Jaguar in the United States is poised to launch an advertising campaign specifically targeted at gay consumers, according to a story in today's Detroit News. This follows a Ford study which pointed to the need for new strategies for selling to 14 million gay US consumers who have an estimated £281m in purchasing power.

"They spend more money on luxury cars and they have more money to spend," Jaguar spokesman Simon Sproule told the newspaper. "They are very loyal to brands and organizations that talk to them in a way that is relevant."

Jaguar, the Ford-owned maker of British luxury cars, realised in recent years that many gay consumers were visiting its dealer showrooms. And while car ads aimed at gay consumers are fairly common in Europe, Australia and other markets, they are relatively rare in the US.

The Jaguar campaign will begin later this month with newspaper and magazine ads.

“If the effort proves successful for Jaguar, other Ford brands are likely to develop campaigns targeting gays”, Sproule said.

Source: Detroit News