Should Companies Create Marketing Campaigns That Highlight LGBTQ+ Issues, and How Do They Avoid Appearing Performative?

 Marketing campaigns that highlight LGBTQ+ issues can be a powerful tool for businesses to show solidarity, but it’s important to approach these campaigns thoughtfully to avoid coming across as performative. When done right, these campaigns can build genuine connections with consumers, strengthen brand loyalty, and demonstrate a company’s long-term commitment to inclusivity. However, if handled poorly, they can feel like a shallow attempt to capitalize on a community’s struggles and victories without backing up the message with meaningful actions. Here’s how businesses can create marketing campaigns that highlight LGBTQ+ issues while avoiding a performative appearance:

1. Ensure the Campaign Is Rooted in Genuine Support

A campaign should not be just a one-time event for marketing purposes. It’s essential that the company’s commitment to LGBTQ+ issues is reflected in its actions and values year-round, not just during Pride Month or during LGBTQ+ awareness days.

How to Avoid Performative Marketing:

• Consistent Support: Ensure the campaign is part of a broader, ongoing effort to support the LGBTQ+ community. For example, the company should have inclusive policies, engage with LGBTQ+ charities, and support LGBTQ+ employees in meaningful ways.
• Long-Term Impact: Don’t just create a campaign for visibility; ensure that the company’s support translates into long-term action, such as donations, partnerships, or initiatives that provide lasting value to the LGBTQ+ community.

2. Focus on Authentic Stories and Representation

To avoid being performative, it’s critical that the campaign focuses on authentic LGBTQ+ experiences rather than just using the community for a sales boost. This can include telling real stories, highlighting diverse voices within the LGBTQ+ community, and addressing relevant issues with sensitivity.

How to Avoid Performative Marketing:

• Share Real Stories: Feature real LGBTQ+ individuals and their experiences, rather than fictionalized or exaggerated portrayals. Ensure that the stories reflect the diversity within the community, including different sexual orientations, gender identities, ethnic backgrounds, and lived experiences.
• Inclusive Representation: Represent LGBTQ+ individuals not as a monolith, but as unique individuals with varied stories. This includes including transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people alongside gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals.

3. Involve LGBTQ+ Creators and Advocates

One of the best ways to ensure authenticity in LGBTQ+ marketing campaigns is by collaborating with LGBTQ+ creators, advocates, and influencers who have an established connection with the community.

How to Avoid Performative Marketing:

• Genuine Partnerships: Partner with LGBTQ+ influencers, activists, and organizations that have established credibility within the community. Their involvement will make the campaign feel more genuine and less like an opportunistic move.
• Meaningful Involvement: Instead of merely featuring LGBTQ+ individuals in the campaign, involve them in the creative process, allowing them to influence messaging and content to ensure it aligns with the community’s needs and values.

4. Be Transparent About Your Efforts

Transparency is key in avoiding the appearance of performative marketing. If the company is launching a campaign related to LGBTQ+ issues, it’s important to be clear about the purpose of the campaign, how it aligns with the company’s values, and what concrete actions will follow.

How to Avoid Performative Marketing:

• Open Communication: Be transparent about the company’s past actions and future plans for supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Highlight any partnerships, donations, or initiatives the company has been involved with and is committed to moving forward.
• Follow-Through: If the campaign raises awareness or funds for LGBTQ+ causes, ensure that donations or support are delivered as promised. Publicly report on how the funds are being used and the impact they are making.

5. Avoid “Rainbow-Washing”

“Rainbow-washing” occurs when a company displays LGBTQ+ symbols, such as rainbow flags or logos, during Pride Month but fails to take any meaningful action to support the community. While showing support is important, it must be backed up by actual efforts to make a difference.

How to Avoid Performative Marketing:

• Beyond the Rainbow Logo: Avoid only using rainbow-colored logos during Pride Month. Instead, integrate inclusivity into your brand’s identity in a way that goes beyond just surface-level symbols.
• Meaningful Action: Support LGBTQ+ rights through policy changes, advocacy, employee support, and charity partnerships, and make sure these efforts are communicated clearly.

6. Be Sensitive to Current Issues Facing the LGBTQ+ Community

LGBTQ+ issues are complex, and there are always ongoing conversations and challenges that need to be addressed. It’s important to stay informed about these issues and ensure that campaigns are thoughtful and sensitive to the real struggles the community faces.

How to Avoid Performative Marketing:

• Relevant Messaging: Base your campaign on real issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, such as equal rights, healthcare, gender equality, or anti-discrimination efforts. Avoid trivializing the community’s struggles or using issues as a marketing tool without any real substance.
• Avoid Exploitation: Do not exploit tragic events, like violence against LGBTQ+ individuals, for marketing purposes. Ensure that campaigns are respectful and contribute to solutions rather than capitalizing on negative events.

7. Engage Employees in the Process

Involving LGBTQ+ employees in the campaign development process ensures that the messaging is authentic and reflects the lived experiences of those within the company. This also helps foster a more inclusive and supportive internal culture.

How to Avoid Performative Marketing:

• Employee Feedback: Solicit feedback from LGBTQ+ employees and allies on how the campaign aligns with their experiences and the company’s values. This can provide valuable insights and ensure the message resonates authentically with internal stakeholders.
• Inclusive Leadership: Ensure senior leaders are actively involved in promoting and supporting the campaign, showing that the commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion goes beyond marketing and is embedded in company culture.

Conclusion

Marketing campaigns that highlight LGBTQ+ issues can be powerful tools for raising awareness and showing support, but they must be done in a way that reflects genuine commitment and respect. To avoid appearing performative, companies must ensure that their campaigns are rooted in authenticity, transparency, and long-term support for the LGBTQ+ community. By focusing on real stories, meaningful partnerships, and clear actions, businesses can create campaigns that not only resonate with LGBTQ+ consumers but also contribute to lasting positive change.