Pride Month is here – and brands are kickstarting their campaign all over social media. This is one of the best months you should campaign for. It is for a greater cause and it is a fight that everybody should participate in. It’s tike to break the stigma and embrace all genders – whether it is through taking the fight in the streets or in your online marketing campaign.

There are a lot of issues with brands riding on the coattails of a highly-anticipated, month-long event. But one that every online marketer and brand should worry about is SINCERITY.

There’s been a lot of backlash on companies lately in their marketing strategies for Pride Month. While your intentions are pure, you can’t blame the audience if they doubt your gesture. Some would think you’re just trying to gather support for your brand from the LGBTQ community or simply just for clout.

We are all for representation and visibility but we want to make sure your marketing strategies are right on track. Here are some tips and ideas on how to market your brand this Pride Month.

Pride Month is a Protest

One thing you should understand about this month is that it is a form of protest. The history of Pride Month goes as far as 1969 when the first protest happened in New York, followed by a police raid in Stonewall Inn. Since then, LGTBQ groups around New York planned to commemorate this eventful moment to honor those who fought for gender pride.

Fast forward to today, Pride Month remains as a protest.

While we can see cities and countries celebrate Pride in many ways possible. Some through marches, other through protests. This is why many companies jump into the celebration although only a few understand its significance.

It is important that you, as a brand or company, to not just celebrate Pride Month for marketing’s sake. You should dig down to the core of its significance of the celebration in your campaign.

Be Honest and Sincere

It is tempting to promote your brand and product to the month’s event, right? But we hope you’re not planning of just putting out rainbow flags or icons on your art assets on your website and social media pages. That could be the most insincere thing you’ll do.

Be honest and sincere in your support. More than a marketing campaign, this month remembers all the struggles and triumphs the LGBTQ community have had since time immemorial. Give enough respect and recognition to that.

That being said, make your campaigns as honest and sincere as possible. Speak out your true support. Encourage them with messages that would not feel like anything formulaic of a marketing spiel. Forget about marketing, even! The more you drive yourself away from forcing marketing into your campaign to celebrate Pride Month, the more people would appreciate your sincerity.

Consider Intersectionality and Equal Representation

Pride Month is all about gender equality. It’s always ideal to represent each gender in the spectrum. But you must not limit yourself to just gender alone. You also need to consider intersectionality between race, ethnicity, class, and religion.

Always remember that each gender can be anybody – of different race, ethnicity, social class, and religion. Make sure to mix them up in your campaign. Find stories and people of different intersections and representations in the society. Because if we talk about equality, considering one aspect of a person’s identity (such as gender) and disregarding the others would still not make it an equal representation.

How to Create a Successful Pride Month Online Marketing Campaign

We have given you a few guidelines to make your campaign more significant and sincere. Now, it’s time to give you ideas on how to make Pride Month a campaign that’s not just merely marketing but something of and from the heart.

Help Those Who Wants to Come Out

“Coming out” is never something that’s easy. It’s something you can’t force someone to do. But it something that you can help to those who have the difficulty to come out.

Others may find it difficult to come out because they don’t know how. Maybe they haven’t found the right avenue to do it, or the right words to say. Open up your office to someone who’d love any help in telling their story of coming out.

It’s better to ask your colleagues if they know anyone who would like to share their story. Because this phase in their lives require a huge amount of trust. So asking someone that you or any of your employees know personally is a logical step. That way, you won’t be picking out strangers that you think are members of LGBTQ community. Remember to never assume ones gender just because of their expression and of your judgement.

Celebrate Pride Month Through Art and Music

Pull in your creative people to create this month’s campaign.

You can create artworks more than just adding any rainbow accent to your marketing assets. Plan a photoshoot of gender representation. Write and draw a comic strip or set of hand-drawn artworks that would tell a story of their struggles and how the society can make it a better world for the LGBTQ community.

Music is also a cool and creative way to do it. It may seem difficult but if you have some employees who are talented enough to write a song and produce good music for this month, then write about a beautiful song to tell the story of the LGBT community.

Know and Share Real Stories

One thing that the LGBTQ community needs more than representation is visibility. This is the best time to tell their stories and let their existence surface – even, fly – more than ever.

Identify any LGBT members in your community and help them tell their stories. Know about their struggles. Ask about how they they go about their daily lives, and how the society treats them. It can be both a happy and sad story.

Celebrate their victory. Look for stories that would show their strength, their power, and, at the same time, that they’re just human, too. Feature them on your social media pages and help educate your audience about their stories.

But how can you make these stories represent your brands?

Look into your (core) values as a company or brand. Allow emotions to speak through your products and services and let that message float into your marketing campaign. You can also creatively tell their stories through video marketing. It might take a lot of time to prepare but if your storytelling is good, you can surely send the message across.

Support Protests

As we mentioned above, Pride Month is a form of protest. Each year, members and allies of the LGBTQ community make noise in the streets not only to celebrate but also to fight for their suppressed rights in the society.

How can you participate in these protests?

Look out for Pride March or any same events in your community or city. Try to ask if they need any assistance or help that your product or service could offer. Do they need anything for logistics? Or probably marketing the event so more people would come?

If it’s possible to help out or render your services without anything in return, then that’s the best support you can give. You can also ask employees to volunteer and participate during the march. This way, you get to see the “fight” in real life. You can relate and talk to everyone around. Sure, you can wear a company shirt to represent or at least label yourself, but it isn’t necessary. What’s important is you’re there to celebrate, to fight, and to listen to the plight of the LGBT community.

Nothing is more sincere than that.

This month is not only a mere celebration, of partying and rainbow flags. No. And this is not what you’ll be campaigning for, either.

Pride Month is an important event in our society and in history. Remember to always support the celebration with significance and sincerity.

And to everyone on the LGBTQ community, we are your allies and we’re proud of what you’ve achieved so far. Continue to fight the beautiful, colorful, and good fight!