New, more sophisticated efforts show a growing respect for the gay and lesbian audience – and its buying power

By Anne Stuart

With sales down and its product line not generating the excitement it once did, car maker Saturn decided that it needed to overhaul not only its cars, but also its marketing focus. Even as the company dedicated itself to a “product renaissance” starting in 2006, it was also looking to make a bigger splash as a major marketer, seeking out new audiences that would show loyalty to the brand and evangelize on its behalf.

It didn’t take long before the automaker realized that the buying attitudes and behavior it was seeking abounded in at least one audience that also seemed heavily drawn to Saturn’s new line: the …