The news: US consumer support for brands participating in Pride month initiatives is trending upward, per recent CivicScience data.

• 37% of US adults said they were more likely to support brands actively celebrating pride, up from 28% in 2022. Participation includes selling Pride merchandise or Pride-themes advertising.
• The share of consumers who were less likely to support brands participating in Pride initiatives dropped 11 points in that same period.
• Younger cohorts had the highest level of support. Forty-nine percent of Gen Zers surveyed were more likely to support brands participating in Pride; as were 41% of millennials, 33% of Gen Xers, and 28% of Baby Boomers.
• Baby Boomers were the only generation more likely to oppose brands participating in Pride.

The caveat: Audiences are more receptive to brands who they perceive as authentically participating in Pride—which means brands must go beyond surface-level Pride campaigns and demonstrate allyship by investing in long-term efforts.

• 47% of LGBTQ+ adults surveyed said that brands should collaborate with LGBTQ-owned businesses or creators, per CivicScience; the same was true for 41% of the general population.
• 45% of LGBTQ+ adults want to see brands deploy a year-round content strategy beyond June. Thirty-nine percent of the general public agreed.
• 43% say it’s important that brands actively ally with LGBTQ+ organizations and causes, while 37% of the general population wants the same.

Implications for brands and marketers: Even as several brands scale back on their Pride month initiatives amid political pressures, the reality remains that authentic commitment to the LGBTQ+ community often yields higher loyalty.

Pulling back on Pride efforts at a time when support is trending upwards risks alienating key, younger consumer groups who care about what the companies they support believe in. Four in five US adults say that a company’s social stance, which includes its diversity and inclusion efforts, influences their experience and purchasing decisions, per Sogolytics. For brands and marketers, that means consumers increasingly expect values-driven engagement—and reward brands that demonstrate it authentically.