Pride, but no budget: LGBTQ+ creators hit by ad spend drop

In 2025, advertisers’ Pride Month spending has cratered — and LGBTQ+ creators and influencers are feeling the squeeze.

Brands and marketers have been reconsidering their support of gay pride since 2023, when Bud Light’s Pride campaign sparked an uproar — and boycotts — among elements of the political right by sponsoring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Since then, brands have grown increasingly wary of spending on Pride-related marketing campaigns, with data from research firm Gravity Research suggesting that overall marketing spend in this area has consistently decreased year over year since 2023.

As advertisers curb their Pride marketing spend, some LGBTQ+ influencers are seeing their brand partnership revenue for June’s Pride Month — which is often their most active month — dwindle to almost nothing. These creators are among the individuals whose livelihoods are directly impacted as big businesses rush to distance themselves from DEI initiatives.

Continue reading this article on digiday.com. Sign up for Digiday newsletters to get the latest on media, marketing and the future of TV.

,Read More

Media Buying Briefing: What does WPP Media’s course change actually mean for advertisers?

GroupM’s rechristening as WPP Media last week was intended to answer questions posed by clients, staffers and industry critics about the future of what was once the industry’s largest media investment house.

But beyond the sizzle reel, question marks remain over what’s actually changed — and whether this is the end of WPP’s long-running quest to turn the ship around, or just the latest chapter.

This is a member-exclusive article from Digiday. Continue reading it on digiday.com and subscribe to continue reading content like this.

,Read More