Inclusive Marketing Communication with Specific Reference to LGBTQ: A Review of Literature and Directions for Future Research

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the existing literature on how inclusive marketing communication targets LGBTQ individuals (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer). This study has used SLR and bibliometric analysis to gain in-depth understanding of the topic. Data were extracted from Scopus database as it is one of the most widely used databases across the world and a total of 174 papers qualified the criteria. The findings of this study stated important insights on information like country collaborations, growth of topic undertaken across years, trending topics and so on. Clusters were also identified which helped in identifying trending topics and area of studies which yet needs to be focused. Moving forward, this study compiled all the information to identify future research gaps and implications for academicians as well as practitioners. It is among the few studies which have explored the importance of inclusive marketing specially focusing on LGBTQ individuals. This study has suggested agendas for future advertising research. Also, with evolving role of inclusive marketing, organizations need to re-think and re-position themselves in the market to survive; hence, this study also provides future research agendas for practitioners to understand global trends of consumer behaviour.

Keywords

LGBTQ inclusive marketing inclusive marketing communication gay lesbian queer bi-sexual transgender

Introduction

Society has witnessed a plethora of changes in terms of recognition and acceptance of diverse social identities across the world. One such unique section of the society, the LGBTQ individuals were given recognition in the year 1990 (Montelongo, 2020). In recent years, marketing and media attention has begun to be directed to LGBTQ people as a distinct consumer group. This market segment has been dubbed the ‘Dream Market’ (Penaloza, 1996). Besides being early adopters of new products and services (Akermanidis & Venter, 2014), the LGBTQ individuals have a high, disposable income and are more brand loyal (Schneider & Auten, 2019). The buying power of LGBTQ people in 2019 was $1 trillion (about $3,100 per person in the United States) representing the highest buying power of a minority group in the United States (Montelongo, 2020). The LGBTQ market is assessed to be valued at $18 trillion worldwide (lgbt-capital.com). The median household income for LGBTQ households is between $60,000 and $79,999, substantially higher than that of their heterosexual counterparts (Wilson & Shalley, 2018). The Yankelovich Monitor Survey has called into question the widespread belief that the income of gays and lesbians was greater than that of heterosexuals. According to their report, income for gays was $37,400, as compared to $39,300 for heterosexual men; and $34,800 for lesbians, as compared to $34,400 for heterosexual women (Penaloza, 1996). LGBT-Capital.com in 2016 indicated that the LGBTQ spending accounted for 496 million Euro globally, of which 60% came from the Asian LGBTQ market. A factor which could add to this is that only 19% in the entire world makes it legal to adopt children by same-sex couples in which major regions lie in Europe and America. Other regions in the world are still not open for adoption of kids by same-sex couples or even same-sex marriage for that part. Hence, many households still struggle to live together in many regions, adopting a child is a farther dream.

However, there is another perception to this discussion. In response to the assumption that same-sex households are primarily the double income without children’s households, adoption is merely one way by which same-sex couples can have children (Mandiga, 2020). A couple that is of the same sex does not mean they are unable to reproduce as well. There are many methods by which LGBTQ people, in couples or in singlehood, have had and continue to have children since the beginning of time (Mak & Martina, 2021). Reproductive medicine, surrogacy and familial support are some methods. Furthermore, this undermines many bisexual people who have had children with someone from the opposite sex but raise them with their same-sex partner later. In very recent years from 2018, a change has been witnessed in this context where 56% of the regions in the entire world has now made it legal for a single LGBTQ person adopt a child (An, 2021). But if they are a couple, it is not legal for them to exercise this right (Equality index, 2024). LGBTQ is relatively a sensitive issue in many developing countries like India as the individuals have never been acknowledged by society (Lim et al., 2022). Therefore, there are many LGBTQ couples who opt for international adoption which is legal in many countries like the United States, Colombia, and Brazil.

In any case, many studies have stressed that shopping expresses gay identity, and that the difference between gay and hetero shopping lies in the importance given to consumer goods, practices and spaces (Kates, 2013; Kataria, 2022; Reilly et al., 2008). Major interest to marketers is gay male dinks (i.e., double income, no kids [DINK]) because of their attractive levels of disposable income (Penaloza, 1996). According to recent studies, gay men are believed to enjoy DINK households more than lesbian couples and LGBTQ families (An, 2021). According to John Tanzella, head of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA), gay couples tend not to have children and have more money to spend on consumptions like travel and luxury. Moreover, LGBTQ tourists have been believed to be well educated and have fewer struggles with finance-oriented issues (An, 2021).

Moreover, the LGBTQ individuals make purchase from brands either established by LGBTQ people or brands actively supporting LGBTQ individuals (Kates, 2020; World Federation of Advertisement, 2020). To state the few major points acknowledged by LGBTQ for brands being authentic and them engaging in purchase with those brands are: (a) advertisements should be LGBTQ friendly; (b) it should be showcased in prominent media; (c) product enhancement in LGBTQ movies/shows; (d) sponsorships to these individuals/events; and (e) corporate employment policies should be LGBTQ friendly (Khurana, 2017). Media is a globally accepted platform for information dissemination about LGBTQ people issues. Hence, consumers harbour the belief that advertisements play an important role in shaping social identities and their representation globally, which in turn influences the general publics’ attitude about LGBTQ issues (Boyd et al., 2020; McInroy & Craig, 2015). These media depictions also significantly influence the lives and experiences of these individuals, including their gender (Heinz, 2012; Shelley, 2008) as well as their social identities. Therefore, inclusive marketing incorporates diversity in all forms (Payne, 2021; Shrum, 2009). It is reflected in terms of age, appearance, ethnicity, gender identity, language, socio-economic status, religion/spirituality and physical/mental ability (Jain et al., 2022). Despite the widespread acknowledgement of the significance of diversity in media representation, there is a dearth of research on representation of LGBTQ individuals.

Companies willing to risk potential negative reactions by those who oppose the homosexual lifestyle, and a possible loss of heterosexual customers, can profit from this brand loyal segment if they openly reach out to LGBTQ consumers (Lim et al., 2022). For instance, nearly 70% of LGBTQ people agree that they are more likely to be persuaded by advertisements that feature LGBTQ themes than advertisements that do not, and 68% say they are more likely to purchase products whose advertising uses LGBTQ themes (GL Census, 2016). Meredith Eaton, Director of North America at Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, an international technology public relation agency, notes that organizations must promote authentic brand beliefs, internally and externally. Offering equal opportunity employment, and maintaining an open, diverse and inclusive culture is a must (Razal, 2023). Authentic communication with LGBTQ communities is fundamental to the ‘survival and sustained success’ of organizations (Khurana, 2017; Mattson, 2023; Zerfass et al., 2018). Hence, it is an important target market, which marketers cannot afford to ignore.

To the best of our knowledge, researchers have explored various aspects related to the LGBTQ individuals; however, there is still dearth of literature exploring inclusive marketing communication with reference to LGBTQ individuals. There was limited literature available in Scopus on the subject in question. This study was conceptualized and conducted with the aim of bridging this gap in published literature. The global presence of these individuals accompanied by high purchasing power makes this segment of customers important to study. This study addresses the following research questions (RQ):

RQ1: To explore on how literature has represented communication among the leftover groups (especially LGBTQ).

RQ2: To explore research gaps in marketing communications that are not yet covered in the literature with respect to LGBTQ.

RQ3: Proposing themes, RQ and areas for further investigation in context to LGBTQ with a special reference to advertising, branding and promotional campaigns.

The RQ were used to refine the search process for reviewing the articles. Based on the earlier RQ, this study engages explicitly in an SLR of construct under study by analysing important academic database Scopus. The review was conducted from 1989 to 2023, and a rigorous approach to the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and PRISMA model was adopted for finalizing the papers. This study uses only articles published in English language.

Research Methodology

What, How and Where of Systematic Review

This study is conducted as bibliometric research with systematic literature review. There are mainly three ways to extract quality literature: (a) through the indexing agencies such as Scopus, Clarivate (Web of Science); (b) online libraries along with indexing—such as EBSCO and ProQuest; and (c) individual publishers’ websites—including Emerald, Sage, Springer, Taylor & Francis, Elsevier, Wiley, Inderscience, and so on. To conduct this study, search was mainly aimed from Scopus database because it contains more subject areas and categories than Web of Science and EBSCO helping scholars to choose relevant papers. Many of the mainstream journal titles indexed by Scopus manage manuscript reviews with stringent thresholds, ensuring only high-quality articles are published (Triono et al., 2024).

We used an array of keywords in combination with marketing-based keywords to cover a comprehensive range of documents. The central theme for this review was taken as ‘LGBTQ’ and ‘Marketing Communication’ in the title, abstract and keywords to analyse the global trend on LGBTQ marketing communication. The list of articles was sorted by years (old to new) in which the oldest was found to be published in the year 1989 and the most recent was in 2023. We searched standard database of Scopus using combination of Boolean operators for the following keywords: (TITLE-ABS-KEY((‘LGBTQ’ AND ‘marketing’) OR (‘LGBTQ’ AND ‘advertisement’) OR (‘LGBTQ’ AND ‘promotion’) OR (‘LGBTQ’ AND ‘marketing communication’) OR (‘LGBTQ’ AND ‘social media’) OR (‘transgender’ AND ‘marketing’) OR (‘transgender’ AND ‘advertisement’) OR (‘transgender’ AND ‘promotion’) OR (‘transgender’ AND ‘social media’) OR (‘transgender’ AND ‘marketing communication’) OR (‘bi-sexuality’ AND ‘marketing’) OR (‘bi-sexual’ AND ‘advertisement’) OR (‘bi-sexuality’ AND ‘promotions’) OR (‘bi-sexuality’ AND ‘marketing communication’) OR (‘bi-sexual’ AND ‘social media’) OR (‘sexual orientation’ AND ‘advertisement’) OR (‘sexual orientation’ AND ‘social media’) OR (‘sexual orientation’ AND ‘promotions’) OR (‘sexual orientation’ AND ‘marketing communication’) OR (‘sexual orientation’ AND ‘marketing’) OR (‘gay’ AND ‘marketing’) OR (‘gay’ AND ‘advertisement’) OR (‘gay’ AND ‘promotion’) OR (‘gay’ AND ‘marketing communication’) OR (‘gay’ AND ‘social media’) OR (‘transsexualism’ AND ‘marketing’) OR (‘transsexualism’ AND ‘marketing communication’) OR (‘transsexualism’ AND ‘promotion’) OR (‘transsexualism’ AND ‘social media’) OR (‘transsexualism’ AND ‘advertisement’)). By using this query, a total of 3,288 documents were found.

Table 1.

Research Intent and its Significance with Important Studies.

Research Intent	Significance	Important Studies
What is the distribution of publication trends LGBTQ from 1989 to 2023?	It will help to determine the annual increasing or decreasing patterns reflected in trends of exploration on the LGBTQ individuals, over a time span of approximately 34 years. It will also help in determining future trends while helping us comprehend relevant research trends pre- and post-globalization	Bachman & Hull, 2022; Coombes & Singh, 2022; Hughes, 2005; Kates, 2013; Lim et al. (2022); Lukenbill, 2013; Mogaji, 2015; Pirani & Daskalopoulou, 2022; Rosenbaum & Montoya, 2007
Which authors and countries have invested most of their interest in research related to LGBTQ?	It will help identify the countries that have contributed the most in this area and added in future research. Furthermore, it would help researchers to identify sources of important study material required for high-quality research in this specific area
What are the top journals and subject areas in which studies on LGBTQ are the highest?	It will help identify which journals are most interested in this area. It will also reveal explored as well as unexplored dimensions of LGBTQ individuals. This will provide definitive directions for future research

The main objective of any SLR is to answer what do we know, how do we know and where we are heading to, which is achieved by collating relevant information present and processing that information in a way which gives a roadmap to research gaps and future opportunities for academicians as well as scholars (Paul & Criado, 2020). What do we know is answered by collating all the information about the constructs under study. Within the time frame of 1989 until 2023, Boolean search extracted 3288 articles. All the articles were screened independently by all the authors; however, only those articles were considered where all the authors agreed to inclusion and exclusion criteria as mentioned in Table 2. A rigorous process of SLR as proposed by Tranfield et al. (2003) is followed and is classified in three phases: (a) planning; (b) conducting; and (c) reporting of the review are followed and discussed in the following sections.

Table 2.

Inclusion and Exclusion Parameters for Paper Selection.

Inclusion Criteria (IC)	Exclusion Criteria (EC)
IC#1 Empirical analysis inclusive of inclusive marketing communication	EC#1 Abstract, title or keywords do not include any keyword combination used
IC#2 Studies published in the English language	EC#2 Study irrelevant for study objective (does not focus on inclusive marketing communication)
IC#3 Studies published in peer reviewed journals
IC#4 Studies published in the subject area of business, management and accounting and Social Sciences

Planning the Review

Following the previous literature, the prominent electronic publication database, Scopus, extracted the relevant articles published from 1989 till 2023. The base year was considered 1989 as the first relevant publication appeared in that particular year while searching.

Conducting the Review

All articles were selected independently from the Scopus database. Using the keywords, the initial search provided 3,288 articles. The documents might have included papers which were irrelevant to the scope of our review, but a few additional steps were taken. The articles were screened for duplicity, relevancy and quality check using PRISMA model (Moher et al., 2009). The search was limited to journals of business management and accounting category written in English language only. All the documents were screened by the authors according to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria mentioned in Table 2. The review process was performed by the authors independently to ensure a robust and unbiased sample (Behera et al., 2019; Singh et al., 2023). Specific selection criteria (Table 2) were implemented to ensure the relevance and robustness of search results and to maintain transparency in the SLR process (Talha et al., 2024). As it is the utmost important aspect to have a clarity of differentiation among methods of conducting a SLR (Rana et al., 2022). Further, it was refined with the quality criteria mentioned in Table 3. Authors used quality evaluation (QE) criteria adopted from previous SLRs (Behera et al., 2019; Rana et al., 2022). Studies were assigned scores based on QE criteria and the studies that did not meet the threshold of 2.5 (50% of the total score of 5) were removed from further consideration. Hence, a total of 174 studies were taken further for consideration. Figure 1 represents detailed review methodology procedure adopted for this study.

Table 3.

Quality Evaluation Criteria for Paper Selection.

Quality Evaluation (QE) Criteria	QE# Scoring
Do the research topic and findings address inclusive marketing communication?	QE1 Completely agree: +1
Is the context of the research clear in terms of contributing to the knowledge of inclusive marketing communication?	QE2 Partially agree: +0.5 Do not agree: 0
Does the research adequately delineate the methodology?	QE3 High quality: 4–5
Is the data collection procedure adequately explained?	QE4 Medium quality: 2.5–3.5
Is the approach used for data analysis appropriately explained in the research?	QE5 Low quality: <2.5 (excluded)

Figure 1.

Sources: Rana et al. (2022, 2023).

Reporting

This study follows performance analysis and science mapping approach to report the results and provides information based on top authors, yearly growth of publications and publication trends. Moreover, clusters were created according to the keywords used together by the authors. Furthermore, independent/dependent and mediating/moderating variables were identified alongside important studies (Figure 5). A detailed description is provided in this study to give a better understanding of the present literature available on the topic under study and to give a roadmap for future studies and scope to academicians as well as scholars.

Results

Classification and Analysis of the Literature

After the selection of 174 documents for the review, all the documents were downloaded in CSV (comma-separated values) format for further analysis. Keywords selected for the review were also analysed separately in the title and abstract of the 174 documents. More than 10 of the keywords were cited for more than three times, and sexual orientation, gay, marketing, bi-sexual and transgender have the highest number of occurrences both in the title and abstract. After that, search terms related to marketing communication like advertisements, diversity management, inclusion and so on other than marketing were found to have negligible presence in title as well abstract. The least occurrences in title and abstract with integration to marketing communication for LGBTQ individuals people show a major gap which justifies the need for the present research review accompanied with relevant future research themes.

The documents undertaken for the study include 174 documents that comprise 134 articles, four reviews, one conference paper, 11 books, 23 book chapters and one editorial from 344 authors and 30 countries. Limited number of publications proves that academicians as well as practitioners lack in focusing on the group of individuals while considering marketing communications, strategies, advertisements and other related concepts of marketing management. Moreover, most of the documents have been published by developed countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, which provides clear evidence that factors of acceptance like laws and religion played a vital role in the publications.

Influential Authors

Table 4 shows the top 10 influential authors based on number of papers published with their citations. Out of a total of 344 authors (from 174 papers), the largest set of connected articles author wise (in combination) was only four. The author having the highest number of citations is Rosenbaum M.S. with 250 citations from five publications. His highest cited paper is ‘Am I welcome here? Exploring how ethnic consumers assess their place identity’ (2007). This study mostly talks about how consumers respond to additional elements in a social servicescape to assess their place identity. Place identity refers to the congruency between a consumer’s self-identity and a place. They demonstrated how physical and place identity elements influence responses among Hispanic and homosexual consumers. Although H. L. Hughes also published five studies, its number of citations is 187. Hughes has mostly focused on the tourism of LGBTQ and how it affects in their choices as consumers of different destinations. Hughes have also described precisely in his works the issue of sampling LGBTQ and how can it be done effectively with minimizing biasness, which indeed could give a clear picture to scholars wanting to work in this area of study. Weichselbaumer D. has three publications with 214 citations. This author mostly talked about the discriminations faced by LGBTQ due to their sexual orientation affecting their social identity, brand choices, decision-making and working health. While Schmidt R. A. and Woodward D. have 98 and 99 citations with two documents, respectively, Schmidt R. A. has talked about the gay lifestyle like clothing choices and fashion trends on behaviour of people from different sexual orientations. Whereas Woodward D. has talked about how giving equal opportunities to LGBTQ could help and change living standards of LGBTQ individuals, Branchik B. J. has four publications but lesser citation of 77 citations. He talked about how homosexual imagery in advertisements has changed over time. These studies show that while homosexual representations have become more respectful, advertisements in mainstream media appear to convey homosexual orientations in a subtle manner. Kates with the citation of 64 talked about how advertisements targeting homosexual people were often designed by heterosexual marketers which were imbued with stereotypes about gay lifestyles and were sanitized to fit heteronormative narratives. All other authors have published two papers each with citations lower than 50. The link strength value for all the authors is zero. The greater the number of publications, higher should be the strength value (Khudzari et al., 2018). So, lower number of links strength is a concern and is noteworthy for this research domain.

Table 4.

Influential Authors (documents) Based on Citations.

Authors	Citations	Documents	Total Link Strength
Hughes Rosenbaum	187 250	5 5	0 0
Branchik Weichselbaumer	77 52	4 3	0 0
Coffin Cunningham Hattingh Kates Li MacCharles	40 38 35 32 20 17	2 2 2 2 2 2	0 0 0 0 0 0

This is an important aspect to note that only 344 authors across globe have worked in this concentrated area, which is in fact a reason for concern about the authenticity of literature on marketing communications done by brands across globe. Hence, scholars as well as marketers need to focus on minority groups like LGBTQ while considering topics of marketing communications.

Yearly Publications

Figure 2 represents the growth of publications over the years. The first ever study published was in the year 1989 titled ‘The AIDS crisis: unethical marketing leads to negligent homicide’ by Krohn and Miler. There has been a steady increase in the number of publications, from 2018 onwards, with a noteworthy jump in the number of publications, from five papers (2018) to 36 papers (2022–2023). This increasing trend of publications has resulted in a substantial number of cumulative publications. Thus, we can safely summarize that publications in this domain will display an increasing trend with increased social cognizance and acceptance of diverse individuals in society, at large. An important recommendation here is that research in this domain should be made freely accessible, to encourage future research studies. The analysis further revealed that the focus on social media and consumer behaviour (with reference to LGBTQ market) displays an increasing trend and peaks in the year 2022. Also, studies related to LGBTQ-focused marketing communication and advertising are most used in the years 2020–2023. Hence, an interesting trend to observe would be whether academic and research interest will sustain towards this critical societal phenomenon or not.

Figure 2.

Source: Scopus.

Keyword Mapping

Figure 3 reveals the most researched themes by different countries and the journal in which the studies are published. Researchers from both the United States and the United Kingdom seem to be researching on a plethora of themes. All the top 10 keywords are falling under the span of their research, indicating widespread recognition and acceptance of the LGBTQ individuals, as well as their status as an important target segment from the marketers’ perspective. In case of Sweden, the predominant theme for research studies is discrimination of LGBTQ individuals. Research in Canada is revolving around areas like marketing efforts directed towards LGBTQ individuals, diversity issues and their social media presence, whereas China has witnessed research limited to keywords like gay and sexual orientation, with no studies pertaining to marketing efforts being directed towards LGBTQ individuals. Research in Australia is focused on existence of LGBTQ individuals on social media, while research publications from New Zealand are reflective of not only acceptance of these individuals but also exploring the possibilities of different marketing communication strategies for targeting LGBTQ. Research published in Germany is restricted to a keyword ‘Sexual orientation’ and their paper was directed towards male and female individuals under the research term of sexual orientation. Very few have discussed about other sexual orientation individuals, indicating lack of recognition, awareness and acceptance of LGBTQ individuals.

Figure 3.

Source: VoS Viewer.

Through Figure 3, it is mostly clear that developed nations have the most intriguing insights on this area of research. The United States having the most cited, published and having explored all the relevant keywords gives an insight that the Western culture has influenced most of the publications in terms of acceptance of LGBTQ individuals globally. Moreover, the United Kingdom also has the similar culture and has global acceptance of this individuals making widespread research on different keywords connecting with LGBTQ individuals globally. The most connecting notion among all the studies done by these developed countries was that LGBTQ is seen as innate and hence is not considered something as to which people can control. Hence, this is a major driver of acceptance of LGBTQ individuals in these countries. Although, in countries like India, South Africa and so on which are still at developing stages, see LGBTQ as some biological disease and not as innate. Hence, it can be seen clearly why countries like the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia are in support of research on LGBTQ individuals while nations like India still have a dearth of literature pertaining to these individuals. Although, with globalization, the acceptance of varied sexual orientation has started to shift, yet it is still in its very nascent stage and has still to go a long road for acceptance legally as well as publicly in many regions of the world including India.

Some of the top journals which have published research related to diverse aspects of LGBTQ individuals are Equality Diversity and Inclusion, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Public Relations Review, Sport Management Review, Marketing Theory and so on. This shows that only journals from the developed nations allow the publication on topics like these while other journals from developing or underdeveloped countries are still struggling to accept papers on the minority communities as it may create many legal issues, negative notions and so on which could tamper with their reputations in their own countries.

Cluster Analysis

Visualization of keywords as per Figure 4 has focused on five clusters used frequently together in the research articles.

Figure 4.

Source: VoS Viewer.

Cluster 1: Discrimination and Inclusions

The research publications in this cluster have delved into discrimination faced by members of LGBTQ individuals, as well as solutions to confront these challenges. Many of the brands do not dwell into focusing on LGBTQ individuals in their communications due to the discrimination done by majority groups. Hence, the prior literature has helped to explore how marketers could inculcate this market without negatively affecting their existing majority market. Moreover, much research has figured that if the brands become inclusive from within and creating a diverse work environment by employing more of minority individuals in their companies, it will help them understand the challenges and have more power to overcome from these challenges publicly. This will consequentially result in making the work environment more diverse and strengthen equality and acceptance. Research has also drawn attention to organizations for paying heed to both internal and external LGBTQ customers. For instance, Achyldurdyyeva et al. (2021) have examined aspects of workplace environment and the experiences of LGBTQ employees. Then, a study by Patel and Feng (2021) examines how LGBTQ ‘workplace equality policy’ furthers and reinforces organizational commitment to equality and diversity in the public communications and therefore in their advertisements and marketing strategies.

Cluster 2: Gender Identity and Perception

This cluster emphasizes issues pertaining to gender inclusivity in brands. There are gender identities, apart from socially acceptable ones, that is, male and female. Publications in this cluster draw attention to relationships between brands and customers being driven by brands incorporating gender inclusivity in their communication with their target audience, also how consumer perceptions are influenced by brands practicing gender inclusivity. For instance, Cowart and Wagner (2021) have unpacked the effect of advertising imagery, sexual orientation and gender on customer attitude towards the advertisement as well as the brand. In another study, the author has measured the difference in responses of heterosexuals and homosexuals on a series of fashion-oriented print advertisements depicting overt or ambiguous gay male or lesbian themes (Dotson et al., 2009). Yet another study mapped perceptions of gay-friendliness, socialization sources and the relationship between gay-friendly brand claims and attitudes towards the brand (Tuten et al., 2006). Despite some studies in this area of gender inclusivity, it is an underexplored area of research, thus revealing an opportunity for undertaking qualitative as well as quantitative studies on gender inclusivity by brands.

Cluster 3: Authenticity of Brands Targeting LGBTQ Audience

This cluster focused on authenticity of brands in the eyes of their target audience. The existing literature on marketing to gay men and lesbians suggests that brands targeting members of these individuals need to have an appropriate market positioning. This helps brands to achieve an authentic image in the psyche of their target customers, leading to long-term customer commitment and loyalty. For instance, one of the recent studies examined LGBTQ audiences’ brand authenticity perception and stated that LGBTQ found brands authentic by evaluating the Pride (2020) campaign in terms of brand attitude, scepticism and purchase intention (Lim et al., 2022). Another study identifies the factors influencing authentic communication targeting LGBTQ audience and examines if there is a difference between factors influencing authenticity in communication targeting LGBTQ individuals and communication targeting other heterosexual communities (Ciszek & Pounders, 2020).

Cluster 4: Inclusive Marketing Communication and Brand Attitude

This cluster focuses on how inclusive marketing communication affects brand attitude. This area of research is at a very nascent stage in literature. There are a few studies which have shed light on this research area providing a promising future research domain. A study conducted by Melton et al. (2021) examined sport consumer perceptions of LGBTQ-inclusive marketing initiatives. Another study examined parents’ attitude towards inclusive marketing communication. Three perceptions were found to be dominant among the parents; anticipating sexual stigma, confronting assumptions of heterosexuality and educating but not increasing acceptance (Trussel et al., 2018). Hence, this cluster presents an opportunity for research with the objective of fostering a climate of social change through inclusive language and behaviours.

Cluster 5: Gay Tourism Risks and Societal Acceptance

This cluster focuses on gay tourism, its potential risks and societal acceptance of LGBTQ individuals. This cluster majorly emphasized on perception of heterosexuals towards LGBTQ individuals. There are many studies which talks about social stigma attached to LGBTQ individuals (Hildebrand et al., 2013; Pitchler et al., 2017), but very few have dealt with fostering positive relations between heterosexuals and homosexuals (Achyldurdyyeva et al., 2021; Åkestam et al., 2017; Nakelsky et al., 2022). A recent study investigated friendships between gay sales associates and heterosexual female customers in luxury retail settings to map acceptance of gay men among heterosexuals (Rosenbaum et al., 2015). Another study examined and formulated the acceptance journey campaign. This campaign aimed to increase acceptance for gay men of colour as a means for combating broad disparities in HIV/AIDS (Hull et al., 2013). Many of the heterosexuals believe that if gay tourism will be encouraged, it will increase their countries with the potential risks of diseases like HIV (Kates, 2000).

Hence, these clusters give a handful insight on how to deal with the negative notions belonging to LGBTQ individuals as well as what are the driver forces for researching on LGBTQ individuals. Moreover, managers could learn from this literature how international brands overcame the challenges to include LGBTQ in their communications and target market without failing to include their existing market. Developing nations as well as underdeveloped nations could learn from the literatures of developed countries and spread the dimensions of LGBTQ marketing literature by learning that how developed countries overcame the hindrances and explored the dimensions of LGBTQ individuals globally.

This analysis also revealed that most of the research on the topic is scattered and isolated, clearly indicating that some key topics need to be amalgamated for plugging the gap in literature and further enrich published content on marketing communication targeting LGBTQ individuals. The co-occurrence network depicts interconnected research topics that have been used together by researchers. For instance, the topic of ‘Discrimination’ has been used in combination with ‘Sexual orientation’, while ‘Advertising’ has been used in combination with ‘Gender’, which in turn relates to research on attitudes. Other combinations which are prominent are of ‘Diversity’ with ‘Marketing’ and ‘Social Media’ with ‘LGBTQ’, whereas topics like ‘Gay men’, ‘Branding’, ‘LGBT’ and ‘Homosexuals’ have been studied by researchers in isolation. Hence, this analysis has brought forth a distinct gap in literature that topics like ‘LGBTQ’ need to be studied in combination with topics like ‘Diversity’ and ‘Marketing’, to further enrich the literature on marketing communication targeting LGBTQ individuals.

According to the literature review analysis, Figure 5 reveals key dependent and independent variables as well as key mediators and moderators categorized into groups to understand the important future research roadmaps and gaps in the literature. Furthermore, it will help the researchers to understand the current situation of the research in this area. Clusters have been formed after the in-depth study of the prior literatures available which has been discussed in detail further.

Figure 5.

Independent/Dependent and Mediating/Moderating Variables with Important Studies.

LGBTQ and Use of Media by Brands

Use of media for advertisement and communication by brands has been into existence from early 1700s (Hirmer et al., 2022). The major traditional media used since the 1960s for the portrayal of LGBTQ lives are print media and movies. Different media sources like TV have drastically expanded the LGBTQ portrayals across world. LGBTQ representation in TV reached a record high in 2021 and 2022 (‘FSOG’ Fifty Shades of Gay, 2022).

Brands like Detective Comics, Inc. (DC) and Marvels which have a global fanbase depicting characters like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and so on have not failed to address LGBTQ character in their comics. Famous characters of Wonder Woman, Deadpool and so on are depicted to be a member of LGBTQ individuals in a DC comic (Scott, 2022). Also, Marvel introduces a first superhero Phasos in ‘Eternals’ as a gay character in their series. It was a great leap for the individuals to have queer representation in a big-budget superhero film (FSOG, 2022). These media representations have helped in increasing awareness about inclusivity and diversity across the world. Different Indian brands like Shaadi.com, an Indian matchmaking site, have utilized these scriptures to communicate about their brands for LGBTQ individuals across globe. Sabyasachi has taken lifestyle magazine as another medium to communicate to LGBTQ individuals by showcasing their products used by famous Indian American Lesbian couples, Indian–Pakistani gay couple wearing Sabyasachi clothes on their big day (ETimes, 2020). Moreover, brands like Amul came up with the brand campaign for LGBTQ individuals in 2009 with a tagline ‘out of the closet, out of the fridge’. Titan Raga’s proud to be me, Levi’s ‘proud to be more’ and so on were the campaigns which utilized different brand communication media for daring to speak up and break some taboos (Business Insider, 2021).

With the rise of the web-based media, LGBTQ influencers and use of LGBTQ celebrities have also been examined by brands which are significant for LGBTQ audiences (Fox & Ralston, 2016).

LGBTQ Influencers

Influencers are opinion leaders and have emerged as influential participants of online communities, serving as a source of advice for their audience (Casaló et al., 2020). Companies are turning towards these endorsers because they connect the intended target audience with brands without losing their personality in their communication (Childers & Boatwright, 2021). Influencers promote brands on social network platforms in exchange for monetary or sponsorship compensations, while users see them as more credible and honest than traditional media celebrities (Djafarova & Rushworth, 2017). Users relate the word influencer with a specific person or celebrity. As opinion leaders, the content they share on their social media platforms can affect users’ perceptions towards the topic under discussion (Casaló et al., 2020). According to Mintel (2015), younger audiences are looking for ‘relatable’ and ‘accessible personalities’ that they can follow; this is a key opportunity for brands to reach LGBTQ audiences.

Many studies are performed in the context of LGBTQ under the topic themed around influence of media to build online identity (Craig et al., 2015), learning experiences of LGBTQ individuals through influencers (Fox & Ralston, 2016), how media helps LGBTQ to come out in public (Billings et al., 2015), LGBTQ influencer support for individuals to help them build a safe space (Duguay, 2016) and so on. There has been little research around how LGBTQ influencers are participating in the growing phenomena of brand influencers and how it creates authenticity and credibility for LGBTQ consumers. Due to attached stigma and discrimination associated with the LGBTQ individuals, it is important to analyse how people perceive and engage with the LGBTQ influencers. According to the Pew Research Center (2013), more than 50% of LGBTQ individuals have been victims of homophobic or transphobic slurs. One of the prior studies found that LGBTQ consumers perceive those brands as more authentic and credible which are promoted by LGBTQ influencers (Billings et al., 2015). More followers from the LGBTQ individuals informed the influencers that they have bought the product, demonstrating a sense of trust towards the products promoted by them (Sabala, 2020).

Society, Culture, Orientation and Identity

Widely available contents on LGBTQ have increased the visibility and awareness about gender diversification and have helped the representation of LGBTQ identity to the world at large. The global acceptance index rate for LGBTQ in India is only 5.1 and ranked 46 out of 174 countries across globe, showing a declining trend from the year 1980 to 2017 (Flores, 2019). The origin of LGBTQ individuals can be found in scriptures like Vedas, Purana and so on, not only in Sanatan dharma but also in other religions like Jainism and Buddhism. Yet, in recent times their acceptance is negligible in many developing countries like India. This unrealistic subjugation finds evidence in IPC Section 377 that stated LGBTQ people as ‘against the order of nature’. This law was taken down by the Supreme Court of India on 6 September 2018 (Times of India, 2018). The American Psychiatric Association specified that ‘homosexuality’ wasn’t a mental illness in 1973. The American Psychiatric Association specified that ‘homosexuality’ was not a mental illness in 1973. Modern queer activism is often attributed to the Stonewall riots of 1969, in New York City. As per few historians, a new era of the gay rights movement began in the 1980s with the emergence of AIDS, which devastated queer leadership and shifted the focus for many, from matters of LGBT rights to those of existence and pragmatism. On 6 September 2018, the Supreme Court of India decriminalized homosexuality by declaring Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.

Society is normally segregated into groups such as gender, age, race, marital status and so on. However, in recent years, sexual orientation has been a hot topic all over the world. Despite being legalized in some countries around the world, there are countries that still do not recognize LGBTQ individuals. Thus, it leads to various perceptions among the public. The important traits of a young person’s identity are gender and sexual orientation (Mousa et al., 2020). On 30 April 1997, Ellen DeGeneres, lead character on the show EIlrri, came out as a lesbian in a special episode on national television, thus becoming the first gay lead character on national television. This event, watched by 35% of America and rated as the number one show of the week by Nielsen Media Research (‘Ratings Ryan’, 2021), was described as having monumental significance by both supporters and opponents. Whereas opponents argued that this action would ‘promote homosexuality’, supporters hoped that having an openly lesbian character on national television would encourage more positive attitudes towards homosexuality. Why did a national debate erupt over what could be considered an insignificant hour slot on television? Perhaps it is because both sides assume that the media can influence people’s attitudes (Anderson & Jiang, 2018). The struggle to obtain visibility and representation in society is perhaps best embodied in the slogan ‘We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it’, a motto that was popularized by the Queer Nation group (1990). Activists have argued that media portrayals of gay men and lesbians have major effects on the attitudes of the heterosexual population (Anderson & Jiang, 2018).

Fashion Market

In current scenario, people are comparatively aware about the different gender identities than the traditional gender, that is, male and female. At the same time, there are few research published on how these identities have been utilized in the fashion industry (Khurana, 2017). In the history of fashion, the concept of androgynous fashion has been evolving since the 1920s. With significant influencers coming forward on international platforms, the concept of being gender fluid is catching a lot of attention recently in the international fashion industry (Saha & Basu, 2021). The use of the LGBTQ characters by the entertainment industry in different series/movies may have brought awareness for the fashion industry to bifurcate the products and product lines for genders other than male and female. Hence, genderless fashion helps people accept their gender identities and embrace it; also they do so to empower themselves to build and communicate their own unique identity through their clothing (Oetojo, 2016). It is believed that genderless fashion is more accepted by the youths as they are comparatively less concerned about the societal norms in general (Ornella, 2018; Texiera, 2020). This market is estimated to be worth $18 trillion globally (lgbt-capital.com). A concern which needs to be addressed by both academicians and practitioners is how brands shown reposition themselves to attract this market segment while not disrupting their relations with heterosexual market (Aaker et al., 2000). Kates (2000) performed ethnographic research which stated that LGBTQ buy from gay individuals is to support the gay individuals. For the fashion industry, it is important to understand the benefits and disadvantages of entering the LGBTQ market (Kataria, 2022). It is interesting to observe the change in consumer behaviours and patterns with the increase of genderless fashion trend helping an overall shift in social attitude towards the traditional fashion perspective. As from this trend, people could embrace their gender identities to express themselves across the world (Chapek, 2017).

Consumer Behaviour, Practices and Social Responsibility

For understanding how consumers think and feel about brands in general, it is key to know the buying decision-making behaviour of the customers (Teixeira, 2020). Also, the behaviour of the consumers is majorly influenced by their culture, the media and their family background naturally. In one of the studies, the focus was on the psychoanalytic theory of consumer behaviour which states that consumers make buying decisions based on their feelings and fears associated with the decision. Schofield and Schmidt (2005) state that homosexual consumers are more fashion conscious and updated in technology than heterosexuals. The innovation adoption model has been used by many researchers to analyse the adoption patterns of LGBTQ people. These individuals are found to be a part of early adopters. Also, LGBTQ audience chooses their appearances and fashion products for self-expression (Khurana, 2017). The inclination of LGBTQ towards their physical appearances is found to be more than the heterosexuals. The role of media, especially advertisement, influencers and characters used in movies or series has the maximum amount of influence on LGBTQ audience. Hence, the estimated population of LGBTQ people is around 450 million people with spending power of about USD 3.7 trillion, leaving it to be huge untapped and eligible for exploring market (Khurana, 2017). Some researchers found that advertisements with LGBTQ characters have positive impact on LGBTQ individuals. Moreover, a few research states that LGBTQ people most likely buy from the brands which are fashion neutral friendly. A few major points acknowledged by the people of the group individuals while making purchases are (a) advertisements should be LGBTQ friendly; (b) it should be showcased in prominent media; (c) product enhancement in LGBTQ movies/ shows; (d) sponsorships to these individuals/events; and (e) corporate employment policies should be LGBTQ friendly.

According to Consumer Culture Report (2020), 65% of people say that they boycotted a brand or a company from whom they purchased before because of their stance on an issue. According to a global report, 66% of people are willing to pay more from brands that are committed to social value (the sustainability imperative, NielsenIQ, 2015). As we look to the future, this is set to continue with 83% of millennials saying they want brands to align with them in terms of values (Kitterman, PR Daily, 2020). LGBTQ respondents scored lower than heterosexuals in Kantar’s inclusion index (Consumer Culture Report, 2020). Hence, the connection between a brand and consumers is mostly believed to be peripheral. To overcome this, brands must build real relationships, loyalty and trust with the LGBTQ individuals (Wong, 2020). According to Procter and Gamble (2021), ‘81% of advertisers and 41% of agencies agree’ on a resulting criticism when executing LGBTQ in advertising inauthentically as well as recognizing a difficulty in adequate representation, for example H&M’s ‘Pride’ campaign donated to the United Nation’s campaign for LGBTQ equality. However, critics claim that the display of ‘Pride’ in campaigns was to increase donations towards ‘Pride’ and nothing else (Elan, 2021).

The major problem detected by the academician with it is the heterosexual people is they have a fear of being labelled as LGBTQ person if they associate themselves with these brands. Research shows that a LGBTQ people will alter his purchasing behaviour depending on the level of acceptance they cultivate for their own identity, which is further influenced by the level of acceptance realized by their referent groups (Coffin et al., 2019). Hence, the idea for brands is to use inclusive marketing communication effectively to address LGBTQ individuals as well as try to retain the existing market.

Social Stigma and Focus on Self

Goffman (1963) first opined the concept of social stigma as a social identity that has undergone distortion. This definition is based on the underlying idea that a stigma denotes a deviation from commonly accepted norms of society. Tsai (2011) stated that in striving for self-esteem and social inclusion, LGBTQ individuals seek self-validating across societies. LGBTQ individuals are majorly disapproved or discriminated based on perceivable social characteristics that distinguish them from other members of society (Kleinman & Clifford, 2009). There are many studies which focused on the area of social stigmatization for LGBTQ individuals focusing on vulnerable situations in their everyday lives, resulting in a high risk of health problems, under- and unemployment, poverty and reduced access to healthcare services. According to Madera et al. (2013), a large part of the research on LGBTQ individuals has focused on describing the challenges generated by social stigma and discrimination in multiple contexts, including family, school, work and clinical settings.

LGBTQ individuals believe that they are discriminated among certain group or social category as those groups already have a set behavioural pattern, and hence, if LGBTQ individual needs to fit into that social group, they also need to align their behaviour and choices according to them. According to the societal norms, LGBTQ struggles from metal health and quality of life. As they are categorized as stigmatized groups, they fear to disclose their identity due to the stigma attached to them (Hamilton, 2021). LGBTQ people often feel unsatisfied with their present selves as they are not accepted in majority of social groups, and hence, they try to boost their self-esteem by buying from brands that help them achieve their ideal states (Kim, 2015). As actions inconsistent to the ideal social self may lead to social disapproval, many LGBTQ individuals tend to buy from brands congruent to their idealized social self (Rabbani et al., 2020; Sirgy et al., 2000; Tran et al., 2021).

Discussion

Besides being early adopters of new products and services (Venter, 2014), the LGBTQ individuals have a high, disposable income and are more brand loyal (Schneider & Auten, 2019). The buying power of LGBTQ individuals in 2019 was $1 trillion (about $3,100 per person in the United States) representing the highest buying power of a minority group in the United States (Montelongo, 2020). The LGBTQ market is assessed to be valued at $18 trillion worldwide (lgbt-capital.com). This data represents that organizations need to rethink and re-strategize their advertising and communication practices. Heterosexual communities who still don’t accept LGBTQ individuals as normal cause a negative effect on homosexual audiences (Northey, 2019). Heterophobia in this line refers to some LGBTQ individuals who may harbour negative feelings towards heterosexuals, and hence, in few prior studies, issues like heterophobia have also been studied by researchers while researching on LGBTQ community (Averett, 2016; LGBTQ Nation, 2022; Phillips, 2006). Many researchers show that the rise of heterophobia in some communities like LGBTQ has led to call for greater understanding and acceptance of diversity and inclusivity (LGBTQ Nation, 2022).

Hence, organizations need to manage their representations of hetero and homosexuals in their marketing campaigns finding an appropriate way to advertise to this target market without marginalizing a portion of the heterosexual market (Venter, 2014). Inclusive marketing communication takes cognizance of diversity in all forms and acknowledges that different people belong to a different social group (Shrum, 2015). LGBTQ individuals largely harbour the belief that advertisements help shape their social identities, especially providing a platform to them for raising their voices and embracing their existence (Boyd et al., 2020). Although inclusive marketing is a relatively nascent idea in the domain of marketing communication, it is fast emerging as a critical prerequisite for widespread consumer acceptance specially by LGBTQ individuals. Hence, LGBTQ individuals, in the current scenario, demand that their voices should be heard, as well as they rely on brands that they feel is authentic in their communication (Morhart et al., 2015). This is indicative of the fact that brands that are inclusive in their communication approach create a safe and reliable space for minorities to be more creative and provide access to products satisfying their needs.

Bibliometric analysis shows a great growth in publication in this domain with a total of 174 documents until the year 2023. Also, major countries like the United States and the United Kingdom are making powerful contributions in the literature acknowledging LGBTQ individuals worldwide. More than 88 publications have been done by the United States and 29 by the United Kingdom so far. Other developed countries are also contributing towards the publication related to LGBTQ individuals vis-à-vis developing and underdeveloped countries. Also, topics like LGBTQ, gay marketing and diversity are gaining attention among scholars.

Furthermore, the prior studies examined an interesting set of dependent variables to spotlight key areas and industries which are highly active in marketing communication targeting LGBTQ individuals and possible intervention to increase support towards LGBTQ individuals.

Research Gaps (Methodologically)

Data Collection Issues

Many of the studies relied on a very small data set while most of the studies were qualitative in nature (Haimson, 2020; Wargo, 2017). The use of smaller sample sizes to demonstrate LGBTQ individuals collectively raises issues related to the representativeness of the entire LGBTQ individuals, and thus, the reliability of the findings is questioned. Also, the scope for data collection in developing countries is limited as people are not too forthcoming about revealing their identities as LGBTQ in public (Billings et al., 2015).

Limited Geographical Scope of Existing Studies

There is a very limited scope geographically where research has been undertaken. Only developed countries like the United States and Australia where LGBTQ individuals have got acceptance legally are conducting these studies (Frankel & Ha, 2020; Licsandru & Cui, 2018), while developing countries lack much insight, and none of them very active in conducting studies in this domain (Winkler, 2021).

Lacuna in Quantitative Validation and Theoretical Underpinnings/Frameworks

Lack of Quantitative Studies

Most of the studies have used qualitative research design in this domain (Gelling, 2011). Qualitative studies do not have definitive statistical outcomes which question the fairness of the results. It also includes the problem of concrete formulations of RQ due to non-numerical data analysis leading to unreliable results (Nye et al., 2016).

Lack of Theoretical Frameworks

Prior literature lacks in providing theoretical framework (Byron et al., 2021; Kirby et al., 2021; Talbot et al., 2020). As identified through this literature review, many of the studies are qualitative in nature which imposes limitations on findings and RQ (Duguay, 2016; Wargo, 2017).

Research Gaps (Theoretically)

Limited Representation of LGBTQ Individuals

Studies on Gender Excludes LGBTQ Individuals

Most of the studies working on difference in consumer behaviour due to genders exclude LGBTQ individuals from their studies (Willem & Tortajada, 2021). Only male and female genders are taken into consideration for studies illustrating differentiation in human behaviour (Joy et al., 2021). Moreover, some studies have taken into consideration only gay and lesbians as their study subjects and other gender like transgender, bi-sexual and so on were excluded (Gunn et al., 2021).

Lack of the Segmentation Strategies and Evolution of the Gay and Lesbian Market

To the authors’ knowledge, most of the studies did not take consideration of different segmentation strategies for minority and majority groups. The segmentation strategies were proposed to be the same for both the markets, whereas it was very clear from the literature that the driving forces of consumption for minority and majority groups are different (Kates, 2000; Oor et al,. 2005). The importance of focusing on the LGBTQ group was missing from many of the literature, hence not giving a proper motivation to the practitioners to focus on LGBTQ market as their target segments for their brands and products.

Lack of In-Depth Understanding of Categories Within LGBTQ Individuals

While talking about in-depth understanding of categories within LGBTQ category, only few studies have contributed to understand the difference of behaviour among gender categories like LGBTQ (Duguay, 2016; Lewis & Ericksen, 2016; Shaw & Friesem, 2016). Majority of studies have not categorized LGBTQ individuals and gave generalized findings (Boisvert, 2020;; Craig et al., 2021; Kerrigan, 2021; Lee et al., 2021; Sanz López, 2018; Zhao, 2020).

Limited Studies on How Stigmas Related to LGBTQ Individuals’ Effects Brand Communications

There are many stigmas (homophobia, transphobia, discriminations, cultural threat etc.) related to LGBTQ individuals (Kerrigan & Pramaggiore, 2021; Zhao, 2020). Prior studies have found that stigmas related to LGBTQ are studied mostly in medical industry than any other industry (Carpenter, 2021; Scheer & Poteat, 2021; Suppes et al., 2021). There are few other studies (Crockett et al., 2003; Macray, 2022) in which they stated stigmas attached to black male.

Limited Understanding of Consumption Patterns and Consumer Behaviour

Limited Studies on How Use of Influencers and LGBTQ Celebrity Endorsement Helped in Limiting Stigmatization and Changed the Consumer Perceptions on LGBTQ Individuals Globally

Prior literature reveals that only a few studies have talked about the use of influencers and LGBTQ celebrity endorsement (Lee, 2021; Zhao, 2020), while in studies related to consumer behaviour and psychology, it has been found that celebrity endorsement or using of influencers can be beneficial for attracting consumers (Silvera et al., 2004; Yang, 2018).

Limited Studies on Factors Influencing Consumption Behaviour of LGBTQ Individuals

There is a lack of literature on consumption behaviour and patterns of LGBTQ individuals. As per few of the studies conducted, there are different consumption behaviours of LGBTQ people compared to heterosexuals (Coombes & Singh, 2022). As identified, in studies related to consumer behaviour, subject area focuses on gay samples while neglecting other genders in LGBTQ individuals (Hildebrand et al., 2013; Song et al., 2022). There is a dearth of consumer response to gay/lesbian-targeted advertising, which neglects the opportunities marketers could explore while targeting LGBTQ individuals in their advertisements by minimizing its negative effect on their existing target market.

Implications Based on Research Gaps

Research Gaps: Data-Related Issues

Implications

The implication of the existing data may not be robust and generalizable and may not hold true for all LGBTQ individuals present across the world.

Researchers need to work on large data sets including diverse genders to help practitioners understand how they can communicate with them effectively.

With existing studies, practitioners may re-think and re-strategize their communication strategies to target the need of LGBTQ individuals and promote inclusivity and diversity with more inputs.

Research Gap: Lacuna in Quantitative Validation and Theoretical Underpinnings/Frameworks

Implications

Practitioners will benefit if the studies would be quantitative in nature as it would help them to understand specific communication strategies, they need to work upon to attract this target market.

Contributing more to theoretical framework would help practitioners get a better idea about how to effectively communicate to LGBTQ individuals.

Research Gap: Limited Representation of LGBTQ Individuals

Implications

Knowledge and understanding of stigmas attached to LGBTQ individuals will help practitioners communicate effectively with both heterosexual consumers as well as LGBTQ consumers simultaneously.

More studies on in-depth understanding of LGBTQ categories separately would help practitioners gain insights on how different genders react to different types of communication.

Research Gap: Limited Understanding of LGBTQ Consumption Patterns and Consumer Behaviour

Implications

Having an understanding about factors influencing decisions of different categories under LGBTQ individuals like purchase decisions, selection of a brand and so on could help practitioners target this individual effectively.

More research on LGBTQ influencers would give practitioners better understanding on how to effectively use different influencers, endorsers and so on for targeting LGBTQ individuals.

Conclusion

This study has used SLR and bibliometric analysis to gain deeper understanding on literature available on inclusive marketing communication for LGBTQ individuals. This study aimed to compile prior findings and research on the topic to provide a collective understanding. This gave directions for future research, research gaps, less explored subject area and so on. The SLR also revealed important independent and dependent variables which could help in carving a path for future research.

The result and findings presented in this study are based on SLR conducted between 2022 and 2023. Some previous literature was excluded that did not fit the scope of this study. This study utilized a standard protocol and key digital database (Scopus) to search for and identify relevant studies. The central theme for this review was taken as ‘LGBTQ’ and ‘Marketing Communication’ in the title, abstract and keywords to analyse the global trend on marketing communication targeting LGBTQ individuals. The search was limited to journals of business management and accounting written in English language only. After carefully screening the contents of the list, a total of 174 documents were taken into consideration for review in this study. The EIDs (Scopus article identifier) were then taken and carefully matched although no duplicates were found.

We addressed all the RQ present in the study, which helped in identifying future agendas and major research gaps in literature. RQ1 was addressed through the bibliometric analysis giving the current trends like top authors, journals, trending topics and so on within the literature available across years. RQ2 was addressed by generating clusters through detailed study of previous literatures giving out prevailing themes to study under this research. Also, independent and dependent variables were identified and complied from a careful study of 174 documents used in the study for future research. RQ3 was addressed by identifying gaps by studying all the previous literature carefully, giving out a collective view on future research areas which need to be focused by both practitioners and academicians.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

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