Queer marginality and planning for brand resonance: A qualitative critique of the South African advertising industry

Abstract

Meaning and purpose in brand advertising has gained prominence in society (Deloitte 2019. Millennial and Generation Z consumers in particular demand brands to have a clear position on social causes they care about. Consequently, the advertising industry is progressively recognising the importance of investing time and resources to gain an in-depth understanding of the prevailing political and sociocultural dynamics that affect targeted consumers in the social environments in which their brands exist. This enables brands to craft strategies that foster a strong cognitive and emotional connection within a diverse consumer base (Keller 2009; Badrinarayanan et al. 2016); and leverage these to craft meaningful advertisements that enhance brand resonance, brand equity, and social change (Enslin 2019; Minar 2016). The aim of this study was to examine the social constructions of gender and queer identity in advertising through the lens of brand communication planners; and to understand how the voices of the queer community are included in the planning and production of advertisements that resonate. Methodologically, a critical qualitative research approach was applied to investigate the experiences of the participants. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Queer theory and brand resonance theory were used to analyse and discuss the emerging themes.