If you think corporate participation in Pride Month has felt more subdued this year, it’s not just you.

Brands that were more outspoken in previous years have been quieter in 2024 around their support of LGBTQ+ causes and customers, which some have suggested could be due to fears stemming from last year’s Bud Light backlash and other targeted, right-wing campaigns against companies supporting LGBTQ+ rights.

Target, which also faced right-wing backlash over its Pride merch collection last year, scaled back its offerings this year. Skittles, which faced threats of a boycott over its Pride marketing in 2023, is doing a Pride campaign that’s been characterized as more muted than in years past. Kayla Castañeda, senior director for crisis and issues communications at Target, shared a statement that the company is “committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round;” Skittles did not respond to Marketing Brew’s request for comment.

It’s not just the merch that’s taking a hit: The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ+ suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit, has seen a “decline in corporate giving in the last couple of years,” Kevin Wong, senior VP of marketing, communications, and content, told us. While he noted that “fundraising is generally down for many nonprofits,” he added that in a good year, “less than 1% of philanthropic giving in the US is routed to LGBTQ+ issues.”

All’s not entirely quiet on the Pride front, however: The Trevor Project is working with brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, OPI, Kate Spade, Lululemon, and Macy’s on Pride-related campaigns this year—some of which, like Macy’s, are part of yearslong partnerships.

• There are other efforts to support the community that go beyond marketing: American Eagle, for example, released a gender-neutral clothing collection for Pride that will be available year-round.

Continue reading here.—KH

Check it out: Brands with mature digital engagement report a 123% increase in revenue, according to the Twilio 2024 State of Customer Engagement Report.

Why the huge boost? Multichannel strategies provide personalized, relevant experiences that max out sales and loyalty.

It’s all about reaching customers on their favorite channels—and Twilio can help. They have a variety of resources that can help you increase engagement, from the on-demand Omnichannel ROI and Measurement webinar to their 9 Best Practices for Multichannel Marketing guide.

Not to mention Twilio’s guide to Forecasting the ROI of Multichannel Marketing, which can help you understand how to maximize your return on investment with the right channels.

Calculate your ROI here.

It’s Stanley Cup szn. (And no, we’re not talking about the tumblers that caused retail chaos in the winter.) The NHL’s Stanley Cup Final is underway, with the Edmonton Oilers having forced Game 7 after the Florida Panthers started the series up three games to none.

When it comes to sponsorships, though, the whole league seems to be winning. NHL team sponsorship revenue is up 10% this season compared to last, according to SponsorUnited’s NHL Marketing Partnerships report. The increase pushes the league’s total revenue from team sponsorships past $1.4 billion, about on par with the NBA.

The growth is in part due to a boost in hockey interest among Americans, and in part because of the league’s “strategic expansion in digital signage and exposure assets,” the report found.

Chip on your shoulder: Increasing diversification of the brand categories involved with NHL teams likely hasn’t hurt revenue growth, either. Last year, the top five categories investing in NHL team sponsorships accounted for 60% of revenue growth, per the report. This year, that share is down to 45%.

• Finance brands account for the largest portion of team sponsorship revenue at about $240 million, followed by alcoholic beverages, auto, business services, and healthcare.
• Alcoholic beverages lead when it comes to number of deals, followed by construction and industrial; auto; hotels, restaurants, and leisure; and finance.

But the brand with the most new deals in the league, Tostitos, doesn’t fall into any of those categories. It added six NHL deals in the past year. The NHL now has more than 3,400 brand sponsorships, up 5% year over year, according to the report.

Read more here.—AM

Christopher Douglas is the senior manager of strategy at Billion Dollar Boy, a global creator agency. He’s joining Marketing Brew at our Perfecting Your Influencer IQ event in New York on Tuesday, June 25.

Ahead of the event, Douglas shared with us how he thinks about the space, and what advice he has for marketers looking to take their influencer marketing strategy to the next level.

What is the biggest challenge when working with creators and influencers? Being timely to trends can be a challenge for brands. Creators are constantly living on the edge of trends, you could consider it a part of their job description. The challenge lies with brands that are more traditional in their approach to advertising—there’s a lot of planning, forethought, and process that gets in the way of being able to execute quick-turn trend-led content with creators. The brands that have embraced the chaos see incredible results.

Which platforms do you consider to be the most important in the creator space? Are there any that you consider to be underrated or underutilized? TikTok and Instagram are the most popular for those in the creator marketing industry because they offer brands the best value and performance for their creator partnership dollars. Some underdog platforms include Discord, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Shorts, Snapchat, and Twitch. LinkedIn is having a moment right now, as B2B marketers are thinking of creative ways to cut through corporate content by leveraging B2B creators on the platform.

Read more here.

Someone has to say it. It’s June, marketers, and that means back-to-school season isn’t far away. This free report from Walmart Connect has exclusive insights into their customer behavior. You’ll find tips on how to price and promote products to help boost your sales and inform your strategy. Get the guide.

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Executive moves across the industry.

• Warner Bros. Discovery hired Robert Gibbs, a former White House press secretary, to be its chief communications officer.
• Tegna hired Google and NBCUniversal vet Mike Steib as CEO.
• Gap brought Mattel alum Sven Gerjets on as CTO.