Marketing industry neglects the LGBT community, top marketing director claims
Jan Gooding – Aviva’s Group Brand Director – claims that more needs to be done to ensure gay people are featured in advertising and marketing campaigns.
Ms Gooding – who is also Chairwoman of Stonewall – made the comments while discussing the importance of supporting and including minority groups in when marketing products, saying the industry “tends to neglect the whole area.”
“Addressing LGBT issues within the industry, should be taken much more seriously than it has been.”
She said that companies believe that “as long as you put some gay people in your ads, you’re indicating that you are interested in LGBT and gay rights.”
However, she stressed that supporting equality “goes much, much deeper than that” and that it was time business and marketing leaders started thinking much more “profoundly” about gay customer experience.
Ms Gooding was talking to Ogilvy Pride about the importance of networks such as theirs, as well why companies should embrace LGBT customers.
“Everyone’s customer base is diverse,” she said.
“The reason it is important to tune into and be insightful of the requirements, attitudes and issues within LGBT, is because everybody benefits.
“The more we empathetic about how people feel, how they relate to brands, how important it is for them to feel acknowledged, within people’s marketing plans, the more successful brands will be.”
Ogilvy Pride UK is the LGBT specialist PR & marketing consultancy of Ogilvy & Mather Group UK. As well as being recognised as Stonewall Champions, Ogilvy’s global efforts have been recognised by the Human Rights Campaign Organisation, who have rated the company as one of the best places to work as an LGBT individual.
Watch Jan’s full interview below.
