It feels like the 1990s all over again—and marketers should take note.
In conversations with LGBTQ publishers and media professionals across the country, one thing is clear: LGBTQ media is needed now more than ever, yet outlets are experiencing a downturn in support from national advertisers and marketers. The causes are numerous, but chief among them is the hostile environment created by the current administration. Whether the pressure comes from tariffs, rising costs, homophobia, the broader economy, or all of the above, the effect is real. LGBTQ media must do more with less, which means less investigative journalism, original photography, and individual coverage—and more stock content. At the same time, outlets must expand LGBTQ health coverage as many HIV/AIDS-related grants disappear.
This moment recalls the early 1990s, when AIDS came barreling in just as LGBTQ media was experiencing massive growth. Many national brands disappeared from the pages, and some never returned. But we remember the advertisers that stayed—the ones whose dollars helped carry LGBTQ media through those difficult years until corporate America regained its senses. Absolut is the clearest example. Its advertising remained steady, helping turn an obscure brand into a household name. The company advertised in mainstream media too, of course, but LGBTQ customers no longer ordered simply a vodka and tonic or vodka with cranberry; they ordered Absolut. The brand still enjoys remarkable recognition in the LGBTQ community. I see it at parties among my contemporaries, where Absolut is almost always on the bar. That connection is weaker among younger LGBTQ people, as you might expect: they do not remember when “the community” was left behind, and it has been years since Absolut invested in the same kind of targeted advertising and placement.
Marketers, take note: now is the time to show up. Brands that return before everyone else will have the greatest impact as America moves forward again.
I recently connected with a leading brand that had made strong inroads with the LGBTQ community but, like many others, went silent. The company recognized its mistake because it had already identified LGBTQ consumers as some of its best customers—the reason it became inclusive in the first place. I was impressed that its leaders acknowledged the misstep, as so many brands do not, and asked for ideas about how to reengage.
Brands can address past mistakes in many ways: apologize, fund nonprofits, enlist influencers, and more. But after so much exclusion, there is also pent-up demand simply to be included- just like the 1990s all over again. My advice to this brand was to prepare a statement in case one became necessary, but above all, to start showing up again. People will notice, and that presence alone can signal that the brand wants their business. When the damage is severe, reentering a market may require an apology tour—think of Coors in the 1990s and its history with the LGBTQ market—and that approach succeeded. In other cases, showing up may be enough. The more I consider this client and the times we are living through, the more I believe that presence alone will probably be sufficient. Will it please everyone? Perhaps not. Marketing will always have detractors, and no brand will satisfy everyone. Still, showing up has real impact for groups that have felt excluded and ignored. A friend who arrives at the right moment often needs no explanation, and for most brands that once targeted LGBTQ consumers, that moment is now. I am not including Anheuser-Busch in that group. It owes our community—and all Americans—an apology for failing to stand up for American values and for piling onto discrimination against transgender people. No amount of Super Bowl nostalgia will repair that breach. For other brands, most Americans, including those in the mainstream, understand the difficult climate the current administration has created for businesses large and small.
Show up and be prepared. Chances are, LGBTQ consumers will be pleased to feel included—and ready to welcome you back.
