➤ APPLE, from p.18
no BET, no national magazine with million-plus
circulation. We get our information differently.”
And despite the march to digital as a favored,
oftentimes sole marketing strategy, “What a lot
of people aren’t realizing is that in LGBT media,
print is still very much king,” Evans noted.
“For $100,000, you can pretty much own LGBT
media, a full-page ad in most major LGBT publications
in America. That is chump change for
most companies’ advertising budgets, and digital
just does not do as well, without print’s call
to action.”
With roughly 130 LGBTQ publications nationwide,
Evans is “shocked that more companies
don’t realize they can make a difference, to
get a community behind them.”
Absolut Vodka is the ultimate success story.
As early as 1981, recalled Evans, “They came
into the market — not to get their feet wet, but to
own it.” Today, Absolut has “phenomenal brand
recognition, and they maintain a presence in
the LGBT community. There are so many vodkas
out there, they don’t want to give up that
space, to lose that equity.”
At a time when other high-quality brands are
eroding Apple’s market share and consumers’
long-held belief that the company’s products are
hands-down superior to the alternatives, longtime
Apple loyalist Evans is “beginning to think
twice about my next computer.” Technology as
well as pricing, he observed, “have caught up
with Apple. I’m just back from the National Gay
and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce conference,”
which had more than 1,500 LGBT businesses
in attendance.
“I was noticing there were as many Samsungs
as there were iPhones,” Evens said. “So it seems
the right time for Apple to hedge their bets.”
“We do have real alternatives today,” Cusimano
said. “We don’t have ads from Samsung,
and this is a prime opportunity for them Apple
to capitalize on that, to be trendsetters. They
did that years ago, in education — getting their
computers in schools, for kids. It’s time for them
to look closer at the LGBT community.”
Cusimano said he’s working with the National
LGBT Media Association to augment the way
the Human Rights Campaign compiles statistics
for its Corporate Equality Index. Described
by HRC as an annual “national benchmarking
tool on corporate policies and practices pertinent
to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
queer employees,” a positive rating is widely cited
by corporations, as a way to shore up their
reputation.
One category in its overall index, noted Cusimano,
“is about philanthropic work or advertising
in LGBT media.” This allows corporations
“to donate to an event, and that checks that
box for them. We want HRC to make it a standalone
category, where you have to advertise in
LGBT media.”
Apple did not respond to requests for comment.
n e c b. c o m
S I M P LY
F R E E
C H E C K I N G
Business or personal.
No minimums, no service charges.
It’s not complicated.
It’s our kind of community banking.
To get free checking, open an NECB checking account
with a $5 opening balance.
®
CHELSEA: 242 W. 23RD�� �� ������ �� �� �� ���� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��
ADDITIONAL OFFICES IN:
FORDHAM (Little Italy): �� �� �� �� �� ���� �� �� �� TH�� �� ������ �� �� �� ���� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��
LENOX HILL: �� �� �� �� �� �� ST������ �� ���� �� �� �� ���� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ��
MONDAY-THURSDAY 9-4�� �� �� �� �� �� �� ���� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ���� �� �� �� ���� �� �� �� �� ��
FORDHAM: SATURDAY �� �� ����
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF LOCATIONS AND HOURS, GO TO NECB.COM
necb.com
GayCityNews.com | October 24 - November 6, 2019 19
/NECB.COM
/necb.com
/GayCityNews.com
