New Book First to Tell How to Tap Into $641 Billion of Gay and Lesbian Spending Power

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- More and more marketers are discovering that the largely untapped gay and lesbian market segment offers opportunities to increase market share when other markets may show little or no growth. With a projected $641 billion in purchasing power and higher discretionary spending patterns than mainstream consumers, the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) market segment has become an important target for some of the biggest brands. A free webinar on November 7th will provide marketers these key insights and provide an opportunity to ask questions from these experts.

In today's highly competitive marketing environment, reaching out to as many potential customers is not only a smart strategy but a mandatory one. In their new book, Business Inside Out: Capturing Millions of Brand Loyal Gay Consumers, marketing experts Robert Witeck and Wesley Combs share more than thirteen years of real-life, research-based lessons that provide a complete approach to successfully targeting this emerging market. Harris Interactive(R) and Witeck and Combs have long partnered on learning the estimated size, strength, spending habits and brand loyalty factors of gay consumers. In Business Inside Out, Witeck and Combs apply this knowledge to provide insights into how best to approach this valuable market segment, including:

* Why gay consumers have such high potential for brand loyalty * Determining if a targeted or "gay-vague" approach is best for your business * What strengths and weaknesses within a company have an impact on brand loyalty * How to strike a balance between addressing this specialized audience and maintaining the interest of other customers * How to manage negative consumer response and respond to tactics such as the threat of backlash * Understanding how to leverage the emerging trends within the GLBT market, such as the increase of same-sex parents as well as retirement communities

Business Inside Out also profiles campaigns from major Fortune 500 brands that target gay consumers and includes an extensive list of resources for marketers interested in reaching this audience. It is the first book to provide a complete overview of the GLBT market from a business perspective.

Join Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs Communications on November 7th for a free, informative one-hour webinar geared toward companies that are investigating the GLBT market. To register, go to http://harrisinteractive.webex.com/.

Robert Witeck and Wesley Combs are co-founders of Witeck-Combs Communications, the nation's premier strategic marketing communications and public relations firm specializing in reaching the gay and lesbian consumer. Considered experts in their field, American Demographics magazine has recognized them as among the top 25 individuals who have made the biggest difference in gay demographics, market trends and consumer niches over the past 25 years. They have appeared in worldwide media outlets such as Fortune, CNBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, Ad Age, New York Times and Washington Post.

Business Inside Out - Capturing Millions of Brand-Loyal Gay Consumers, ($25.00, 208 pages, hardcover, ISBN 1-4195-0520-3) will be available soon at neighborhood and online booksellers or by calling 800-245-2665.

Kaplan Publishing is one of the nation's leading education, career and business publishers. Kaplan Publishing, with offices in New York and Chicago, produces more than 150 books a year on test preparation, admissions, academic and professional development, general business, management, sales, marketing, real estate, finance and investing. Kaplan Publishing is a unit of Kaplan, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company . For more information, please visit http://www.kaplanpublishing.com/.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides research-driven insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what could conceivably be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in France and through a global network of independent market research firms. The service bureau, HISB, provides its market research industry clients with mixed-mode data collection, panel development services as well as syndicated and tracking research consultation. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at http://www.harrisinteractive.com/.

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online, visit http://go.hpolsurveys.com/PR.

Contacts: Michelle Soto Harris Interactive 585-214-7665 Wesley Combs Witeck-Combs Communications 202-887-0500x14 Bob Witeck Witeck-Combs Communications 202-887-0500x19 Harris Interactive Inc. 09/06