It’s a clear generalization, but research supports it. Many in our community love gadgets and the newest cutting edge technologies.
So, it’s no surprise that following in the tracks of gay-specific product sites there also is a site for technophiles on the scene. I’m somewhere in the middle ground in that I’ll be among (semi-)early adopters of a new technology mainly after it’s been beta tested and on the market for a bit. There are exceptions, I’ve had DSL broadband service at home for eight years and am now on my third iPod. I’m also anxiously awaiting wide distribution of femtocell devices in the U.S. to compensate for the constant “SOS only” mode on my mobile phone screen because of dismal cell reception at home.
Other than that, I leave my friends to be the first on the block for most gadgets. I then get the product reviews from them.
So it was a nice surprise to stumble across the gaygadget site. True, there are endless sites for tech product reviews and consumer submitted test drives.
There is just something to be said of a site that seems to pick the toys I’m most interested in, e.g. invisible in-wall speakers where form and function can coexist. And not only this product caught my eye for iPod music & video sharing device, but the headline caught my attention, or more specifically spoke to one of best friends viewing the site: “Me share You share, Can I have your Cher?”
Of course, as I said earlier, there are any number of tech product sites easily accessible, but, not without wading through a number of searches. This one catches the trends the gay techies – at least those I know – seem to be eyeing.
What do you think? Is there really a need to duplicate existing mainstream consumer product sites with sites that target the gay and lesbian community? Or is it just a marketing gimmick?
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No, I don’t think it’s a gimmick, and shame on you for dropping the research ball. I’m a regular reader of homotron.net.
Splittingtheadam.typepad.com
What is Omnicom’s position in relation to homophobic advertising?
I saw the Snickers ads and your rather limp responses to them.
Omnicom owns you.
To me your entire “gay and lesbian communications Practice Group” stinks of hypocrisy:
http://adage.com/garfield/post?article_id=129767
That letter states:
“How could you be so insensitive, how could you be so shallow, and how could you be so mean?
This letter is to you, but it is equally to your colleagues throughout the industry. Are you so bereft, of ideas and simple humanity, that you must be reduced to stereotyping and bullying? That you must identify an “other” to ridicule, or worse? That you must build a brand on the backs of people who have harmed no one save for challenging a high-school locker-room standard of masculinity?”
FHOutfront is a subsidiary of Omnicom — a sad homophobic company that you are well and truly trapped under.
Your response?
Julia
You’re right, Adam. Homotron.net is a good tech site, although it is a lot more general with coverage ranging from products to news to pop culture.
Julia, FH Out Front is part of Fleishman-Hillard, which is one of about 200 companies owned by Omnicom. I can only speak with knowledge about Fleishman-Hillard, where we believe in the importance of gay and lesbian communications and will continue to provide counsel to clients on gay and lesbian communications issues.
If you want to know more about Fleishman-Hillard’s point of view and the ways we counsel clients, we encourage you to read any one of the more than 400 posts on this blog.
Steve Kauffman