[News] Profiteering from Pride?

[nickbrighton]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-48873931/is-the-high-street-profiting-from-pride


Over the past few weeks I have noticed a proliferation of rainbows, on shop fronts, banners, adverts, even my Barclay's on line app logo has changed from Blue to Rainbow, all "proudly supporting Pride" But , are they? Company logos all over have changed, and as Pride comes to various towns and cities, the high street , pubs, restaurants, hotels etc festoon themselves, falling over to show their LGBTQI + various other letters of the alphabet credentials

Supermarkets, Banks, Restaurant chains all proudly flying the flag informing us of what exactly? Other than increasing prices to make a quick pink buck, what have most of these companies actually done to support the non-hetro community? Basically what it means is they have done didlly squat, other than maybe got a PR missive saying you lucky gay types, we wont discriminate against you anymore- aren't we good, and you should all be grateful.

Am I alone in feeling that its seen by both small local and large national and multi national companies as just a way of promoting their brand, and basically they have no interest in anything other than that.

Loads of businesses in Brighton for example make a fortune on Pride weekend, (full bars and clubs, restaurants fully booked, hotels booked and prices increased)but very very few are prepared to actually contribute anything at all to the costs of running the thing that gives them a bumper weekend each August

As a gay man, I find it quite a bit off to see all this money spent by companies portraying their pink credentials, when in fact all they do is sprinkle a bit of fairy dust for a week, cash in, and then quite happily have nothing to do with us for the rest of the year.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I read an article in The Guardian about similar. The writer concluded that he’d been wanting mainstream acceptance and the commercialization of Pride was a sign of this. To him it was a step in the right direction albeit one he didn’t really like or want to see.

 

[Eeyore]

It's the Pink Pound init ?

Business opportunity. I suspect many are sincere in their support but it's a bandwagon to jump on.

I have been inside one or two shops locally where I'm pretty sure that their support for Pride is definitely expedient.

Way of the world. It's not a political event anymore. In fact, sometimes I fear it has lost its way a little.

What was once a festival of self determination has, perhaps, too much focus on self indulgence.

It would be great to see some rallies and activism on burning issues. Although I'm not adverse to a bit of Kylie.

 

[Badger]

I think it's more about them getting stick if they DIDN'T show support for Pride.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Signals 'mainstream' to me. That has to be good, surely?

 

[mothy]

No longer in the closet. Out loud & proud (not me) - & a money making machine.

I'd rather it was like that than people being beaten or worse for being themselves

 

[Bry Nylon]

When it comes to Pride it would seem there really is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Anyway, Big Business trying to profit from a massive event? Who'd have thought it even possible? Next you'll be telling me shops are trying to cash in on Christmas, Easter, the World Cup, the Olympics, Royal Weddings, Bank Holidays, Halloween, Bonfire Night and New Years Eve.

 

[Dave the OAP]

LGBTQI

What is the QI bit?

Q for curious or queer and I for inquisitive?

 

[nickbrighton]

LGBTQI

What is the QI bit?

Q for curious or queer and I for inquisitive?

I have no idea any more, i started to get confused after LGBT

 

[beorhthelm]

hope so, its kinda the point isnt it, to be accepted? no complains when business jump on the football, olympic or any other bandwagon passing by.

 

[vegster]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-48873931/is-the-high-street-profiting-from-pride


Over the past few weeks I have noticed a proliferation of rainbows, on shop fronts, banners, adverts, even my Barclay's on line app logo has changed from Blue to Rainbow, all "proudly supporting Pride" But , are they? Company logos all over have changed, and as Pride comes to various towns and cities, the high street , pubs, restaurants, hotels etc festoon themselves, falling over to show their LGBTQI + various other letters of the alphabet credentials

Supermarkets, Banks, Restaurant chains all proudly flying the flag informing us of what exactly? Other than increasing prices to make a quick pink buck, what have most of these companies actually done to support the non-hetro community? Basically what it means is they have done didlly squat, other than maybe got a PR missive saying you lucky gay types, we wont discriminate against you anymore- aren't we good, and you should all be grateful.

Am I alone in feeling that its seen by both small local and large national and multi national companies as just a way of promoting their brand, and basically they have no interest in anything other than that.

Loads of businesses in Brighton for example make a fortune on Pride weekend, (full bars and clubs, restaurants fully booked, hotels booked and prices increased)but very very few are prepared to actually contribute anything at all to the costs of running the thing that gives them a bumper weekend each August

As a gay man, I find it quite a bit off to see all this money spent by companies portraying their pink credentials, when in fact all they do is sprinkle a bit of fairy dust for a week, cash in, and then quite happily have nothing to do with us for the rest of the year.

Sadly I think you are right, everything comes down to making cash one way or another

 

[BrickTamland]

Whilst, for the most part, it’s little more than a shallow money making attempt by businesses, it’s certainly a positive that we live in a society where big businesses realise that to be accepted (read: make money) they have to be supportive and open. It would be suicide for any business to openly discriminate against the LGBT community, and rightly so. So yeah, it would be better and less patronising if the businesses in question were a little more transparent, or actually put their money where their mouths are, but a positive sign nevertheless.

 

[Knocky's Nose]

I think it's more about them getting stick if they DIDN'T show support for Pride.

I'm kind of in this frame of mind... I think Pride has inadvertently become commercialised. Anywhere where public goodwill dwells, companies will want to reside and bolster their reputation (to make money). It's just the way of the world.

As we as a society accept homosexuality as perfectly normal, events like this will have slightly less meaning as it was supposed to be a stand agains prejudice. When that happens, the commercial aspect tends to take hold. Sorry if that was worded clumsily, but I'm sure you get my drift.

There are many things you can read into this, but as a capitalist country there's always a pattern!

 

[KingKev]

I work for a very large U.K. corporate. Their support for Pride is just one visible sign of a much wider push for “Inclusion & Diversity” - valuing each other for our different experiences etc and making our company somewhere that “minorities” want to work and feel safe, valued and included.
The whole idea is to build a workforce that understands and is representative of the communities we serve (sell stuff to) so that we can connect better with our customers, which is pretty bloody logical.
I can say that in my firm the support of Pride and wider I&D does not come across as cynical at all. It’s at the heart of who “we” want to be - e.g. very quietly we removed Brunei hotels from our approved travel lists when Brunei changed its laws on homosexuality. No fuss, no posturing in the press just a determination to not do business with them until they treat LGBT+ like human beings.

 

[Bry Nylon]

I work for a very large U.K. corporate. Their support for Pride is just one visible sign of a much wider push for “Inclusion & Diversity” - valuing each other for our different experiences etc and making our company somewhere that “minorities” want to work and feel safe, valued and included.
The whole idea is to build a workforce that understands and is representative of the communities we serve (sell stuff to) so that we can connect better with our customers, which is pretty bloody logical.
I can say that in my firm the support of Pride and wider I&D does not come across as cynical at all. It’s at the heart of who “we” want to be - e.g. very quietly we removed Brunei hotels from our approved travel lists when Brunei changed its laws on homosexuality. No fuss, no posturing in the press just a determination to not do business with them until they treat LGBT+ like human beings.

How dare you come on here with a reasoned, intelligent and well thought out post.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I work for a very large U.K. corporate. Their support for Pride is just one visible sign of a much wider push for “Inclusion & Diversity” - valuing each other for our different experiences etc and making our company somewhere that “minorities” want to work and feel safe, valued and included.
The whole idea is to build a workforce that understands and is representative of the communities we serve (sell stuff to) so that we can connect better with our customers, which is pretty bloody logical.
I can say that in my firm the support of Pride and wider I&D does not come across as cynical at all. It’s at the heart of who “we” want to be - e.g. very quietly we removed Brunei hotels from our approved travel lists when Brunei changed its laws on homosexuality. No fuss, no posturing in the press just a determination to not do business with them until they treat LGBT+ like human beings.

Great post. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Chicken Run]

I work for a very large U.K. corporate. Their support for Pride is just one visible sign of a much wider push for “Inclusion & Diversity” - valuing each other for our different experiences etc and making our company somewhere that “minorities” want to work and feel safe, valued and included.
The whole idea is to build a workforce that understands and is representative of the communities we serve (sell stuff to) so that we can connect better with our customers, which is pretty bloody logical.
I can say that in my firm the support of Pride and wider I&D does not come across as cynical at all. It’s at the heart of who “we” want to be - e.g. very quietly we removed Brunei hotels from our approved travel lists when Brunei changed its laws on homosexuality. No fuss, no posturing in the press just a determination to not do business with them until they treat LGBT+ like human beings.

The simpler view on this is large corporations would wear dog shit necklaces if it thought PR and sales would improve.

 

[KingKev]

The simpler view on this is large corporations would wear dog shit necklaces if it thought PR and sales would improve.

I don’t disagree in general, and I can only speak for my company - but I find that the I&D agenda has been more than embraced internally and is seen as not only essential but truly positive.
Barclays though? Hmmmm I’d have my reservations about those pinstriped sharks as well....only company I’ve actively sought to avoid working for

 

[BBassic]

It's a bit shitty that you can't, to my knowledge, just ruck up and take part in the parade now. Think you have to pay to take part and it's pretty pricey.

Happy to be proven wrong on that - was something a friend of mine told me who's firm took part a couple of years ago.

 

[Chicken Run]

It's a bit shitty that you can't, to my knowledge, just ruck up and take part in the parade now. Think you have to pay to take part and it's pretty pricey.

Happy to be proven wrong on that - was something a friend of mine told me who's firm took part a couple of years ago.

I know many from the ‘community’ who don’t get involved now citing commercialism as one of many reasons why they don’t attend.