posted April 07, 2004 16:14            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Race to a Million:
I think KAHruzer is just trying to be realistic.....My two cents....:-)

---

Race to a million, I ask you the same thing. Do you own QBID stock?

posted April 07, 2004 16:18            

By Bill Keveney, USA TODAY

After earning a pop-culture ovation for Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Bravo is ready for its encore: a female spinoff. In Queer Eye for the Straight Girl, a new group of gay male fashion and style experts will assist a heterosexual woman.

"It's the most-asked question I get: 'When are you going to do one for women?' We are answering that call," Bravo president Jeff Gaspin says.

Straight Girl, scheduled for early next year, hasn't been cast yet, but Gaspin says it may have two fewer advisers than the original Fab Five, leaving room for guest experts, including celebrities.

The two Queer Eyes head a program slate Gaspin is presenting to advertisers today in New York. The shows include:

•Project Runway. The aim of this competition, featuring supermodel Heidi Klum, is to select an up-and-coming fashion designer.

•Pilot Season. Aspiring TV writers will submit scripts, hoping to make a TV series pilot. Viewers will pick a favorite. Will & Grace's Sean Hayes (news) is producing.

•Project Greenlight. The moviemaking contest from Ben Affleck (news) and Matt Damon (news) moves over from HBO with plans for a horror film, which could be produced by Wes Craven (news).

Before the fall slate kicks off, Bravo this summer has Blow Out, a look at a start-up Beverly Hills salon from the producer of The Restaurant.

Bravo became cable's fastest-growing network with young adults, rising to 26th this year from 39th in the first quarter of 2003.

"Bravo is on the map because of Queer Eye. With Queer Eye, they became known as a place for more high-profile series original series," says Stacey Lynn (news) Koerner of media firm Initiative.

Gaspin knows the importance of establishing new shows and of avoiding over-reliance on Queer Eye.

"You always worry about overexposure," Gaspin says, but he says Queer Eye will remain popular and can support a spinoff. "Nothing's a guarantee, but this is about as close as you can get."

posted April 07, 2004 16:18            

quote:

---

Originally posted by TheRealSlimShady:
http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=1733341

Ok who made this one????

---

Nice Slim! Now we're talking GAY! You skipped all the small talk and went right for the B-Effin! It's a light spring romp with care for family values. The surprise ending will leave you wanting more.

posted April 07, 2004 16:20            

THANK YOU.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by KAHruzer:

posted April 07, 2004 16:20            

I look at bashers the same way.

There is only 3 things you can do in the stock world.

BUY, SELL, or HOLD.

Gota make that choice for yourself. Don't convince others to do the same.

posted April 07, 2004 16:21            

THANK YOU.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Race to a Million:
I'd have to agree with you again......

---

posted April 07, 2004 16:22            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Race to a Million:
I think KAHruzer is just trying to be realistic.....My two cents....:-)

---

posted April 07, 2004 16:24            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Race to a Million:
I am in no way trying to bash...just trying to be realistic on the high expectations others are having...

---

I ask again, do you own QBID stock?

posted April 07, 2004 16:25            

quote:

---

Originally posted by U4TSAF2:
YOUR POST IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. GOOD TO SEE AKIN MINDS THINKING ALIKE.

THANK YOU.

---

posted April 07, 2004 16:26            

THANK YOU FOR YOU INPUT.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Race to a Million:
I am in no way trying to bash...just trying to be realistic on the high expectations others are having...

---

posted April 07, 2004 16:28            

LET'S DO THE SIMPLE MATH.

ABOUT 5 WEEKS AGO THE STOCK WAS .0001.

TODAY THE STOCK IS .004+/-

THE DIFFERENCE IS 3000% THREE THOUSAND PERCENT.

ANYONE PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CORRECT MY MATH!

MARCH 3, 2006

L2 QBID

4X4.00
8X3.99
5X3.98
2X3.97

posted April 07, 2004 16:29            

I thought the math might have been simple enough.

For this stock to go to anything close to $4.00, it would have to be as big a company as GE (the Parent company of NBC). AFAIC, that's impossible in two years time under even the best of circumstances, if at all.

And, would probably need a slightly better start than a booth at a trade show.

So, IMO, anyone with that expectation might be wise to reconsider, and anyone promoting such is blowing smoke.

BTW, it's not what I'm saying, it's what it's telling me. It's called DD.

No, I don't own any. I saw it on the board an did some _before_ purchasing.

I came here asking for people to shape my opinion and get nothing but flack unless I just grab my pom poms and join in.

My projection is that if this thing doesn't collapse completely in June, it may achieve $0.05 tops in two years.

And, that's optimistic.

posted April 07, 2004 16:30            

quote:

---

Originally posted by U4TSAF2:
HEY CASH.

LET'S DO THE SIMPLE MATH.

ABOUT 5 WEEKS AGO THE STOCK WAS .0001.

TODAY THE STOCK IS .004+/-

THE DIFFERENCE IS 3000% THREE THOUSAND PERCENT.

ANYONE PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CORRECT MY MATH!

MARCH 3, 2006

L2 QBID

4X4.00
8X3.99
5X3.98
2X3.97

RESISTANCE IS AT $4.00 AND IF WE CAN GET THROUGH THAT THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

---

AMEN!

posted April 07, 2004 16:30            

GREAT!

quote:

---

Originally posted by pharmdman:
You wanted original programming?... well, you got it....
http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=1733326

bashers be gone!

---

posted April 07, 2004 16:32            

quote:

---

Originally posted by KAHruzer:
>> What are you trying to say KAH? <<

I thought the math might have been simple enough.

For this stock to go to anything close to $4.00, it would have to be as big a company as GE (the Parent company of NBC). AFAIC, that's impossible in two years time under even the best of circumstances, if at all.

And, would probably need a slightly better start than a booth at a trade show.

So, IMO, anyone with that expectation might be wise to reconsider, and anyone promoting such is blowing smoke.

BTW, it's not what I'm saying, it's what it's telling me. It's called DD.

No, I don't own any. I saw it on the board an did some _before_ purchasing.

I came here asking for people to shape my opinion and get nothing but flack unless I just grab my pom poms and join in.

My projection is that if this thing doesn't collapse completely in June, it may achieve $0.05 tops in two years.

And, that's optimistic.

---

posted April 07, 2004 16:33            

quote:

---

Originally posted by pharmdman:
You wanted original programming?... well, you got it....
http://mm.dfilm.com/mm2s/mm_route.php?id=1733326

bashers be gone!

---

posted April 07, 2004 16:33            

hrm, maybe you missed understood my question.

It was a YES or NO type.

Do you think we should sell?
Do you own any QBID shares?

P.S. My ex-wife always beat around the bush and never just answered the question with a YES or NO. So, I am divorced from her now. geeeesh , could have been so simple.

-chuck

posted April 07, 2004 16:33            

quote:

---

Originally posted by KAHruzer:
>> What are you trying to say KAH? <<

I thought the math might have been simple enough.

For this stock to go to anything close to $4.00, it would have to be as big a company as GE (the Parent company of NBC). AFAIC, that's impossible in two years time under even the best of circumstances, if at all.

And, would probably need a slightly better start than a booth at a trade show.

So, IMO, anyone with that expectation might be wise to reconsider, and anyone promoting such is blowing smoke.

BTW, it's not what I'm saying, it's what it's telling me. It's called DD.

No, I don't own any. I saw it on the board an did some _before_ purchasing.

I came here asking for people to shape my opinion and get nothing but flack unless I just grab my pom poms and join in.

My projection is that if this thing doesn't collapse completely in June, it may achieve $0.05 tops in two years.

And, that's optimistic.

---

posted April 07, 2004 16:36            

THE STOCK CAN'T GET ABOVE .004 WITHOUT A R/S SO THAT THE MARKET CAP COMES DOWN. ONCE WE GET THAT MARKET CAP DOWN, THE STOCK PRICE CAN GO UP.

BASIC 101 STUFF HERE CASH.

posted April 07, 2004 16:40            

Thanks for your thoughts and wisdom.

We will relay anyone else with the same question you have asked to your post and related info.

I personally am not conviced to sell , I am a HOLDER. If I loose at this stock, guess what. I will just be an educated man and write it off at the end of the year. How hard is that.

I am not one to convince someone else to change their minds. I post, I read. I make my own decisions.

Maybe now that you have stated your thoughts and posted your findings you can let others make their choice without carrying on with this stuff.

posted April 07, 2004 16:41            

quote:

---

Originally posted by U4TSAF2:
BOOTY QUEST IS NOW ON THURSDAYS AT 8:00PM.

OH YOU MISSED IT. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN STEVEN GIVE RONALDO THE COLD SHOULDER. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? IT'S ALL THE TALK AT WORK.

---

posted April 07, 2004 16:41            

THE DIFFERENCE IS 3000% THREE THOUSAND PERCENT.

ANYONE PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CORRECT MY MATH!

MARCH 3, 2006

Hey 2FAST, I don't mean to be picky (cuz you the man) but it's a 4000% increase. which is even better.

How bout a song:

posted April 07, 2004 16:45            

quote:

---

Originally posted by KAHruzer:
>> What are you trying to say KAH? <<

I thought the math might have been simple enough.

For this stock to go to anything close to $4.00, it would have to be as big a company as GE (the Parent company of NBC). AFAIC, that's impossible in two years time under even the best of circumstances, if at all.

And, would probably need a slightly better start than a booth at a trade show.

So, IMO, anyone with that expectation might be wise to reconsider, and anyone promoting such is blowing smoke.

BTW, it's not what I'm saying, it's what it's telling me. It's called DD.

No, I don't own any. I saw it on the board an did some _before_ purchasing.

I came here asking for people to shape my opinion and get nothing but flack unless I just grab my pom poms and join in.

My projection is that if this thing doesn't collapse completely in June, it may achieve $0.05 tops in two years.

And, that's optimistic.

---

posted April 07, 2004 16:45            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Booty Quest:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by U4TSAF2:

THE DIFFERENCE IS 3000% THREE THOUSAND PERCENT.

ANYONE PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CORRECT MY MATH!

MARCH 3, 2006

Hey 2FAST, I don't mean to be picky (cuz you the man) but it's a 4000% increase. which is even better.

How bout a song:

Qbid, draw back your bowwww, and let your network showww "straight" to my bank acount, for meeee....

---

posted April 07, 2004 16:45            

.004 / .0001 = 40 X 100 = 4000

but it is a better #

posted April 07, 2004 16:46            

quote:

---

Originally posted by U4TSAF2:
BOOTY QUEST IS NOW ON THURSDAYS AT 8:00PM.

OH YOU MISSED IT. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN STEVEN GIVE RONALDO THE COLD SHOULDER. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? IT'S ALL THE TALK AT WORK.

---

2FAST, you're too funny! And surprisingly good at gay plottage. hmmm haha

I would watch Gaylligan's Island!

posted April 07, 2004 16:46            

HEY YOU COMIE... YOUR GONNA DUMP AT LIKE .25 KNOWING A R/S HAS TO HAPPEN TO GET OVER THE .004 HUMP. ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE STOCK HIT .45 ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO WHEN THEY TRIED TO BROADCAST THIS FRAUD STOCK AND A ALLTIME HIGH OF $7.00.

CAN YOU IMAGINE HAVING TO DUMP 500,000 SHARES FROM .004 AT .25. SURELY SUICIDE.

CAN I HAVE BACK MY CRYING TOWEL PLEASE. <---- I SAID PLEASE

MARCH 3, 2006

L2 QBID

4X4.00
8X3.99
5X3.98
1X3.97

RESISTANCE IS AT $4.00 AND IF WE CAN GET THROUGH THAT THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

quote:

---

Originally posted by $CashMaker$:
This is my last post having to do with KAH.

Thanks for your thoughts and wisdom.

We will relay anyone else with the same question you have asked to your post and related info.

I personally am not conviced to sell , I am a HOLDER. If I loose at this stock, guess what. I will just be an educated man and write it off at the end of the year. How hard is that.

I am not one to convince someone else to change their minds. I post, I read. I make my own decisions.

Maybe now that you have stated your thoughts and posted your findings you can let others make their choice without carrying on with this stuff.

thanks,
chuck

---

posted April 07, 2004 16:47            

Posted November 5, 2003 -- Ron Oden, secure about being both Black and gay, got a resounding vote of approval from Palm Springs, Calif., voters when they chose him to lead a city with a 1 percent Black population.

With a disco mix of Gloria Gaynor pumping out "I Will Survive" at the Riviera Resort and Racquet Club celebration, Oden yelled to 300 supporters, "Let's celebrate Palm Springs!"

Oden will become one of the country's few openly gay politicians beat the two-term Will Kleindienst with 51.3 percent of the vote – a margin of some 840 votes.

An eight-year veteran Democratic City Councilman, Oden scored a decisive victory over an incumbent who had been labeled by Oden supporters as fostering "homophobic" city
government policies.

Palm Springs seems to be a right friendly place for a gay business to thrive....I see that community really getting behind a TTNTV

posted April 07, 2004 16:51            

quote:

---

Originally posted by sonnydbar:
Gay Black Man Wins Palm Springs Mayor's Race
By Bill Alexander, BET.com Staff Writer

Posted November 5, 2003 -- Ron Oden, secure about being both Black and gay, got a resounding vote of approval from Palm Springs, Calif., voters when they chose him to lead a city with a 1 percent Black population.

With a disco mix of Gloria Gaynor pumping out "I Will Survive" at the Riviera Resort and Racquet Club celebration, Oden yelled to 300 supporters, "Let's celebrate Palm Springs!"

Oden will become one of the country's few openly gay politicians beat the two-term Will Kleindienst with 51.3 percent of the vote – a margin of some 840 votes.

An eight-year veteran Democratic City Councilman, Oden scored a decisive victory over an incumbent who had been labeled by Oden supporters as fostering "homophobic" city
government policies.

Palm Springs seems to be a right friendly place for a gay business to thrive....I see that community really getting behind a TTNTV

---

Some how get ahold of this guy. A gay man in polotics. Dang if that is not asking for publicity or what.

posted April 07, 2004 16:53            

I'LL GIVE YOU THE REASON WHY.

I JUST CALLED THE EASTER BUNNY AND I ASKED HIM ALL ABOUT THIS.

HE TOLD ME THAT 4 DOZEN EGGS THAT ARE GREEN. YOU THEN TAKE 9 DOZEN EGGS THAT ARE PURPLE. NOW SINCE YOU HAVE 13 DOZEN EGGS, NONE ARE ORANGE. NOW SINCE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ORANGE EGGS, THE PURPLE ONE'S TURN YELLOW. WHEN THE YELLOW ONE'S TURN ORANGE (TAKES ABOUT 4 MINUTES) THEN YOU HAVE A MONKEY IS A ZOO 125 MILES AWAY. IT HAS TO BE EXACTLY 125 MILES AWAY OR IT WONT WORK. THE MONKEY HAS A BANANA. IF THE MONKEY PEELS THE BANANA 3 TIMES AND NOT 4, THE REVERSE SPLIT TAKES PLACE. IF THE ELEPHANT STEALS THE BANANA AND GIVES IT TO ZEBRA AND THE ZEBRA THEN EATS IT, NO REVERSE SPLIT CAN HAPPEN.

posted April 07, 2004 16:54            

...I can't say you're getting a lot from my postings.

>> P.S. My ex-wife always beat around the bush and never just answered the question with a YES or NO. So, I am divorced from her now. geeeesh , could have been so simple. <<

When "NO" isn't plane enough for you, it might help explain why you no longer have a wife (btw, you had a wife???).

If it helps, I never said buy or sell. I don't have an opinion regarding your stock, finances or your ex-wife.

I'm interested in information, especially the kind I can make decisions on for myself.

It's hard to come by that here.

And, I never suggested a person could not make money with this stock. It'll go up and down like the others. There's definitely money to be made (or lost) for the time being. Those holding their own hinnys when/if the music stops and they can't find a chair will at least not wonder why if they consider my postings.

Those who end up making $0.10/share, well, they'll just have to find a way to forgive me.

But, I can sleep pretty good knowing, in my own mind, this will not likely ever reach $1.00 in my lifetime.

posted April 07, 2004 16:55            

I have said on numerous occasion how much I love this board and how glad I am that I found it. Personally I have sent well over a dozen people to this site to check it out. Not to mention plugging the hell out of QBID. I'm just talking an abundence... not a complete let's stay straight faced and grim... just let's stay focused is all.

Someone back me up.

Lol...

posted April 07, 2004 16:57            

I looked for some other networks that would be QBIDs expected size but have as yet been unable to find any.

posted April 07, 2004 17:03            

Commercial Closet: Procter & Gamble shoots for gay vanity

by Mike Wilke
gfn.com

Commercial Closet:
• Same-sex kisses in Brazil
• Homoerotic Gaultier ad
More finance:
• gfn.com on Gay.com
On the Web:
• gfn.com

Household products company Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) is solidly entering the gay market and the advertising giant has identified what gay consumers want: To look fabulous.

With new offerings to whiten teeth and style hair, Procter & Gamble is looking for some product attention and making a play for looks-oriented gay shoppers. This month, PROMOTION

the nearly year-old Physique line of hair-styling products began advertising on PlanetOut.com, and in the spring tooth-whitening product Crest Whitestrips will be advertised in OUT magazine.

While countless alcohol, travel, fashion and financial services brands are well established in the gay market, marketers of such everyday use items have long been missing. There has been only one tooth care product advertised to the market, Unilever's (NYSE: UL) Mentadent in 1988, and no major hair-care brands, except for Aussie hair products the same year--both in The Advocate.

No. 2 advertiser spends $2.6 billion

Procter & Gamble is the nation's second largest ad spender, shelling out $2.6 billion annually behind brand icons including Tide, Crisco, Mr. Clean, Bounty, Comet, Pampers, Folgers, Noxema, Charmin, Vick's, Tampax, Cover Girl, Clearasil, Pantene, Vidal Sassoon, Head & Shoulders, Iams and others.

Physique and Crest Whitestrips are the first Procter & Gamble brands advertised to the gay market since its Hugo Boss cologne entered OUT magazine in November 1995.

There are signs of a growing awareness of the gay community at the marketing giant. Last May, Procter & Gamble was the first advertiser to pull out of the now struggling Paramount Domestic Television program Dr. Laura (Schlessinger), launched in September. ("Advertisers Battle Dr. Laura")

In June, gay marketing specialist Paul Poux--whose clients include Subaru, Taittinger champagne and New York Magazine--was called to Procter & Gamble's headquarters in Cincinnati to make a general presentation about the gay market to 75 executives. He was invited by Gary Wright, an openly gay executive in Procter & Gamble's Global Trends Group, who is also a leader of the company's gay employee group, GABLE/Procter & Gamble.

Though no direct assignment to Poux came from the presentation, he followed up with Crest managers and convinced them to give away promotional materials for Crest Whitestrips at a gathering this month for the New York chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. While a formal gay marketing plan remains to be created, an OUT ad is expected in the spring.

Crest Whitestrips, which are to be applied twice a day for 30 minutes over 14 days, were first introduced for sale online and at dentists' offices in September. The product, offered as a cheaper option than professional bleaching, costs $44 plus $3.50 for shipping from the Whitestrips Web site. Over-the-counter retail sales are not yet planned; existing unit sales are undisclosed.

"This is a really unique product and we're looking for all kinds of target opportunities," said Val Bogdan-Powers, Crest Whitestrips' brand manager. She noted that in addition to the gay marketing effort, it is Procter & Gamble's first product to be sold online.

Gay consumers known as "early adopters"

Poux noted that marketers are starting to be attracted to consumers in the gay market because they are known as "early adopters"--people who will be the first to try new things. "There is a growing sense of them as an urban, concentrated market to start a buzz for new products."

With a critical mass of gay-aware initiatives underway at Procter & Gamble, was there a sudden corporate decision that "gay is good?"

"I'd love to say that there's been a major discussion in that area," said Bogdan-Powers. "But it's not to make a statement. We're trying to reach targets that are the right fit for this product."

Bogdan-Powers added that she wasn't even aware that Physique had also initiated a gay marketing campaign. "Brands are run like small companies here," she says.

As Poux noted, "Companies are starting to evaluate the gay market on a business level, not an emotional one any more."

Physique's unusual banner ad pictures a young man with text that reads, "Can you keep it up for 20 hours? Try the new Physique Styling Stick." While the racy creative from Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, is not gay-specific, it is not your usual Procter & Gamble type of message.

The ad is aimed at a young audience aged 18 to 25, a brand spokesman said, and it targets "high style seekers who style their hair frequently." "PlanetOut is reaching a key group of consumers and we're always looking for new mediums and outlets," the spokesman explained.

While executives will have you believe that landing in gay media is just to reach certain demographic characteristics--and not to seek a gay audience--the reality is that until recently Procter & Gamble and many other major players would never consider reaching the so-called "dream market" for political reasons. Many still don't.

But last spring, with guidance from GABLE, Procter & Gamble took a political stand against being a part of a forthcoming TV show from anti-gay host Schlessinger. Although the company's statement didn't mention the gay community specifically, it was far and away the first advertiser to leave the show--months before its launch. Religious conservatives predictably pummeled company executives with calls and mail protesting the decision.

While many programs with gay characters lost advertisers in the past due to controversy, it was the first time an anti-gay program lost advertisers over controversy. The Tide began to turn, so to speak, as Procter & Gamble joined companies such as Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) and AMR Corp.'s (NYSE: AMR) American Airlines that stood up to boycott threats by religious conservatives and suffered no consequences.

Making use of the Dr. Laura pullout

"I pointed out that they were being given credit in the gay community for their decision. They could make good use of it, or do nothing and let people forget they're a friend of the community," recalled Poux, who said Procter & Gamble executives brought up the matter and its fallout.

Although it instituted a non-discrimination policy covering gays in 1993, Procter & Gamble has yet to extend health benefits to include same-sex partners, something five-year-old GABLE is working on.

Some gay marketing specialists recommend that corporations first have gay employees' issues covered before initiating gay marketing efforts, but not everyone agrees.

"I do recommend that companies have domestic-partnership benefits, but I don't think consumers apply a litmus test to companies' internal policies, unless there has been overwhelming negative press, like with United Airlines and Coors," Poux said.

While many companies still remain fearful of the politics of the gay market, the entry of a player like Procter & Gamble will break down many more barriers. Not the least of which are likely to be the arrival of competing hair care and dentifrice brands.

And it's not likely to be the last from Procter & Gamble either. "Both the external and internal environments are changing and making (Procter & Gamble) people more aware of the gay market," GABLE's Wright said. "There's probably a lot more underway for the market than we're aware of."

Perhaps Procter & Gamble is investigating rumors that gay people use toilet paper and laundry detergent too.

posted April 07, 2004 17:05            

quote:

---

Originally posted by $CashMaker$:

Some how get ahold of this guy. A gay man in polotics. Dang if that is not asking for publicity or what.

-chuck

---

posted April 07, 2004 17:06            

quote:

---

Originally posted by e2brutay75:
Hey guys I wasn't dissing the occasional witty banter... but it just seems it's been gettin a touch fivilous (spelling?) in the last few days and at a daunting 50+ thread if a newbie come in and just check the thread randomly to see if this is anything of interest and he's treated to a bunch of "Yeeehaw's we're gonna be rich" and jokes and fluff then perhaps the thread would be disregaurded.

I have said on numerous occasion how much I love this board and how glad I am that I found it. Personally I have sent well over a dozen people to this site to check it out. Not to mention plugging the hell out of QBID. I'm just talking an abundence... not a complete let's stay straight faced and grim... just let's stay focused is all.

Someone back me up.

Lol...

e2

---

posted April 07, 2004 17:07            

Commercial Closet: Guinness and Nike Sponsor Gay Rugby Tournament
Mike Wilke
2002-06-24

The idea of gay athletes usually gets little attention (questions of New York Mets batter Mike Piazza's sexuality notwithstanding), but a little known gay rugby event has scored sponsorships from several major league brands, including Nike (NYSE: NKE), Guinness, Calistoga water, and energy drink Red Bull.

America's worst attack in history brought considerable media attention to gay rugby player Mark Bingham, considered a hero who prevented United flight 93, the fourth plane, from reaching a target in Washington.

Bingham is now honored as the namesake for a growing international gay rugby tournament, the Mark Kendall Bingham Cup Invitational Rugby Tournament and Festival (June 28-29) in San Francisco.

Bingham played with the San Francisco Fog in association with 10 other gay rugby teams in the U.S., England, New Zealand and Argentina. While the gay teams rarely play each other, their usual opponents domestically are other regional rugby teams.

Rugby is hardly considered a major sport in the U.S., and yet the group managed to win sponsorships this year from two brands without a presence in the gay market, Nike and Guinness - the latter a sponsor of the 1999 Rugby World Cup. "Both have made it possible to hold the event" through donation of some cash and product, says Chris Zerlot, director of the Bingham Cup who helped land the sponsors.

The second international gay tournament will be held this year in conjunction with San Francisco Gay Pride in Golden Gate Park.

"Right after the attack, there was so much exposure that I was protective of Mark and his name" when it was suggested the tournament should be named for him, says Zerlot. "In the end, I realized that it's a fitting tribute."

Bingham's End Brings Beginnings for His Sport

In a kind of cosmic tradeoff, the tragedy of Bingham's story is helping develop a sport he loved. Interest in gay rugby has grown dramatically from the media's attention on Bingham, who dreamed of starting a team in New York. Since then, one has not only sprouted in the Big Apple but also in Seattle and Los Angeles.

"There was an explosion of rugby after 9/11," notes Zerolot, who also acknowledges that the event also helped with sponsorships. "It definitely got our foot in the door," he says. "Working with big companies like that ain't easy."

The sponsorships are surprising wins.

Nike has previously advertised its mainstream print ads in OUT magazine, but not since 1997, while Guinness has never been involved in the gay market. In fact, in 1992 Guinness decided not to air a commercial in England that its ad agency created featuring a male couple after the tabloid press caused a furor by reporting the plan. Calistoga and Red Bull have also not been advertised in the gay market previously.

Yet involvement in the Bingham Cup does not indicate greater interest in the gay community by the brands. "We don't specifically target the demographic," notes Scott Reames, a Nike spokesman. "We're focused more on sport-specific media and away from general media" because it reaches their audience more efficiently.

Says Alicia Shiel, market development manager for Guinness in San Francisco's office, "It's a sport, regardless of it being gay or not. It's a great fit for San Francisco and the U.S. and it's a wonderful cause."

Gay Sports Fans Slowly Recognized

Still, recognition of gay sports fans is growing slowly. The 25-year-old gay softball league North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance claims Galiano, Miller Lite, Smirnoff and United Airlines among its sponsors for the August 2002 Gay Softball World Series.

Coors Light has a two-year sponsorship of gay hockey team Colorado Climax and Powerbar has had a presence at the Gay World Series for softball. Meanwhile some major sports franchises have advertised in gay media or venues, including the Chicago Cubs, the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and Sacramento Monarchs, while the Atlanta Braves pitched in to land the 2006 Gay Games for Atlanta (though it went to Montreal).

Gay star athletes are also adding up, including tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Billy Jean King, Olympians swimmer Bruce Hayes, diver Greg Louganis and ice skater Rudy Galindo, Major League Baseball's Billy Bean and others. In fact, Coors leveraged Hayes' image in a 2001 gay media ad, while Subaru brought Navratilova her first major sponsorship in 2000.

"More and more, these companies will realize that gay men don't just watch 'Will & Grace' and listen to Cher," says Cyd Zeigler of Outsports.com.

"They've got lots of money to spend on sports travel and apparel." Outsports.com, launched in early 2000 to serve gay sports fans, now gets 60,000 unique visitors monthly.

Nike and Guinness say that they do not seek Bingham Cup sponsorships to reach gay audiences, but marketers generally underestimate the opportunity of gay sports affiliations. With many increasingly crowded ad categories seeking the market's attention, companies could create lasting loyalty by supporting struggling gay sporting events when it fits well with their brands.

posted April 07, 2004 17:08            

I will, if you will. You sound fully afraid of facts. Doesn't fit the marketing pyrimid well, does it?

That way, 50 more pages from now, real DD doesn't get lost in the clutter.

I recommend ending the thread.

If something new comes up, start a new one.
In the meantime, nothing's changed in the last two years.

posted April 07, 2004 17:09            

Whats your real name?
You going to the Vegas Party with the rest of us?

I surely hope so, after the few choice words you have used.

posted April 07, 2004 17:14            

quote:

---

Originally posted by KAHruzer:
>> Maybe now that you have stated your thoughts and posted your findings you can let others make their choice without carrying on with this stuff. <<

I will, if you will. You sound fully afraid of facts. Doesn't fit the marketing pyrimid well, does it?

That way, 50 more pages from now, real DD doesn't get lost in the clutter.

I recommend ending the thread.

If something new comes up, start a new one.
In the meantime, nothing's changed in the last two years.

---

posted April 07, 2004 17:20            

I'm outta here. Came, saw, got all I could from it. What remains is incurable.

posted April 07, 2004 17:23            

Section C, Page 1

Corporate America may just have well have sent its own telegram to Jerry Falwell after he recently mobilized his troops to protest the "gay-friendly" ad run by Anheuser-Busch in a regional gay publication. It would have said: Buzz off.
The Fortune 500 are courting the gay consumer as never before, underscored by the provocative Bud Lite ad featuring two muscular male arms firmly holding hands, along with the slogan, "Be Yourself." Sponsorship dollars flowing into Gay Pride festivals have increased and ad campaigns--some of which appear in mainstream venues--are featuring gay consumers.
Advertising in the gay media is the fastest-growing niche in publishing, posting a 20% jump in 1998 while ad revenue in other targeted media--save for black media--had single-digit growth. Ad dollars in the gay press have more than doubled in the last five years, moving to $120 million in 1998 from $53 million in 1994.
Los Angeles' Gay Pride event is emblematic of the growth in corporate support. Now in its 29th year, the festival a decade ago attracted only one corporate sponsor--Anheuser-Busch. This year, the festival broke the $1-million mark in corporate sponsorship, up from $150,000 five years ago.
Advertisers are attracted to gay consumers' sizable disposable incomes--averaging $57,100 for men and $53,600 for women, compared with slightly more than $30,000 for the average U.S. household. And, advertisers say, gay consumers are extremely loyal. Bud Lite and Absolut vodka, which started advertising to gays in the 1970s, have strong brand recognition in the gay community.

"Gay friends have said to me, 'You don't know what you've done," says Marty Marston, spokesman for Ikea, which made history in 1994 with the first prime-time television spot featuring a gay couple shopping for furniture. "We see the allegiance of the gay community."
Dockers, the all-American brand owned by Levi-Strauss, began advertising in the largest-circulation national gay publication, Out magazine, a year ago. Last November, it saluted 10 xceptional gay men and lesbians in a 12-page magazine insert in Out--an ad that not only spoke directly to gay consumers but intently made a statement about diversity.
"It was our way, as a major brand, to acknowledge gay men and women as really productive human beings, says Mark Malinowski, Dockers' senior marketing specialist.
Good will or bottom line, corporations are getting on board the gay bandwagon, which they briefly abandoned during the peak of the AIDS crisis in the mid '80s.
"Almost every company backed away," says Scott Matter of Mulryan-Nash Advertising, a New York agency specializing in the gay market. "What we've seen in the '90s, especially in the last four to five years, is that a lot of major corporations and industries you wouldn't really expect have begun to realize the validity of the gay market."
Among the companies advertising directly to gay consumers are American Express, IBM, General Motors, Subaru, Johnson & Johnson, United Airlines, Seagram, Bank of America, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Gap, Levi-Strauss, Alamo Rent-A-Car, Samsung, Universal Studios and MTV.

(Webmaster's note: Not mentioned is Abercrombie & Fitch)

Clearing the way for the recent burst of gay advertising is the failure of protests against corporations that acknowledge gays. William Waybourn, a Washington-based consultant, cited the Southern Baptists' unsuccessful 1997 boycott of Walt Disney Co. for its "gay-friendly" policies as a catalyst.
"Their failure to maintain the boycott sent a strong signal to other companies that you can market to the gay community and not worry about a backlash, says Waybourn, whose Washington-based company, Windows Communications, helps companies such as AOL, Aetna and United Airlines reach gay consumers.
In the last year or two, say industry experts, a notable shift has occurred: More and more ads are openly gay when even in gay publications the message had previously been implicit.
A Hartford Insurance print ad, for example, features three sets of cars. "The Hartford offers auto insurance discounts to gay couples," reads the caption under two blue cars, facing nose to nose. And under the two pink cars: "We also offer discounts to lesbian couples." And in a takeoff of the famous "Seinfeld" riff, adds: "Heck, we even offer discounts to heterosexual couples (not that there's anything wrong with that)."
Diesel jeans featured gay bodybuilders Bob Paris and Rod Jackson locked in an intense kiss aboard a military vessel, sailors in the background, which ran in Details magazine. An American Express Financial Services ad featured lesbians in an embrace on a cruise ship.
"Diversity is very important to us, and it's a priority for us at American Express to reach out to many different communities. One of our focuses has been with the gay and lesbian market," says Jean Tambornino, the senior public relations consultant for American Express Financial Advisors.

Perhaps more significantly, some ads are appearing in mainstream venues. Levi ran a series of candid "lifestyle" TV spots on MTV and Comedy Central featuring real teenagers talking autobiographically about their life. The gay teen describes an "oops" moment when he inadvertently lets slip to his father that he's gay.
The recognized trailblazer in gay advertising, Seagram's Absolut, took their gay-friendly ads to mainstream publications, such as Entertainment Weekly, Mather says. The tagline was 'Absolut pride,' and featured an outline of the bottle with the rainbow flag, the widely accepted symbol of gay pride.
The brouhaha about the Anheuser-Busch ad began on the Internet. After the ad appeared in the April 21 edition of EXP, a small biweekly gay magazine in St. Louis, waves of e-mail circulated among gays, urging them to contact Anheuser-Busch to show support. Falwell then enlisted his supporters via e-mail also to contact the company in protest. Within days, the St. Louis-based beer company was forced to set up a toll-free numbers to accommodate pro and con calls.
Anheuser-Busch almost immediately declined news interviews but issued an unequivocal statement supporting its nondiscriminatory ad policy. "It's surprising to us that one print ad placed in select gay-oriented magazines has attracted attention," noted the brief release. "Today's consumer is not one of a specific gender, race, geography or orientation. We appreciate and respect the views of all our customers."
Waybourn called the Bud Lite ad a "brilliant marketing stroke" and predicted more and more ads will be out of the closet.
"For a long time there was 'gay window' advertising. An ad would feature two men and a woman and the gay community looked in and saw a gay couple" where mainstream consumers did not, Waybourn says. "The latest trend is to advertise directly to the market, with images that reach into the market, and advertisers are not paying a penalty for it."

Webmaster's note: This relevant story has been purged from the current portion of the Los Angeles Times as is customary 24-hours after publication. This page is intended to present this important information so that it does not have to be retrieved from their (membership required) archives. Other than the headlines and bylines, the illustrations did not appear in the LA Times article but were included by the webmaster of this site.

Section C, Page 1

Corporate America may just have well have sent its own telegram to Jerry Falwell after he recently mobilized his troops to protest the "gay-friendly" ad run by Anheuser-Busch in a regional gay publication. It would have said: Buzz off.
The Fortune 500 are courting the gay consumer as never before, underscored by the provocative Bud Lite ad featuring two muscular male arms firmly holding hands, along with the slogan, "Be Yourself." Sponsorship dollars flowing into Gay Pride festivals have increased and ad campaigns--some of which appear in mainstream venues--are featuring gay consumers.
Advertising in the gay media is the fastest-growing niche in publishing, posting a 20% jump in 1998 while ad revenue in other targeted media--save for black media--had single-digit growth. Ad dollars in the gay press have more than doubled in the last five years, moving to $120 million in 1998 from $53 million in 1994.
Los Angeles' Gay Pride event is emblematic of the growth in corporate support. Now in its 29th year, the festival a decade ago attracted only one corporate sponsor--Anheuser-Busch. This year, the festival broke the $1-million mark in corporate sponsorship, up from $150,000 five years ago.
Advertisers are attracted to gay consumers' sizable disposable incomes--averaging $57,100 for men and $53,600 for women, compared with slightly more than $30,000 for the average U.S. household. And, advertisers say, gay consumers are extremely loyal. Bud Lite and Absolut vodka, which started advertising to gays in the 1970s, have strong brand recognition in the gay community.

"Gay friends have said to me, 'You don't know what you've done," says Marty Marston, spokesman for Ikea, which made history in 1994 with the first prime-time television spot featuring a gay couple shopping for furniture. "We see the allegiance of the gay community."
Dockers, the all-American brand owned by Levi-Strauss, began advertising in the largest-circulation national gay publication, Out magazine, a year ago. Last November, it saluted 10 xceptional gay men and lesbians in a 12-page magazine insert in Out--an ad that not only spoke directly to gay consumers but intently made a statement about diversity.
"It was our way, as a major brand, to acknowledge gay men and women as really productive human beings, says Mark Malinowski, Dockers' senior marketing specialist.
Good will or bottom line, corporations are getting on board the gay bandwagon, which they briefly abandoned during the peak of the AIDS crisis in the mid '80s.
"Almost every company backed away," says Scott Matter of Mulryan-Nash Advertising, a New York agency specializing in the gay market. "What we've seen in the '90s, especially in the last four to five years, is that a lot of major corporations and industries you wouldn't really expect have begun to realize the validity of the gay market."
Among the companies advertising directly to gay consumers are American Express, IBM, General Motors, Subaru, Johnson & Johnson, United Airlines, Seagram, Bank of America, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Gap, Levi-Strauss, Alamo Rent-A-Car, Samsung, Universal Studios and MTV.

(Webmaster's note: Not mentioned is Abercrombie & Fitch)

Clearing the way for the recent burst of gay advertising is the failure of protests against corporations that acknowledge gays. William Waybourn, a Washington-based consultant, cited the Southern Baptists' unsuccessful 1997 boycott of Walt Disney Co. for its "gay-friendly" policies as a catalyst.
"Their failure to maintain the boycott sent a strong signal to other companies that you can market to the gay community and not worry about a backlash, says Waybourn, whose Washington-based company, Windows Communications, helps companies such as AOL, Aetna and United Airlines reach gay consumers.
In the last year or two, say industry experts, a notable shift has occurred: More and more ads are openly gay when even in gay publications the message had previously been implicit.
A Hartford Insurance print ad, for example, features three sets of cars. "The Hartford offers auto insurance discounts to gay couples," reads the caption under two blue cars, facing nose to nose. And under the two pink cars: "We also offer discounts to lesbian couples." And in a takeoff of the famous "Seinfeld" riff, adds: "Heck, we even offer discounts to heterosexual couples (not that there's anything wrong with that)."
Diesel jeans featured gay bodybuilders Bob Paris and Rod Jackson locked in an intense kiss aboard a military vessel, sailors in the background, which ran in Details magazine. An American Express Financial Services ad featured lesbians in an embrace on a cruise ship.
"Diversity is very important to us, and it's a priority for us at American Express to reach out to many different communities. One of our focuses has been with the gay and lesbian market," says Jean Tambornino, the senior public relations consultant for American Express Financial Advisors.

Perhaps more significantly, some ads are appearing in mainstream venues. Levi ran a series of candid "lifestyle" TV spots on MTV and Comedy Central featuring real teenagers talking autobiographically about their life. The gay teen describes an "oops" moment when he inadvertently lets slip to his father that he's gay.
The recognized trailblazer in gay advertising, Seagram's Absolut, took their gay-friendly ads to mainstream publications, such as Entertainment Weekly, Mather says. The tagline was 'Absolut pride,' and featured an outline of the bottle with the rainbow flag, the widely accepted symbol of gay pride.
The brouhaha about the Anheuser-Busch ad began on the Internet. After the ad appeared in the April 21 edition of EXP, a small biweekly gay magazine in St. Louis, waves of e-mail circulated among gays, urging them to contact Anheuser-Busch to show support. Falwell then enlisted his supporters via e-mail also to contact the company in protest. Within days, the St. Louis-based beer company was forced to set up a toll-free numbers to accommodate pro and con calls.
Anheuser-Busch almost immediately declined news interviews but issued an unequivocal statement supporting its nondiscriminatory ad policy. "It's surprising to us that one print ad placed in select gay-oriented magazines has attracted attention," noted the brief release. "Today's consumer is not one of a specific gender, race, geography or orientation. We appreciate and respect the views of all our customers."
Waybourn called the Bud Lite ad a "brilliant marketing stroke" and predicted more and more ads will be out of the closet.
"For a long time there was 'gay window' advertising. An ad would feature two men and a woman and the gay community looked in and saw a gay couple" where mainstream consumers did not, Waybourn says. "The latest trend is to advertise directly to the market, with images that reach into the market, and advertisers are not paying a penalty for it."