0
million in
additional consideration based on achievement of certain financial performance
targets
for 2007 and 2008. Not only does the acquisition connect RSVP's
trusted gay and lesbian travel marketing
platform with PlanetOut's print
properties, it also addresses advertisers' desire to target the LGBT
market
with multi-media, multi-platform marketing and sponsorship programs. RSVP is headquartered
in Minneapolis and is marketed through travel
agencies dedicated to the gay and lesbian community
as well as through direct
sales.
PlanetOut Inc.com site, in English, French, German, Italian
, Portuguese and Spanish.
PlanetOut brands also include The Advocate (http://www.com), as well as
other publishing, direct marketing and
e-commerce properties, including Alyson Publications, SpecPub
, Inc.
* More than two-thirds (69%) say they are at least likely to consider
purchasing
services, such as legal advice or banking services, from
companies that market directly to
gays and lesbians over competing
brands that do not.
* Nearly half (48%) of all
GLB respondents say they find it most important
or very important -- when considering products
or services -- to see
advertising that is clearly tailored to a gay audience with gay imagery
,
people or copy that speaks to them as a gay person and that appears in
both mainstream
publications and gay publications.
* The most common ways GLB adults become aware of a company
's reputation
for gay-friendliness is by word of mouth (45%), gay websites (29%) or
gay magazines or newspapers (29%). I tend to
upgrade to the latest model or version
of a product. Please rank in
order of importance the factor that most influences your likelihood
to
consider that company's products or services, when you see an advertisement.
In theory
, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95
percent certainty that the results for
the overall sample have a sampling
error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Unfortunately,
there
are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that
are probably more serious
than theoretical calculations of sampling error. queried gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgendered
(GLBT) self-identified respondents. In April 2003, American
Demographics magazine identified Bob
Witeck and Wes Combs as two of 25 experts
over the last 25 years who have made significant contributions
to the fields
of demographics, market research, media and trendspotting for their
pathbreaking
work on the gay and lesbian market.com), the 15th
largest and fastest-growing market research firm
in the world, is a Rochester,
N.com), a
Reston, Virginia-based research and consultancy firm ranked
25th largest in
the world, and through an independent global network of affiliate market
research
companies.harrispollonline.
gay x
PlanetOut Inc. Acquires RSVP Vacations
com, as well as the travel
magazine
, The OUT Traveler.
Established in 1985, RSVP was the originator of the gay and lesbian cruise
concept, and offers distinctive travel packages designed for gay and lesbian
travelers. More than
80,000 men and women have participated in RSVP's big and
small ship cruises, riverboat cruises, land
tours, and resort vacations.
Planned destinations in 2006 include the Caribbean, Central America
, the Czech
Republic, Austria, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico, French Polynesia, Peru and
Thailand. is
the leading global media and entertainment company
exclusively serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender (LGBT)
community. PlanetOut's brands include Gay.com,
Kleptomaniac.com); Out
(http://www.hivplusmag. and
Triangle Marketing Services. ROCHESTER, N., According to a recent
nationwide
online survey, one in four (24%) gay, lesbian and bisexual (GLB) adults report
that
they always or often "like to keep up with the latest styles and trends,"
compared with 17 percent
of heterosexual adults.S." One-third (33%) of gay adults
also agreed with the statement that they
trust brands more if they incorporate
gay or lesbian images into their advertising. Understandably
, gays like to
spend their money with companies that treat their gay employees equitably,
value
them as customers and represent them openly and accurately in marketing
initiatives."
Base: All Adults
GLB Heterosexuals
% %
Always/often (NET)
24 17
Always 3
3
Often 21 14
Sometimes
42 48
Rarely/never (NET)
34 35
Rarely 24
29
Never 10 6
TABLE 2
KEEPING UP WITH LATEST PRODUCTS
"Now
, we'd like to you to tell us how often you do the following.. Sampling errors for GLB adults
aged
18 and over (107) is plus or minus 10 percentage points. It is impossible to quantify the errors that
may
result from these factors. With over nine years experience
in this unique market, Witeck
-Combs Communications has developed respected
relationships throughout the community and serves as
a bridge between
corporate America and gay and lesbian consumers.
(1) Harris Interactive
(R) conducted this online survey in the U. Sampling
error is plus or minus 2 percentage points
.gay lesbian
(Nasdaq: LGBT), the leading media and entertainment company exclusively
serving the lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, today
announced that it has completed its planned
acquisition of substantially all
of the assets of RSVP Productions, Inc. (RSVP), a leading marketer
of gay and
lesbian travel events, for $6.
RSVP joins PlanetOut and its established audience
of LGBT consumers served
by the company's award-winning travel content, including dedicated channels
on
its flagship Web sites Gay.
About PlanetOut Inc.com); and, HIVPlus
(http://www. For
more information, please
visit http://www. Additional information concerning
factors that could
affect PlanetOut's future business and financial results is
included in the company's Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2004 and other public filings filed from time to time
with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available at the SEC's
website at
http://www. Seventeen percent of GLB
adults also state that they always or often "tend to upgrade
to the latest
model or version of a product," while 15 percent of their heterosexual
counterparts
do the same. adults, of
whom 107 have self-identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Half (51%) of
GLB respondents
also report they are extremely or very likely to consider brands that support
nonprofits
and/or causes that are important to them as GLB people.
Please rank the statements from 1 to 5
where 1 is most important and 5 is
least important.
TABLE 5
AWARENESS OF GAY-FRIENDLINESS
"If
you wish to be aware about a company's reputation for gay-friendliness,
where do you look?"
Base: GLB Respondents
%
Word of mouth
45
Gay websites 29
Gay magazines
or newspapers 29
Close friends
27
Gay and lesbian nonprofit organizations
20
Mainstream news sources 11
Advertisements
by the company 7
Other general interest websites
7
Personal customer experience
5
Gay and lesbian chambers of commerce 5
Family members
5
Other
5
Note: Multiple-response question.
Figures for age, sex, race
, education, region and income were weighted where
necessary to bring them into line with their actual
proportions in the
population.
Additional Note: Previous research conducted by Harris
Interactive in
conjunction with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. Although we
remain interested
in the consumer attitudes and characteristics of
transgendered individuals, for accuracy and consistency
we distinguish sexual
orientation from gender identity.
About Harris Interactive(R)
Harris Interactive Inc.S.x top
5 million in cash plus up to $3.com and PlanetOut.rsvpvacations.com.com
, PlanetOut.advocate.outtraveler. PlanetOut, based in San Francisco with additional
offices in New
York, Los Angeles, London and Buenos Aires, offers FORTUNE 1000
and Global 500 advertisers access
to what it believes to be the most extensive
network of gay and lesbian people in the world. Such
forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
which
may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company
to differ materially from
any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements
.Y., a strategic public relations and marketing
communications firm with special expertise in the
gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender market.
Seven in 10 (70%) GLB respondents say they
are extremely or very likely to
consider a brand that is known to provide equal workplace benefits
for all of
their employees, including gays and lesbians.
These latest findings corroborate
what earlier studies by Witeck-Combs
Communications and Harris Interactive revealed -- particularly
research
conducted in May 2001 which concluded that 48 percent of GLB respondents
"trust brands
more if they are manufactured by companies that have progressive
policies towards gay and lesbian
employees.
"For several years, in-depth research has allowed us to measure consumer
decision
-making and to test what factors may truly influence gay consumers,"
said Jake Stafford, senior marketing
strategist at Witeck-Combs
Communications."
TABLE 1
KEEPING UP WITH STYLES AND TRENDS
"Now, we'd like to you to tell us how
often you do the following. I like to
keep up with the latest styles and trends
."
Base: All Adults
GLB Heterosexual
% %
Always/often (NET)
17 15
Always
7 2
Often 10 13
Sometimes 57 59
Rarely/never (NET)
27 26
Rarely 25
23
Never 2 3
TABLE 3
ORDERING ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES BY BRAND
NAME
"When you order mixed drinks away from home, do you purchase or order a
specific brand
of alcohol, or do you just mix or order the drink you want
without regard
to the brand?"
Base: Adults aged 21 and over
GLB Heterosexual
% %
Often/Always order alcoholic beverage
by brand name (NET)
36 28
With mixed drinks, I always order an
alcoholic
beverage by brand name 28 18
With mixed drinks, I often order an
alcoholic beverage by brand name 9 10
Sometimes/Never order
alcoholic beverage
by brand name (NET) 43 41
With mixed drinks, I sometimes order an
alcoholic beverage by brand name
17 20
With mixed drinks, I never order an
alcoholic beverage by
brand name 26 21
I do not consume alcoholic beverages
21 31
TABLE 3
INFLUENCE ON DECISION MAKING
"Assume you have an interest in a specific product or service.harrisinteractive
.S. offices and wholly owned
subsidiaries: London-based HI Europe (http://www.novatris.com), Tokyo
-based Harris Interactive Japan,
through newly acquired WirthlinWorldwide (http://www.wirthlinworldwide
.x society
RSVP is among the world's largest and most respected gay and lesbian tour
operators and marketers
offering distinctive travel packages, including big
and small ship cruises, riverboat cruises, land
tours and resort vacations
geared toward a gay and lesbian audience.com, and OUT+ABOUT Travel, as
well as localized versions of the
Gay. Such factors include,
among others, the company's limited
operating history and variability of
operating results; the company's ability to attract and retain
subscribers and
advertisers; the company's ability to integrate the acquired assets of RSVP;
competition;
timing of product launches; and the company's dependence on
technology infrastructure and the Internet
.sec.'s extrapolation of five
percent (based on the national population figures) of the annual $1
.
These are a few highlights of a nationwide survey of 2,092 U.(1)
The findings from this
most recent Witeck Combs/Harris Interactive survey
also suggest that gay-specific marketing practices
can influence how GLB
people connect with brands and form purchasing decisions:
* Almost
two-thirds (64%) of GLB respondents say they are at least likely
to consider purchasing everyday
household products and services from
companies that market directly to gays and lesbians over
competing
brands that do not.
* Half (51%) of the GLB people polled find advertising
that is
informative, funny or witty and includes images of gay and lesbian
people
either the most important or a very important factor that
influences their likelihood to consider
a company's products or
services. "These new data confirm that a company's internal and external
behaviors matter very much to gay households. ?"
Base: GLB Respondents
Extremely Very Likely Somewhat Not At
Likely Likely Likely All
Likely
Consider brands that support
nonprofits and/or causes
that are important to you
as a gay, lesbian, bisexual
or transgender person
% 28 22 14 28 7
Consider a brand that is
known to provide
equal
workplace benefits for all
of their employees, including
gay and lesbian
employees % 41 29 16 12 2
Consider purchasing everyday
household products and
services from companies that
market directly to gays and
lesbians over competing
brands that do not % 15 22 28 24
11
Consider purchasing services
such as legal advice or
banking services
from
companies that market
directly to gays and
lesbians over competing
brands that do not % 23 20 25 20 11
Note: Percentages
may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Methodology
Harris Interactive(R) conducted
the study online within the United States
between December 8 and 15, 2004, among a nationwide cross
section of 2,092
adults, of whom 107 self-identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual (GLB). Propensity
score weighting was also used to adjust for
respondents' propensity to be online.
These statements
conform to the principles of disclosure of the National
Council on Public Polls.
About
Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc.witeckcombs.Y.com. between
May 3 and 16, 2001 among 2,692
adults aged 18 and over, of whom 128
self-identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender
.
Press Contacts:
Nancy Wong
Harris Interactive
585-214-7316
nwong@harrisinteractive.bisexual x
Acquisition Substantially Increases PlanetOut's Position in the Estimated
$65 Billion Gay and Lesbian Travel Market
SAN FRANCISCO, PlanetOut
Inc. A pioneer in the travel industry
since 1985, RSVP has hosted more than 80,000 guests from all
over the world.
About RSVP Productions, Inc.com.
Note: The estimated $65-billion
-a-year gay and lesbian travel market
projection is based on Community Marketing, Inc.3 trillion
U
.
National Survey Shows Gay-Specific Marketing Practices May Influence Brand Loyalty and Purchase
Decisions of Gays Lesbians and Bisexuals
When ordering mixed drinks, 36 percent of GLB
respondents
aged 21 and over say they always or often specify the alcoholic
brand name, contrasted with 28 percent
of non-gay respondents aged 21 and
over. Specifically, when making purchasing decisions,
they
were asked how likely they were to consider a company's nondiscrimination
and benefit policies, its
advertising strategy, and other forms of corporate
outreach."
Percentages represent
combined "1" and "2" responses
Base: GLB Respondents
%
The advertisement is informative, funny or witty and
includes images of gay and lesbian people 51
The very same
advertisement, which is clearly tailored
to a gay audience with gay imagery, people or copy
that speaks to me as a gay person, appears in both
mainstream publications and in gay
publications 48
The very same advertisement, which is not tailored
to a gay audience, appears in both mainstream publications
and in gay publications
44
The advertisement is informative, funny or witty
but
does not speak to me specifically as a gay person 38
The advertisement
is informative, funny or witty, but only uses
advertising copy to speak specifically to me as
a gay person 18
TABLE 4
LIKELIHOOD
OF CONSIDERING BRANDS OR PRODUCTS
"How likely are you to . This online sample
is not a probability sample. In addition, given the low incidence of
response from transgendered
individuals, it is extremely difficult to draw
conclusions from the data captured.com) is the
nation
's premier strategic marketing communications firm, specializing in
reaching the gay and lesbian consumer
market. (http://www.-based global research company that blends premier strategic consulting
with
innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis and
application.hieurope. EOE M/F/D/V
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to
participate in future online
surveys, visit http://www.com
Kelly Gullo
Harris Interactive
585-214-7172
kgullo@harrisinteractive.com
Jake Stafford
Witeck-Combs Communications
202
-887-0500 ext.top society
For more information, please visit http://www.planetoutinc.
Forward-Looking
Statements
In addition to the historical information contained herein, this press
release
contains forward-looking statements, including the impact of
PlanetOut's acquisition of RSVP, as
well as statements containing the words
"believes," "anticipates," "expects," and similar words.
gov.S. travel industry as stated by the Travel Industry Association of America. The survey was
conducted
online between December 8 and 15, 2004 by Harris Interactive(R), a
worldwide market research and
consulting firm, in conjunction with Witeck-
Combs Communications, Inc.
The online survey
also presented factors that would most influence GLB's
loyalty to consumer brands..
They include
refusals to be interviewed (non-response), question wording and
question order and weighting.
Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. (http://www. Known for The Harris Poll(R) and for pioneering Internet
-based
research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and public research
to help its
clients achieve clear, material and enduring results.
Harris Interactive combines its intellectual
capital, databases and
technology to advance market leadership through U.com), Paris-based
Novatris
(http://www. 16 or (cell) 202-215-2210
jstafford@witeckcombs.com
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