Out of 1,500 companies, five were recently awarded a perfect score of 100 by the Human Rights Campaign, a heavy-hitting lobbying group for gays, lesbians, bisexual, and transgendered people. Their HRC Corporate Equality Index measures "corporate inclusiveness and marketing
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outreach to the country's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population, based on criteria established and evaluated by HRC," explains a recent piece in WWD. This year’s tally of five represents an improvement over 2005’s four, and a scant two in 2004,
With an average score of 74.1, the fashion industry is slightly below the overall average of 75. Points were awarded for ads & other behaviors that respect and support GLBT people, causes, and events, as marketers attempt to appeal to the gay community. Comprised of 15 or so million men and women, this market wields a spending power estimated to exceed $640 billion, and projected to hit just under $675 by 2007, and top $700 billion the year after.
"The interest in gay marketing kind of waxes and wanes with the media cult," Lee Badgett, director of research at UCLA School of Law’s sexual orientation policy thinktank Williams Institute, told WWD. "They seem interested in the marriage issue, but not much else," pointing out (somewhat cynically?) that the number of same-sex partners purchasing homes & other big-ticket items together was on the rise. "There is potential to [better leverage] the economic force of the gay population."
The elite group of corporate do-gooders awarded 100 by the HRC:
- NIKE:Changed ad copy in a national print & online campaign targeted at women from "There's a man out there who will say to me…" to "There's someone out there who will say to me…" in order to make the ads bias-, sexual orientation-, and gender-blind. Donated $30,000 to the Human Rights Campaign, $5,000 to Basic Rights Oregon, and sponsored a National Coming Out Day event at their headquarters.
- GAP, INC.: Donated $50,000 to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, $15,000 to God’s Love We Deliver, and $15,000 to Health Initiatives for Youth – totaling more than $100,000 in donations to gay & lesbian community groups.
- LIZ CLAIBORNE: Their Mexx label placed a large ad in Instinct, a gay publication, and hosted the party to fete their fashion issue featuring Daniel Vosovic of Project Runway fame.
- LEVI STRAUSS & CO.: Starting in October, they will advertise for the first time on Viacom’s Logo, a 24/7 channel aimed at the gay market. They have also made donations of more than $100,000 to causes such the Lambda Legal Defense and Education fund, & the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.
- NORDSTROM
How other fashion retailers fared:
Recreational Equipment Inc. 85
Federated Department Stores 80
L.L. Bean 73
Limited Brands 70
Reebok International 68
Lillian Vernon 55
Abercrombie & Fitch 50
J.C. Penney 50
Donna Karan 45
The Men's Wearhouse 35
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Website
Fashiontribes Daily Lifestyle & Fashion Blog
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