Introduction
GLAAD recently fielded a study of decision-makers and senior leaders in the Advertising Industry to understand perceptions, commitments, and feelings about the impact and importance of featuring the LGBTQ community in advertising and uncover new and emerging industry challenges.
This tracking study was first conducted in 2021 as part of the launch of The Visibility Project in partnership with P&G, exposing the myths and unveiling new facts about the industry’s commitment to LGBTQ inclusion in advertising. The Visibility Project started as a campaign to drive and sustain LGBTQ inclusion in advertising and marketing. It has now grown into a full-fledged consultancy, education, and research engine of GLAAD that provides needed tools, resources, and playbooks for more authentic inclusion that drives cultural change. This inaugural study revealed how crucial representation is in driving greater acceptance and understanding of LGBTQ people and issues, and it underlined essential insights that the industry lacks internal knowledge to get representation “right.”
This second wave of the study was conducted to pinpoint changes in sentiment and commitment from the industry compared to the first study. In an environment of unprecedented anti-LGBTQ legislation combined with a small but loud minority of extremists pushing back against LGBTQ inclusion efforts during Pride month, it was imperative to gauge where the industry is today with inclusion efforts.
In this report, we learn directly from industry leaders how (or even if) advertising budgets targeting the LGBTQ community have changed, whose stories and depictions the industry prioritizes within advertising, and how brands are responding to the backlash and challenges facing the industry today.
The study also identifies why the Advertising industry believes it’s important to advocate for the LGBTQ community, along with perceived barriers and risks. Finally, we learn what tools or resources the sector needs to remain committed to this culture-changing work. GLAAD’s research shows that media exposure drives familiarity and acceptance by double-digits, and advertisers have a responsibility and an opportunity to be part of the change we need to see to increase acceptance of the LGBTQ community.