Gay and lesbian adults are active bloggers

When asked, just over half (51 percent) of gay and lesbian respondents reported reading some type of blog, compared to 36 percent of heterosexual adults, according to results from a national survey conducted by Rochester, N.Y., research company Harris Interactive. A similar question on blog readership also was asked in November 2006, and at that time 32 percent of gay and lesbian adults then reported reading blogs.

 Gay and lesbian adults are also more active in and connected to the blog medium. When asked to choose from a list of online activities, 27 percent of gay and lesbian adults reported posting a comment on a blog in the last month, compared to 13 percent of heterosexuals. Also, more than one out of five (21 percent) gay and lesbian respondents said they had written a personal blog in the last month, compared to 7 percent of heterosexuals.

Regarding the varied interests of blogs, the survey found 28 percent of gay and lesbian adults reported reading news and current-issue blogs, compared to 19 percent of heterosexuals. More than a quarter (26 percent) of gay and lesbian adults also read entertainment and pop culture blogs, compared to 11 percent of heterosexuals. Given the heightened interest in this year’s electoral contests, a significant number, nearly one-quarter (23 percent), of gay and lesbian adults also read political blogs. In comparison, only 14 percent of heterosexual adults reported reading political blogs.

Gay and lesbian adults also feel more positive toward advertisements found on blogs. Nearly one in five (19 percent) reported that they felt positive toward advertisements, compared to 8 percent of heterosexual adults. And in a similar study conducted two years ago, roughly the same proportion (21 percent) of gays and lesbians reported feeling positively towards blog ads.


Gaming sites may be a good platform for CPG brands to persuade women ages 45+

Analysis from New York research company Dynamic Logic’s MarketNorms database shows that advertising on games and contest (gaming) Web sites can be highly effective in increasing brand metrics for various brand sectors and demographics. In particular, consumer packaged goods (CPG) advertisements on gaming sites tend to perform much better among women ages 45+ compared with younger females. And this is not a small audience. In fact, 8.3 million women ages 45+ say they access the Internet to play online games.


CPG Ads on Gaming Sites Among Women
(Average Delta as a % of people impacted; n=23,205 respondents)

Age GroupBrand Favorability Purchase Intent
 18-34 1.5 3.7
 35-44 0.0 4.2
 45+ 3.3 4.4


For CPG brands, brand favorability is typically the most difficult metric to move through advertising, as consumers often wait until after they have tried the product to form an opinion since these are often lower-priced items. In this case, CPG advertising on gaming sites is able to persuade women ages 45+ to form an opinion before trial/purchase and the results show these shifts in brand perceptions are positive, most notably among this demographic.

Some celebrities stand the test of time – even in death

Manhasset, N.Y., researcher Marketing Evaluations Inc., The Q Scores Company “Dead Q” study (conducted biannually since 1997) finds that America’s devotion to their favorite personalities transcends even death.  The study finds that some personalities have held their popularity steady from 10 years ago, indicating that, although these personalities are out of sight, the people who remember them clearly still regard them as favorites.

Lucille Ball was cited as a favorite by 52 percent of respondents (no change from 1997). Louis Armstrong by 26 percent (up 3 percent from 1997), Elvis Presley 36 percent (up 2 percent from 1997) and John Belushi 31 percent (up 6 percent from 1997). Familiarity among respondents for all four personalities declined slightly (1 percent each) since 1997, with Elvis Presley holding the most-well-known title (98 percent familiarity).

“We continue to see ongoing interest in deceased personalities, mostly from marketers, advertisers, distributors of movies and even the deceased personality’s estate,” said Steve Levitt, president of Marketing Evaluations Inc., The Q Scores Company. “Although some of these personalities have been gone for over 10 years, it would make sense that there would be some out-of-sight, out-of-mind aspect happening.”

Q Scores also finds that deceased personalities are just as relevant today as they were in their prime.  In recent years, the U.S. Postal Service featured Lucille Ball in a commemorative stamp collection.  Advertisers superimposed John Wayne in Coors Light commercials and Fred Astaire in Dirt Devil ads, while Louis Armstrong was featured in commercials for Schaefer beer and Visa.