Branding Beyond the Rainbow: An Exploration of Authentic Advertising for Gen-Z's LGBTQ+ Community

“Brand authenticity” is an interesting concept. It’s difficult to objectively define, hard to effectively execute, yet remains a requirement in winning the hearts of consumer audiences. Generation-Z, the most diverse and openly LGBTQ+ generation yet, places high value upon authenticity and purpose-driven marketing. This creates a challenge for advertisers as they adapt their messaging to the next big wave of spenders; brands must find a way to connect with Gen-Z’s LGBTQ+ audience without engaging in the pitfalls of rainbow-washing, a phenomenon defined as the commodification of LGBTQ+ liberation through inauthentic corporate practices. While previous studies suggest that there is no one-size-fits-all answer to authentic corporate messaging, this study expands upon our understanding of what is valued by an important subset of Gen-Z through the lens of signaling theory. This quantitative research among Gen-Z participants suggests that marketers should focus their messaging on LGBTQ+ representation, backed by corporate integrity and credibility through acts of corporate social activism with tangible benefits to the LGBTQ+ community.

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Journalism and Mass Communication

Grantor

Texas State University

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Turner, Kaitlynn

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Craig, Clay

• authenticity
• advertising
• gen-Z
• LGBTQ+

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10877/16476

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digital.library.txst.edu:10877/16476