Pride Month – What this means for brands

Have you seen those rainbow flags out, people in some crazy outfits & mad parties, marches or runs?

Yes, you guessed it, the run-up to Pride Month 2019 has begun. June & July mark the month’s where the world celebrates the LGBTQ+ Community. From marches & parades to festivals & street parties, you will not miss the plethora of parties & celebration going on.

I attended the University of Brighton, where there’s a rich history of Pride marches. Brighton and Hove Pride began with a gay demonstration in Brighton in October 1972 by The Sussex Gay Liberation Front (SGLF) and a full pride march in July 1973. Whilst at university there, I was lucky enough to go to 2 of the parades through the city, festivals & afterparties– it was amazing to see how far the movement has come & the amount of local support they have (not to mention a totally mad party)!

The Marketing of Pride Month 

From a marketing perspective, brands choose to sponsor, or partner with Pride, & many brands show their support by changing their logo to incorporate the Pride colours.

Here at ONQOR, we support LGBTQ+ and have recently changed our logo! You can find it out on our website & social platforms such as Facebook!

Okay, so the support for the community is significant & awesome, but shouldn’t we be seeing brands supporting this movement and the LGBTQ+ Community throughout the year & not just in June, July?!

The Question?

What can brands do to engage with the LGBTQ+ Community more effectively throughout the year?

What do I think?

  • Long-term Approach – Brands should be making this support a long-term strategy, it shouldn’t purely be in Pride Month! It’s an ongoing action, which needs attention in the other 10 months of the year as well.
  • Authenticity – Engaging with the LGBTQ+ Community on a more authentic scale will lead to a more powerful impact. Taking the extra time to accept, get involved & recognise the members alongside the movement
  • Actions Speak Louder Than Words – Brands need to be backing up their words with actions! Real support can lead to huge returns – being equal and open in the workplace has been shown to lead to better performance outcomes in business.

As such, it is clear that the extensive corporate support of LGBTQ+ during Pride month is by no means negative. However, there is more that can be done. Businesses need to go further. It is the company culture and attitude towards sexuality that matters more than just changing a brand logo colour. Hear at ONQOR, Diversity & Inclusion are part of our every day & are present in every business decision we make. Our Zero-Tolerance discrimination policy ensures we provide & maintain a safe & inclusive working environment.

I will be attending Brighton Pride again this year & getting involved in some of the London Events too – I know they held the Pride in London 10K over the weekend which looked like great fun. Maybe next year Han? (*nods*, might need a little training for that!).

Who is getting involved in Pride 2019? What are you doing to support?