Business
GLBT Adults Prefer Gay-Friendly Companies
By Chrys Hudson

Sep 24, 2007

About one in four (24 percent) gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) adults say they have switched products or service providers in the last year because they found a competing company that supports the GLBT community, according to a new national survey.

The same survey, conducted by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., also found that a high proportion of gay men and lesbians (70 percent) had switched products or service providers because they learned the company engaged in actions that are perceived as harmful to the GLBT community.

In terms of their brand loyalty behavior, about two-thirds (66 percent) of all GLBT adults reported they would be very or somewhat likely to remain loyal to a brand they believed to be very friendly and supportive to the gay, lesbian and transgender community—even when less friendly companies may offer lower prices or be more convenient. Three out of four (75 percent) gay men and lesbians also said they would remain loyal to the gay-friendlier brand. 

“For nearly a decade, we have tested customer loyalty benchmarks, to better understand the connection between GLBT consumers and brand reputations. Consistently, no matter how we frame the questions, we find GLBT consumers place a high value on brands that earn and grow respect within the community,” Wes Combs, president of Witeck-Combs Communications, said in a release about the survey.

“They remain loyal to companies that support causes that are important to them, and are highly motivated to learn about corporate social responsibility in all its forms,” he added. “They are among consumers most motivated to vote with their dollars.”