Gay Netizens are using the Internet for news and for "staying connected" with friends, family, and trends more than their heterosexual contemporaries, according to a Harris poll conducted in March.
Gay, lesbian, and bisexual respondents outnumbered heterosexual respondents 53 percent to 52 percent when it came to keeping up with friends and loved ones, while out-pointing heterosexuals 41 percent to 38 percent for surfing for news and general information, the Harris survey said.
They also spent more time online making hotel reservations for personal travel, 33 to 25 percent – but while heteros And gays rated mainstream travel sites as their booking method of choice, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals surveyed also ranked gay/lesbian-oriented Websites offering options for travel plans second, while heterosexuals ranked toll-free telephone access second, the survey added.
"It's easy to see the importance that the Internet plays in the lives of both heterosexuals and gays in their day-to-day activities," Kimpton Hotels vice president of public relations Andrew Freeman said of the survey results, "but the particular travel Website preferences of gays and lesbians for making travel plans are particularly interesting to hoteliers who are looking to understand what their customers are really like and want from their travel experiences."
The survey covered 3,698 adults, with 6 percent of those surveyed identifying themselves as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
Harris worked with Witeck-Combs Communications in performing the survey, mindful of the latter company's reputation for special expertise in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender market research.
The non-heterosexual community showed some other distinctions in their Internet activity, the survey said. They used the Net a little more often than heterosexuals to buy products (22 percent to 17 percent), but heterosexuals (35-21 percent) were more likely to hit the Net for hobbies, games, and entertainment.
Gays also admitted to being more influenced by online advertising than their heterosexual contemporaries, with 42 percent agreeing that online ads influenced their buying for a particular product or service compared to 35 percent of heterosexuals polled acknowledging such influence.
Witeck-Combs senior communications and marketing strategist Jake Stafford said this poll gave a new perspective to prior such Harris/Witeck polls. "[They] have taught us that GLB are brand loyal and heavy online users," Stafford said, "and that they trust gay-specific tailored outreach when making their purchasing decisions."
It also extended to personals. The survey showed gays were more likely than heterosexuals to use the Internet for meeting prospective dates 6 percent to 2 percent, but that was out of two percent total of all those adults surveyed who said they did use the Net for dating purposes.
