How Can Brands Showcase Their Support for Pride Beyond June?
With Pride flags having been taken down, and streets cleared of rainbow confetti and glitter post parades, another Pride month has come to an end. While it’s widely known that June is the month to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, the support, recognition and celebration doesn’t have to stop there.
For those brands looking to position themselves as true champions and allies of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s important that their pride isn’t just limited to the month of June.
Embracing and supporting the LGBTQ+ community year-round demonstrates genuine commitment and inclusivity. Brands can foster loyalty and build trust by integrating diverse representation into their marketing strategies, supporting LGBTQ+ causes, and creating inclusive workplace environments.
In this article, we’ll explore effective ways for brands to maintain their Pride support throughout the year, ensuring that their support is both authentic and impactful.
What Happened During Pride Month?
In our own research of 1,067 people in the UK who are aware of Pride month, 81% define Pride month as a time for LGBTQ+ advocacy, followed by celebrating individuality (46%), community support (42%), celebrating freedom (26%), and acceptance (22%). 75% also have a generally positive sentiment towards brand engagement with Pride month.
This month, we’ve seen brands develop Pride themed merchandise as another way to showcase their support for the community. While 21% of consumers expect this as a signal of support, other ways include promoting awareness (27%), charitable contributions (19%) and inclusive advertising (15%).
Consumers increasingly appreciate the visible support and inclusive initiatives from major brands during Pride month, seeing it as a positive step towards mainstream recognition and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community.
One respondent from our survey said that they found “Actions by brands like long-term partnerships, concrete donations, inclusive marketing, employee resource groups, and tangible support for LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy to be meaningful and authentic.
Companies such as LEGO, Apple, Skittles, NYX, Xbox, and Absolut Vodka stand out for their successful initiatives, which include specially designed products, marketing campaigns, and contributions to LGBTQ+ organisations, demonstrating a real commitment to the community.”
Is Rainbow Branding Enough?
39% perceive rainbow marketing as ‘disingenuous’ and ‘inappropriate’, alongside profit-driven support (31%), performative allyship (28%), inauthentic support (21%), and exploitative practices (14%).
As another respondent called out, “Brands like Ben & Jerry's, Google, LEGO, Target, and Nike are leaders in engaging with Pride month positively through inclusive marketing, supporting LGBTQ+ initiatives, and advocating for equality and representation. Their efforts are distinguished by a consistent advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion, extending beyond superficial gestures to include authentic representation in marketing, meaningful partnerships with LGBTQ+ organisations, and a long-term commitment to advancing LGBTQ+ equality and visibility. These brands exemplify responsible corporate citizenship and allyship with the LGBTQ+ community, making their contributions significant beyond just the month of June.”
It's clear a rainbow marketing campaign is not enough, and that it’s easy to tell when support extends beyond profit through to business practices. To demonstrate genuine allyship, brands must take meaningful steps to demonstrate their inclusivity and support internally, to make their external efforts come across authentically.
A Year-Round Commitment
To showcase year-round commitment, there are several steps that can be taken including implementing ongoing LGBTQ+ employee resource groups and training programs to foster an inclusive workplace culture year-round. Another respondent highlighted that brands can, “adjust their culture to be inclusive of staff, customers, and others throughout the whole year.”
Additionally, brands can show their tangible support by donating to LGBTQ+ organisations and prioritising inclusive advertising that represents the community, avoiding stereotypes and tokenism.
Adopting inclusive logos as a one off simply isn't enough. People believe genuine support should have a tangible impact. Brands that represent and champion diversity and inclusivity in all of their activities are viewed in the most positive light.
It's clear that brands need to go beyond the surface. From integrating LGBTQ+ representation into all marketing and advertising efforts, to supporting specific causes and fostering an inclusive workplace, consumers are expecting more from brands than they previously have.
If brands aren’t prepared to put in the work to showcase their Pride all year round, they could lose credibility and equity, resulting in customers turning to competitors.