At the 75th annual Emmy Awards, Niecy Nash-Betts delivered a remarkable acceptance speech for best supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie for Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. After she was ushered to the stage by her wife, musician Jessica Betts, Nash exclaimed, “And you know who I want to thank? I want to thank me—for believing in me and doing what they said I could not do. And I want to say to myself, in front of all of you beautiful people—Go on, girl, with your bad self! You did that!” This proclamation of self/acceptance is monumental for LGBTQIA+ audiences, Black audiences, and TV watchers in general, speaking to the power of acceptance in all forms.
We are in the midst of the 2024 awards season, a perfect time for brands and industry executives to recognize the continuing impact of diverse LGBTQIA+ representation and the diverse LGBTQIA+ consumers of mainstream media. State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: FOCUS LGBTQIA+ 2023 is a recent study from Horowitz Research that investigates LGBTQIA+ viewing behaviors and content preferences, as well as LGBTQIA+ socio-political stances and perceptions surrounding representation in advertising and media. Two-thirds of LGBTQIA+ consumers say they are more likely to watch a show if it has a cast that represents the diversity of the U.S., stories centered around their culture and community, or stories with LGBTQIA+ characters (higher than 25% of the total market). Including characters with disabilities and bilingual characters with subtitles also appeals to LGBTQIA+ consumers.
As we watch the soaring popularity of shows featuring diverse queer cast and queer themes, such as Fellow Travelers,Queer Eye—More Than a Makeover, and the Mean Girls reboot, we are also reminded that the political climate is increasingly hostile to the LGBTQIA+ community. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is tracking 398 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills in the U.S. This is why, for LGBTQIA+ consumers, being actively involved in social/political change and knowing companies’ social, environmental, and political stances is even more important than it is to the total market. A full 3 in 4 (75%) LGBTQIA+ consumers tell us that if a company publicly supports the LGBTQIA+ community, it would have a positive impact on their decision to buy from that company.
In fact, LGBTQIA+ consumers are much more likely than the total market to take action as a result of a specific company’s actions or stances on political, social, and/or environmental issues. Seven in 10 report having taken negative action. Specifically, 4 in 10 LGBTQIA+ consumers have stopped doing business or spent less money with a company due to the company’s stances (higher than the total market). On the other hand, over a third have taken positive action including having started doing business or spending more money with a company as a result of its stances (22%, also higher than the total market). All these findings emphasize that LGBTQIA+ consumers are savvy consumers. How is your brand in conversation and engaging with this community this year?
The full State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: FOCUS LGBTQIA+ 2023 study integrates data from our core syndicated studies to highlight distinctions in LGBTQIA+ consumer behaviors and attitudes compared to the general market. This report covers everything from subscriptions to viewing behaviors to opportunities for advertising and takes the pulse of the LGBTQIA+ community on key social and political issues. The sample sizes for each survey range from 201-285 LGBTQIA+ adults 18+ in the U.S., depending on the study. Data have been weighted to Census.
A. Anthony, Ph.D., is a Cultural Insights Strategist at Horowitz Research. They are a qualitative researcher and a community educator with a Ph.D. in American Studies. Their work focuses on uplifting and documenting the everyday lives of under-represented, under-resourced, and hyper-stigmatized communities in the urban United States.
CONTACT
For more information about the State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: FOCUS LGBTQIA+ 2023 report, visit: https://www.horowitzresearch.com/syndicated-research/focus-lgbtqia/. To purchase the report, schedule an interview with an analyst, or to request specific data, please contact Nicole Cicogna: [email protected], 347-738-1574.
ABOUT HOROWITZ RESEARCH DIVISION OF M/A/R/C RESEARCH
Horowitz Research is a leading provider of consumer market research specializing in consumers and their relationships to media, content, and technology with a particular expertise in cultural insights among America’s Black, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQIA+, and Gen Z audiences. The company offers a full suite of à la carte syndicated reports as well as custom quantitative and qualitative consumer research for companies ranging from small start-ups to Fortune 500. Horowitz Research was recently acquired by M/A/R/C Research, a Texas-based research and insights firm. For more information, visit www.horowitzresearch.com.
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