Fortune favours brave(r) brands

Image credit: Coca-Cola Company.

Coca-Cola Brazil recently took the homophobic idiom ‘Essa Coca e Fanta’, which translates to ‘That Coke is a Fanta’, and turned it into an empowering campaign, filling cans of Coke with Fanta Orange. It was relevant, engaging, inclusive and purely organic – and it delivered one billion media impressions with zero media spend, turning one hurtful slur into a slogan of Pride.

Jumping on the Rainbow bandwagon

Brave right? With so many conservative groups lobbying against the LGBTQ+ community, only a big brand can be this brave; big enough to not injure their market share or upset their loyal conservatives right?

2019 Durban Pride set to celebrate legal equality for LGBTQ+ community

26 Jun 2019

Well no, not really, with Pride Month just passed it seems that more and more brands, big and small, are jumping onto the Rainbow bandwagon to render support and connect with those that back the crusade.

Reebok launches 'Pride Collection' ahead of Pride Month

20 May 2019

They’re doing so by creating themed campaigns and merchandise and donating proceeds from sales to LGBTQ+ associations. Global examples of brands such as Magnum, Nike, DKNY, Uber and Tiffany & Co. demonstrate that brands from different genres can easily adapt to changing environments.

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For this year's #BeTrue collection celebrating #LGBT Gay Pride Month, #Nike links with Pride flag designer #GilbertBaker's (RIP, he passed in 2017) estate to recreate his original flag design, which had 8 colors that were reduced to 6 because of production issues. Here's what each color represents: pink: sexuality; red: life; orange: healing; yellow: sunlight; green: nature; turquoise: magic; indigo: serenity and violet: spirit. The collection is now live on nike.com. ��❤️����������

A post shared by Snobette (@thesnobette) on Jun 1, 2019 at 7:07am PDT

Brands are seeing the impact of embracing this revolution as they grow loyalty and increase the return of investment by reaching out to one of the fasting growing markets that has a global buying power of almost $1trn.

Lucrative market

In October 2017, an LGBTQ+ Ad Format Effectiveness study was released completed in conjunction with Nielsen and a social media company that surveyed 800 LGBTQ+ participants. The study reconnoitred the efficacy of themed advertising to this market by comparing the effectiveness of inclusive marketing campaigns vs generic advertising from the same brands.

#WTMA19: Pinq Travel's Jason Fiddler talks marketing LGBTIQ+ travellers

Robin Fredericks  25 Apr 2019

Granted, this study was executed off a small sample but the learnings are massive. Two crucial fundamentals are evident as noted by the co-founder and president of Hornet.com Sean Howell: “Buyer intent was 40% higher and willingness to recommend was 66% higher.”

Pride back home

Globally, we are seeing a change in advertising. And back home, brands are slowly gearing themselves up for the LGBTQ+ market. Examples include the Unheard Voices radio and digital campaign (2018), Chicken Licken’s “Dad I am …” (2019) and the very extra Harold courtesy of Netflorist.

When you got something real important to say, say it with soul �� ��️‍�� #NeedaSoulSister������������ #LickenLove pic.twitter.com/w4M8MXoZB8

— Chicken Licken (@ChickenLickenSA) May 27, 2019

Rafiki director Wanuri Kahiu talks intimate scenes and LGBTQ+ rights

Daniel Dercksen  3 Jul 2019

Here’s a brand challenge for our marketers – be brave, be inclusive, be representative. Fortune favours it.