Andrew Mellen spent the first half of his career between New York & Paris, developing campaigns for the world’s biggest brands, including Dove, IBM, Coca-Cola, HP, Nestlé, Perrier & Absolut. He’s won Grand Prix at Cannes, put out Super Bowl spots, directed award-winning short films & premiered an interactive feature at Tribeca Film Festival. Now, he runs creative at Vacation, a full-service feel-good shop specializing in launching & relaunching brands across travel, luxury, fashion & whatever other meaty verticals their cross-country crew sinks their little teeth into. When not building your brand, he’s most likely set loose on another adventure, driving a tuk tukacross Sri Lanka, scuba diving in Thailand or hiking in Argentina.
Sessions
Apr 29
3:50 PM - 4:15 PM EDT
Yellow Stage
Consumer Behavior
Inclusive Insights & Social Impact
Trends & Culture
$1.4T in Buying Power: LGBTQ+ Audiences Brands Can’t Ignore
As LGBTQ+ rights face growing cultural & political challenges, brands face real risk & opportunity with a community holding $1.4T in buying power. Ignoring this audience, or treating queer consumers as a monolith, puts trust & loyalty at risk. Okay Human & Vacation share insights from the Mind Your Business Pride report, revealing what LGBTQ+ consumers expect from brands & what earns their trust. Key Takeaways: 1. Why LGBTQ+ buying power and cultural influence make this audience critical to brand growth 2. What Pride means across generations & communities, and the emotional truths brands must understand 3. How to act on insights responsibly & build lasting, value-driven relationships with LGBTQ+ consumers
