June is pride month when many brands run marketing and PR campaigns showing their support for the LGBT+ community. For the last few years, rainbow washing – the act of using rainbow colours or LGBT+ messaging to market a brand while in reality not supporting the community in any tangible way – has gained traction.

We now know that claims of rainbow washing can severely harm a brand’s reputation. So PR and marketing professionals are conscious that they need to ensure a company actually supports the community if they are pride marketing. There are various steps they can take to ensure that the company doesn’t get criticism for rainbow washing. For example, rather than viewing the first of June as the day to start pro-LGBT+ messaging, organisations can frame the first of June as the culmination of their year-long efforts to achieve inclusion for LGBT+ consumers and employees.

But the LGBT+ rights movement now requires brands to go one step ahead. Supporting the community is no longer enough. The marketing campaign should also reflect that a company is aware of the latest issues and discussions in the community. Because tone-deaf marketing that is not reflective of the dynamics or politics of the movement can come under fire even if run by a company that genuinely supports the community in its policies and CSR activities. Hence, some of the hot button issues that PR and marketing professionals need to be aware of when pride marketing are intersectionality, sensitive language and amplifying LGBT+ voices.

Recognise intersectionality

It is important for brands to recognise intersectionality, i.e, intersecting racial, religious, ethnic, gender and sexual identities in their marketing campaigns. It is because the challenges faced by LGBT+ employees and consumers are compounded by the challenges they may face because of their racial or ethnic identities. As per the Trevor Project, Black LGBT+ youth are significantly less likely to receive professional support (39%) compared to non-Black LGBT+ youth (47%). 12% of non-white LGBT+ employees noted losing their jobs in 2017 because of their sexual and gender identity, compared to 4% of white LGBT+ employees. Corporations can embrace the intersectionality of LGBT+ movements to bolster their marketing strategies by tailor marketing campaigns to include the stories of LGBT+ people of colour.

Coming out – or including in

They also need to understand the role of language in developing sensitive messaging. Language and dialogue can shape opinions and perceptions. While your organisation’s messaging may be emphasising that you support your employees who are “coming out,” it is important to ensure you are providing resources for “including them in”. By speaking about the ways your organisation provides support, resources and platforms for LGBT+ people of colour to connect and use their experiences to drive your purpose and brand narrative, your organisation stands to be seen as a more convincing ally. Recently, Disney has been in the news for sexual orientation discrimination against one of their senior employees when he was “outed.” This example shows that supporting “coming out” is only the beginning of your Pride messaging. Showcasing inclusion is the hallmark of your endeavours.

Amplify LGBT+ voices

Similarly, marketing professionals should amplify the voices of LGBT+ consumers, employees and suppliers in their marketing. Amplifying the voices of the community is important because you don’t want to hijack someone else’s movement. You need to include people in front of the camera as well as behind the scenes when working on campaigns for pride month. They need to be part of the process starting from research not only because it is the most obvious thing to do – but also because they will tell you what you don’t know. Their experience and perspectives are important to be included and would transform your generic campaign into something worthwhile.

Curzon PR is a London-based PR firm working with clients globally. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Development Team [email protected]