How to improve marketing to the LGBT community

Jamie Love

This article debunks some common mistakes made when advertisers market to the LGBTQ+ community – such as pulling on heartstrings, using heteronormative ideals and oversexualisation – and asks how the Netflix series Heartstopper did the opposite of this and why it has been such a success.

The pink pound is estimated to be worth £6 billion per year in the UK alone. It still sometimes feels that brands are competing for this section of the market, but have missed the mark when it comes to accurately communicating and making the LGBT community feel connected to the brand. In fact, the total opposite is true, with 72% of the LGBTQ+ community thinking that the way they are presented in advertising is tokenistic, according to research commissioned by Gay Times and Karmarama.

While I appreciate the effort that is being made by brands, I still think...

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