FORT LAUDERDALE – A founding group of more than 20 publishers serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community unveiled the National Equality Publishers Association (NEPA), a new organization leveraging a unique and direct relationship with the LGBT consumer. NEPA will provide advertisers with a new vehicle to reach the LGBT consumer through media products that are a critical part of the local community.
As the media industry continues its transformation, members of the National Equality Publishers Association give the LGBT consumer access to quality lifestyle, news and entertainment information across an ever increasing number of media platforms. With over one and a half million readers, as well as over 500,000 Facebook and Twitter followers in virtually every major metropolitan market, NEPA has a unique ability to reach the LGBT consumer. “NEPA has a national footprint with a complete local feel,” said Jerry Cunningham, publisher of OUT FRONT and Co-Chair of the NEPA Interim Board of Directors. “The most trusted source for lifestyle, news and entertainment information by the LGBT consumer is most often the local LGBT media,” Cunningham continued.
While NEPA represents publishers from Seattle to Miami, Los Angeles to Boston, and all major metropolitan areas in between, the organization also provides members the opportunity to share best practices. “When an industry is going through fundamental transformation, it is critically important for companies to share information about how to tackle some of the challenges and opportunities presented by the new state of the industry, media is no different,” said Melanie Davis, publisher of PQ Monthly and Co-Chair of NEPA.
Stampp Corbin, Publisher of San Diego LGBT Weekly and NEPA board member, compared the LGBT media to that serving other minority groups, “Just like the journey that American industry has taken with respect to the Latino and African-American markets, we are beginning to see a change in how major companies view and reach the LGBT consumer.”
NEPA will be announcing major initiatives in the coming months to take advantage of its unique relationship with the LGBT consumer. The organization will be meeting again in the next month to formalize its agenda for 2015 and beyond.
