GAY LOBBYING ( plutôt) Gay Marketing
Can we speak about a gay lobbying in france
Plan : intro
Ia community that assert (s’affirmer) themselves more and more
a) community profile
b) No more hiding: gay pride
c) Pressure group
II-
A community that attract market
1) Press
2)
3) Internet, Magazine tv
conclusion
Every year during huge public demonstrations, gays from France, United States or other
countries, claim democratic advanced (end of discrimination, weddings…) and impose to the
politics to take position.
Can we really speak about a Lobby gay in France? What’s the difference with the other
countries??
The shame is over! Because mentality has changed, gays flaunt themselves more and more.
From offices to media, let’s see how they defend and organize themselves.
Furthermore, we will present all the business round this community.
I- a
French gay are difficult to count. We can value this community round 5 or 6% of the global
population. (that represent about 3 millions of persons, the majority of them are like 85 % of
men).
This community is an urban population, they live for the majority of them in big town ( from
70% to 86%) , sometimes in a whole quarter , like The Marais in Paris or Greenwich in New
York.
Still, many people cite a 1948 study by the Knisey Institute that said about 10 percent of the
total population was either exclusively homosexual or frenquently engaged in gay sex. If
that estimate is accurate today, the American gay population may total 25 million.
Source: blog, new york times
The gay community are a majority of high grade employees, or liberal profession, or artists.
Most of the time they belong to the higher level of social pyramids. They are at mean 30
years old, their mean income is about 24 000 euros per person/year. Gay people have
purchasing power of 30% superior of the mean, they consume a lot.
In united states they are called “ the dinks” ( double income, no kids). They are free from
family responsibilities, they are frequently well off, few of them put by (épargner,
économiser) their money , they travel a lot: 68% of gay people has declared to have taken
plane in the last 12 month ( 2004) , when 20% of French people …
In fact, 31% of homosexuals ( men) have incomes superior of 150 000 F per year, against
25% of the French population.
71% of them go to the cinema once per month. Whereas 49% of French people go just once
per year)
(source: studie realised in may 1996 on 740 homo by Bonnet-Souyris-prospective)
I-b
Even now the tradition is : every year in june, gays from all over the world demonstrate (
manifestent) in the big town to celebrate their pride of being gays and lesbians. Those
parades ( défilés) that bring together again like 300 000 peoples in New York and San
Francisco, where descrete in Paris until a recent date. But in 1996 the Parisian
reassemblement was a success, more than 50 thouthand of people shows the existence of gay
mobilisation to vindicate (faire valoir ses droits) and the first of it : to not hide and to not live
in the clandestinity. This collective action and this “ visibility”, has risen lots of debate and
discutions about the sense and (portée) the carried of this move which we can think it can
grow up.
But to talk about what happen in france, it is necessary to speak about what does exist
elsewhere, and especially in united states for 30 years, where this form of policy, social, and
cultural mobilisation was born.
Homosexuals associations has existed for long time in United states, but was extremely
weak and isolated, confronted with violent ostracism. It has began a night of june 1969 when
there was a police raid routine in a gay bar of N.Y : The Staonewall Inn. The Supervision (
surveillance), control, and repression of homosexuals was usual at this time and seems to be
accepted bye people, even the people who was victims. But this day, gays raised against ( se
révolter) police. Policemen embarked some customers, and a mob ( attroupement) is
forming;. During two days it’s a riot: 400 policeman and 2 or 3 thousands of homosexuals
faced each other ( s’affronter). One month later, is created in N.Y the gay liberation front
which will spread all over the country. The year later 5 thousands of persons walked in
procession ( defiler) to begin this riot.
Now it has evolved,: demonstrations were shown in other American cities, and then
everywhere in the whole world like in Europe : London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels,
Barcelona… that have theire own gay and lesbian pride.
Gay and pride of being that: that’s the profile of this community, who has a lot of support,
and are expressed without roundabout ways ( detours).
According to a gay site : Fosfoo in 2004, 75% of questioned gays, declare that they have
made their coming out, whereas 74% of gays has estimated that homosexuality is not a brake
(frein) to get promoted at work. 80% of homosexuals has added that they could boycott a
firm if they have homophobic attitude…
I-c
Today more and more groups are created in big firms, public and private ones, to think,
militate ( militer) or simply cooperate. The gay power organize, structure themselves, and
spread in economy, medias and politic. The PACS, adoption, and coming out of lots of
celebrities and politicys, the desire of being visible, and to don’t feel shame, like the
approbation of their look or culture bye straight people… fashion, music, advertisement,
medias… It’s the sign of their influence of this community that want to affirmate.
Gay people are knit together ( soudé) around some clear objectives, like : the evolution of
their right at work, the fight of discrimination, the obtaining (obtention) of laws…
Fight against discrimination, fight against the banalisation, “ fight for the right of
indifference first”. There is a mutation in French society. 3 decades of homosexuals fight has
brought ( amener) the French society to change, and to involve legislators.
The Sofres in france ask regularly the question: “ does homosexuality is a decent way to live
our sexuality?” 24% of French people answered yes in the year 1973, 29% in 1981, 41% in
1984 and now 20 years after they more than 60%!!
We can see it, French attitude has evolved, they are more tolerant than before, like with the
vote of PACS, the 16th of October 1999. A law which the opinion has appropriated (
s’approprier) in few times: 49% of sounded ( sondés) where in favour of this law in 1998,
there where 64% in june 1999 and in 2000 they where 70%!! But 55% of this same people
esteem that this law has contributed to “ more accept homosexuality in the society”.
Whereas 48% declared of being in favour of the marriage gay. The PACS has an
amplification effect; it has gone with ( accompagné) of little accort. Isolated initiaves,
collectives conventions are evolving, the right of working is adapting step by step to this
new social reality. We can number a lot of association.
But if homosexuality is in Penal Code or civil Code, because spirits where ready, the
observed progress can’t make us forget that there is always a rejection situation, like at
work, where homophobic practices are there, in 1999 the association SOS Homophobie in
France has taken a census ( recencé) of 334 cases and in 2001 500…
The politics where constrained to court (courtiser ) this population. We now that every
prime minister since 1981 has been officiously near them with “ homo service”. Consequence
of, the PACS and Delanoe effect , in a mutation opinion, there is a customer gay.
With the nomination of Delanoe in paris, an association has been created : association des
homo de l’hotel de ville.
With Gays becoming more visible since the nineties, a new market has started to develop.
II a)
Homosexuals are a target for marketing professionals. From 15 to 20 billions of franc: gay
business has worked in France. We can see a lot of firm that want to sponsorise the gay
pride, from Kronembourg , RATP or Virgin Cola with the first edition in France in 1997.
The marketing is interested in this population because it is not an ordinary one. Exacting (
exigeant), difficult to convain, it’s a population which can dislog ( dénicher) and can do the
spade-work ( défricher) on new tendencies that straight people will adopt. Fashion, drink,
cosmetics, they has inspired manufacturers (industriels) who see that this population are
private tutors ( précepteurs) , almost a laboratory.
In France: Dior, La Maïf, Renault, L’Oréal: decades of firms launch regularly on the market,
products which are first designed ( destiné) for homosexuals and most widely to single
persons, and if it’s a success then for straight people.
The main sectors aimed by the announcers:
Newspapers:
The gay press is emerging form the shadows to claim a place in the mainstream.
In united States, There are about 160 gay weeklies, biweeklies, monthlies and quarterlies
around the country devoted to local events and news
Lots of magazines are based on advertisement of charm. In france the magazine “EXIT le
journal”, it combine polemic investigation and advertisement of charm.
Gay publications are changing their images and inspirations.
In United States two new national lesbian and gay magazines are being started by
experienced publishers and editors.
For example : puhleeze! Launched in may 2007. Aimed at gay audiences, they expect to
attract heterosexual readers as well- but on their own terms.
Moreover, recent arrivals, like Genre and NYQ magazines, seem to be growing.
In france the magazine “têtu” was launched by the CEO of Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre
Berger
The surge in gay publations comes as advertisers are showing increasing interest in the gay
market. In a time of recession, many see it as a lucrative niche.
And like so much in gay life, the growth of the gay press has been propelled by AIDS crisis.
Often unable to find enough information in the mainstream publications, many homosexuals
turned their own publications into journal about AIDS. But the AIDS crisis caused some
advertisers to stand back from the gay market. In addition, some advertisers were uneasy
about the sexually oriented ads in many gay publications or were afraid they would lose
customers who disliked homosexuals.
Now, advertisers are taking another look.
The places of releases (restaurants, bars, clubs):
in these places posting(showing) their affinities, the main announcers are the marks(brands)
of alcohol (a product of division(sharing), to consume in moderation). The vodka Absolved
made its launch from gays. We also quote the strategies of brand gay marketing gay such as
the gin Tanqueray, the tequilla Sauza or still Marie Brizard (with his range Rainbow Spirit).
Brands of beer in United States. Long-time announcers are, Of Wilde was even launched for
gay market. In France, Kronenbourg has sponsored Gay Pride in 1997 and the 1664 became
a brand very gay - friendly in Great Britain. The collective of wines of Bordeaux, finally, is a
regular announcer of Radio FG. Many places of gay - friendly releases do not any more
hesitate now to stick stickers of " rainbow flag " on their shop window to attract the gay
clients.
The cultural products:
it is allowed that gays are more cultivated than the average and the consumer of cultural
products or spectacles(entertainments). In France, the site Adventice.com is leading of the
targeted sale. But Fnac is a regular announcer of Radio FG.
The tourism:
we note appearance of gay’s tour operators . 68 % of the French gays declare to have
travelled abroad in twelve months (inquiry BSP). In the USA, the Med club rents(praises) to
the tour operator Atlantis its villages for weeks exclusively gays, even its sailboat Med One
club for cruises gays. In France, it is Attitude Travel and Gay Journeys which propose gay –
friendly destinations (San Francisco, Key West, Sidney, Rio, Mykonos, Ibiza). The American
airline companies are big announcers in the gay specialist publications. In France, the
reduction " Discovered for two " of the SNCF implicitly aimed at this target.
According to a recent study led by Community Marketing, Inc, a laboratory of
search(research) and marketing analysis based in San Francisco, Las Vegas is one of the
favorite American destinations of gays and lesbians of the whole world. 25 % of 4.000 gays
and lesbians having participated in this study in 2005 travelled to Las Vegas; it is their 2nd
favourite destination after New York (30 %); San Francisco is classified 3rd with 24 %.
Financial services:
in the United States, "Rainbow Card" exists for common accounts. In France, 46 % of the
homosexuals would be ready to change bank for one the other gay - friendly (Gay.com, in
January, 2002).
The health / beauty:
whether they are the brands of condoms or cosmetics, this sector is the second announcer.
Perfumes are crossed bosses in the openly gay advertising (Jean-Paul Gaultier) or cryptogay ( the male aestheticism).
The high-tech:
better equipped in computer, hi-fi and phone hardware, gays are creators of tendency. The
prestigious brands and operators included well it). As example, in full debate on the PACS
in 1999, Bouygues Télécom launched a campaign the slogan of which was " In the
meantime, here is already the phone PACS " whose photography showed two undershirts
drying: result(profit), 43 % of part of market target.
Advertissement campaigns are more and more sexed ( sexuées) than before. It is now usual
to see naked woman or ephebes for perfume or luxury products. Homosexuality is neither a
taboo, nor a society pb.
Brands know how to blink on gay people. The dream market has permit a lot of brands to
gain modernity.
In United States advertisers ( annonceurs), don’t hesitate to target directly this population,
whereas in france, they try to choke.
Army and church are they the last institutions that are’nt open to gay humour?? Industrials
have less scrupuls: like for the spot of Minut Maid, a brand which is however ( pourtant) not
marginal. We can see a naval officer (officier de marine) with white uniform quit his family,
and jump into a drop head car ( décapotable) where his gay friends are waiting for him, like
village people.
Or this parody of a coming out in Charal add. A boy announce to his parents: “ I have to say
something, mum, dad, …” the father “ what have we done wrong???” the boy” I love meet!!”
after this add Charal has made a lot of benefits. It was in 2004
Does the gay spirit is overspreading ( envahi) the adds?? It’s not simple in france.
In United States the Gay Community wheight 450 billions of dollars of purchasing power (
pouvoir d’achat).
Sources: 2004
In the land of communautarism and affirmative action, they don’t hesitate to target this
population. For example: the sells of 4*4 Subaru, explosed when the add where with a
lesbian icone: Martina Navratilova with a furniture remover ( déménageur) look. In France
it’s different.
Adds are “ laïque” and neutral, it don’t recognize into minorities. Our culture isn’t of the
community ( communautaire). They target the maximum of person, if they differenciate it
will be taken as segregation.
Does the Sexual orientation a motivation criterion ( critère) to buy a car, coffee or
household machine?? NO!!
Consequently, homosexuality in french adds is limited buy blinking this community, or
cabaret humour.
However, since the year 1980, something has changed. There was an add from Eram where
boys were wearing dresses and girls pants!!
It’s obvious that the gay spirit: the taste of immediate modernity, are leaning (tendance), the
gays has inspired the art, the fashion, the frivolity. The luxury has forced the ( trait) it’s
reprenentation has played with transgression fantasm: from Gucci to Vuitton…they have
passed from allusive, to explicite: triolisme, gay, lesbians, sadomasochism. The principle of
the fashion and adds is to transgress taboos which don’t exist any more.
Weddings:
In 2005, gays spent $7.2 million with vendors found at rainbow wedding network web site.
Vendors say attention to the marriage issue has encouraged more gay couples to recognize
their relationships, through in most states, the ceremonies are purely sentimental.
The gay wedding business is harder to track. Some estimates place its value up to 1$billion.
Marriage- minded gays and lesbian purchasing basics like flowers and limousines. But
vendors say couples also are spending on items with same sex twist: rainbow bejewelled
rings, double-bride thank you cards and “ his and his” towel sets.
gay couples are estimated to spend about $20,000 on ceremonies in states offering some
form of recognition, like Massachusetts and Vermont. But couples elsewhere also are
investing: Sproul said couples average $15,000 on ceremonies in states that have banned gay
marriage such as Georgia, where an annual wedding expo her company hosts draws about
500, mostly black gays and lesbians.
Internet:
gay sites stare up ( to stir up= attiser) covetousnesses ( convoistise).
In the shadow of Net Economy, sites for gays and lesbians are active on internet.
The principal gay sites in France are:
City Gay.com created in 1997: 1,6 millions of visits, 35,7 millions of pages watched per
month
Fosfoo.com created in 2000, more than 6000 of members, 1 millions of pages seen per month
USA Gay.com: created in 1996. 103 000 visitors unique, 350 000 visits, 8,4 millions of pages
seen.
But we are in the beginning, because this market include lots of actors from different
horizons. With the first rank: minitel. The French group BD multimedia listed in the market
free and historic actor of telematique created in 1986
The target gay is interested by big generalists sites: lycos.fr has conserved his dating sevice:
Youps.fr crated by the group Spray. This effervescence round those sites is justified by the
audience score. However ( toutefois) the audience is difficult to money actually. The
principle source of incomes are the adds. Furthermore gay sites has difficulties to identify
really the visitors profiles: for confidentiality reasons, the French legislation don’t allow to
inser request of information about the sexual orientation in there questionnaire.
Among the incomes source of gay sites: the e-commerce. Gay.com: this French firm earn
80% of his incomes from adds and the other from advices prestation.
Lots of evidences testimony that homosexuality has gain rights.
TV
On television we can see an important representation of gay people.
Like Canal + : in 2000 they broadcast 551 shows that talked about homosexuality. A target
of consumer to not negligee: 100 billions of francs in GB, 4000 billions of franc in States and
15 and 20 Billions of francs in France
To conclude, this community has lot of influence on Power. Because the PACS has passed
and lots of debates will be spoken, like for adoption, or weddings.
Are we assisting to a remodelisation of our society with a new family model? Is that a new
communautarism??
Débat: Les gays constituent-ils une cible marketing que les annonceurs doivent conquérir
par
une
communication
et
une
stratégie
propre
?
La description commune des gays, à savoir des consommateurs innovateurs et prescripteurs
justifie-t-elle le développement d'une telle stratégie marketing ?