| PlanetOut Partners president Mark Elderkin said, "The
value and accessibility of gay consumers is being recognised by American
corporations, and as a result, gay online media is becoming a rapid
growth business. The award-winning advertisers we honour today have
created interactive media programs that leverage their core brand
messaging while engaging our community members in a positive and relevant
way."
Added Verizon's group marketing manager, multicultural marketing
Vincent Reed, "Verizon is committed to the progress of all
its customers and is proud to be a part of this group of companies
who are successfully connecting with the GLBT community. Verizon's
online marketing program demonstrated the support and commitment
to the communities it serves. We are very pleased by the response
to our gay marketing online program and look forward to a successful
lesbian and gay online marketing program in 2004."
"Diageo North America is extremely proud to be a part of this
distinguished group of companies who are successfully connecting
with the gay and lesbian market," said director of commercial
innovation and former lifestyle and multicultural marketing manager
for Diageo NA Tracey Mason. "We didn't just want to market
to our gay and lesbian consumers, we wanted to craft a solid foundation
on which to a build lasting relationship with them. Our online media
program provided a powerful medium by which our gay and lesbian
consumers could connect with our company, our brands and, most importantly,
one another. We are thrilled by the response we have received from
our gay media program thus far and we hope to increase our gay marketing
efforts online in 2004."
The following are the winners of the Gay.com and PlanetOut.com
Advertising Award:
* Best Gay and Lesbian Interactive Campaign: VISA
* Best Branding Campaign: Bridgestone
* Best Rich Media Campaign: Famvir/Novartis
* Best Corporate Marketing Campaign: Verizon Corporation
* Best Integrated Campaign: Diageo
* Automotive Industry Leadership Award: Daimler Chrysler, Jeep Brand
* Best Diversity Marketing Agency: Osmosis MediaLab
* Best DTC Healthcare Campaign: Procrit
* Best Direct-Response Campaign: Quicken Loans
As more and more advertisers are reaching gay consumers online,
Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) president and CEO Greg Stuart
said, "The steady recovery of the interactive advertising industry
can be seen in the positive quarterly growth for the last four quarters,
with the third quarter of 2003 coming in at a 20 per cent increase
over the same period in 2002." PlanetOut Partners reported
a 44 per cent increase in its national online advertising business
in the second half of 2003. Already in 2004, several first-time
advertisers launched interactive advertising campaigns on Gay.com
and PlanetOut.com, including Scion, a division of Toyota, Volvo,
Heineken, Wrigley and Kraft.
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