Solutions Marketing Group

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

Connecting Employers and Jobseekers with Disabilities

Many employers have openings that aren’t being filled, and are interested in diversifying their workplaces. So how do they make the connection?

– Connecting employers with jobseekers with disabilities is vital | NJ.com

In this opinion piece, Rodger L. DeRose, president and CEO of the Kessler Foundation, explains why employers need to increase efforts to reach jobseekers with disabilities. Research continues to show that inclusive workplaces benefit from greater productivity and better retention. At Solutions Marketing Group, we can help your business reach a virtually untapped pool of talent, as well as help you to create a corporate culture that embraces diversity.

Starbucks Hits It Out of the Park

A video of a Deaf Florida woman has gone viral with more than 11M views on YouTube.  In it, she arrives at the St. Augustine, Florida Starbucks drive-thru window. When the Barista notices she’s unable to audibly speak her order, she pops up on a screen at the drive-thru menu board and they have a two-way chat using sign language.

This is so cool and full inclusion at its very best.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ius8yk7vmtA]

The technology, the empowered employee, and the result of this video captured on cellphone has generated buzz, press and lots of good will for Starbucks. Let’s talk about what Starbucks did right to garner this positive impact:

  1. It’s authentic. While Starbucks didn’t develop a slick marketing campaign to a launch the video chat, the service enhancement is seen through the eyes of a customer, Rebecca King. This wasn’t forced or contrived and is grainy and honest. While the company hasn’t deployed the video technology yet nationally, it gave opened minds and shifted paradigm in in 45 seconds and within 10 days, millions have viewed the video on YouTube.
  2. Customer service is the underlying theme of the video. Customer service to consumers with disabilities is the most credible form of marketing. Exceptional service delivery, enhancements and recovery (when things go wrong) garner trust, leading to repeat business. In the video, an empowered employee is free to use all the tools at her disposal to provide a seamless experience for the customer.
  3. The universal application wins! The high tech video solution was tested in 2,200 stores over the past couple of year to determine if it provided a more personal experience for all customers. It certainly indicates appeal for those who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing who may sign or read lips. This isn’t anything that is ‘special’ but merely a high touch option that humanizes the customer experience for all.
  4. Starbucks wins. The press and goodwill created by the video has done more for the company than ad buys and media placement to launch the service. National news outlets featured it as a ‘feel good’ story and the video was shared more than 250,000 times from Ms. King’s Facebook page alone. The comments received by an inspired public allows created raving fans and strengthened the brand’s equity.

There is something even more remarkable that is going on beyond the “likes” and “shares”.  Countless decisions are being made as a result of this simple and compelling video. Consumers are thinking of Starbucks as a company that uniquely understands the needs of consumers. Competitors are wondering what they can do to position themselves before Deaf consumers. Deaf consumers are most certainly sharing this video within their social networks and making sure that the next cup of premium coffee they buy comes from Starbucks. All of these connections, dots if you will, create opportunities. Opportunities for increased revenue for Starbucks. Opportunities for greater understanding, recognition and respect of the Deaf community.

At SMG, we believe in opportunity. We are in the business of helping businesses understand and connect with consumers with disabilities in ways that are both meaningful and profitable. Give us a call and we’ll help you connect the kind of difference.

SMG Tip: Communicate Authentically

Originally Posted Feb. 17, 2015:

Companies that are champions of multicultural marketing do their homework to understand how to create resonant messaging that inspires consumers to respond by liking a page on social media or purchasing products in the store or online. Their ads tell consumers how the products can be a solution for avoiding pain or deriving pleasure. Messaging to people with disabilities and their families is no different.

In order to effectively connect with consumers with disabilities and their families, what’s conveyed must be clear, inclusive and highlight relevant feature that address barriers. Most importantly, it must be honest and authentic, as consumers are very discerning at identifying companies that lack a sincere commitment to the market. SMG’s clients, that have been the most successful, have used our recommended approach to developing messaging:

  1. Interest/Inspirational – This creative approach is intended to leverage emotions and generally strongly appeals to the general market.
  2. Integrated – Includes messaging that integrates the individual with a disability as just one of the employees/friends/family members. They aren’t ‘special’ or patronized in any manner.
  3. Feature Focused – This approach to creating messaging highlights valuable features that may appeal to the market. Many of SMG’s clients utilize this approach.

Within the past 2 years there’s been a rising trend to include disability themes in commercials, digital and social media, fashion and in print. Follow the leadership of Duracell, who featured Derrick Coleman of the Seattle Seahawks, the first Deaf player in the NFL who was Super Bowl bound. Guinness Beer’s commercial that included a group of able-bodied athletic men playing wheelchair basketball with their friend who used a wheelchair full-time, received millions of YouTube views and critical acclaim. Retail giant, JC Penney included mannequins that were taken from actual molds of people with disabilities as part of its ‘When it fits, you feel it campaign.’ The company received acclaim from the mainstream and fashion media for being inclusive. The key to success is allowing your brand’s essence to connect with the market.

If you are interested in learning how to communicate your company’s commitment to the disability market in an authentic way, leading to building a strong relationship with consumers, contact the Solutions Marketing Group at info@disability-marketing.com.

SMG Tip: The Numbers May Be Bad, but You Can Be an Agent of Change

11.2%. That’s the current unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities1.

If any other demographic group in the U.S. had this unemployment rate, there would be outrage.  But that is not the case when it comes to employing people with disabilities.

Many companies say they are equal opportunity employers but their actions around disability employment don’t indicate that they’re doing enough to chip away at this unemployment rate. Further, the numbers don’t indicate that people with disabilities are employed at the same level as the general population. Why is this the case?  More than likely there are people with hidden disabilities working in your organization, however many of them haven’t disclosed their disability for fear of being treated differently or limiting their advancement. When there’s a culture of disability inclusion, people are not fearful to disclose they have a disability.

How can your organization take necessary steps to ensure that people with disabilities are a factor in the diversity equation?  SMG offers a few insights to help your organization create a culture of disability inclusion.

  1. Be honest: It’s imperative that companies assess what active steps they’ve taken to recruit individuals with disabilities.   Does your company have an Employee Resource Group? A senior leader who champions disability inclusion?  Do you provide training to HR staff and hiring managers? When your company highlights D&I are people with disabilities included?
  2. Listen: The best way to understand the experience of employees with disabilities, or those impacted by disability with a child or loved one, is to talk openly and honestly with them about their experiences at the company. Conduct internal listening groups of employees impacted by disability. This forum has to be safe for participants to freely share. This valuable input will help inform the overall recruitment plan.
  3. Plan: Creating a disability recruitment plan will provide you with a the road map for your organization to actively recruit people with disabilities. To be successful, it’s imperative to have a budget and staff to support the implementation of the recruitment plan.  Additionally, input for developing the recruitment plan should come from cross-functional internal teams, with active engagement from senior leaders.
  4. Publish success: In focus groups completed by SMG, respondents indicated that one of the primary ways companies demonstrate their commitment to people with disabilities was by actively recruiting and hiring them.  They also shared that robust employment efforts provided a resounding demonstration of corporate commitment, which strengthened the brand’s equity. SMG suggests that publishing disability employment success in internal communications, as well as externally, will show that the company’s walk and talk align.

Now is the time to galvanize the internal teams within your organization to develop and implement an inclusive disability recruitment plan.  If you’d like to learn more about how to create a culture of disability inclusion, contact the SMG Team for a 30-minute discovery call to gain further insights.   To schedule, send a message to cbeaty@disability-marketing.com.

 

1 U.S. Department of Labor, February 2015