Target group

Reno’s Montage condo development is marketing its units to the gay community in San Francisco. The condos are being advertised in the Bay Area Reporter, a newspaper targeted at gay readers.

Fernando Leal of L3 Development, which is converting the former Golden Phoenix Hotel Casino to condos, says gays are one of many demographic groups being targeted.

“I don’t know about that particular ad; I’d have to talk to my marketing department, so I don’t really know specifically if it was the demographics or the circulation or what have you, but just as a rule, we will market to anybody. … We have a whole marketing department [and] they certainly analyze demographics, reach, and everything else. And we use specialty publications all the time in our marketing.”

Rev. Denise Cordova, who conducts church services for members of the local gay community, said she considers the targeting of a gay demographic audience to be an encouraging development.

“Oh, absolutely. I think it is. I think it’s important for our community to see that we have very affluent, successful people as part of our community.”

The advertisement used in the July 20 issue of the Reporter made no special pitch tailored to gays. The full-page ad appears to be a standard ad. It touts golfing, skiing and Lake Tahoe as advantages in offering the condos “from the $300s.”