.com Demographics

Age
18 - 25   11%
26 - 35   28%
36 - 45   42%
46 - 65   19%

Household Income ($US)
15K             7%
15 - 35K   16% 
35 - 50 K  17%
50 - 75 K   27%
75 - 100 K 16%                                                  
100K +       17% 

Education
High School           27%
Vocational/Tech    12%
University                39%
Graduate School   22%

 Based on online survey December 2002