ADVERTISING: Gay Ad Spending Not Effected By Marriage Debate

What is the state of gay ad spending? Super! Thanks for asking...

Same-sex marriage might have polarized lawmakers, but it has galvanized advertisers in the gay press. Overall, 2004 ad spending in gay and lesbian publications was up 28.4% versus the previous year, reaching $207 million.

The findings in this report represent the biggest increases in spending for the gay press since 2000. Conventional wisdom held that controversy around marriage would deter marketers. Instead, the debate had a powerful effect in the opposite direction.

Gay media also saw an astonishing surge in ads with “gay-specific” content. The number of gay specific ads, which feature messages directly aimed at gay and lesbian consumers through their copy or art direction, jumped 241.9% over the previous year.

Importantly, the 2004 Gay Press Report found that over 150 Fortune 500® brands were active in the gay consumer market in 2004, up from 72 in 2001 and only 19 in 1994. And for the first time, the majority (59%) of ads in national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) publications were specifically created for gay consumers. Currently, the most popular product categories are automotive, travel, financial services and fashion.

Read the full report in PDF form by Prime Access and Rivendell Media.