When Pride Month comes, most brands are trying to run a lot of different promotional programs. For example, they try to include huge discounts, some social media giveaways, or even free shipping — like Google for example with “Pride Month sales” and these kinds of offers will just swirl the internet.
But one thing is certain, while on one side, brands love doing something like that, their customers don’t always understand what exactly they are supporting. The usual question is what makes a brand now support the LGBTQ+ community after years of not doing anything? Or for what will their donations be used for?
A lot of brands are now signaling support for the LGBTQ+ community during Pride month, even more than before. The moment June 1 hits, brands’ social media avatars are switched to rainbow-hued versions, there are a lot of posts made in solidarity, and of course, there are a couple of releases of a slew of Pride-themed products. But according to experts, true support has to be more than a rainbow-hued post on social media. There are several marketing tips that will help small businesses go a long way when it comes to Pride Month and supporting the LGBTQ+ community in a proper manner.
Partnership with LGBTQ+ non-profit organizations and influencers
Probably the best way to show support for this community is to make a partnership with some LGBTQ+ non-profit organizations and influencers and help them spread LGBTQ+ rights and awareness messages.
So if your plan is to create or sell some goods for Pride month, you can allocate a certain percentage -meaningful for you and then the community- of profits as a donation to these non-profit organizations.
Align with Pride Month
What the community loves to see is definitely diversity and pride marketing messages that we can consider real. Diversity when it comes to ads, body-positive imagery, and definitely age representation, and it is something that can be used to attract more members of the community because representation matters after all.
The best way to show support and align Pride Month with your brand is to try to design and create something, for example, T-shirts or other clothing, by using software that will help you produce something on a platform such as the Unmade platform. Promoting your very own brand can then be seen as more genuine and it can serve as a great asset to it. From that point onward the products can be easily manufactured, optimized and delivered from the platform itself.
Think about What You Support
As it is known the LGBTQ+ community has been quite well recognized in many countries for a long period now, but even with that, they’ve been through a whirlwind of different emotions and thoughts while trying to deal with their feelings in different situations.
Such situations can include, employment discrimination, isolation, unequal healthcare, anti-transgender state legislations, or the pressure of “coming out.” So educate yourself and your employees by hosting a lecture or having an inclusion workshop with an LGBTQ+ speaker. This will help your staff be more acquainted with the history and right terminology for LGBTQ+ so that they can feel more appreciated and supported by your company.
Your Support for LGBTQ Employees or Community Advocates
Let people know that your company respects inclusivity and supports diversity in your workplace. Have your employees share their experiences as a part of the LGBTQ community.
They can either share their experiences about working at your company or talk about the steps they’re taking to advance equality in their neighborhood, and this can be one way to share your company’s genuine content using your marketing channels. It also helps LGBTQ employees’ voices be stronger in their workplaces. You can also include several local advocates to help you with your campaign.
Give Something in return to the LGBTQ Community and Avoid rainbow washing
This can probably be seen as the most important and very impactful tip that can be shared. Sure, sharing cute Pride parade accessories can sound like a lot of fun, but that's the only thing it can do. If you want to have a lasting impact, consider donating to a local LGBTQ nonprofit organization. There are several of them there, and their priority is to offer resources to help different LGBTQ groups like youth, students, seniors, and also disadvantaged groups overcome adversities.
On the other hand, try to make sure to avoid rainbow washing. Just like greenwashing, rainbow washing represents a process to convey a false impression that someone is supportive of the cause to spread awareness and make a stand with the LGBTQ+ movement, so stay true to yourself and your support.
Nowadays times can be very tough. That’s why these budget-friendly marketing tips can serve you to continue growing your business and maintain your relationships with your audiences.