ILoveGay.NET

I was interviewed by Dutch trade magazine/website: RetailTrends. They call an expert every week about a current development. This time: expert in rainbow marketing Alfred Verhoeven about Pride marketing.

Last weekend, Queer & Pride Amsterdam started. In the run-up to the Canal Parade, the most famous part of the event, various retailers take action with regard to rainbow marketing. How can you, as a retailer, respond to the theme of Pride and what should you better not do?

Pride Amsterdam, is that a good moment for a retailer to focus on ‘rainbow marketing’?

“Using the rainbow is always good. The more the better. All shops and department stores that hang the rainbow flag above their store show that the community is welcome and that they support it. They show that everyone is safe. So I think it is good to do that anyway. Always.”

Are there things that you should not do?

“If you only do something during Pride week in Amsterdam, it quickly tends towards ‘pinkwashing’. Trying to improve yourself by taking advantage of Pride, but not giving anything back to the community. There are many days in the year to do something about it. Purple Friday, Day against Homophobia, Pride month, which is very big in America. But why wouldn’t you as a retailer just do something fun on a random day in March?

There are also Pride events in Utrecht, Dordrecht, Almere. As a retailer, don’t focus blindly on the big event, but also participate in local initiatives. Show that you are always there for the community.”

What are retailers that do this well in the Netherlands?

“The best example is HEMA. They often have original campaigns and also show diversity in passing. For example, there are gay couples in the company’s advertisements and this year they have given their signature tompouce pastry a nice twist again.

Although HEMA started a bit late; only after 2015, when gay marriage was approved in America, this retailer gets a high score from me.”

Which retailers have failed in the past and what can potential followers learn from that?

“Zeeman has done a few things in the past. They once had a 4-year-old boy in a dress. The theme was “children don’t do pigeonholes”. It seemed like they were working on the subject, but there was no story behind it.

Another example is Tony Chocolonely from 2017. They had the idea of ​​the Gay Bar, which of course also means chocolate bar in English. A really nice idea, neatly wrapped in rainbow wrapping. But when people wondered if they were going to do something with the proceeds, they said that their product was produced slave-free. Although that is also a good cause, it has nothing to do with Pride.

In both cases, it is therefore wanting to piggyback without contributing anything and then it is pinkwashing. Still, I would like to add something to that. The fact that these retailers are trying is just as important. They make the Pride community visible. And the more visibility there is, the further we will go. In the Netherlands, we are at the level of acceptance, but not yet at the level of respect. These retailers, even though they are not doing it completely right, do increase that visibility. So they deserve praise for that.”

Can you also involve consumers who are further removed with these actions?

“Many events in the world are about minorities. In October, for example, you have breast cancer month. Douglas is doing very well with that, but in November they remove all the pink ribbons. That does not mean that their involvement has disappeared.

It is the same with gay marketing. You can simply continue with it all year round and make everyone feel welcome. And in addition to reaching the 7 percent of the population who identify with it, you also reach their friends and family: a total of about 20 percent.

Incidentally, it is also a generational thing. Only 3 percent of boomers identify as queer. Among Gen Z, that is already 20 percent. They do not want to have decided whether they are straight by the age of 17. You can also reach that entire group by being open to it as a retailer. The customers of the future will also feel safe with you.”