Subject: Stonewall 25 marketing efforts
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 1994 10:05:57 -0800 (PST)
From: anon@queernet.org (Anonymous Sender)

Major Firms Are Approached On Sponsoring Major Gay Event

  By Kevin Goldman

  In the early hours of June 29, 1969, a raid on a homosexual bar in
New York's Greenwich Village resulted in a full-blown riot involving
400 men, some hurling bottles, garbage and even a parking meter at
police. The rampage, near the Stonewall Inn, is considered the spark
for the gay and lesbian liberation movement.

  Twenty-five years later, major companies are in discussions with a
nonprofit organization, Stonewall 25, about whether to participate in a
planned commemoration in Manhattan on June 26. There have been only a
few takers so far, including Campari, an aperitif produced by Italy's
Davide Campari-Milano SpA, and Private Label Water, a San Mateo,
Calif., company that produces spring water and puts different company
logos on the bottles. But Stonewall 25 says it is talking with such
major companies as Sony, American Express, Gap, Philip Morris's Miller
Brewing unit and Hiram Walker & Sons about potential sponsorships.

  The times they certainly are a'changing. A headline that appeared in
the New York Daily News shortly after the Stonewall riot, "Homo Nest
Raided, Queen Bees Are Stinging Mad," would be inconceivable today.
Further, marketing experts say there is little risk for companies to
align themselves with an event that caters to what used to be called an
alternative lifestyle.

  Planners of Stonewall 25 contend the violent nature of the event
being celebrated isn't a problem. "The Boston Tea Party was a riot,"
says Susan Jester, executive director of Stonewall 25. "Some companies
will still be skittish, but we're finding few that turn us down
immediately." She says, for example, that Sony is donating huge
television monitors, measuring 18 feet by 20 feet, to place in Central
Park during the June rally. Sony didn't return calls seeking comment.

  Stonewall 25 says sponsorship would entail donations ranging from
"below $10,000" to $200,000 and would allow marketers to display their
logos prominently at Stonewall 25 events, including the planned rally
in Central Park and festivities in Greenwich Village.

  The companies that choose to sponsor Stonewall 25 "gain so much by
demonstrating they are keeping up with the times," says Jackie Silver,
a market research and advertising consultant. "Of course, there is
always a risk that some conservative minority will react negatively.
But that is shrinking nationwide and certainly in New York."

  Increasingly, marketers, particularly liquor and entertainment
companies, have been recognizing the gay community and its spending
power. A spokeswoman at Hiram Walker & Sons, a subsidiary of British
beverage concern Allied-Lyons, says Stonewall 25 is being considered
because it "fits within our framework of identifying cultural
activities to reach a large number of consumers at a single event."

  Campari plans to be a major presence at the Stonewall commemoration.
It has concocted two new drinks, the Stone Wall and the more potent
Stone Wall Riot for the event. The recipes will be advertised in
magazines catering to homosexuals, including Out. In addition, Campari
will have its logo splashed across banners and cocktail napkins in
saloons and restaurants. "We want to increase usage among certain
segments of the population," says Jess di Pasquale, Campari's director
of marketing. "There is a high potential in the gay community because
of Campari's taste and color, and it is considered a sophisticated
drink that they can connect with."

  Di Pasquale says it isn't Campari's intention to "make a political
statement. We aren't aligning ourselves with rioting. Instead, we're
recognizing loyal customers."

  Jester says Nestle Beverage, whose overall parent is Switzerland's
Nestle SA, was planning to advertise in the gay bimonthly magazine 10
Percent, an official Stonewall 25 sponsor, through the end of the year.
The ads, she says, would be profiles of gay and lesbian individuals who
made a contribution to society. Discussions were also under way for
Nestle Beverage to become a sponsor of Stonewall 25.

  But, much to Stonewall 25's surprise, a Nestle spokeswoman says the
company isn't going to advertise in the magazine and won't be a sponsor
of the New York events. The spokeswoman acknowledged discussions had
taken place between Nestle and Stonewall 25, but declined to provide
details. Instead of participating in the June anniversary, Nestle says
it will hold a luncheon honoring gay and lesbian individuals.

  There was no such hesitation on the part of Private Label Water,
which places labels for such companies as Gap and Blockbuster
Entertainment on bottles. Already, bottles with a Stonewall 25 logo,
including an upside-down lavender triangle with the globe in its
center, are appearing on store shelves. "I'm from San Francisco and I'm
a straight African-American male who believes in inclusion, not
exclusion," says Lunis H. Williams Jr., chairman of Private Label Water.

  To be sure, Stonewall 25 sponsors aren't going to flood the so-called
mainstream media with ads trumpeting their involvement with the summer
event. But news coverage of the event is expected, and any company
whose logo is contained on banners near the stage will receive national
exposure.

  Robert Dilenschneider, an expert in crisis management, says, "In
today's politically correct environment, there is nothing the companies
have to fear." He adds that it is highly unlikely that a conservative
group will compile a list of Stonewall 25 sponsors and call for a
boycott of those products.

  Says Jester, "Stonewall 25, above anything else, is a human rights
march."

  (END)

DOW JONES NEWS 03-15-94   8 02 AM