Research Guides: Lesbian Studies: Marketing & Products

Lesbian Consumers

Image from Microft Clipart

Types of Products Marketed to Lesbians

This list is NOT an endorsement of any product mentioned below.

The selections represent a small sample of the types of products and services marketed to lesbians.

Curve Magazine
Category: Magazines and other publications
DykeTees.Com
Category: Clothing and shoes
Facebook Marketing
Category: Targeted ads within social media.
gaychurch.org
Categories: Church, religion, spirituality, belief.
Lesbian Jigsaw Puzzles at CafePress
Category: Puzzles, games, posters, etc.
Lesbian Realtors / LGBT Real Estate
Category: Real Estate services
Olivia Lesbian Travel
Category: Travel and vacations
Pink Web
Category: Lesbian and Gay-friendly businesses
Popular Lesbian Books @ Good Reads
Category: Books
PrideID.com
Category: Jewelry
WolfeVideo.com
Category: Movie videos

Academic Articles

Below is a list of databases with sample citations to full-text articles about lesbians and marketing. All are available via the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Business Source Complete
- This link opens in a new window
Gudelunas, David. Consumer myths and the gay men and women who believe them: a qualitative look at movements and markets. Psychology & Marketing; Jan 2011, Vol. 28 Issue 1, pp. 53-68.
EBSCOhost
- This link opens in a new window
Baxter, Susan. Evidence on the marketing approaches targeting gay and lesbian consumers. Global Journal of Business Research (GJBR); 2010, Vol. 4 Issue 2, pp. 125-139.

Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns by Thomson Gale
- This link opens in a new window
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2006
This completely new second volume explores nearly 500 major marketing and advertising campaigns from 1999-2005. Entries profile recent print, radio, television, billboard and internet campaigns. Both major marketing campaigns of new companies and new product campaigns from well-established companies are covered. Historical context is provided along with the expected and actual outcomes of each campaigns. Photos and sidebars enhance the text.

Resources on the Web

GLAAD Media Awards
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) recognizes outstanding images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in the media.
GreenBook: Gay and Lesbian Market
Companies that offer market research services related to the gay & lesbian Market. Review and compare vendors able to conduct a research project associated with gays and lesbians.
Community Marketing and Insights: LGBT Workshops & Custom Training
Marketing, advertising and PR executives of all industries who want to successfully reach gay and lesbian communities, and initiate or update effective strategies.
Lesbian Women in Ads - The Gender ADs Project, by Scott A. Lukas
This website is focused on the cultural intersections of gender and advertising.
Renault 'Lesbian' Car Ad Banned In Italy (VIDEO) - Huffington Post
12/17/2010

Book Titles

InfoKat Discovery
- This link opens in a new window
InfoKat Discovery allows you to quickly search multiple UK library resources simultaneously, including books, journal articles, dissertations, government documents, archives and special collections, images, maps, videos, music and open access content. InfoKat Discovery does NOT include all of the journal articles available through our databases.

Titles not in the UK Libraries may be requested via Interlibrary Loan (ILL).

Untold Millions: secret truths about marketing to gay and lesbian consumers by John P. De Cecco
Publication Date: 2017

Lack of Marketing to Lesbians

Consumer Responses to Homosexual Imagery in Advertising: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Martin Eisend and Erik Hermann
Journal of Advertising, Volume 48, 2019 , Issue 4
Pages 380-400
"Rising support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, paired with the considerable buying power of this group, has triggered increasing interest from marketers in the gay and lesbian market."
Inclusive Identities: Challenging Socially Constructed Perceptions of Femininity, Masculinity and Sexuality in Marketing
Authors: Elaine L. Ritch, Christopher A. Dodd
Journal: New Perspectives on Critical Marketing and Consumer Society
Publication date: 1 March 2021
Invisibility of Queer Women in Advertising By Olivia Stancombe
The Marketing Society blog post.
LGBTQ Marketing and Advertising: Best Practices
Human Rights Campaign professional resources webpage.
Toward an understanding of consumer self-marketing: An examination of gay and lesbian advertising appeals.
Authors: Thomas, Jane Boyd and Peters, Cara
Journal of Cultural Marketing Strategy. 2019, Vol. 4 Issue 1, p112-130. 19p.
Why are advertisers still failing to represent lesbians? by Leonie Roderick
Research shows lesbians are one of the least well-represented communities in advertising, putting brands at risk of alienating this group of consumers.
Why marketing targeted at gay and lesbian consumers often misses its markby Dr Tom McNamara and Dr Irena Descubes
A brief overview of the history of targeted marketing efforts towards gay and lesbian members of the community. Marketing targeted at these individuals is a relatively recent phenomenon and one that is not fully understood. Some guidelines are offered to marketing professionals wishing to reach this dynamic group of consumers.