Gay and Lesbians in the U.S Marketplace
According to a Chicago based market research firm, the gay and lesbian market consists of a population of 18.5 million, along with a total annual income of $514 billion (Vargas 25). Additionally, it is proven that gay and lesbian consumers have a significantly higher purchasing power than heterosexual consumers. Thus, it would make sense for corporations to market their product and services to this market, however, that is not the case. In fact, there are controversial issues regarding the incorporation of gay and lesbian themes in advertisements and other marketing practices (Vargas 26). Though some corporations include homoerotic images in their advertisements, it shifts away from what defines …show more content…
The reason for such practice is due to corporations concern on the potential negative feedback of the general market place, and impacts on the image of the corporation (Peñaloza 34). However, Vargas research demonstrates how the general consumer can actually have an implicit preference for advertisements that have homoerotic images. Thus, the pressures that are pushing marketers to use false representations, is not exactly imposed by the general consumer; instead it derives from political and religious institutions that construct and promote hetero-normativity. Therefore, heterosexual subjects who demonstrated implicit preference for homoerotic traits, but no explicit indicators, suggest that they wouldn’t mind the legitimization of gay and lesbians in the marketplace. But societies imposition of what is considered the norm restrains them from free expression and thought. This could be seen from the perspective of marketers as well. The use of white upper class models that “represent” the gay and lesbian community can be a form of constraining explicit preferences that may have an adverse reactive impact. However, the fact that marketers try to use homoerotic imagery in a discreet manner that misrepresents gay and lesbians, suggests that they in fact have an implicit preference for the use of homoerotic images in marketing practices. Hence, the false representations is due to the fear of presenting explicit support for the legitimization of gay and lesbians, due to the constraints derived from what is considered a norm in society. However, there is implicit preference in the use of homoerotic images in advertisement, but society’s imposition of hetero-normativity makes it difficult for people to express explicit preference, and results in the legitimization of gays and lesbians in society
According to a Chicago based market research firm, the gay and lesbian market consists of a population of 18.5 million, along with a total annual income of $514 billion (Vargas 25). Additionally, it is proven that gay and lesbian consumers have a significantly higher purchasing power than heterosexual consumers. Thus, it would make sense for corporations to market their product and services to this market, however, that is not the case. In fact, there are controversial issues regarding the incorporation of gay and lesbian themes in advertisements and other marketing practices (Vargas 26). Though some corporations include homoerotic images in their advertisements, it shifts away from what defines …show more content…
The reason for such practice is due to corporations concern on the potential negative feedback of the general market place, and impacts on the image of the corporation (Peñaloza 34). However, Vargas research demonstrates how the general consumer can actually have an implicit preference for advertisements that have homoerotic images. Thus, the pressures that are pushing marketers to use false representations, is not exactly imposed by the general consumer; instead it derives from political and religious institutions that construct and promote hetero-normativity. Therefore, heterosexual subjects who demonstrated implicit preference for homoerotic traits, but no explicit indicators, suggest that they wouldn’t mind the legitimization of gay and lesbians in the marketplace. But societies imposition of what is considered the norm restrains them from free expression and thought. This could be seen from the perspective of marketers as well. The use of white upper class models that “represent” the gay and lesbian community can be a form of constraining explicit preferences that may have an adverse reactive impact. However, the fact that marketers try to use homoerotic imagery in a discreet manner that misrepresents gay and lesbians, suggests that they in fact have an implicit preference for the use of homoerotic images in marketing practices. Hence, the false representations is due to the fear of presenting explicit support for the legitimization of gay and lesbians, due to the constraints derived from what is considered a norm in society. However, there is implicit preference in the use of homoerotic images in advertisement, but society’s imposition of hetero-normativity makes it difficult for people to express explicit preference, and results in the legitimization of gays and lesbians in society