Rainbow-washing: Marketing strategies used by the alcohol industry to target LGBTQ+ people

Abstract

Alcohol consumption is associated with both immediate and long-term negative health consequences, as well as significant social burdens. Drinking alcohol is highly prevalent among ‘rainbow communities’ (people who identify as LGBTQ+, including but not limited to gay, lesbian, bisexual, takatāpui, gender diverse, queer, transgender, and intersex). Members of these communities have been found to drink at higher levels compared to heterosexual and cisgender people, placing them at increased risk of experiencing alcohol-related harm. This higher alcohol consumption may stem from chronic and unique stressors that members of rainbow communities face. For many rainbow people, drinking commonly happens in the ‘gay scene’ such as pubs, bars, clubs, and pride events. These spaces are crucial for community building, feeling safe in romantic pursuits, and exploring gender and sexuality without feeling marginalised. Alcohol companies and brands have infiltrated these spaces and actively target the rainbow population through various advertising and promotional strategies specifically crafted to appeal to gender and sexual minorities. The primary goal of this research was to identify the strategies used by the alcohol industry to target rainbow communities and to inform policy development. We conducted an online search for publicly accessible documents related to industry marketing strategies. We used thematic analysis to examine the language used in 54 documents from articles on industry websites, online magazines and reports. This led to the identification of four key themes:

Social responsibility towards LGBTQ+ communities: alcohol companies are portrayed as socially responsible and supportive of LGBTQ+ communities. Aligning values: alcohol companies construct value alignment with LGBTQ+ communities by claiming partnerships with community representatives. Profitable allyship: the alcohol industry actively manages the challenge of balancing business motives with portraying authentic support for rainbow communities. Genuine and authentic partnerships: alcohol companies position themselves as genuine allies and partners, aiming to mitigate perceptions of rainbow-washing.

Alcohol companies position themselves within industry texts as having noble objectives, while deflecting concerns about their authenticity and motives. Despite claims of impactful advocacy and genuine support, these companies are promoting alcohol products to a group that is particularly vulnerable to higher rates of alcohol consumption and its negative effects. Increased regulation is needed to prevent alcohol companies using rainbow-washing tactics. Addressing this issue is crucial to tackling the significant prevalence of harmful alcohol use among rainbow populations and mitigating the impact of alcohol marketing on their consumption patterns.