For years, Pride Month, an annual celebration of LGBTQ Americans, has provided companies with marketing opportunities to leverage the purchasing power of groups with increasing economic, political and social influence.
But while these efforts have always met with some resistance, brands and marketers say the country’s current political environment, particularly around transgender issues, is making this year’s campaigns more complex. says there is. Target became the latest company to rethink its approach this week after facing criticism of its Pride collection, which includes clothing and books for children, drawing ire from some on the right.
The company has moved Pride exhibits such as rainbow-striped collared shirts, yellow hoodies that read “Not a Phase,” baby clothes and accessories from the entrances of some Target stores nationwide and installed them in the back. bottom.
Target is concerned about “threats affecting the safety and well-being of team members at work” after some customers yelled at employees and threw pride-themed merchandise on the floor. said it does.
Among the products that angered some customers were one-piece tucked swimsuits, or swimsuits with extra material in the crotch area for those who wanted to hide their genitals. Some critics falsely claimed that the swimsuits were marketed to children. Target says it will only be available in adult sizes. The collection also includes children’s books on transgender issues and gender fluidity.
one woman She recorded an annoyed TikTok video at a Target store on Monday after seeing a greeting card that read “So Grad You Came Out” and a yellow costume that read “¡Bien Proud!”
“If that’s not a reason to boycott Target, I don’t know what it is,” she said.
“In light of these uncertain circumstances, we are adjusting our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most serious conflicts,” a company spokeswoman said in a statement. She added that the company, which has sold Pride Month merchandise for 10 years, remains committed to the LGBTQ community and “stands with them as we celebrate Pride Month throughout the year.”
Target said the decision was made with the safety of its employees in mind, but combined with conservative backlash against Bud Light working with transgender influencers, it could alienate the communities Target was trying to support. pointed out by many. And those who initially criticized Target and Bud Light may now feel even more emboldened to attack comprehensive efforts by other companies.
“We are in a new realm where safety and employee safety are threatened by policies and objectives,” said Vanisa Swaminathan, a marketing professor at the University of Pittsburgh. “We cannot say that employee safety can be ignored. It is very central to what companies must do. It’s sad that it has come this far.”
Marketing campaigns around June’s Pride Month have become commonplace for many companies, and there are occasional opponents. Pizza Hut, for example, faced calls to boycott last year after it recommended “Bigwig,” a book about drag performers, as part of its summer reading program for children.
But businesses and marketers say the political climate is different this year. This is largely because many Republican-led states have introduced or passed legislation restricting transitional care for transgender minors and adults, and transgender rights have become a vital issue for many conservatives. Because it is
LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD, which works with more than 160 companies, is considering working with brands planning Pride Month celebrations to improve how they respond to criticism, with communications experts from the GLAAD Media Institute.
“With the politicization of transgender and gender nonconforming people, we feel that perhaps the time has come for us to form a brand pride office to resist,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, president of the group. ,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, director of the group. the official said in an interview.
When faced with criticism and boycott calls on social media in the past, most companies have found that expressions of anger quickly fade away.
And then Bud Light happened. Bud Light, owned by Anheuser-Busch, continues to struggle after a social media campaign featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in mid-March. Sales fell more than 23% in the four weeks to mid-May compared with the same period last year, according to data from research firm NIQ and alcohol industry partner Bump Williams Consulting.
In some southern markets, including Jacksonville, Fla. and New Orleans, Bud Light sales have fallen 40 percent over the past four weeks.
Anheuser-Busch, which has released rainbow-colored Bud Light bottles and cans for Pride Month in recent years, declined to answer questions about its plans for this year.
Some marketing and communications consultants said the negative reaction to Bud Light’s campaign with Mulvaney was a product of Beer’s generally politically conservative customer base. Companies like Nike and Starbucks can more easily create products and campaigns themed around gay and transgender issues or Pride Month, as consumers tend to be younger and more progressive, according to Atlanta. Strategic Vision PR Group Chief Executive Officer David Johnson said.
“When they embrace the gay and transgender community, it doesn’t stray from their core beliefs,” he says.
Many companies have plans for Pride Month. In June, Coors Lights Denver Pride Parade I will sew through the city and proceed. An Adidas one-piece swimsuit ad created by South African queer designer Rich Munisi features a transgender man as a model. Levi’s has launched a campaign of six gay and transgender people talking about what they look like in the company’s denim and tops.
However, many other companies have been less proactive about their specific plans for Pride Month.And some LGBTQ advocates criticized target Because it looks like he’s giving in to the pressure. (The company’s decision came as retail workers have faced increasingly aggressive behavior from customers since the pandemic began.)
Target has also removed the Pride line from London-based LGBTQ fashion and accessories company Abplalen, although some of its designs include pentagrams and a shirt that reads “Devil Respects Pronouns.” It has been criticized for its depiction of satanic symbols. Abprallen did not respond to a request for comment.
Matt Scaleld, president of Pink Media, which specializes in LGBTQ online marketing, said: “We will find out in the next week which companies continue to promote and run Pride Month campaigns.” “We are concerned that if companies that we know support Pride Month do not attend this year, their absence will be highlighted, which could harm them. “
Advocacy groups warn that all this could have a chilling effect, especially when it comes to greater representation of LGBTQ people in advertising.
“White gay men are the segment most often seen on our screens, whether in shows or advertising.,”Support Lisette Arzuaga, co-founder of Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing. “We have now started an effort to better represent all characters within LGBTQ.”
A recent GLAAD survey found that overall consumer sentiment about seeing transgender representation on television and in advertising has not changed. GLAAD said in a February survey that 75% of people who don’t identify as LGBTQ were uncomfortable seeing LGBTQ people represented in marketing campaigns. This number has been stable since 2020.
“It’s absolutely possible to run an advertising campaign and get LGBTQ people involved,” says GLAAD’s Ellis. “And at the same time there are forces on the political right, so we have to be careful and prepared when we do that.”
