Community-Led Marketing, Marginalised Voices & Brand Loyalty | Gaysians

In this episode of Connected Thinking, JR, Group Account Director at SEEN Connects, sits down with Rain Reeta Loi, Writer, Music Artist, Founder of Gaysians and multi-award-winning activist.

From building purpose-led communities to campaigning for LGBTQ+ rights in India, Rain brings a unique perspective on culture, representation and the future of brand building.

As brands continue investing in community-led marketing, our conversation explores what genuine community-building looks like, why marginalised groups drive culture, and how brands can create more meaningful, long-term impact through representation.

Stay tuned for more episodes of Connected Thinking, our series of chats with standout voices from the world of marketing, where we unpack what’s trending, what’s shifting, and what’s coming next...

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Connected Thinking, our series of chats with standout voices from the world of marketing, where we unpack what's trending, what's shifting, and what's coming next. I'm JR, a group account director at Scene Connects, and also your host. And today I'm joined by Rain Ritoloi. Rain is a writer, music artist, and the Forbes 100 founder of Gajons, a platform for LGBTQ people to access resources for mental health, housing, sexual health, and more. As a multi-award-winning activist, Rain has campaigned for the successful decriminalization of LGBTQ people in India. Welcome, Rain. Hi, Jaya. Hi. As the founder or the Forbes 100 founder of Gajans, a community-centered purpose-led platform which you built after 15 years leading at agencies and brands, tell us how that came about.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

I had been working on campaigns at major brands for many years. And I didn't see myself reflected in any of those campaigns. So shoot after shoot, job after job, there was never anyone like me. And that was really reflected in what I was seeing in wider media. So I didn't see anyone like me on TV or in magazines or in books. And I didn't see anyone like me in queer spaces or media either. And I'd been out for 20 years and I got the got to the point where I felt that I had to be that person, essentially, because no one else was going to do that for me. I started Gaigians because I wanted a space where we could tell our own stories. I wanted a space that was for us, that was a support service and something that exists that helps us be able to find support services that are available to us for mental health, housing, trans support, youth support, uh, anything that we might need that was quite hard to access at the time. And I also wanted to create a space where we could tell our own stories because working with media platforms, there was always somebody that was not from our communities that was asking us the question. So it wasn't our lens that we were often sort of speaking through, so, or seen through, or our stories were told through. So I wanted a space where we could share our stories and access support. And that's how Gaysians was born. And at the time I was working within agencies, working with the Red Bull Media House team, and they just revolutionized the way that advertising worked at the time. It was massive. So I learned a lot about how we could create massive impact with much smaller budgets. Because the thing at the time was how to get as much access, how to get as much reach, how to reach as many people as possible whilst reducing advertising spend. And that was really through using digital partnerships and media partnerships. And that space was exploding. So that was the business model that I built Gagens on. It was a partnerships platform. And we utilized media and our partnerships and digital platforms and social media in order to reach as much of our community as possible. And it grew really rapidly and it became a global brand quite quickly. So working on my own storytelling within the media, creating pathways for people as well as building gaugeons became something that has really changed the landscape for our communities, for LGBTQ plus South Asians specifically for generations.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

That Red Bull model that you mentioned is something that brands are still using today. And I think we've spoken about it on the pod before. So, you know, utilising the minimum spends that we have in certain brands to get maximum return. And I think that is Red Bull really a great example of kind of the ones that pioneered that approach. I know that that's something that you've spent a lot of time kind of working with brands to build communities, but also in your own work with Gayans. Building communities is sort of a bit of a buzzword in the marketing world at the moment. And I I guess I want your perspective on if we feel that brands can actually build community or if it's kind of just a well-packaged campaign, what's the difference there? Like, is it possible for brands to really create genuine communities?

SPEAKER_01 5:04

I absolutely believe that brands can build communities. And I think that if we look at what community actually means, community literally means a group of people that have something in common, that share an identity. When we use the word community, we're often talking about something more than that, though. We're talking about something that is more intentional and is cultivated and shares a purpose. There's an intention behind why we're grouping these people together. And there is usually something that is an initiative or an aim that the community wants, especially because we tend to use the word community when we're looking at underrepresented or marginalized groups. So, in that sense, the way that I've personally experienced brands and community working the most effectively together was 20 years ago when I was working within an agency and I started to bring in charity clients and community clients that we would then partner with and join forces to develop revenue generating campaigns. And they were charities that aligned with my values that I was happy to bring in and add to my client list, and that also aligned with our brand. And actually, as an agency, that really helped us as an agency be able to root into what we were about as well. And that is a model that I took into every place that I worked, which at the time was not always the thing that the CEO of every business was happy about because I was saying I'm going to bring in a charity client or a community organization, and these are not going to be billable hours. But the benefit of working in that way really helps to motivate internal teams. It helps us deliver something that is beyond the goals of, you know, the financial or commercial goals of the organization. And I think there's a lot in that when we're looking at our own individual purpose. HR Review recently published that 97% of people have better mental health outcomes if they're working towards a purpose. And I think that we can't really deny that. And I think having done that in every place I'd worked, when I came to sort of developing my own purpose-led organization, it was just a sort of natural flow. I feel that that is exactly the model that we need today. I I would love it if Gaysians had brand or agency or media partners that work with us in the long term where we could align on our goals. Because I think that accessing community, especially from underrepresented groups, has a really lasting impact in terms of the way that our communities will feel about that brand. But we can talk about that more later.

SPEAKER_00 7:56

Yeah. I think it's really important. Like everything you've said about making sure that we're centering those communities and also the charity organizations. I think there is a line on tokenism where just slapping a kind of a charity partnership onto a brand campaign doesn't really work. Like you do need some form of storytelling throughout centering the community, the organization in a way that feels really appropriate. Um we will get into that a bit more, but I think everything you said really resonates. I think there's a way to build community that feels like we're centering the community rather than just doing it for the sake of doing it.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

I totally agree. And I think it's about what are the long-term outcomes that we want to achieve. We are seeing rights rolled back across community organizations and individuals and funding be rolled back. And so, what are the ways that brands can step in and fill those gaps? Because from a commercial perspective, there are so many benefits to doing that. And it just takes some really courageous brands to be able to start shifting the landscape, I think.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

I want to shift gears a little bit, still in the vein of communities. Um, but obviously, you know, a lot of the work that we do is working with creators and um kind of developing social campaigns. I think there's there's been such huge moves in terms of how we work with people from underrepresented communities, and that's something that at Connects we really strive to do in making sure that we're working with a diverse network of creators on any campaign that we're working with. What do you think are some of the things that brands just fundamentally still don't understand about working with creators from marginalized groups or communities?

SPEAKER_01 9:54

Our communities are so loyal. And when you haven't seen yourself reflected and you do, the the joy in that is just something else. And if you haven't experienced that, you're never, I don't think you're ever going to understand this. But if you if you belong to a group that is a person of colour group or a LGBTQ plus group or any other marginalized group, um you have never seen yourself reflected in the way that we should be reflected. We're still in that time where we're we're still we're still not seeing ourselves reflected in the way that we should be. If I just speak about the South Asian community alone, we're the largest ethnic minority group in the UK and we are not reflected in media as we should be. And creatively, we don't receive the opportunities that we should anywhere creatively. So when when we see ourselves reflected and someone from our community shows up for us and we see that happen, we're so loyal to the brand. We will be look we will fight to the death for that brand. We are so loyal to that brand forever. That's it. That brand is in our good books now. And that permeates that sentiment permeates across the community. So I think um it has a massive impact. So the sort of brand loyalty that is achieved within underrepresented groups by working with our talent is massive. It's off the chart. And I don't think brands realise that yet.

SPEAKER_00 11:29

No, I'd agree with that. And I think it's interesting because uh we're almost marginalized groups are almost still treated like the fringes, even though it's usually those groups that are driving culture, you know? And I think that's something that brands really need to be aware of in understanding how sure we might not have the same levels of reach as some of the more mainstream creators or talent. But like you said, that that community piece is so strong with those creators, with those talent, because we're part of something already. You know, we have a shared experience. Um, so I think brands tapping into that again in an authentic way and not in a tokenistic way, um, really does make a difference.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

We're we're not fickle consumers, we're loyal consumers. And when a brand aligns with us, we stick with that brand. And our families stick with that brand, and our children stick with that brand, and our our social circles stick with that brand. So it's a lifetime commitment that we make. But in terms of driving culture, we're absolutely driving culture, increasingly so. And that's only gonna become a bigger thing. So brands that align with us now are really gonna benefit.

SPEAKER_00 12:55

In the same vein, the creator economy is often framed as empowering. Um, but where do you think it's still replicating the same inequalities we've seen in traditional media? I think you sort of touched on this a moment ago, but I'd love to get into that a bit more. Um, we've obviously seen, you know, inequalities throughout the traditional media landscape. Where do you think the similarities are in the creator economy?

SPEAKER_01 13:20

I believe that as long as there is systemic oppression and inequality, and we live in a hierarchical system where there is white supremacy, patriarchy, cis heteronormativity, any system that is designed to create inequities amongst human beings, as long as that exists, we will always find that come up in whatever we create, whatever technology we create, or platform we create, or organization we create, we'll always have that exist within it because we are living within it, we are living amongst it, and that's what we take into our work. We take everything that we experience outside our work into our work. And there's no switch off from that, unfortunately. So this is why I have been working on something new that is designed to challenge that and address that, that works underneath the more strategic levels that I tend to work with organizations. So usually I'll go into a brand or an agency and I'll work with them to develop strategies. How do we challenge? How do we improve our hiring strategies? How do we challenge inequities within the workplace? How do we shift unconscious bias?

SPEAKER_00 14:38

I'm curious as well about your experience. You know, you've had an incredible career working across the last 15 years between brands and agencies, and you know, really, I mean, longer than 15 years, really, your career spans much more than that. But I'm curious to understand how your identities have shaped your career. Um and how do they today? Like, how has that experience, you know? I'm thinking about 20 years ago, things were very different in the world in how we were represented, but also um worldview. Um, how has your identity, how have your identities shaped your career?

SPEAKER_01 15:22

I used to really feel like my identities were a hindrance to my career. I used to feel like it was always working against me to be someone that was assigned female at birth, someone that was a person of colour, someone that was queer, and I was always the only person in the room with my identities. And the higher I moved up the ladder in any organization, you know, the the the more extreme that was. And so, you know, sitting around a a boardroom table and always being the only voice that was coming from a certain perspective, there's a sort of choice that I think we often have to make, which is a sort of alignment towards the culture of the organization. And back then, you know, agencies were just full of it was just an old boys' club type of setup. So for me to succeed, I would have to then align with that culture. But I was always looking at ways that I could bring my own values into those spaces, whether that was working with charities or whether that was hiring people that were really outside of the usual type of hires that the organization would make and developing them into being the best that they could possibly be. I got so much from that. So there are so many ways to kind of challenge the ways that we think workplaces are supposed to be. But I think for me, the more time I've spent in communities that I share identities with, and I've worked in those spaces, whether that's been LGBTQ plus media or whether that's been uh working with South Asian creatives, or whatever that's been, I felt like I am living my purpose more. I found purpose within those spaces. And over time, there's been an integration of my work and my identities and the spaces that I'm in. So there's been a sort of merging of that, which is such a beautiful experience. I'm so grateful for that. And I want everyone to experience that because we don't have to be so siloed about it. And there is a disconnect, I think, for most of us in terms of what is going to work and what is the role I'm playing at work, versus who am I? What are my identities? But I think for me, the most important piece is what are my values? Values are the most important thing, and to me, much more important than identities. I connect with people based on values. Identities are really not the number one priority for me. And I had to learn that because for a long time I really felt like I needed people that I shared identity with because I didn't have that. I didn't have a community of South Asian LGBTQ people for most of my life. I had to seek those people out. And when I met those people, it was amazing and I really needed that. But I had to also learn that values are the thing that drive me most, and that is the primary connector for me. Because if you share values, you none of the rest of it really matters. It's a more heart-to-heart connection. So I hope that answers the question.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

It does. Okay. I really want to hear about the Rain Framework. I've heard you speak about it before and kind of seen your work online, but I would love to hear you talk about it. Um, because I know it's an exciting project you've been working on. So please let us in. What's it all about? And why have you developed something that helps others to align with their purpose?

SPEAKER_01 18:57

So this is this is actually the first time I'm sharing the Rain Framework. We've got the exclusive. You do. Publicly. I've been sharing it directly with businesses, and it's a workshop at the moment, it's a workshop program that I'm working with businesses to share internally. And um it's been about two and a half years of developing the program with organizations and leading agencies. The Rain Framework came about when I was in India a few years ago, and I was spending time with friends who I considered my chosen family and I'd known for many years, and I was also on a personal healing journey, and I shared my they-them pronouns and my new gender fluid name, which were real sources of celebration for me. And I was met with hostility, and that really surprised me. And what I realized was that I can do all the healing I want, but if I step outside my home and I'm not safe, then what's the point? I need everybody to get on board. So I came up with the rain framework as something that is for everybody. Unlike most of my work that's been primarily for LGBTQ plus communities or South Asian communities or South Asian LGBTQ plus communities, I wanted to create something that was for everybody because we we all need each other. Like I need you to get on board with this. I need you to help me feel safe. And the RAIN framework stands for Recover, Awaken, Imagine Now. And it's a four-step framework that is really rooted in my Buddhist values, but also in my creativity and my work as an artist, my time in business and my time in activism. And it brings together the best of my learnings from all of these spaces. And the core premise of it is really about sharing tools so that you can develop your own self-practice that is designed to help you have better mental health and to challenge your own self-talk. When we're talking about unconscious bias, it's about really bringing to the forefront what are the thoughts that I'm having and how to dispel those thoughts as an ongoing practice because we are constantly being fed lies and mistruths about people that are different to us. And we're also picking up that picking up that information about ourselves. So we also have internalized homophobia, we have internalized racism. We're absorbing all of these things that are making us not love ourselves. And it's also making us really mistrust each other and not feel safe with each other. For me, it's about how do we retrain our mind. minds in order to have better mental health outcomes, speak more lovingly towards ourselves, have more compassion for each other and kindness for each other. I share uh practices and tools for um journaling and uh creativity so that we can really access that. So it's part becomes a part of us. These are all really simple tools that I use myself, that I've been developing and using for the last 25 years. And I'm I've been increasingly asked to share elements of them. So I've packaged it all together. And the last part is now, which is about being really present because anxiety lives in our fear of the future and depression lives in our inability to let go of the past. So when we're present it's so powerful. It's so rare that we're able to do that. But being really present and actually taking action from here is the final piece. And that is about what is my story? How do I know what my purpose is? How do I align with it? And there's a thread that runs all through these four elements to help us arrive at that purpose. Doing that work with organizations and seeing individuals really thrive in that is so rewarding because people are showing up in their work in more meaningful ways and feeling so much more meaning and purpose in the work that they're doing and also going, oh, actually I'd actually really like to bring this project into the work that I do or I'd really like to work in that team over there. And there's so much individual growth that happens within an organization that the culture of the organization changes. We need that to happen on an individual basis. So really this is kind of my way of offering something in a work environment because I truly believe that the workplace is the only place where we really meet people that are different to us now. We're being so separated from each other. We don't have community spaces we don't have community centers. We don't have libraries we don't have not everybody goes to the pub, especially now. So the spaces where we can actually spend time with people that are different to us that challenge our thinking especially after spending time in a bubble of six people that shared our the same ideas as us in the pandemic.

SPEAKER_00 24:16

Yeah I mean we're even seeing that algorithmically like our the content we're being served is exactly what interests us as an individual or a community group. And so it 100% I think that joining together and being able to share something collectively in an environment where you do meet people that are different from you is so important. So I think that the RAIM framework sounds incredible and thank you for sharing it with us. I know you've already kind of worked with a few organizations to kind of deliver those workshops um and yeah we we wish you the utmost of success with it. I think it sounds incredible so thank you for sharing. Thank you. Have some quickfire questions to round off our chat if you'd be happy to get into some quickfire quezies. Come on then let's have it first is favorite book or podcast that you'd recommend to our watchers and listeners please read Cast by Isabel Wilkes.

SPEAKER_01 25:22

The reason that book's important is because Isabel Wilkerson is a Politzer prize winning author and she's written a book about India's ancient caste system which is one of our oldest systems of oppression. She joins the dots between that and other systems of global oppression and it's really important that we understand that all of this is linked and designed to recommend that. I'd also recommend if that sounds a bit heavy to read anything by Aaron Datty Roy. If you want fiction the god of small things will change your life but any of her work is absolutely stunning. She's my favourite author and if you want something a little bit easier to get into then to understand different identities or especially of people of colour in the UK Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 26:19

And our second quickfire question is what is the best piece of advice you've ever received?

SPEAKER_01 26:24

The best piece of advice that I was given was by Max my dearest friend and Buddhist mentor and it's this simple such a shine babe. And the reason that that's important is that I think for many of us particularly activists and people working in a space of purpose there is a tendency for us to lose sight of our own joy and happiness in the course of our work that certainly happened to me but the work becomes so big that we forget that we're also part of the community and so that is a reminder to also tend to our own light tend to our own joy choose the things that bring us happiness as well because from that place we can do our best work anyway but also you also matter you're also just as important as everybody else so just shine babe.

SPEAKER_00 27:27

I love that thank you so much for joining us on the podcast today. It was such a treat and very meaningful conversation so I really really appreciate your vulnerability and honesty in in your um responses. And thank you again really appreciate it. Thank you jail