Vol. 3 No. 1
Welcome to the Latest Issue of the Witeck-Combs Newsletter 
 
Summer has arrived and we have much to share with you since our last issue. We are keenly excited by our renewed partnership with Harris Interactive. Entering its tenth year, our joint efforts continue to produce the highest and most trusted level of projectible lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) market research for corporate and non-profit organizations to understand in crafting their business strategies.
 
We also are proud of the vast network of experts, allies, colleagues, legislators and non-profit advocates we work with every day to help address client issues and challenges. It is these bedrock relationships in the LGBT community that have helped Aetna to create a first in the insurance industry – a LGBT Advisory Panel to help guide the company’s outreach to this under-served market.
 
And finally, we are very excited to tell you about some notable recognition of our commitment to the LGBT community over the years. Our very own Bob Witeck has been named an “OUTstanding Virginian” by Equality Virginia, the statewide civil rights organization. And not to mention that both Wes Combs and Bob Witeck recently were included in the Washington Life Magazine Power 100 List and were among the first business leaders to be invited to the White House.
 
We also want to hear what’s new with you so drop us a line and let us know!

*You will notice that the abbreviation for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender is used two different ways in this newsletter – LGBT and GLBT.  While there is no universal standard, Witeck-Combs Communications has opted to use LGBT except where occasions, when GLBT is used in a direct quote by an individual or in any instance when a product or service is labeled GLBT.
    

 
 
MARKET RESEARCH INSIGHTS 

Strategic Partnership with Harris Interactive Enters 10th Year
shaking hands imageSince 2000, Witeck-Combs Communications has worked side-by-side with global research leader Harris Interactive to establish the gold standard in LGBT market research. Top marketers and national non-profits have used the insights gleaned from data collected using Harris Interactive’s GLBT Specialty Panel to make strategic decisions and to benchmark public attitudes and trends. “With President Obama’s emphasis on diversity and LGBT public policy and market issues making headlines everyday (for instance, same sex couples have achieved marriage equality now in six states), organizations are faced with an even more compelling need to understand how LGBT issues intersect with their mission,” said Wesley Combs, President of Witeck-Combs Communications.
 
“With the largest online LGBT panel available anywhere in the world, Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications provide the expertise and subject matter expertise that serves as the foundation for successful communications and marketing strategies“, said Kimberly Till, CEO of Harris Interactive.
 
For more information about Harris Interactive’s GLBT Specialty Panel,
click here.
For more information about Witeck-Combs Communications’ services in the LGBT segment, click here.
Gay Travel Snapshot – Spring and Summer 2009

While Americans cope with new economic realities, many by shifting consumer priorities and curbing household expenses across-the-board, a new national survey conducted online by Witeck-Combs Communications and Harris Interactive shows marked differences in travel expectations over the summer travel season. On balance, for all American adults sampled who also say they plan to travel in the next four months – LGBT consumers report on average they are likely to spend about $2,300 between May and August 2009 for both leisure and business travel, while heterosexuals on average they are likely to spend about $1,500 during that same period. Please click here to read the press report in its entirety.


   More Key Research Topics
    • Gay and Lesbian Adults More Likely to Read Blogs (Read Full Release)
    • Gay Households Cope with Falling Economy (Read Full Release) 
    •  Out & Equal Workplace Culture Report –Since 2002, each year Witeck-Combs Communications, Harris Interactive and the nation’s leading champions for workplace equity -- Out & Equal Workplace Advocates -- have conducted and released a pathbreaking public opinion survey on how all Americans think about basic LGBT workplace issues.  For trendspotters and business leaders, our most recent study summarized six years of national perceptions that will be an especially useful tool for managers to help assess the LGBT-friendliness of their workplace and the standards that Americans expect in the treatment of all employees.  To read the full report, click here. (Read Full Report) 
CLIENT SNAPSHOTS | OTHER NEWS

AA Names Betty Young to Lead Its Diverse Marketing Strategies
  

Congratulations are due to Betty Young, who has recently been promoted to oversee all of American Airlines’ minority-directed marketing as the Director of Diverse Segment Marketing including the company’s strategic outreach to African-American, women, Latino and LGBT travelers.  As leaders in diversity, American Airlines this month also celebrates the 15th anniversary of GLEAM, its very first and longest-serving Employee Resource Group (ERG).  GLEAM represents the LGBT and straight allies who work for American Airlines and American Eagle.

 

Young, a 19-year American Airlines veteran, served the past five years as co-manager of American Airlines Rainbow TeAAm, the company’s LGBT sales and marketing group. The Rainbow TeAAm, recognized as the first LGBT national marketing group at a Fortune 100 company, flourished under the leadership of Young and her co-manager, George Carrancho. Together, they have been instrumental in supporting the LGBT community and fostering a targeted sales strategy that has maintained American’s leadership in this important market segment. Carrancho will continue to lead American’s LGBT sales team.

 

Young was also recently named in The Advocate’s Forty Under 40 in the Business category. To read the entire feature, please click here.



American Airlines Celebrates GLEAM’s 15th Anniversary


We are so proud to watch as American Airlines celebrated the historic launch and 15th anniversary milestone of its first employee resource group – the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allied employees of American Airlines and American Eagle (GLEAM) – with a special reception on June 18, 2009, at the C.R. Smith Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

 

Employees officially formed GLEAM during the summer of 1994 and have been instrumental in making American a leader in diversity and inclusion, progressive employment policies, segment marketing, and public policy endorsement for the fair and equitable treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees. Together, American Airlines and American Eagle now have 16 employee resource groups representing the rich diversity and backgrounds of their global workforce.

 

The anniversary event welcomed nearly 300 attendees, including special guests and numerous business and nonprofit leaders representing Lambda Legal, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the Human Rights Campaign, the Dallas Black Tie Dinner Committee, the North Texas Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and the Dallas Voice. Special remarks were delivered by Dennis Coleman and Kenneth Upton on behalf of Lambda Legal, and a raffle was launched to benefit Out & Equal and the Dallas Black Tie Dinner.

 

“We are proud to have earned many firsts as a company in the fair, equal and respectful treatment of all our employees and our customers,” said Edward Dykes, American’s Senior Financial Analyst – Purchasing, and GLEAM Chairman.  “Today’s historic event is a meaningful way to recognize American’s 15 year-commitment to be an advocate for LGBT concerns in the workplace and also for promoting a sense of community, good will and collegiality that we hope continues to ensure American Airlines always is best in class.”
 
 
Aetna Creates LGBT Advisory Council

aetna logoAetna, one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, is taking an integrated business, philanthropic and targeted outreach approach to improving LGBT healthcare access by inviting some of the country’s most respected LGBT corporate and non-profit professionals to serve on its first LGBT Advisory Council. Many of the executives on the committee have worked on LGBT initiatives within their own companies as well as within the LGBT community at-large to promote equality and fair treatment. Aetna itself has diligently worked to embody these principles and has earned a top score of 100% every year on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) since the CEI began eight years ago (www.hrc.org/issues/workplace).  
 
"The Council member’s experiences and expertise will help Aetna move exponentially on improving the quality of care and health outcomes for patients," said Peter Francel, Aetna's Vice President of Product Group Sales.
 
LGBT populations, while experiencing the same basic health needs as all other Americans, often face unique needs and may experience health disparities related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity or expression. Many LGBT patients report that they avoid care or regrettably receive inferior care because of perceived or real anti-LGBT sentiment among healthcare providers and institutions. Recognizing these barriers, Aetna is developing a coordinated, multidimensional approach to address specific health issues that tend to be more prevalent among members of the LGBT population and to conduct sensitive and authentic outreach to the LGBT community.
 
Aetna envisions the LGBT Advisory Council as a pragmatic and trusted way to take Aetna and its Foundation to the next level by identifying new initiatives, and to open new doors with the LGBT community.
 
Members of the corporate and non-profit advisory committee include:
  • Dennis Centorbi, Manager, Global Accounts, HelmsBriscoe
  • David Dancer, Vice President and Head of Financial Institution Marketing, Visa
  • Irwin Drucker, Program Director, Gay & Lesbian Supplier Relations, IBM
  • Randy Griffin, Sr. Director, Government, Territory & Affinity Market Sales, Marriott
  • John Isa, Attorney-at-Law, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP
  • Tim Kincaid, Former Manager, Corporate Communications, American Airlines
  • Mark McLane, Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Booz Allen Hamilton
  • Keith Powell, COO, Kodak Gallery
  • Charlie Rounds, President of RSVP, Atlantis Events
  • Rob Shook, Global Market Strategist, Global GLBT, IBM
  • Meghan Stabler, Global Marketing Director and Strategist, BMC Software
  • Vivian Ware, Global Strategies for Diversity and Inclusion, WaltDisneyParks and Resorts
  • Leslie Calman, Ph.D, Executive Director, Mautner Project: The National Lesbian Health Organization
  • Rebecca Fox, Executive Director, National Coalition for LGBT Health
  • Joel Ginsberg, Former Executive Director, Gay and Lesbian Medical Association
  • Dirk McCall, Executive Director of the Greenwich Village/Chelsea Chamber of Commerce
  • Justin Nelson, Co-Founder and President, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
  • Chance Mitchell, Co-Founder and CEO, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
  • Betsy Pursell, Vice President, Public Education and Outreach, Human Rights Campaign

 

 

WHAT’S NEW AT WITECK-COMBS COMMUNICATIONS

Equality Virginia Names Bob Witeck an ‘OUTstanding Virginian’

This past April, our very own Bob Witeck was named one of Equality Virginia’s 20 OUTstanding Virginians. Equality Virginia, the statewide LGBT civil rights advocates, celebrated its 20th anniversary along with honoring the 20 OUTstanding Virginians at the 6th Annual Commonwealth Dinner in Richmond, VA.

Nominations were solicited through the organization’s website last year. A committee then reviewed the nominations and recommended names that were approved by Equality Virginia’s Board of Directors. The 20 honorees are LGBT Virginians who have “made a mark,” either as an activist, a LGBT elected official, an entertainer or successful business leader.

“It is an honor just to be honored, and included among some of my own friends and heroes,” said Witeck. “It gives me a chance also to recognize Equality Virginia and its critically important work in a changing political environment. 

We are very proud of our accomplished CEO. Congratulations, Bob!

Check out the rest of Equality Virginia’s honored OUTstanding Virginians at www.equalityvirginia.org.


Wes Combs and Bob Witeck on the Washington Life Power 100 List

Bob Witeck and Wes Combs have been deemed the “dynamic duo” by Washington Life Magazine.  They were featured in the magazine’s Power 100 list of 2009.  The list is unique because it features leaders that currently work outside the federal government,  representing a wide range of professional fields that all make an impact inside the Beltway.  They have all worked hard for their power and range from business owners to philanthropists, religious leaders, and all that’s in between.

Witeck and Combs were named to the list for creating “one of the area’s most innovative marketing firms.”  They also co-authored the book, Business Inside Out, which was “the first to identify gay consumers as a unique sector of the economy, and it remains the gold standard on marketing to the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.”

Other business leaders who made the list include J.W. (Bill) Marriott Jr., Chairman and CEO of Marriott International, Don and Meghan Beyer, owners of Don Beyer Volvo and Sheila Johnson, Majority Owner, Washington Mystics.  Check out the full Washington Life Power 100 list here: http://washingtonlife.com/2009/05/01/the-power-100/.


WCC Visits the White House

In April, Bob Witeck and Wes Combs business owners invited to the White House for President Obama’s announcement about the Small Business Administration’s new loan program.    Witeck and Combs joined 120 other trade group representatives and small businesses in the East Room of the White House to learn about this new initiative aimed at helping small businesses in this tough economic climate.

Witeck and Combs blogged about their visit on The Bilerico Project.  They are hopeful and proud of our President, who “is governing like he ran for office – by being inclusive and leaving no one out of the discussion about what is really possible.”

 

 

 

About Witeck-Combs Communications

Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. is the nation’s premier marketing communications and consulting firm, specializing in developing and implementing effective strategies reaching the gay and lesbian consumer market. With over 15 years experience in this unique market, Witeck-Combs Communications not only serves as a bridge between corporate America and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender consumers (LGBT), but also provides counsel to countless non-profit organizations that aim to educate the public on gay and lesbian issues or to better reach their LGBT membership.

In April 2003, American Demographics magazine identified Bob Witeck and Wes Combs as two of 25 experts over the last 25 years who have made significant contributions to the fields of demographics, market research, media and trendspotting for their path breaking work on the gay and lesbian market, and in 2006 Bob Witeck and Wes Combs co-authored Business Inside Out: Capturing Millions of Brand Loyal Gay Consumers (Kaplan Publishing), considered the first-ever book on marketing insights, practical tips and strategies targeting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender market. They have appeared in worldwide media outlets including Fortune, CNBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, Ad Age, New York Times and Washington Post. For more information visit www.witeckcombs.com.