[Column] Alfred Verhoeven (Marketing the Rainbow #5) HEMA and the rainbow tompouce

It's Pride season again, which for some retailers is an opportunity to do Marketing the Rainbow . What are Dutch retailers doing in this area?

HEMA has been participating in an original campaign every year since 2016, often around their iconic products and Dutch image. It started with the now famous smoked sausage and tompouce T-shirts. This year, the tompouces are also decorated again, while a T-shirt has also been released.

Woke?

What is special is that HEMA does not do this just to be woke , but that there is a story behind it. Their website proudly states what they stand for: “HEMA is for everyone. And we believe that you are at your most beautiful when you can be completely yourself. Whatever version of yourself that is. We do this not only during Pride week, but throughout the year. At HEMA, we believe it is important to speak out from our role and position in society.”

The proceeds (so not a part of the profit ) of the products go to COC Netherlands. Those tompouces cost almost twice as much as the regular pink pastry, but that is for a good cause.

Various very diverse campaigns

Over time we have seen the HEMA wedding, Hema loves everyone , a collaboration with Viktor&Rolf and a sensational OOH campaign for bras for which an androgynous – but male – top model was used.

And who doesn't remember the fuss about gender-neutral children's clothing in 2017? In addition, they have, very Dutch , also given visibility to LGBT people in some commercials, such as in the mattress commercial in the same year.

Conclusion

HEMA has been paying attention to the LGBT community and employees for years. They do this through relevant, original and striking campaigns. And they don't do this alone, but in collaboration with 'experts', such as the COC that also receives annual donations and the gay designers Viktor&Rolf. They show their best side internally and externally, in the store, around and outside of Pride. A downside is that they started Marketing the Rainbow very late: they had already existed for 90 years, and the real work happened after the turning point in 2015. But they still score a 9- for intention, commitment and execution.

I wrote about HEMA before: Really, Hema makes simply special and Hema and the love for everyone , which provide a complete overview of their policy and rainbow activities.

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Alfred Verhoeven has been in marketing and sales since 1987 and has been the CEO of BRIGHT Marketing Solutions since 2000. He works as a freelance marketing communications manager. Alfred Verhoeven is in the final phase of his PhD research Marketing The Rainbow ( www.marketingtherainbow.info ), in which he investigates the question "Does The Gay Consumer really exist?". In this, he examines the (rainbow) diversity in MarCom.He previously wrote for Marketing Report " Does The Gay Consumer Really Exist? " and " Alphabet Soup ".