IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeffrey S. Garber, President

OpusComm Group, Inc.

Jeff@opuscommgroup.com

(315) 637-2018

www.opuscommgroup.com

www.glcensus.org

Largest Gay Consumer Study Reveals Automotive, Food and Beverage Preferences 

Ford and Toyota Lead the List of Favorite Automakers

26% of Respondents Will Buy a New Car within Next Two Years

31% Spend $300 to $499 a Month on Groceries

Syracuse, New York – January 30, 2003 - With 8,831 respondents, the recently released 2002 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census is the largest and most comprehensive GLBT consumer study yet prepared. Conducted by GLCensus Partners (Syracuse University and OpusComm Group), the annual study fills the growing need among manufacturers and service providers for detailed information on consumer behavior and preferences of the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender (GLBT) community.

Several areas of consumer interest are examined by the census, including automotive ownership and usage and food and beverage preferences.

Ford leads the pack of preferred automakers in the Gay and Lesbian community, judging by number of purchases and leases. Toyota, Chevrolet, Honda, and Dodge round out the top five. Among the most popular models, Ford is out in front in the truck, SUV, and Sports Car categories with the Ford Ranger, Explorer 4 door, and Ford Mustang. The Dodge Caravan, Mercedes-SL-Class, the Honda Accord, and the Subaru Legacy Wagon are also frequently found in respondents’ garages.

The study reveals that 10.2% of respondents drive a 2002 model vehicle. More than one third own a car less than three years old, and respondents between the ages of 25 - 34 make up the group mostly likely to purchase a new car within the next 7 –12 months.

“Regarding the Gay and Lesbian community, it is just this kind of consumer preference information—detailed, up-to-date, relevant—that manufacturers and the service industry urgently need,” according to Amy Falkner of Syracuse University, lead researcher on the project, “And until now it simply was not available. The auto industry is taking notice of the numbers and moving quickly to provide consumer goods to what is only today becoming recognized as a large and powerful purchasing group.”

Food and beverages continue to be a big-ticket item. The 2002 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census shows that 31% of respondents spend an average of $300 to 499 a month on their household grocery bill. The same percentage average $100 to $199 monthly on restaurant tabs. Twenty-one percent of census respondents pay between $36 and $45 for a restaurant dinner for two.

Almost 38% of respondents drink 2-4 glasses of wine a week, with California and French wines leading the list of favorites. Among liquors, vodka, rum and tequila are the preferred choices. Nearly half of those replying prefer large brewery domestic beer over imported, and a little less than one-fifth do not drink alcohol at all.

“Food and beverage sales are big business, so it is no wonder that the industry is scrambling to better serve the preferences of the GLBT community,” explains Jeffrey Garber, president of OpusComm Group Inc., and founder of the GLCensus Partners' study. “Restaurants, food packagers, airlines—all have a vested interest in better understanding their client’s needs, and this is the first time they’ve had the accurate information they need to make informed business choices about the Gay and Lesbian market.”

The 2003 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census also reports significant new findings in the areas of childcare, electronics, entertainment, finances, home and garden, medical care, pets, sports and fitness, and travel.

The 2001 and 2002 Gay & Lesbian Consumer Online Census is an endeavor of the GLCensus Partners, a partnership between the S.I. Newhouse School of Public

Communications at Syracuse University, and advertising and public relations firm OpusComm Group, Inc., which specializes in consultation of sensitivity issues and market plan development for all types of advertisers to target the GLBT community.

    For further information and to review a full summary of the 2001 or 2002 Gay & Lesbian Consumer Online Census, contact Jeffrey Garber, president of OpusComm Group at jeff@opuscommgroup.com (315) 636-2018 or visit www.glcensus.org.  A detailed description of the 2001 or 2002 Gay & Lesbian Consumer Online Census methodology can be viewed at http://www.glcensus.com/downloads/Why_Online_Surveys.htm

GLCensus Partners (www.glcensus.org) - The world leader in GLBT consumer research, includes:  

- The S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University (www.syracuse.edu) - One of the world’s leading academic and research institutions in the field of communications.  

- OpusComm Group (www.opuscommgroup.com) - Innovative Advertising, Marketing, Communication and Public Relations experts on the Gay/Lesbian market.

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