Happy Pride Month!
As we celebrate Pride this month, it’s essential to highlight and uplift creators who represent the diverse and vibrant LGBTQIA+ community. However, it’s also important to understand how to do it authentically. Many brands have faced backlash in the past because of their tokenistic approach to Pride and other community awareness months, like Black History Month or Disability Pride Month, for example.
In this blog post we won’t just feature some of the many amazing creators out there that you can work with, but also give you some tips on how to do it authentically all year round.
The Importance of Inclusive Marketing During Pride & How Brands Can Get it Right
Inclusive marketing is crucial during the 365 days of the year, and not just during Pride. Working with diverse creators ensures that your brand messages resonate authentically with a broader audience. However, this inclusivity should extend beyond sexual orientation and gender identity to include people from all backgrounds and minority groups, like the Disabled community.
There’s always some fear around inclusion, and we see that with clients all the time. But if your intentions are good and you want to support and celebrate a community authentically, in this case, the LGBTQIA+ community, there are lots of things that you can do without coming across as tokenistic or falling into rainbow washing. Apart from working with creators from the community you’re trying to support, think of other ways in which you can support them, like making donations to a charity or creating a collection in collaboration with a non-for-profit organisation.
If you want to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, working with a diverse group of creators, including disabled creators, is a great way to do it! Just make sure you keep that support and celebration during the rest of the year as well, this will show your customers that you truly care about inclusion, improving brand loyalty and brand love. Inclusive marketing is not just the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do for any business as well.
Top 13 Creators to Work With During Pride
When we work with clients, we make sure to choose the best creators for every project, so our team are experts when it comes to the creator industry. Here are some examples of the many amazing creators that you can engage with to celebrate Pride autentically:
1. Chella Man
Chella Man is an artist, actor, and activist known for their work in the LGBTQ+ and Disabled communities. As a deaf and trans person of colour, Chella uses their platform to advocate for inclusivity and accessibility. Their unique perspective and creative talents make them an influential voice for marginalised communities.
2. Luke Christian
Luke Christian is a British entrepreneur and creator, founder of the brand Deaf Identity. He uses his platform to share his lived experience as a deaf and gay entrepreneur, while also raising awareness of the deaf community and teaching some simple BSL to his audience. Last year, we worked with him on our amazing Pride campaign with Strongbow!
3. Ella Willis
Ella is a queer content creator and illustrator from the UK. They use their social media channels to raise awareness around Autism and ADHD with their thousand of followers. Ella’s feed also deserves some attention with all of their amazing bright and colourful outfits!
4. Paff Evara
A queer creator and writer from Australia, who found themselves in Scotland. Paff often talks about their experience being Neurodivergent while also featuring some of their favourite things in life. They also co-created Subspace, a community, creator collective and media company, that centres queer creatives of colour in their platform and media.
5. Jessica Kellgren-Fozard
Jessica Kellgren-Fozard is a popular YouTuber and LGBTQ+ advocate who shares her experiences as a Disabled woman. Her content ranges from historical LGBTQ+ education to daily life with her disabilities, providing a well-rounded and informative perspective.
4. Blair Imani
Blair Imani is a queer, Black, Muslim activist and historian based in the US, who educates her audience on intersectional issues through her vibrant social media presence. Her educational and engaging content makes her a valuable partner for brands committed to social justice and inclusivity.
5. Zack Hipps
You might have probably already seen some of the many energising videos that Zack shares on his Instagram and TikTok. With over 50k followers, this Northener shares his passion for food, while also sharing local businesses and experiences with his amazing energy.
9. Shaaba and Jamie
Shaaba and Jamie are a couple known for their YouTube channel where they share their experiences as an interracial, transgender couple. Their fun content promotes understanding and acceptance. Collaborating with Shaaba and Jamie could highlight your brand’s commitment to diversity in all its forms!
10. Stevie Boebi
Stevie Boebi is a bisexual content creator from the US who discusses LGBTQIA+ issues, mental health, and her experiences with chronic illness. Her candid discussions and educational content make her an influential voice within the LGBTQIA+ and Disabled communities.
11. Sandie Roberts
Not just Gen Z and Millenials exist on social media, and collaborating with someone like Sandie would be a way to showcase the variety of lived experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community. Sandie is a non binary creator who shines a light on all things midlife, disability and LGBTQIA+.
12. Heather Moradeyo
Heather is a queer woman living in the UK who loves to share her passion for fashion, as well as opening up about her own struggles with mental health. Some of the topics she covers on her page are incredibly important, so working with Heather would be a great way to shine a light on mental health issues within the LGBTQIA+ community, especially as a Black woman
13. Elliot Douglas
Actor and creator, Elliot shares his experiences as a trans person on his social media, often educating and raising awareness about the community. As a deaf person, he also shares tips with his audience to make content more accessible to everyone.
How to Effectively Partner with LGBTQ+ and Disabled Creators
When partnering with LGBTQIA+ and Disabled creators, it’s important to approach the collaboration with respect and authenticity, and making sure you’re taking measures to create a safe, diverse and respectful environment throughout your whole company. Here are some tips to ensure a successful partnership:
Understand Their Story
Take the time to listen and understand the creator’s background and lived experiences. Authenticity is key, make sure you’re working with them in the right way and engage with them outside of your Pride campaigns.
Promote Accessibility
Ensure that your campaigns and collaborations are accessible. Having a diverse group of creators, including Disabled creators, is a great first step, but creating accessible content is the perfect next step. This includes providing captions for videos, adding image and video descriptions, as well as alt text, and creating content that is easy to navigate for all users.
Amplify Their Voices
Use your brand’s platform to amplify the voices of these creators. Share their content, support their causes, and highlight their contributions to your audience.
Long-Term Commitment
Like we’ve mentioned before, avoid tokenism by committing to long-term partnerships rather than one-off campaigns. Show consistent support for the LGBTQIA+ and Disabled communities all year round.
Creative Freedom
This is key when working with any creator, but it’s important to remember that creative freedom is essential for a successful campaign. At the end of the day, the creators and influencers know their audience better than anyone, so they know which content will resonate best with them.
If you’re still unsure how to get the best out of your influencer marketing activations, get in touch with our team of experts at Purple Goat, who will make sure you create the best inclusive influencer campaign for your brand!
Conclusion
This Pride, make a meaningful impact by partnering with creators who represent the diverse spectrum of the LGBTQIA+ community, including Disabled individuals. By showcasing these top creators, your brand can promote genuine inclusivity, foster greater understanding, and drive positive change. Embrace the opportunity to work with these amazing individuals and let their powerful voices resonate through your brand’s message.
Pride is a great opportunity to listen, engage and learn more about the community and how to authentically collaborate with them. But once June is over, make sure you keep doing all of those things and create truly inclusive campaigns all year round.
At Purple Goat, we are dedicated to promoting inclusivity and diversity in all aspects of marketing. If your brand is ready to take the next step in authentic representation, contact us today to learn how we can help you create impactful and inclusive campaigns!
