LGBTQ+ Consumers Are Picking Brands on Values, Not Cost
A survey of 897 LGBTQ+ on media awareness tactics and corporate positions and the results continue to prove out the value of LGBTQ+ consumers. What’s more, the study finds that even household brand choice (cleaning supplies, detergent and paper towels) is influenced by brand values, not the actual cost of the product.
Household brands looking for an edge to attract new consumers have an opportunity with LGBTQ+ (9.3% of the population, 1 in 4 GenZ).
Download the survey one-sheet
Consumer changes are already happening
LGBTQ+ respondents say they are making different brand choice decisions based on what they have learned about corporate positions on DEI recently.
- 86% say brands that rolled back DEI got less dollars from me this past year.
- 84% say brands that amplified support in the past year got more of my dollars.
(These findings echo recent consumer data from HRC.)
Most respondents pointed to how corporations show up for LGBTQ+ says brand perception and choice. How corporations actually win over LGBTQ+ consumers:
- 94% think corporations supporting LGBTQ+ owned businesses is an important cause (for advertising, supplier diversity, etc)
- 85% Year-Round Support of LGBTQ+ Media, Events
- 82% Supporting LGBTQ+ Non-Profits
- 77% LGBTQ+ Inclusive Advertising
- 64% Advertising in LGBTQ+ Media
- 63% High HRC Equality Index
- 52% Pride Season Event and Media sponsorships
LGBTQ+ Consumers Put Values Over Cost in Household Purchase Decisions
Some household brands lean into product features and benefits to drive conversations and sales. With LGBTQ+ who are attentive to what corporations are doing with their influence and investment, it may not be enough. Support of LGBTQ+ causes and businesses overwhelmingly drives purchase choice and a brands ability to steal market share:
- 97% would pay slightly more, or go out of their way, to buy a household brand that consistently supports LGBTQ+ organizations and media.
- 78% say supporting LGBTQ+ organizations and media drives choice over product performance and cost savings when deciding between two household products (cleaning supplies, detergent, paper towels).
How should brands connect with this consumer?
The right content alignment tells you exactly where that persuasion needs to happen. The research points to a combination of LGBTQ+ media at scale, trusted influencers in the right environments, promoting content that feels authentic to both the brand product and the platform.
First, LGBTQ+ media drives trust. In a fractured media landscape, with times changing for rights of LGBTQ+, the respondents overwhelmingly expressed concern about mass market / corporate media and support for LGBTQ+ media.
- 95% feel safest with LGBTQ+ Media
- 60% trust LGBTQ+ media more than other types of media (ie, corporate media, social media, mass market radio).
- 80% think corporate media does not stand up for people like me when times are tough.
Second, influencers are trusted, but not social platforms. 78% of LGBTQ+ say they trust influencers but have concerns about social media platforms. Why is this? GLAAD has pointed out each year in its Social Media Safety Index that platforms like Meta, X and TikTok fail to provide enough safeguards against hate, on open social. The data points to leveraging influencers on LGBTQ media, and on closed social, for the strongest position.
Third, influencer content topics can make the difference. We asked our users, “When viewing influencer content on household products, what makes you trust their recommendation the most.”
- 61% Ensuring their recommendations was authentic
- 60% Everyday household situations
- 57% Personal stories from LGBTQ+ people and family/chosen family moments
- 54% Humor
- 36% Couples and home life
- 34% Community stories
The takeaways point to collaboration between trusted LGBTQ+ media companies to create content that is authentic to LGBTQ+ lives, while integrating natural product moments, then distributing the content in trusted spaces in LGBTQ+ media.
What Media Buying Choices Will Drive Awareness?
Across every format, content that’s aligned with an authentic voice tops the list at 60%, narrowly ahead of display ads at 58%. Social posts follow at 46%, short form video at 35%, online video at 34%, and CTV trails at just 13%. That ranking should reorder a lot of media plans that currently treat CTV as the premium buy and display as an afterthought.
And the types of content alignment can matter. While home and lifestyle content is intuitive for a household product (57%) that’s a space cluttered with competition. LGBTQ+ news was as strongest position (54%), along with LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture (39%), travel (26%), and sports (23%) – spaces that many household brands overlook.
Conclusion:
When 94% consider it an important cause when corporations support LGBTQ+ owned businesses through advertising spend and supplier diversity, not just messaging, it’s an indicator media plans need to be re-written to include segments often overlooked.
Next Steps:
- Work with Q.Digital to secure and cast influencers who create curated content that feels right for the community, their following and the brand. Distribute the content in short form across trusted LGBTQ media sites and socials across Queerty, Outsports and LGBTQ Nation aligning with pop culture, sports and travel.
- Align display, video creative across editorial content programs that elevate personal stories of LGBTQ people (57% said that is where household items felt most relevant)
- Queerty “Out for Good” elevating Coming Out Day stories
- Outsports “College Sports,” “More than a Number” and “Year in Review” elevating LGBTQ athletes
- Queerty “Holiday Edit”, creator led gift guides & “Yearbook”, year in review
The results come from 897 responses from a survey to Q.Digital’s subscribers in July 2026.
Contact our sales team to learn more
Let’s talk. Reach out to our sales team to find the right program for your brand.