~ Questionnare write up ~

"Research indicates that gay consumers are affluent, well educated, and in

possession of disposable income. Marketers, capitalizing on this market, have been

creating gay-themed ads." (Cite from holy grail article) 

The producers of LGBT TV shows, film directors and brands featuring gay themes are accused of targeting this market for a capitalisation of 'disposable income'. But the inclusion of LGBT characters just to make a profit, rather than for the inclusivity and to create positive change surrounding the community is seemingly unappealing. The question of the true purpose of gay-themed media and advertisements is un-answerable. More importantly it should be asked weather design targeted specifically at the LGBT audience is effective. To discover the effectiveness of such marketing/targeted design I have devised a quantitive survey of information surrounding the efficiency of such. (REWRITE)



The purpose of LGBT community representation in both TV and advertising is questionable. Some claim equal representation has the intention of spreading inclusivity and acceptance in wider society. This is where the lack there of effects people; “We are the first generation in human history to have our lives shaped - not by nature - but by the beguiling images of electronic media.” (Lasn.K, pg.154). If we as a society are becoming increasingly effected by the visual depictions of people seen on TV, film and in advertising; the portrayal of queer people seen should also be more important. The influence of visual culture on the mindset of younger generations is undeniable; "In fact, as many as one in five teens reports that “entertainment” is their most important source of sexual information (Gibbs, 1993 as cited in Brown & Steele, 1995).".  

Research into the full effect of both positive and negative representations of the queer community is limited. To fully understand and collect the first hand opinions of those effected I devised an all inclusive survey surrounding the topic. The survey was designed to collect both quantitive and qualitative information to fully comprehend the extent of the influence inclusive design has. 

Representation of queer characters by un-informed sources can often lead to negative portrayals


Is what we know about tv representation also applicable to other formats, such as advertising?

If you don't care about representation, it's because your already represented. 

Is it just the bisexual members of the quiz feeling there is no significance to seeing LGBT characters on screen; is this because their partially heterosexual preference is already well represented? More likely to express indifference? Correlation between indifference and bisexuality. 

Does this survey result contrast that of eMarketers result? Why? Is it due to the age range/student based quiz takers or due to the larger influence that the internet is having on the market?