WPP Unveils Beyond the Rainbow, a New Global Insights Study on LGBTQ+ Marketing and its Future
November 30 2022 - 9:45AM
Business Wire
Research suggests LGBTQ+ self-identity is
advancing beyond rigid societal definitions
Organizations have a strong role to play in
furthering inclusive representation in workplaces, media, and
communications to meet shifting consumer attitudes
Unite, WPP’s (NYSE: WPP) LGBTQ+ community, and Choreograph,
WPP’s global data products and technology company, today launched
Beyond the Rainbow, a new study into LGBTQ+ marketing and its
future. The study surveyed 7,500 LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ people in
the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada to better understand
their perceptions and experiences of viewing LGBTQ+ identities in
media and advertising. Beyond the Rainbow is intended to equip
brands, advertisers, marketing communicators and others in the
industry with actionable data and insights to help build a more
inclusive future.
Spearheaded by an all-queer team from WPP Unite with
representation from BCW, Choreograph, Hill+Knowlton Strategies,
Hogarth, Landor & Fitch, EssenceMediacom, The&Partnership,
VMLY&R and Wavemaker, the study releases insightful new data
calling for more authentic representation of LGBTQ+ identities in
advertising, the need for long-term support beyond Pride month and
the role of queer media in culture and brand communications.
Beyond the Rainbow Key Highlights:
- Among young people, queer media has become truly
mainstream: 93% of LGBTQ+ 18–24 year olds and 85% of non-LGBTQ+
18–24 year olds actively seek out queer media, proving its
universal appeal
- Despite widespread appeal, the quality and quantity of queer
media needs improvement: Just 38% of those who seek out queer
content are satisfied with the way LGBTQ+ people are represented,
and 2 out of 3 LGBTQ+ people want to see more queer
representation
- More than half of LGBTQ+ people are still not completely out
at work: Only 40% are completely open about their sexuality
with colleagues, while 50% are open about their gender
identity
- There’s an income gap when it comes to being out at
work: Those on the highest incomes were 37% more likely to be
completely open at work than those on the lowest incomes
- The annual change of logo may be where communications start
but shouldn’t end: 52% of LGBTQ+ people told us that they do
like it when brands change their logos to the rainbow flag colours
during Pride month. However, there’s a clear desire for more
year-round support, as 3 out of 4 LGBTQ+ people and half of non-
LGBTQ+ people think brands should do more to support LGBTQ+ people
outside Pride month
Beyond the Rainbow explores LGBTQ+ identity, media, and
communications today, and provides commentary on how that might
evolve tomorrow. It offers actionable insights and suggestions from
industry experts on how brands can succeed in what will be a more
informed future of LGBTQ+ marketing.
As brands look to engage with the LGBTQ+ community during Pride
month and beyond, it may help to focus on issues of public interest
such as raising awareness of legislation affecting the LGBTQ+
community - which 52% of LGBTQ+ people would like to see in future
advertising. The study aims to show how brands can meaningfully
acknowledge and connect with the LGBTQ+ people within their
audiences – especially brands hesitant to engage – stay up to date
with changing attitudes towards sexuality and gender identity, and
create more effective LGBTQ+ brand communications which go beyond
Pride month.
Michael Houston, President of WPP in the US, said: “In a
world where the LGBTQ+ community continues to face discrimination
and violent attacks – both in the workplace and in life – the power
that our industry has to create change should not be
underestimated. As a global company of over 100,000 creative
thinkers and makers, WPP has a responsibility to educate and
empower our people, our clients, and our allies to positively and
meaningfully influence the cultural representation of the LGBTQ+
community through marketing, advertising and communications. Right
now is an incredible moment and opportunity for brands around the
world to use their influence to impact society for good.”
David Adamson, Founder and UK Co-chair for WPP Unite,
said: “Our goal in launching Beyond the Rainbow is to help shed
light on opportunities to create inclusivity and broader acceptance
of the LGBTQ+ community beyond just Pride month. As more people
identify under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, being genuine and inclusive in
everything we do is more crucial than ever for brands to be
relevant. At WPP, we can help advise on the best approach for
inclusivity and representation, reflective of today’s changing
culture.”
Jay Brown, Senior Vice President of Programs, Research, and
Training for the Human Rights Campaign, said: “As is painfully
clear, the LGBTQ+ community’s needs go far beyond Pride month.
WPP’s study helps companies better understand the challenges LGBTQ+
employees and customers are experiencing and where companies can
lean into building a more inclusive workplace and brand. That helps
with employee engagement, customer loyalty and a company's bottom
line. And beyond that, it can help make the world safer and more
welcoming for us all. We’re glad to have WPP Unite as a partner in
this work.”
Please follow this
link to download the Beyond the Rainbow
report.
About the Research and Methodology:
WPP Unite partnered with Choreograph to design and field a
bespoke mixed method survey. 3,500 LGBTQ+ people and 4,000
non-LGBTQ+ people were surveyed across the United States, United
Kingdom and Canada. WPP Unite also partnered with Black Pride, Diva
Magazine, HRC and MyGwork who shared the survey with their
audiences to ensure robust sample sizes of groups underrepresented
by existing research. Beyond the Rainbow was written by Zoe
Bowen-Jones and Devon Esper from Wavemaker.
About WPP
WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of
creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients
and communities. For more information, visit www.wpp.com.
About WPP Unite
WPP Unite is the LGBTQ+ community living across WPP’s network of
100,000+ people worldwide. We are focused on driving insightful and
authentic representation of LGBTQ+ people within media and
promoting greater inclusion of LGBTQ+ people within the work and
workplaces of the marketing and communications industry. For more
information, visit www.wpp.com/unite.
About Choreograph
Choreograph is a global data products and technology company,
built from the legacy of WPP, for a new era that demands a more
purposeful approach to data. For more information, visit
www.choreograph.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221129005990/en/
Further information Martina Suess, WPP +1 917-456-5049
Martina.suess@wpp.com
Kevin Walther, WPP Unite +1 646-574-7749
Kevin.walther@bcw-global.com
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