General Motors division of Saturn announced yesterday that it will partner with gayweels.com to sponsor Gay Days, May 29-June 4 in Orlando, Fla. With this deal, Saturn becomes the official automobile at one of the biggest events in the summer social calendar for many in our community.
As gaywheels.com Founder Joe LaMuraglia says, the partnership will introduce Saturn as a gay-friendly brand to thousands of people. Projections are for this year’s Gay Days weekend and expo to attract more than 140,000 people from around the world.
More importantly, this partnership raises the visibility of corporate engagement in our community. As we’ve stated many times in the blog, the LGBT community is a group of highly sophisticated consumers. We value companies that not only target us for marketing but also support and become involved in our activities.
Also, we value companies that do it right.
mThis sponsorship also is a textbook example of multilevel marketing that’s smart for reaching the LGBT community via several channels as well as the all-important interactive component.
Saturn will display a number of 2007 models at the event, including a cross section of vehicles to appeals to the diversity within our community. We see the cute and sporty Saturn Sky roadster we connect with Tim Gunn visiting the finalists on TV’s “Project Runway,” an Outlook SUV for the more utilitarian or family-focused among us and, last but not least, the hybrid-powered Vue Green Line for the environmentalists of our tribe.
Attendees to Gay Days will have an opportunity to be photographed with each of the vehicles at the event. Then, attendees can go on line to www.gaywheels.com/saturn to retrieve their photo – and, as featured on the site, to see more specs on the vehicles themselves as well as reviews and links to local dealerships.
It’s exciting to see another example of corporate engagement with the LGBT community. It’s even more thrilling to see smart corporate engagement. Any other campaigns come to mind? Let us know.
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