On Wednesday, April 2nd, Pride in Drinks brought together a diverse audience from across the liquor industry for a bold and insightful webinar: “Marketing to the Queer Community - Diversity or Inclusion?”
The session featured an expert panel facilitated by Allan Dib (he/him), Head of Insights and Foresight at Lion, with contributions from Santosh Murthy (he/him), Managing Director at Identity Communications, and Polly Parker (she/her), Co-founder of They Connect. Together, they explored how brands can genuinely connect with LGBTQIA+ communities in ways that go beyond surface-level representation.
The panel did not shy away from addressing the complex and nuanced challenges in this space with Polly explaining that marketing must move beyond simplification and avoid stereotyping, instead recognising the intersectionality within the queer community. “It's not a homogeneous community, it's LGBTQIA+ communities, plural. Within each of these letters, there are so many diverse people. As marketers, we love segmentation, but that’s where we can land in trouble.”
Santosh shared a tangible takeaway for embedding inclusivity into the campaign process by declaring, “It’s about creating messaging that reflects the diverse world we live in. It goes beyond representation. It’s about systems and processes that embed inclusivity in a brand's DNA.”
One of the most powerful themes of the session was the distinction between diversity and inclusion. Diversity is often rooted in research and segmentation. It can show presence, but not necessarily belonging. Inclusion embeds queerness into the core of storytelling, offering influence rather than tokenism. Drawing a clear line between performative marketing and authentic representation, Santosh shared that, “Tokenism doesn’t exist in inclusive marketing. It’s a long-term approach, a long-term commitment.”
Stereotypes and segmentation were called out as traps that marketers must actively work to avoid while highlighting that visibility is only the beginning. As awareness grows, so do expectations for depth, authenticity and impact. Polly reflected on how LGBTQIA+ marketing has evolved beyond narrow depictions, celebrating more nuanced and everyday representations today, claiming “Back in the day, any ad targeting the queer community had a drag queen, guys in leather, dykes on bikes. The stereotypes were so prominent. It’s great that we’ve moved on.”
A standout moment in the webinar was the viewing and discussion of several real-world advertisements featuring LGBTQIA+ representation. These ranged from global pride-focused campaigns to quieter, more inclusive storytelling. The panel unpacked the intentions and execution of each ad, sparking a meaningful dialogue about what made certain campaigns feel authentic and empowering, and where some fell into the trap of rainbow-washing. This reflective activity underscored how much thought, and care needs to go into every step from brief to broadcast.
This session proved that inclusive marketing is not just a trend, but a responsibility. It’s a journey that requires intention, consultation and courage. Pride in Drinks and the Drinks Association would like to thank all of those who attended. If you missed this webinar or would like to revisit the conversation, you can watch the recording. We’d also love your feedback, please help us improve future sessions by filling out our short survey.