Community Marketing, Inc. hosted its Gay & Lesbian Market Symposium July 31 at the Hyatt Regency, 151 E. Wacker. The symposium—which aimed to help attendees better comprehend gay and lesbian consumers—featured forums and workshops that focused on everything from marketing on the Internet to promoting equality.
One forum was entitled 'GLBT Images In Advertising: Punchline or Bottom Line?' Michael Wilke, who is founding executive director of the Commercial Closet Association, led the discussion.
'In history, advertising has not led the way for stereotypes,' Wilke said. His visual presentation covered minorities and how they can be portrayed in the media.
Wilke also stated that 'change is everywhere. Advertising doesn't show us reality. We are low on the list of priorities. '
Wilke also spoke of the training programs that he does for corporate companies to make them aware of how images reflect our world. He brought up the point that age is a big factor in stereotypes.
Snickers, Holiday Inn and car-company commercials were shown to have controversial images. Wilke commented that it has become a joke that every year the Super Bowl will have a gay commercial ( such as the Snickers one, which featured two men munching on opposite ends of a single bar ) .
'Sometimes you can go too far,' Wilke explained. Snickers spent a colossal amount of money only to remove the advertising quickly because of the controversy.
Wilke finished his segment on a powerful note: 'We are not just the punchline but we are the bottom line.'
Among other workshops were 'Changing Hearts and Minds: A 101 on the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation,' which featured GLAAD senior director of media programs Rashad Robinson; and 'Chicago connections that work for you: The Center, The Chamber and the Local Media,' which had Center on Halsted Executive Director Modesto 'Tico' Valle, Chicago Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Christina Pinson and Windy City Times Publisher Tracy Baim as its panelists.
For more about Community Marketing, Inc., see www.CommunityMarketingInc.com .