Bravo, Apple, Showtime, HBO, Absolut, and Levi's Deemed Most Gay-Friendly Brands, According to Major Gay & Lesbian Consumer Study

    NEW YORK, May 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Bravo, Apple, Showtime, HBO,
 Absolut, and Levi's, are the gay-friendliest brands, while WalMart, Dunkin
 Donuts, Cracker Barrel, Exxon Mobil, and Samsung earn the lowest marks from
 gay and lesbian consumers, according to the 2008 Prime Access/PlanetOut Gay
 and Lesbian Consumer Study released today.
 
     Conducted by Clark, Martire & Bartolomeo on behalf of advertising
 agency Prime Access and PlanetOut Inc. (Nasdaq:   LGBT), the survey is one of
 the largest and most comprehensive surveys of gay and lesbian consumer
 habits and brand perceptions. A total of 2,259 adults aged 18-64
 participated in the study, which was broken down into two panels: general
 population (1,502 respondents) and gay and lesbian population (757
 respondents).
 
     Prime Access is the leading advertising agency specializing in reaching
 the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. PlanetOut
 Inc. is the leading global media and entertainment company exclusively
 serving the LGBT community.
 
     The report confirms why many of the world's most successful brands
 recognize that being gay-friendly equals good business.
 
     According to the study, more than two-thirds (68%) of gay and lesbian
 consumers said they are more likely to buy from a company they considered
 to be gay-friendly, a perception they base largely on a company's
 advertising, followed by input from friends and the media.
 
     The study also reveals that 71% of gay and lesbian consumers said they
 have a more favorable impression of companies or products that feature gay
 imagery in their advertising. Howard Buford, president and CEO of Prime
 Access, noted that Levi's, one of the top gay-friendly brands, recently
 featured a gay couple in television advertising.
 
     "The study reveals that gays and lesbians are fiercely loyal customers
 to brands they perceive as reaching out to them," said Buford. "A marketing
 communications program directed at the gay and lesbian audience can be a
 significant opportunity for brands to build business."
 
     Kevyn Aiken, Vice President of Marketing, Media Sales at PlanetOut,
 said the study also confirms why gays and lesbians represent one of the
 most coveted and active demographics.
 
     "Gays and lesbians have many similarities to straight people, with one
 pronounced difference: they're more powerful consumers," said Aiken. "In
 virtually every category -- from financial services to fragrance -- the
 study shows that gays and lesbians tend to be ahead of the curve when it
 comes to embracing new products and trends. They are early adopters that
 their peers look to for advice, opinions, and ideas. As a result of their
 influence, they impact many more purchases than just their own."
 
     For example, Aiken said the study revealed that gays and lesbians are
 almost twice as likely (60% vs. 34%) as their straight counterparts to say
 people seek their advice.
 
     Among other notable findings in the 2008 Prime Access/PlanetOut Gay and
 Lesbian Consumer Report:
 
 

      -- 8% of adults in the general population panel identified as gay or
         lesbian, reflecting conventional wisdom that 5-10% of adults are gay.
 
      -- Sexual orientation is the primary community with which gays and
         lesbians identify. 47% of gays and lesbians said their sexual
         orientation is the community that most defines them, followed by
         gender (45%) and religion (28%).  This compares to gender (36%),
         nationality (32%), and religion (30%) for the general population.
 
      -- While almost three-fourths of both gays and lesbians and the general
         population are opposed to outing, 61% of gays and lesbians support
         outing if an individual is actively opposed to equal rights. Only 33%
         of the general population agrees.
 
      -- 69% percent of gays and lesbians are Democrats, while 7% are
         Republicans.
 
     The report also surveyed 3,156 PlanetOut subscriber and reader
 respondents, drawn from email promotable lists provided by PlanetOut.
 Notable findings among this group include:
 
 

      -- 85% of PlanetOut respondents said they are more likely to purchase
         products from companies they know are gay-friendly.
 
      -- PlanetOut respondents are 36% more likely than the general population
         to consider themselves "someone in the know".
 
     To view a summary of key highlights from The 2008 Prime
 Access/PlanetOut Gay and Lesbian Consumer Study, please visit:
 http://www.primeaccess.net/c2_gpr.php .
 
     Methodology:
 
     The 2008 Prime Access/PlanetOut Gay and Lesbian Consumer Report is one
 of the largest, most comprehensive studies ever of gay and lesbian consumer
 habits and brand perceptions. The study was conducted by Clark, Martire &
 Bartolomeo, a leader in custom media marketing research. The respondents
 were sourced from both the Harris Interactive general population panel, one
 of the largest online panels available today, and from Harris Interactive's
 GLBT specialty panel. A total of 2,259 adults aged 18-64 participated in
 the study, broken down as follows:
 
 
     -- General population: 1,502
      -- Gay and lesbian population: 757
 
     The Harris Interactive GLBT specialty panel is recruited from various
 sources, and is not specifically enlisted from gay and lesbian websites.
 
     In addition, 3,156 PlanetOut subscriber and reader respondents, drawn
 from email promotable lists provided by PlanetOut, were also surveyed. The
 PlanetOut "universe" includes readers/subscribers of Out, The Advocate,
 gay.com, out.com, planetout.com and outtraveler.com.
 
     An online methodology was selected primarily for the critical anonymity
 it offers respondents. Because online research allows respondents to
 complete surveys with anonymity and privacy, respondents are often more
 comfortable sharing their experiences and concerns.
 
     About Prime Access Inc.
 
     Prime Access Inc. (www.primeaccess.net) is a multicultural advertising
 agency that offers a unique URBAN MAJORITY(TM) approach to advertising,
 marketing and media services. Prime Access specializes in linking clients'
 brands to the values of African American, Hispanic and Gay consumers
 through a sophisticated mix of touch point management, including targeted
 advertising, direct marketing, media planning and community outreach. Its
 clients include some of America's best-known Fortune 500(R) companies and
 brands.
 
     About PlanetOut Inc.
 
     PlanetOut Inc. is a leading media and entertainment company exclusively
 serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
 
     PlanetOut's digital media brands include Gay.com, PlanetOut.com,
 Advocate.com, Out.com, OutTraveler.com and HIVPlusMag.com. PlanetOut print
 media brands include The Advocate, Out, The Out Traveler and HIVPlus, as
 well as SpecPub, Inc. titles. Transaction services brands include
 e-commerce Web sites Kleptomaniac.com and BuyGay.com, and book publisher
 Alyson Publications.
 
     PlanetOut, based in San Francisco with additional offices in New York
 and Los Angeles, offers advertisers access to what it believes to be the
 most extensive multi-channel, multi-platform network of gay and lesbian
 people in the world. For more information, please visit
 http://www.planetoutinc.com .
 
     About Clark, Martire & Bartolomeo
 
     Established in 1983, Clark, Martire & Bartolomeo, Inc. is a marketing
 and public opinion research firm with experience covering a wide range of
 industries, marketing problems and public opinion issues. CM&B is a full
 service company, handling projects from design through data gathering,
 analysis and the development of recommendations. The firm conducts both
 large scale quantitative studies and smaller qualitative projects.
 
 
 

SOURCE Prime Access; PlanetOut Inc.