Gay And Lesbian Advertising: Comparing Two Western Canadian Marketplaces

Vancouver, BC--A new Ipsos-ASI poll released today shows that over two-thirds (67%) of Lower Mainland residents, say it would be "acceptable" for advertisers to use gay and lesbian couples in their advertising, while just over half (54%) of Calgarians agree. The survey also found that while almost half (47%) of those in the Lower Mainland say they have already seen, read or heard advertising that features gay or lesbian couples, just under four-in-ten (37%) Calgarians indicate they have as well.

The survey also found that In both the Lower Mainland and Calgary, those who have been exposed to this type of advertising are much more likely to say it is an acceptable form of advertising.

Calgary was chosen for the near-market comparison as it is the closest major urban geographic centre to the Lower Mainland.

These are the findings of an Ipsos-ASI poll conducted using the BC and Alberta Reid Express Omnibus polls from August 3-8th, 2004 (BC) and August 19-24th, 2004 (AB). The poll of Lower Mainland residents is based on a randomly selected sample of 500 adults and has a margin or error of 177 4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The poll of Calgary residents is based on a randomly selected sample of 276 adults and has a margin of error of 177 5.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual population according to the 2001 Census.

Over Two Thirds (67%) of Lower Mainland Compared To Just Over Half (54%) Of Calgary Residents Say It's Acceptable To Use Gay And Lesbian Couples In Advertising...

Recent advertising campaigns featuring same sex couples seem to be in step with the attitudes of Lower Mainland residents as two-in-three (67%) say that is acceptable for advertisers to use gay and lesbian couples in their advertising. This includes 33% who say it is "very acceptable" and 34% who say it is "somewhat acceptable". Less than one in three (29%) say it is unacceptable for advertisers to use gay and lesbian couples--12% say it is "somewhat unacceptable" and 17% say it is "very unacceptable".

As a point of comparison, residents of the Lower Mainland are 13 points more likely than residents of Calgary (54%) to say that it is acceptable to use same sex couples in advertising.

Acceptance of gay and lesbian couples in advertising varies according to demographics.

• Residents of Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver and Burnaby (72%) are more likely than residents of other municipalities in the Lower Mainland (63%) to say that using same sex couples in advertising is acceptable.
• Women (71%) are more likely than men (63%) to say same sex couples are acceptable in advertisements.
• Acceptance of gay and lesbian couples in advertising declines with age. From 76% among those aged 18-34 to 66% among those aged 35-54 and 59% among those aged 55+.
• Acceptance of gay and lesbian couples in advertising increases with education. From 56% among those who have a high school diploma or less to 65% among those with some post-secondary and 75% among those with a university degree.
• A similar trend is evident with income. The lowest level of acceptance is among those who earn less than $30,000 a year (50%) and increases to 65% among those who earn between $30,000 and $60,000 and 76% among those who earn more than $60,000.

Almost Half (47%) Of Lower Mainland Compared To 37% Of Calgary Residents Have Already Been Exposed To Advertising Featuring Gay And Lesbian Couples...

Exposure is also an important element of the findings--almost half (47%) of Lower Mainland residents say they have read, seen or heard advertising that features gay and lesbian couples. In Calgary, this figure is 10 points lower, with 37% of residents saying they have been exposed to advertising featuring gay and lesbian couples.

And It Would Appear There Is A Direct Correlation Between Exposure And Acceptance...

In both the Lower Mainland and Calgary, those who have been exposed to this type of advertising are much more likely to say it is an acceptable form of advertising. In the Lower Mainland, 71% of those who have been exposed to it say it is acceptable (including 42% who say it is "very acceptable") compared to 63% of those who have not been exposed to it (and only 27% say it is "very acceptable").

In Calgary, 67% of those who have been exposed to gay and lesbian couples in advertising say it is acceptable compared to only 46% among those who have not been exposed to this type of advertising.

For more information on this press release, please contact:

Majid Khoury
Vice-President, Ipsos-ASI
604.257.3200 About Ipsos-ASI

Ipsos-ASI is the largest provider of advertising pre-testing services in the world. Ipsos-ASI offers a full range of advertising research solutions to help clients make the best decisions at all stages of the advertising development process, and to maximize the return on their advertising investment. Although the company's history is rooted in copy testing, it provides leading services in the areas of advertising tracking and brand equity evaluation. It is committed to providing advertisers with insights to help in the development, evaluation, and improvement of their advertising efforts, and, ultimately, to help them build stronger brands. Ipsos-ASI is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

Visit www.ipsos.ca/asi to learn more.

About Ipsos

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