Strategic Consulting

Gay Market Development

After analyzing the research, we develop strategies to reach your business goals.
Some of the components:

97% of gays and lesbians took vacations in the past 12 months. The U.S. national average is 64%. Gay and lesbians with two incomes and no children have discretionary income above the national average.

Strategic Audit: Positioning and Differentiation

Based on your opportunities and strengths, a Strategic Audit identifies brand and product positions that can lead to maximum success.
We also assess your corporate policies and practices—crucial to gay loyalty. Gay consumers tend to vote with their wallets: they favor
good corporate citizens.

This audit of internal practices and external opportunities will far better prepare you to create highly targeted advertising and promotions, packaging, activities and events. Working with market leaders, we’ve seen first hand major successes–and some mis-steps. This insight can reduce your learning curve and help your programs work harder, faster. And far more cost-effectively.

Sensitivity Training

How do your employees feel about your gay and lesbian out-reach? How will they respond to an increase of gay customers? Will personal issues affect their service?

We can anticipate subtle issues long before they emerge as problems. To bring everyone on board, we’ll work within your organization and address issues from a range of perspectives.

Gay & Lesbian Advisory Boards

Advisory boards, built from among your gay and lesbian customers, will be among the most powerful, cost-effective resources in your gay marketing plan. They provide nearly instant feedback on positioning, products and marketing. They will help you brainstorm promotions, branding, communications, customer service issues, and even how to spin media challenges.

Quality Control

Is your staff actually delivering what has been promised in your gay marketing materials? Our researchers in the field will go under cover to test your employees in a variety of challenging situations. The results may please you or concern you. In either case, you need to know. We will guide your response to staff issues as well as company policies, to bring your service delivery in line with your marketing.

Fine Tuning

In such a rapidly growing and changing market, monitoring is crucial for success.

We will evaluate your program mid-course, following up your initiatives with online surveys, field surveys, focus groups and advisory board input. We measure and assess results, fine-tune strategies and help you re-direct your resources to your most productive programs.

Presentations

Make your research initiatives come alive with presentations to your directors, executive committee, investors, co-op partners, gay community associations and your staff.

We’ll interpret the research, Strategic Audit, positioning, product development and marketing plan. We’ll deliver it in a PowerPoint presentation, in an interactive boardroom setting.

 

Philanthropy and Community Involvement

Going After the Gay Buck: If that’s what gay consumers think you are doing, better revisit your strategy. Of 3,822 gay and lesbian consumers surveyed, 86% prefer to do business with companies that give back in terms of community support and involvement. CMI has found philanthropy to be key to our clients’ success, and perhaps the most important element of a successful plan.

Community Involvement Programs

There are two important reasons to create a Community Involvement Program. First, it’s the right thing to do.
Non-profit agencies in the gay community serve vital needs — often, dealing with life and death — and need all the help they can get.

Second, it’s cost-effective marketing that delivers results. The gay and lesbian community rewards ‘joiners.’ Involvement equals credibility. Community Marketing has extensive experience creating Community Involvement Programs that develop customers and customer loyalty. We can set up a program that your staff will take pride in, and will drive real acceptance in the gay community.