At littlebigworld, we've developed a framework that challenges conventional marketing and communications approaches by applying a queer lens to transform how stories are told and experienced. We call our philosophy, “queer thinking changes everything.” Here’s a framework for how.
What is "Queer Thinking" in Marketing & Communications?
Queer thinking isn't just about targeting LGBTQIA+ audiences. It's a transformative approach that examines power structures, challenges binary categorizations, and creates campaigns that recognize the fluid and complex nature of identity.
While conventional marketing often relies on rigid audience segmentation (male/female, millennial/Gen Z, etc.), applying queer thinking to how we promote to and engage audiences, centers and embraces multiplicity.
The Framework in Practice
Our queer thinking framework builds on three core principles that can transform how you approach marketing and communications:
1. Challenge Default Assumptions
Traditional marketing asks: "Who is your audience?"
Queer thinking expands this question by also asking:
Whose stories deserve telling?
Who benefits from these narratives?
Who gets left behind?
This expanded questioning reveals opportunities that conventional approaches miss. For instance, if you identify your audience as "Black runners in NYC," these additional questions might lead you to consider Black runners who are disabled, elderly, fat-positive, or menopausal - segments typically overlooked in mainstream running campaigns.
By challenging default assumptions, you discover untapped audiences and create marketing campaigns that resonate more deeply because they acknowledge a fuller spectrum of experiences.
2. Examine Power Dynamics
Traditional marketing focuses on: "How do we reach our target audience?"
Queer thinking examines:
Who controls the narrative?
How are resources and visibility distributed?
Where can power be redistributed to create more authentic connections?
This analysis reveals imbalances that marketing and communications can sometimes reinforce. A cultural institution might position itself as the authoritative voice in an exhibition about marginalized communities. By examining power dynamics, you might instead create a campaign that centers the voices of community members, artists, and those with lived experience.
The shift from institutional messaging to community-centered storytelling fundamentally changes how audiences engage with your communications. For multicultural communications specifically, examining power dynamics helps you avoid simply speaking about communities; instead, it enables you to create platforms where communities speak for themselves in relation to your work.
3. Embrace Contradiction and Nuance
Traditional marketing seeks simplicity: "What's our clear, singular message?"
Queer thinking allows for complexity:
How can we honor different perspectives simultaneously?
Where do contradictions create tension that deepens engagement?
How can we move beyond either/or positioning?
Humans can be messy and contradictory. We want sustainability AND convenience, tradition AND innovation, connection AND autonomy. Your audiences don't experience cultural identities as neat, singular narratives, so why would your marketing pretend otherwise? Queer thinking recognizes that audiences don't experience cultural identities as neat, singular narratives. Space for nuance facilitates deeper connections that acknowledge the complex realities of human experience.
Breaking free from either/or thinking (and embracing both/and) allows communication to mirror the complex cultural realities your audiences actually experience.
Business Impact & Application
Organizations implementing this framework can access measurable benefits:
Discovery of untapped market segments that traditional demographic targeting misses
Stronger audience engagement from communications that acknowledge complexity
More authentic brand positioning that resonates across diverse communities
Increased resonance with audiences who feel seen in their full humanity
Greater creative differentiation in crowded marketing landscapes
When approaching your next campaign, try asking:
What default assumptions am I making about my audience?
Who holds the power in my current messaging approach?
Where am I oversimplifying complex cultural realities?
These questions can reveal new strategic directions that align with your values and drive more effective campaigns.
We're building a littlebigworld worthy of our humanity. When you're ready to explore how queer thinking can transform your approach to marketing and communications, reach out at team@littlebigworld.co.