Analysis: How can agencies in HK work with clients to move the LGBTQ+ agenda forward?

A recent appeal by New People's Party chairwoman Regina Ip around the holding of the Gay Games in Hong Kong next year was met with a heated rebuke as some lawmakers in Hong Kong commented that it would bring about “dirty money” to the city, and further divide the city, said a recent report on rthk. The quadrennial Gay Games 11 is set to run in Asia for the first time, with Hong Kong being the destination of choice. But while the game is set to run in mid-November 2022, Ip reportedly said that the organisers were struggling to book the venues needed for the event. In response, Home Affairs Secretary Caspar Tsui said the government would look into the matter to see how it could help. Tsui stressed that the games do not have the same decree of credentials as more established sporting events.

The Gay Games has been around since 1982, first founded in San Francisco to promote unity and diversity. In 2017, Hong Kong was chosen as the city to host the event – making it the first time being held in Asia. The games have also seen support from organisations such as The Hong Kong Toursim Board and The Equal Opportunities Commission. According to media reports, Equal Opportunities Commission's chairman Ricky Chu also accused the politicians of "making a mountain out of a molehill" and asked for the public not to stigmatise the games but show respect and inclusiveness, during a conversation with a local radio station. 

Like in many cities in Asia, Hong Kong too faces a struggle when it comes to conversations around the LGBTQ community and same sex marriages — despite court rulings asking to end such discriminations. Two years ago, the city saw a heated debate emerge when Hong Kong’s railway operator MTR Corporation initially banned a Cathay Pacific ad showing two males holding hands as part of its rebranding campaign with a new tagline “Move Beyond”. The poster showed two males strolling hand in hand along a beach with a line stating “Move Beyond Labels”. It was aimed to highlight the airline’s attitude on diversity and inclusion.

MTR later reversed this decision by saying, “We note recent public concern over the advertising campaign of an airline. MTR Corporation is unequivocally committed to equal opportunities in all aspects of its business and supports diversity. It does not tolerate any form of discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, family status or any other factor.”

Meanwhile, according to a study done by AXA on LGBTQ+ Inclusion: Gauging Progress in the Workplace, it was found that in Hong Kong, respondents generally feel that being identified as LGBTQ+ is a career hindrance, impacting their prospects and development. A majority of respondents in Hong Kong also said that being LGBTQ+ carries a social stigma in the workplace.

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Greg Carton, head of marketing and communications, Asia Pacific at Ogilvy said that the results of the survey don’t come across as much of a surprise as Hong Kong's policies and laws still have some way to go to catch up to public opinion when it comes to the protection and acceptance of its LGBTQ+ community. Sharing findings from the 2019/2020 study on public attitudes in the territory by Dr. Yiu Tung Suen at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, among the respondents aged 18-34, 80% support legal protections and the right to marry in the LGBTQ+ community.

“The government needs to proactively review policy, instead of wasting millions of dollars to fight drawn out legal challenges that the public want to see come to fruition. Once the government has accepted public opinion, particularly for the next generation, with legal protections comes an important milestone – acceptance,” Carton explained.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s Adland's Diversity & Inclusion Index recognises Asia's change-makers who are pushing the boundaries and cultivating a culture for tomorrow. Nominate case studies of your D&I initiatives for workforce in Asia today!

The role advertising plays in shaping perception

When asked what role advertising plays in changing this perception, Carton explained that the main concerns now are more around getting governmental policies right. He added that while there have not been that many brands pushing pro LGBTQ+ choices forward through advertising in Hong Kong, the upside is that there are a lot more internal DE&I initiatives and corporate focus on the LGBTQ community.

 “I’d say there is progress, but it certainly has not filtered down into how brands are advertising themselves,” he said. Carton added that many brands are also concerned around getting internal policies right before they look at external communications.

 “It's not about pushing brands to run LGBTQ+ campaigns as a statement, it's about embracing diversity and inclusion in everything you do and put to market. There are countless studies that prove the best way to shape healthy attitudes and acceptance is to demonstrate diversity and inclusion in a positive context," he explained.

Carton added that brands that can confidently show the new normal in how they advertise play an important role to positively influence healthy societal attitudes. This goes beyond sexual orientation or gender identity, but so many more issues including race, colour, age and disability. He added:

It's our role in the agency world to help our clients see the importance of being a positive force for good in the markets they operate in.

Jane Morgan, managing director of Golin Hong Kong added that while the concerns of the LGBTQ+ community is now increasingly on the agenda, more can be done. She added with many MNCs sponsoring the Gay Games in 2022, there is an opportunity for brands to go further and embed the values of the Gay Games both internally, and externally, to create true, meaningful change. “With the Gay Games fast approaching, I hope 2022 will be a step change for Hong Kong specifically. I will be interested to see who is a silent sponsor and who really makes their commitment shine through,” she added.

Like Carton, Morgan added that companies across Hong Kong are still trying to have their agenda internally sorted before advocating for LGBTQ rights externally or showcasing their support through advertising.

“You can’t go out and claim you’re all for LBGTQ+ when you don’t know what’s happening in the world of your workforce. That becomes a brand reputation risk. Start with an internal alignment on position and intentions as a leadership team,” she said. Moreover, to start the journey, uncomfortable questions need to be asked and responsible LGBTQ+ employer rights need to be sorted. Only then can organisations authentically speak externally with an honest conscious.

Morgan added that advertising is but one part of communications that should stand up for LGBTQ+ rights. “It’s a sad state of affairs when we have to try to normalise the LGBTQ+ community's rights. Advertising is one part of communications that should stand up for LGBTQ+ rights, and in fact all community rights in the DEI space. But advertising will only play one part. To really create a movement and impact a positive behaviour change, taking a stand and a position has to be communicated internally and externally across every thread of the communications mix,” she added.

Needless to say, only a solid, holistic communications programme can influence true behaviour change. 

As such, the agency industry as a whole should go hand in hand and give clients an offer and a solution to help them make the right choices.

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