Rainbow-Washing Away Customers: Does the Consumer’s Perception of Rainbow-Washing Affect Purchasing Behavior?

In this study, researchers will test to see the effects rainbow-washing has on consumers’ intent to purchase. Rainbow-washing is a new marketing technique in which companies implement different initiatives to appeal to the LGBTQ+ community while not genuinely investing in the community itself. To test if rainbow-washing is correlated to a consumer’s desire to purchase, a survey was distributed using nonprobability sampling to 38 participants. Of the sample, less than half identified as members of the target community (LGBTQ+). As a result, it was concluded there is no significance between consumer attitudes towards rainbow-washing and their intention to purchase. However, the study did allude to the fact that corporate social responsibilities matter to customers, something that plays a role in consumer purchase behavior and attitudes toward the brand and advertisement.