http://www.pressconnects.com/today/news/stories/ne061205s172047.shtml
Gay-friendly shops will fare the best BY DOUG SCHNEIDER AND JEFF PLATSKY Press & Sun-Bulletin Marketing to gay consumers can boost income for savvy businesses, but reaching the "gay market" in a conservative community can pose particular challenges. Some sectors of the business and retail community value the gay market, looking at a potential demographic that generally has more disposable income than the overall community, said Subimal Chatterjee, a Binghamton University marketing professor who studies consumer behavior. "Gays and lesbians have been a segment that marketers have looked at very, very carefully because the amount of money they are willing to spend," Chatterjee said. A recent study concluded that people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) will spend about $610 billion nationwide in a year, said Michael McFall, president of the 576-member Greater Phoenix Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. "We embrace people who support us, and we're more likely to do business with them," McFall said. Business owners who want to reach the community, he said, should become involved with gay-friendly groups or causes. "Learn our community and how to treat us." Yet that isn't always easy in a conservative community like Greater Binghamton. Chatterjee said some businesses are careful about how they market their services to the gay community for fear of offending the nongay audience. Chatterjee said businesses looking to reach GLBT customers often sponsor gay-friendly events or advertise in publications for gay people. One such business is Tom's Coffee, Cards & Gifts, which has operated for 23 years on Main Street on Binghamton's West Side. Gay customers "make up a tremendous part of our business, and we like that very much," said owner Tom Kelleher, 49. "We specifically market to the gay community so that people feel comfortable coming into our store." Tom's advertises in publications targeting the gay community, and donates items to gay-run fundraisers, Kelleher said. Advertising strategies used in so-called "gay-friendly" cities like San Francisco may be more overt than the ones employed in Binghamton and other more conservative towns, Chatterjee said. "If you operate in a community that is very conservative, there might be a backlash," from customers who may take offense at a business' attempt to lure gay customers, Chatterjee said. Several gay and lesbian business owners, for example, declined comment for these stories out of fear that doing so would hurt business. Businesses who try to reach the GLBT community, McFall said, need to recognize that some efforts can offend gay people. "Don't say 'I support the alternative lifestyle,' because to us, it's not an alternative," he said. "Before you ask us for our money, get to know us a little." Kelleher, who is not gay, said Greater Binghamton would have more businesses that welcome gay customers if store-owners simply "recognized the potential." "Lots of heterosexual people," he said, "just don't recognize that there is a gay community out there." -- www.gaybombay.info Group Site: http://www.gaybombay.info ========================== NEW CLASSIFIEDS SECTION SEEKING FRIENDS? VISIT www.gaybombay.info click on classified section and type your message in the post section once the link opens This message was posted to the gay_bombay Yahoo! Group. Responses to messages (by clicking "Reply") will also be posted on the eGroup and sent to all members. If you'd like to respond privately to the author of any message then please compose and send a new email message to the author's email address. For Parties and events go to: http://calendar.yahoo.com/YYY,04497/srt,0/gaybombaygroup/?v=42&POS= Post:- gay_bombay@yahoogroups.com Subscribe:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Digest Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] No Mail Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Individual Mail Mode:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Contact Us:- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives are at http://www.mail-archive.com/gay_bombay%40yahoogroups.com/maillist.html Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gay_bombay/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
