LGBT Community Seen As Mobile Pioneers

Madison Avenue has assigned a new label to every lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender consumer: mobile pioneer.

“They have become a bellwether for the entire population, providing a preview of what’s to come as more consumers embrace mobile connectivity,” said Chia Chen, senior vice president and mobile practice lead at Digitas, of the LGBT community.

Backing up this broad claim, Digitas -- in partnership with Community Marketing, Inc. -- just released a survey of 1,595 LGBT respondents with mobile devices in the United States, ages 18+.

What Digitas found is that the majority of LGBT consumers are living in “a post-PC world.” A full 56% of respondents said they indeed prefer mobile devices over “desktops” or “laptops.”

Long-term, the majority (51%) of LGBT mobile device users said they have used a smartphone or tablet for at least three years -- nearly twice as much as the broader U.S. population, Digitas reports, citing a 2012 study by Edison Research.

Even senior members of the LGBT community are mobile-friendly. Digitas found that 21% of LGBT mobile device users ages 65 and up have used a smartphone or tablet for five years or more.
 
Boding well for Apple’s mobile prospects, 55% of LGBT mobile users own and use iPhones, compared to 40% who use Android-powered devices. Plus, 30% own and use iPads, while just 13% associate themselves with Android-powered tablets.

LGBT families increasingly rely on mobile devices to manage activities in their households -- 49% coordinate calendars, 47% coordinate locations, 32% manage family finances and 27% share to-do lists.

Moreover, 61% of LGBT parents say that they purchase mobile games for their children, while 85% of children under the age of 18 with LGBT parents own or have access to a mobile device, Digitas found.

"Rainbow Flag" photo from Shutterstock.

1 comment about "LGBT Community Seen As Mobile Pioneers".
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  1. Erik Sass from none, June 7, 2013 at 3:17 p.m.

    Interesting, I wonder what is behind LGBT consumers being "mobile forward" compared to the rest of the population? It could also be partly a reflection of sample skew, since people who self-identify as LGBT tend to be younger, educated and are also more likely to live in metro areas -- hence generally higher-income, and more likely to be early adopters. But it's an interesting finding either way.

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