Milking It

The folks at Skyy have been pairing their vodka with milk. Not in a White Russian but Milk the movie, about Harvey Milk, who served on the SF Board of Supervisors and was the first openly gay man to be elected to major public office in the US. (And SEAN PENN plays him in the movie! And Gus Van Sant directs!) Skyy is launching a marketing campaign to go along with the movie, sort of like they did with Sex & the City. (You may have seen the big, pink ads.) I am less interested in what's in a "Talk of the Castro" cocktail or how many opening parties Skyy is promoting than that this partnership is happening, period.

Cynics may just see it as an attempt to cash in, but while Skyy may be doing just that, along the way they are also raising awareness, helping to mainstream gayness, and even making a difference financially. As part of the campaign, Skyy is making contributions to LGBT organizations, including the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

Companies are beginning to do this kind of thing more and more. Another example is Kimpton hotels, who have an active marketing & sales campaign targeting LGBT communities. Even though it's probably just numbers more than anything else - the product of a savvy market analysis and outreach plan - it still kinda warms my heart.