Vol. 2 No. 2
Welcome to the Latest News from Witeck-Combs Communications

In our previous issue, we shared the release of The Gay and Lesbian Market Report, a few solid tips on public apologies, and Brian McNaught’s powerful new DVD on how to reconcile gay issues in corporate America.
 
Now that it’s summer, let’s share a few new research highlights, new directions with clients, and a new member of our staff.
    

 
 
MARKET RESEARCH INSIGHTS 

March  26, 2007
Americans Are Becoming More Accepting of Openly Gay Athletes
In a recent national survey by Witeck-Combs Communications and Harris Interactive®, nearly three-fourths (72 percent) of heterosexual adults say they would not change their feelings toward a ‘favorite’ male professional athlete if the athlete revealed he is gay. This represents an increase from 66 percent in August 2002, when heterosexual adults were asked the same survey question.
 
In contrast, when asked how they think ‘other sports fans would feel’ toward an openly gay sports figure, 72 percent believe that ‘others’ would have less favorable opinions. This measure, however, has decreased from 2002, when nearly 80 percent revealed that they felt ‘others’ would have a less favorable opinion. 

Read More


July 11, 2007
Which Words Offend?
At the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s 98th annual convention in June, a burial was held. It was symbolic, but, nevertheless, the infamous ‘n-word’ was declared to be buried. As burials like this occur across the country, The Harris Poll just recently confirmed that large majorities of the U.S. adult public, not surprisingly, find the use of certain terms to be very offensive. When you recall Don Imus, Michael Richards, Mel Gibson, Isaiah Washington and Rush Limbaugh, for example, we have observed quite a few controversial incidents this past year with the use of offensive language in public and on the airwaves. These incidents beg the question, what ought to be done about them?
 
Despite the American public’s strong feelings, the Harris study shows that few adults feel that the government should ban the use of such language on television or radio. Most feel that either the broadcasters should set their own standards or the individuals should exercise greater self-monitoring about what is appropriate.

Read More 


August 2007
New Survey by Community Marketing
Measures Gay Media Consumers
Over the years, we have admired the leadership of Tom Roth and the folks at Community Marketing in San Francisco for their expertise in advising travel and hospitality leaders on the latest trends. Bob Witeck and Tom Roth also serve together on the board of the nonprofit Commercial Closet Association (www.commercialcloset.org) which helps educate advertisers on the respectful and effective use of gay imagery and content in their campaigns. We both believe that growing the gay marketplace is built on inclusion, knowledge and respect.

We learned that Community Marketing will soon release a new GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) market research report called the Gay Consumer Index™ and the Lesbian Consumer Index™. The study of American gay media consumers was co-produced by our friends at Rivendell Media, and sponsored by Absolut.

25,000 survey participants were recruited through more than 75 widely distributed GLBT internet and print publications, as well as community event organizers. The study includes more than 10,000 responses from US lesbian consumers, and over 12,000 from US gay male consumers. Tom Roth also has generously offered a complimentary study abstract, and for more details, please visit http://www.communitymarketinginc.com/mkt_int_gld.htm
CLIENT SNAPSHOTS 

American Airlines Honors ex-NBA Player John Amaechi in NYC
Openly gay ex-NBA athlete and best-selling author John Amaechi was honored on March 26 at the American Airlines Theater in New York City for his outspoken dedication to the LGBT community. Hosted by the Rainbow TeAAm and American’s Passenger Sales of Greater New York; in attendance were many well-respected LGBT journalists along with an intimate gathering of prominent lesbian and gay community leaders. Many of the events guests also attended 18th Annual GLAAD Media Awards show scheduled that evening in New York. American Airlines was again proud to serve as official airline of the prestigious GLAAD Media Awards.  
 
American is especially proud that John is a valued AAdvantage Platinum® member, even more important right now as he travels frequently from London’s Heathrow to American’s just-about-to-open new terminal at JFK, and throughout the U.S. for many public appearances. Perhaps it reminds him of his well-traveled college days and his NBA career too!
 
Sprint Shows Support for its GLBT Employees
In honor of GLBT Pride Month, the rainbow flag few for the first time on June 21 at Sprint’s operational headquarters campus in Overland Park, KS. Sprint’s GLBT employee group, Sprint Pride, joined with Sprint management to open this new exciting new chapter in their corporate history of inclusion. The Witeck-Combs staff takes a little pride too in toasting this moment, as we were retained several years ago to advise Sprint on ways to align its business strategy and its aims to make its policies and practices more gay-welcoming. As one of the nation’s top wireless leaders, it is clear that Sprint is sending powerful signals of respect to all America.

WHAT’S NEW AT WITECK-COMBS COMMUNICATIONS

Fred Lameck Joins the Witeck-Combs Team as the
Marketing and Media Services Coordinator
We’re very happy to announce that Fred Lameck has joined Witeck-Combs as our Marketing and Media Services Coordinator. Fred brings a strong knowledge of design and valuable communications experience to Witeck-Combs Communications. He was last with Raleigh-based blast! PR, where he worked closely with the principals of the firm to provide strategic public relations and marketing services to clients in the high tech and internet marketing industries.

Lameck received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While at UNC, Lameck wrote for The Daily Tar Heel and served as an assistant design editor, working closely with the newspaper’s leadership to develop innovative and creative graphics and layouts. 


NEW CLIENTS

WHD Government Affairs
Witeck-Combs Communications is excited about their recent partnership with a leading government and public affairs firm. WHD Government Affairs, with offices in Washington, D.C., Madison and Milwaukee, WI, has engaged Witeck-Combs’ health and disability communications services to provide communications counsel to select clients. Together, we are developing and implementing broad based grassroots and grass tops outreach programs that will more effectively communicate the core messages of healthcare-related public education programs. Our first joint outreach initiative will be focused on establishing the inclusion of patient voices in the national health care reform discussion.


PFLAG
Witeck-Combs began work this summer to support the mission of Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and the group’s new Straight for Equality initiative in June. Set to formally launch in October 2007, WCC will be providing strategic public relations and messaging support for PFLAG.

With the goal of bolstering GLBT support among straight allies, the Straight for Equality undertaking will consist of a national outreach and education campaign to increase dialogue among existing straight allies and those who may not have previously considered actively supporting GLBT rights. Straight for Equality aims to empower its allies with the tools needed to advocate for GLBT people in the home, workplace, and community


Matthew Shepard Foundation
Witeck-Combs also began work early this summer with the Matthew Shepard Foundation on their historic “Erase Hate” campaign. The project received a burst of momentum when the Senate sponsors of The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 renamed the bill in April as the Matthew Shepard Act.

On May 3, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1592 (Matthew Shepard Act) by a vote of 237 to 180. The Senate bill has bipartisan cosponsors in Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore and Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. The bill is expecting a vote in the Senate this year.

The bill, which adds protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity to existing laws that target violence, is a response to the unrelenting and under-addressed problem of violent hate crimes committed against individuals based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity as well as disability.

   

About Witeck-Combs Communications
Witeck-Combs Communications provides strategic public relations and marketing communications services for corporate and nonprofit clients who believe, as we do, that protecting and enhancing their reputations is a key to their success.

Our work often is focused on social and market issues and how they impact our diverse clients: corporations, nonprofits, foundations and government agencies. Our unique specialties include the gay and lesbian consumer market; health, disability and social issues; and reaching the Washington, D.C., market. Whether you are looking to communicate with the media, customers, members of the public, or another unique audience, Witeck-Combs Communications will help you develop strategies and messages and implement marketing and communications plans to reach your goals. 

  

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