GLAAD RELEASES RESULTS OF ITS 2024 VISIBILITY PERCEPTIONS IN ADVERTISING SURVEY

GLAAD’S 2024 VISIBILITY PERCEPTIONS IN ADVERTISING STUDY FINDS 90% OF ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES SAY IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE LGBTQ PEOPLE IN ADVERTISING, ALONG WITH AN +80% INCREASE IN INDUSTRY SENTIMENT THAT LGBTQ PEOPLE ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THEIR BUSINESS

Study found an +80% increase in the advertising industry saying the LGBTQ community is very important to their business compared to GLAAD’s 2021 Study

Study found 48% of the industry says it’s very important to feature transgender people in advertising, a +71% increase from GLAAD’s 2021 study

New York, New York – Wednesday, November 13, 2024 – GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, today released the findings of its 2024 Visibility Perceptions in Advertising, based on a survey of 200 decision-makers and marketing executives from advertisers and advertising agencies to understand perceptions, commitments, and challenges to featuring the LGBTQ community in advertising.

Releasing in tandem with the start of Transgender Awareness Week, GLAAD’s 2024 Visibility Perceptions in Advertising elevates the importance of featuring all members of the LGBTQ community in advertising, with particular importance on featuring transgender people and identifies why the Advertising industry believes it’s an important advocate for the LGBTQ community, along with perceived barriers and risks to that advocacy. The study also gleaned from industry leaders how (or even if) advertising budgets targeting the LGBTQ community have changed since our 2021 report, whose stories and depictions the industry prioritizes within advertising, and how brands are responding to the backlash and challenges facing the industry today.

This study was made possible by a grant from the Nielsen Foundation through their Data For Good program, and is a follow-up to the 2021 Advertiser & Agency Perspectives on LGBTQ Inclusion Study published in partnership with P&G, which exposed myths and unveiled new facts about the industry’s commitment to LGBTQ inclusion in advertising.

Download the full Study HERE
Download the Digital Tool Kit HERE

Key Findings:

• The study found increases across the board on whether advertising industry professionals felt it was important to represent specific LGBTQ communities in advertising:
  • The importance of transgender representation in advertising among industry leaders increased by +71% compared to 2021.
  • The importance of bisexual representation in advertising among industry increased by +69% compared to 2021.
  • The importance of nonbinary representation in advertising among industry increased by +34% compared to 2021.
• The study found the industry is more fearful of facing backlash due to LGBTQ inclusion, as opposed to facing backlash for lack of LGBTQ inclusion.
  • This, despite the fact that consumers – and especially younger consumers – are +51% more likely this year to say the industry is not doing enough to represent the LGBTQ community appropriately, according to GLAAD’s soon-to-be-released Advertising Visibility Index.
• The study found that 90% of the industry says it’s very important to feature the LGBTQ community in advertising.
• The study revealed an +80% increase in the industry saying the LGBTQ community is very important to their business, compared to 2021.
• The study found that 69% of advertisers and agencies have funds specifically allocated to targeting our community, up +17% from the prior survey in 2021.
• The study found that industry is +55% more likely to say they don’t have the expertise and knowledge to get LGBTQ representation “right” compared to 2021.
• The study found that nearly half of the industry completely agree that companies must be prepared to stand by their decision to support or include LGBTQ people in advertising, and this grows to nearly 90% among those in the industry that agree completely or agree somewhat.
• The study found that companies that have faced backlash are up to 1.6x more likely to increase their commitment to feature LGBTQ people compared to companies that have not faced backlash.
• The study found that partnering with nonprofits to provide guidance is the top action item industry leaders mentioned needing to be more committed to this work.

From GLAAD President & CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis:
“Our 2024 Visibility Perceptions in Advertising shows there is significant work to be done to empower brand and agency leaders to not only “get it right,” but to partner with organizations like GLAAD as a business partner to meet shared goals. We cannot let fear and fringe anti-LGBTQ activists dilute the work that has been done in the name of visibility, acceptance and opportunity. Now is the time for action and to put years of data to the test to meet this bifurcated cultural moment. One path leads to turning your back on millions of new consumers entering the marketplace and workforce, while the other welcomes growth and new business opportunities. The question is not if LGBTQ people should be included, but how. Our teams look forward to partnership that places companies on the path of inclusion and success.”

From GLAAD Senior Director of Agencies, Brands and Engagement, Meghan Bartley:
“This report underscores what GLAAD and many researchers have uncovered in the past few years: LGBTQ inclusion is a future-proofing brand growth strategy. While Gen Z and Millennial consumers are more likely to be, know, and support LGBTQ people and the purchasing power of LGBTQ people in the U.S. is $1.4 trillion, the real argument for inclusion lies with expectations of consumers across demographics. A majority of consumers support pro-LGBTQ brands, are more likely to buy or use brands with demonstrated commitments, and are more likely to support brands facing backlash rather than the critics. The industry understands this, which is why we see an increase in expected brand commitments to LGBTQ efforts since 2021. Brands who have yet to engage in LGBTQ strategies must start today for long-term growth.”

Brands interested in partnering with GLAAD to improve their quality of LGBTQ support and representation should contact the GLAAD Partnerships team directly: partnerships@glaad.org

Methodology:

This quantitative research study was conducted online among a total of 200 business decision-makers in late 2023, with the interviews with high-level marketing communication executives equally divided among advertisers and advertising agencies. Respondents were screened to represent a range of senior titles including C-Suite, EVP, VP, Director and Manager-level employees. Advertiser respondents were specifically screened to work at organizations with annual media spending over $50 million on B2C advertising; qualifying respondents reported being personally responsible for at least $15 million of spending and that multi-platform video advertising was a meaningful part of the total spending. Respondents were key influencers/final decision-makers on areas such as managing/allocating ad budget, messaging and content strategy, casting, and/or approving final advertising. Agency respondents were screened to ensure their largest B2C account had spending over $15M annually on B2C advertising, and multi-platform video advertising was a meaningful part of the total ad spend.  Qualified respondents were key influencers/final decision makers for areas such as account management,message strategy, casting or creative development.

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About the GLAAD Media Institute:
The GLAAD Media Institute provides training, consultation, and actionable research to develop an army of social justice ambassadors for all marginalized communities to champion acceptance and amplify media impact. Earlier version of this report, along with GLAAD’s research library can be found at GLAAD.org/Publications.

About The Nielsen Foundation:
The Nielsen Foundation is a private foundation originally funded by Nielsen, a global data and analytics company. The Foundation envisions a more equitable world enabled by inclusive media and technology, where everyone has a voice and opportunities to succeed. The Foundation’s mission is to power and advance inclusive innovation and representation in the media and technology industries, especially through the use of data and research. Grants from the Nielsen Foundation typically support efforts to advance representation in media production and content through the use of data and research, support diverse talent in media and technology careers, and encourage the use of media and technology as forces for good. For more information, visit www.nielsen-foundation.org.