Cultural Research Of Gay Ads

Marketers generally refer to lesbian and gay groups as the "dream market" for the fact that advertisers believe that these groups are quite affluent, largely untapped market. However, many marketers have to choose to neglect this market and advertisers also weary about targeting these groups, as there are lacks of information about lesbians and gays and even gay ads. More importantly, distinct niches exist within this "dream market," specifically the two vast distinct groups of lesbians and gays. Lesbians are usually being ignored as a key niche within this target market, and there is a lack of representation of lesbians when compared to gays in advertisements.The major reason for the lack of advertising both featuring and targeting lesbians and gays is directly related to heterosexism, homophobia, and patriarchy in most cultures. It is considered that mainstream advertising to lesbians and gays will potentially offend the heterosexual majority of our society, and thus many companies feel that it is too risky to undergo. With a deeper examination of demographic and psychographic information which is available, however, it becomes very apparent that targeting to lesbians and gays is not a so hard thing. Furthermore, gay advertising and traditional marketing techniques are in direct opposition with each other, and this hostility continues to make marketers weary about targeting lesbians and gays.This paper will explore these conflicts and present the current state of gay advertising and the media with regards to lesbians and gays. There has been much advancement in this field within the last decade, yet there is ample room for growth.