Solutions Marketing Group

Providing clients with innovative strategies that position them to understand, penetrate and retain the disability market.

SMG March 2020 Update

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

The world has changed in many ways since my last note to you.  COVID-19 has impacted how we socialize, work, and go about our daily lives.  Students (K-College) are home completing their work through digital learning, families are eating at home a lot more, and hopefully we’re taking gentle care of ourselves.

Bishop T.D. Jakes recently said the virus’ impact is felt by all and cuts across all dimensions of diversity. Additionally, COVID-19 doesn’t care about your age, income, education or political affiliation. For the first time since 9/11, it feels that the common denominator across the globe is our ability to demonstrate empathy and kindness towards each other.

While I’ve been focused on serving my clients and keeping connected to my team, I’ve also thought a lot about the global impact on people with disabilities and chronic health conditions, and their families/caregivers.  And, I have questions, for which I don’t have a lot of answers:

  • What are family members who have to work doing with medically fragile loved ones, if they have to work?
  • Are employees with disabilities, at small and large organizations, feeling professionally vulnerable?
  • Who’s ensuring that older people, who rely on food or meals from food banks or Area Agencies on Aging, getting their food?
  • In areas where there are strict quarantines in place, how are people getting their medication?

If you have a team member with a disability, I encourage you to touch base with them to see if there’s anything you can do to ensure they remain connected with the necessary accommodations so they’re an active and productive employee.  And, as a leader, can you safely support your colleagues with disabilities by running an errand or bringing a meal to them? Many people with disabilities won’t ask for assistance, even if it’s needed, so just touch base with all your team members to see if there are creative ways you can support one another.

The SMG team pulled together a few resources to help provide clarity for how the disability community can manage during this time of uncertainty.  They don’t provide all the answers, but it’s my hope they are a resource and provide clarity:

We also loved this story of advocacy:

Lastly, if you’d like to learn more about disability civil rights, it’s an exciting time. My friend Judy Heumann recently released her book: Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, which can be purchased on Amazon.

And, on March 25th, the Netflix original film, Crip Camp, from Executive Producers President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, will be released. This film chronicles the evolution of disability rights in our country. I can’t wait to see it and I hope you’ll consider watching as well. The official trailer with audio description can be found here:

I have no idea how we will forever be changed, but I know we will rise up from the pandemic. Be kind to each other and gentle with yourself.

 

Wishing you and yours the very best,

Carmen
Carmen Daniels Jones

A Letter from the Founder: How to Reach Consumers with Disabilities

Carmen JonesAccording to the U.S. Census, there are 56 million people with disabilities (PWD) in the country. While this market intersects all races and ethnicities, on its own, it is larger than the African-American (42M), and Hispanic (35M) segments. Targeting this market can be challenging since disabilities are diverse, individuals don’t always disclose they have one, and there’s no residential segregation or concentrated areas in cities and towns where people with disabilities reside.

This begs the question: How do you reach them?

Representation matters and I celebrate (and patronize) disability inclusive companies. I applaud brands like Toyota, Facebook, Microsoft, Duracell, and AT&T, who’ve included authentic images of people with real disabilities, not actors faking it. In the 20 years since I founded SMG, one thing remains consistently true – to reach consumers and prospective employees with disabilities, your organizations must know how to reach them – on-the-ground or digitally.

Your organization’s ability to effectively reach candidates for employment or as customers depends on how well you understand the needs of people with various disabilities. Creating a candidate or buyer persona will help identify what their goals and challenges are as relates to familiarizing themselves with your business.

If you want to elevate brand affinity, drive business growth and shareholder value, and have a wider talent pool, there are a few actions your organization can take.

  1. Create the Candidate/Buyer Persona: Buyer personas are fictional, generalized representations of your ideal customers or candidates. They help you understand your customers/employees (and prospective customers) better and make it easier for you to tailor your marketing strategy to the specific needs, behaviors, and concerns of customers and employees. The strongest personas are based on market research and interviews you gather from your actual customer or employee base — through surveys, interviews, and so on.
  2. Go Where People with Disabilities (PwD) Are: This may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many organizations focus solely on internal processes and procedures, like starting an Employee Resource Group or sponsoring a disability-focused event with expectations that it’ll drive traffic. To move the needle, begin by identifying organizations to build relationships with that are trusted voices or influencers; reach/serve a large number of PwD, their families and allies; and, want to build a relationship with your company beyond a donation or contribution. The most beneficial partnership will add value to your organization by providing access, as well as resources and tools.
  3. Develop a Disability Inclusive Team at Headquarters and Beyond: Many organizations focus disability inclusion from the headquarters office. This team will have senior leadership support, and is responsible for providing the vision, resources and guidelines for disability inclusion, throughout the enterprise. Regional teams should be established to implement the vision, as well as build and maintain relationships with disability organizations in the region.
  4. Develop and Implement a Digital Marketing Strategy: According to Pew Research, “constant” internet usage among adults increased by 5% in just the last three years. The way the general market shops and buys is constantly changing, and the ground game must integrate online tactics. This means consistently connecting with the audience in the right place and at the right time, with resonant messaging. A few tactics to consider are:
    • Content Marketing: Do you include disability-relevant blog posts, Ebooks or whitepapers, or infographics that generate brand awareness, lead generation or sales? If not, this is an excellent way to share your organization’s disability inclusive evolution.
    • Social Media Marketing: This practice promotes your brand and your content on social media channels which increases brand awareness and drives traffic. Channels to consider are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
    • Email Marketing: Companies use email marketing to communicate with their audiences. Email can be used to promote content, discounts and events, such as job fairs. I suggest using emails of those you gather contact information from, at events or from your website, and use your company’s CRM system to consistently reach them. The types of emails to consider sending for an email marketing campaign include: blog subscription newsletters, follow-up emails to website visitors who download resources, customer welcome emails, holiday promotions, tips or a similar series of emails for customer nurturing.

Your ability to reach people with disabilities – as customers or candidates – relies heavily on C-Suite support, organizational will, focus and consistency.

Carmen Daniels Jones
President and CEO
Solutions Marketing Group

Spring Update from Carmen!

Carmen JonesHappy Spring, Colleagues!

It’s been a while since I was last in touch.

There’s been a lot going on with me – personally and professionally – and the change of seasons compelled me to focus on a few big-time accomplishments.  A few highlights included:

  • My daughter and I moved twice in 8 months (BTW, moving is the worst thing…ever).
  • My daughter started 9th grade in a new school and a new city and has adjusted well.
  • We conducted training for customer-facing staff, as well as executives, at the Straz Center and Zappos.
  • Began a strategic alliance with GettingHired to develop content.
  • Spoke at the National Diversity Council Conference.
  • Landed Nike as a client!
  • We have led disability inclusive strategy sessions for a global hotel company.
  • Developed and implemented a national outreach strategy for the Zappos Adaptive and Runway of Dreams Fashion Show.
  • Conducted a market entry assessment for a healthcare company.
  • Began a new project focused on disability inclusion at a large university.
  • Launched the Disability Inclusion Blueprint, which you can still use to guide your internal discussion on disability inclusion.

Late night homework check-ins with my daughter, content development, business travel, and networking have also been a part of the mix. Through the transitions and busy schedule, there remains an undercurrent of on-going gratitude.

I am also thankful for the positive energy I feel in the shifting discussions I am having with decision-makers and corporate leaders who are intentional about becoming disability inclusive.  They’re aware of what their company has not done to be engaged in disability employment, marketing, and customer service; and they’re open to taking steps to address this gap throughout their enterprise.

I’ll share a few tips I provided during a recent talk to help an organization move beyond compliance to disability inclusion:

  1. Executive Team Support: Make sure your disability inclusion efforts have C-Suite Support – with staff and financial resources.
  2. Internal Team: A best practice is to create a cross-functional team, with employees from various departments that meet monthly or quarterly to develop and implement the company’s disability inclusion strategic plan that integrates employment, marketing & communications, and customer experience.
  3. Define KPIs: Measuring disability inclusion is CRITICAL for sustainability.  Without key performance indicators, your efforts will solely be a feel-good initiative, that will end when there are personnel shifts or budget cuts. The internal team can define, with the blessing of the C-Suite, what metrics will be used to determine success.
  4. Community Engagement:  Without community engagement, it is challenging to build a brand-loyal, authentic relationship with customers with disabilities. Community engagement can take various forms, such as: hosting events for disability organizations, having your staff volunteer with an organization, creating an advisory board, joining a board, or even meeting with local disability organizations and learning about their priorities. Did you notice that I didn’t mention contributions or money one time?  Be creative and build that bridge of understanding and support.
  5. Rule of 7:  Essentially, the Rule of 7 is a marketing principle that states that prospects need to come across an offer at least seven times before they notice it and start to take action.  The visibility achieved through targeted promotion and outreach makes consumers take note of your company’s offer and commitment to the disability community.
  6. Consistency:  For disability inclusion to really ‘stick’ in a company, there has to be consistency and intention throughout the enterprise.  I recommend reaching consumers and prospective employees multiple times, through various channels. Data from HubSpot shows that companies that blog around 16 times or more per month get 3.5 times more traffic and 4.5 times more leads than businesses that blog less than four times a month. No matter what your disability inclusion strategy consists of, the importance of internal and external frequency has to become a priority.

I hope these tips give you something to consider as you continue to strengthen your disability inclusion efforts.  If you’d like to discuss further, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at info@disability-marketing.com.

My best,

Carmen Daniels Jones
President/CEO
Solutions Marketing Group

Breaking Through and Getting Noticed by Consumers with Disabilities

Man breaking through wall

I recently spoke to a prospect who shared that his company was interested in targeting customers with disabilities. Sounds simple enough, right? He shared elements of the marketing plan with me and it was clear they were throwing everything on the wall to see what would stick. As we continued the conversation it was clear his enthusiasm didn’t match his understanding of the market. Unfortunately, this conversation is common for many brands exploring disability inclusive messaging and marketing.

Recognizing consumers are bombarded with hundreds of ads each day it is not only important to understand the key drivers, behaviors and perspective of consumers with disabilities, but it’s essential to understand how to breakthrough the noise and stand out – credibly and authentically.

Let’s start with the Rule of 7. Essentially, the Rule of 7 is a marketing principle that states: prospects need to come across an offer at least 7 times before they really notice it and start to take action. Consumers with disabilities, their families and influencers can be exposed to an offer significantly more than 7 times, but need to see an offer at least 7 times; this helps them take note of your company’s offer amidst the marketing and information overwhelm that exists today, which positions your company to get better results from its disability marketing efforts.

The Rule of 7 is rooted in psychology is linked to a phenomenon called “mere-exposure effect” or the “familiarity principle.” Essentially, the more people are exposed to something, the more likely they are to take note of it and develop a preference for it. Companies, government agencies and non-profits that have a handle on blending an understanding of what consumers with disabilities want, need and prefer with the Rule of 7, rise above the competition.

Here are a few things to consider:

Sell the Challenge Your Product Solves, Not the Product

People with disabilities are looking for products, services and/or experiences that are life-enhancing, seamless and address a barrier they may encounter.

For families with autistic children, vacations can be a challenge. After listening to guests and travel agents Royal Caribbean designed a solution. Known as the “autism friendly cruise line”, Royal Caribbean created a guest experience that integrates specific services to provide an exceptional experience for families with an autistic member. Their services include, but aren’t limited to:

  • Priority check-in, boarding and departure
  • Adventure Ocean flexible grouping by ability for children 3 to 11 years old
  • Pagers/phones for parents of children in Adventure Ocean program while signed into the care of Royal Caribbean staff.
  • “Staffed Cruises” catering to families with children, teens and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities, which include: Extra professionally trained staff in caring for individuals with developmental disabilities (provided at one staff member for every two-three special needs guests); specialized respite sessions; and private activities and sessions.

Do you think families who have autistic children can enjoy themselves and actually have a vacation on a Royal Caribbean Cruise? Absolutely.

Expand Marketing Channels

Do not restrict your marketing to just one channel. Channels to consider when targeting consumers with disabilities include:

  •  Partnerships with national disability organizations
  •  Ads on Social Media
  •  Leverage Social Media Influencers
  •  Ads in The Mighty, New Mobility, Arthritis Today or Disability Scoop (to name a few)
  •  Events/Conferences
  •  Podcasts
  • Email Marketing

Content Marketing

The best way to let consumers with disabilities know your company gets them is by using words in a variety of formats they love to hear. I suggest blogging, video (with captions and audio description), podcasts, and user-generated content.

Consistency

Too often I’ve seen brands use a one-shot approach when targeting the disability market. It usually is a blog or corporate statement of commitment for the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or during National Disability Employment Awareness Month.  That’s not enough.

A critical part of the Rule of 7 is consistency.  I recommend reaching consumers multiple times, through multiple channels. Data from HubSpot shows that companies that blog around 16 times or more per month get 3.5 times more traffic and 4.5 times more leads than businesses that blog less than 4 times a month. No matter what your disability marketing strategy consists of, the importance of frequency cannot be overstated.

Let 2019 Be Your Organization’s Breakthrough Year for Disability Inclusion!

Carmen JonesI’ve found companies that are champions for diversity, inclusion and belonging excel in supporting employees who represent many dimensions of diversity, but disability inclusion lags behind. I’ve also had employees from client companies pull me aside after a training session and share their hesitancy or frustration to disclose their invisible disability to their supervisor. They’ve stated ‘our culture hasn’t caught up to the training we’re doing.’

Since starting SMG 20 years ago, I’ve worked with brands that know they should advance disability inclusion, but they aren’t sure what to do or where to start. That is why I developed this free, practical tool – the Disability Inclusion Blueprint – to help get your team started.

Download the Disability Inclusion Blueprint

The Disability Inclusion Blueprint will provide clarity to help propel disability inclusive in your organization.  You just need to download, print and answer the questions. When your team returns from holiday break use it as a guide to solidify 2019 planning.

If you still have questions after filling out the Disability Inclusion Blueprint, I’ll be opening up my calendar January 28 – 30th for 15-minute conversations.   You can ask me anything and I’ll share from two decades of working to ensure inclusion for people with disabilities and their families. In the coming weeks I’ll be sending an email to the SMG mailing list to schedule the call. If you haven’t signed up to receive emails from SMG, join today!

Let’s make 2019 the year your company takes meaningful steps to understand, penetrate and retain employees and customers with disabilities.

Happy New Year!

 

Carmen Daniels Jones

President/CEO

PS:  I’d love to hear how the Disability Inclusion Blueprint has helped your organization.  Send a note to info@disability-marketing.com and let me know.