Pride 2023 marketing—9 key takeaways, numbers and stats

Which marketer saw the most negative sentiment?

Target: 5,057 negative mentions

Mentions of Target were overwhelmingly negative, following the retailer’s removal of certain Pride Month merchandise in late May after complaints from some right-wing voices. The Minneapolis-based chain has offered Pride products for more than a decade but cited employee safety as the key reason for scaling back this year. The action ended up alienating several groups of consumers. In June, Target had just 360 positive mentions on social media, Sprinklr reported.

Which marketer saw the most positive sentiment?

The Walt Disney Co.: 1,981 mentions

The entertainment giant, which has battled Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and a flurry of anti-gay legislation in the state, supported Pride Month at Disney World. While the social media sentiment score around Disney was ultimately more positive than negative, the company did receive 1,661 negative mentions, according to Sprinklr data, illustrating the highly pressurized environment Disney is navigating.

How much have Bud Light’s sales declined?

20%

Bud Light saw a drop in dollar sales of 20% at stores in the 12 weeks ending June 18, according to Circana data reported by Beer Marketer's Insights. The Anheuser-Busch InBev-owned brand has continued to see sales slide since it first collaborated on a custom can with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in April. The brand recently reintroduced its Bud Knight mascot as part of an ad campaign as it attempts to staunch the bleeding, and a new AB InBev commercial highlights the people who make and sell its beers. The same week, Mulvaney released a video criticizing the beer marketer.

How much hate speech is directed at LGBTQ+ communities online?

9.4% increase in the volume of LBGTQ+ hate on social media

The level of hate speech, identified by a global digital marketing firm LLYC, has noticeably ticked up, corroborating some of the data that the tenor of the conversation has deteriorated online. LLYC also found that the level of supportive messaging for the LGBTQ+ community has dropped 40% in recent years. The group build an AI-powered “Rainbot” to tweet supportive messages to LGBTQ+ social media users who received hateful messages.

How interested is Pinterest in gender non-conforming trends?

355% rise in Pinterest searches for ‘non-binary outfits’

Pinterest has long been positioning itself as a social media site that defies negativity. This year, the company’s Pride report found a rise in interest in queer fashion and non-conforming gender identities. Searches for “queer outfits men” rose 335%, Pinterest found. “Genderfluid hairstyles” were up 210%.