Friday, January 16, 2009

GAY COUPLES: Marketing Research Study

Found this from 1/05/09 on the Rainbow Cincinnati forums. Thought some of my readers might be interested in helping out:
I'm a Marketing professor at Miami University conducting research focusing on gay and lesbian consumers. I'm currently looking for cohabiting same-sex couples to participate in an academic research project that I'm about to begin. The study examines how same-sex couples make consumer decisions within their household and explores their attitudes toward gay-oriented corporate activities. I'd especially like to make sure that the couples involved represent a variety of ages, races, ethnicities, and longevity of relationship. I'm planning to make a documentary of the research to be viewed by both students and other academic researchers. If any of you would be willing to participate, would you please email me at oakenfg@muohio.edu?

Here are some more details of the project for those of you who may be interested....
In a recent study by Community Marketing of over 12,000 gay males and 10,000 lesbians, it was found that 46% of gay men and 65% of lesbians are in a relationship and living together – yet, to date, consumer researchers have failed to acknowledge our households exist and warrant study, both for their potential similarities to and difference from more commonly-studied mainstream populations.

If you and your partner/spouse are willing to participate in this research, you will be interviewed together in your home and asked to discuss how you, as a couple and as individuals, make household decisions about various consumer purchases and consider corporate activities directed at gay consumers. The interview will be filmed and should take less than one hour of your time. In total, twenty gay and lesbian cohabitating couples will participate in the project and the interviews will be incorporated into a documentary on the subject to be submitted at an international consumer research film festival.

Given the fact that this research will be collected through face-to-face interviews and communicated publicly through a videography in which interviews are documented, to participate in this research you must agree to waive claims to anonymity and confidentiality. Participation in this research is voluntary, refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which you would otherwise be entitled, and you may discontinue participation at any time or refuse to answer questions without penalty.
Thanks,
GILLIAN OAKENFULL, PhD
Associate Professor of Marketing
Farmer School of Business
Miami University
(Because what we need are more studies about how rich we are, right? :-) Just kidding. But seriously... it does sound like an interesting study.)

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