Solutions Marketing Group

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

  • Home
  • About
  • What We Do
  • Blog
  • Learn From Us
    • Boot Camp
    • eBook
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About
  • What We Do
  • Blog
  • Learn From Us
    • Boot Camp
    • eBook
  • Contact

Tuesday Tip: Use Your Misteps as Lessons

September 1, 2015

Each Tuesday, Solutions Marketing Group offers you advice that can boost sales and increase your company’s presence with the disability market segment. For today’s Tuesday Tip, we bring you an actual case study of learning from your mistakes and getting it right.

In 2000, Nike, found itself in the midst of controversy with the disability community. They published an ad promoting the Air Dri Goat, in hiking and Men’s Journal, Outside and regional outdoors publications.  The copy included the following:

“Fortunately the Air Dri-Goat features a patented goat-like outer sole for increased traction so you can taunt mortal injury without actually experiencing it. Right about now you’re probably asking yourself “How can a trail running shoe with an outer sole designed like a goat’s hoof help me avoid compressing my spinal cord into a Slinky on the side of some unsuspecting conifer, therebyr endering me a drooling, misshapen non-extreme-trail-running husk of my former self, forced to roam the earth in a motorized wheelchair with my name embossed on one of those cute little license plates you get at carnivals or state fairs, fastened to the back?”

Is your mouth on the floor?

This struck a nerve within the disability community and the outrage was heard throughout the country.  The ad created such a visceral reaction because it was offensive and perpetuated stereotypes.  It was pulled immediately after disability rights advocates demanded that it be so, and articles in publications like the Wall Street Journal, covered this horrendous misstep. One of the employees involved in the approval process resigned from Nike, and officials from the company met with advocates in Washington, DC to discuss the ad’s impact.

Fast forward to 2015

Teenage boy wearing shoes featureing FLYEASE technologyIn July, Nike unveiled the creation of the Zoom Soldier 8, which features FLYEASE technology, designed for people with disabilities.

The Zoom Soldier 8 story began back in 2012, when Matthew Walzer, a 16-year-old who lives with cerebral palsy, wrote a letter to Nike asking the company to consider developing a shoe designed for people who have trouble tying shoelaces.

He said,  “My dream is to go to the college of my choice without having to worry about someone coming to tie my shoes everyday,” according to Nike. “As a teenager who is striving to become totally self-sufficient, I find this extremely frustrating and, at times, embarrassing.”

The letter made it into the hands of Nike shoe designer, Tobie Hatfield.  After reading Matthew’s request, he began working to develop a prototype for a shoe Matthew and other people with disabilities with limited dexterity, could wear comfortably.  Instead of laces, the Zoom Soldier 8 features Flyease technology, a type of zipper that goes around the heel of the shoe. This makes it easier for people with limited hand function to easily pull the shoes on and off with one hand. The new design includes the same ankle support as Lebron James’s footwear (James is Matthew’s favorite basketball player). How cool is that?!

What our team, at the Solutions Marketing Group has discovered is that when a company communicates authentically to the disability market, it will resonate and shine and gain the attention of the general market, as well as those with disabilities.  We applaud Nike for getting it right this time and for sharing the story of the Zoom Soldier 8 in a powerful way.

Check out the Flyease story:

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 SMG Team for a 30-minute discovery call. To schedule, send a message to cbeaty@disability-marketing.com.

Filed Under: SMG Tip Leave a Comment

Tags: consumers, lessons, reputation

find this post helpful? Try these:

Default ThumbnailSMG Tip: Real Disability Market Growth Starts When People Talk Checkbox next to the word 'success'SMG Tip: Simplicity + Value + Consistency = A Recipe for Success
share

SMG Tip: Real Disability Market Growth Starts When People Talk

June 2, 2015

The Solutions Marketing Group has found through our years of research that beyond what a company says about its product, service or accessibility in an ad, the number one way that people with disabilities determine whether or not they’ll pull the trigger to buy is what they hear from their peers. We’ve heard consumers tell us throughout the country that word of mouth provides a weightier, more credible endorsement than anything a company can say about itself.  Why is that?  Because we’d rather hear about the experiences of others who have similar experiences or health needs, than anyone else.

Consumers don’t mind sharing a lot of information with friends, colleagues, and/or parents with children with disabilities.  Topics range from identifying van conversion companies in a specific region; discussing service providers that have a successful track record; finding travel destinations, like Disney; theater arts companies that are accommodate a range of disabilities; or even the airlines that have a consistent track record in providing amazing service – on and off the plane.   We do not hold back when it comes to sharing information. We want seamless experiences, as our non-disabled peers, and we want to hear from people who have experienced what we need.

We used to share face-to-face, with a phone call or in a support group. Social media has changed all of that. We dig into company websites, we read reviews on sites like Trip Advisor, and we ‘like’ what our friends say on Facebook, or we retweet on Twitter. Whatever it is, we tell it.

While becoming an event sponsor is great, and creating the infrastructure within your organization to support families with kids with disabilities is awesome, it won’t amount to much if the disability market doesn’t see your company demonstrate that they are valued consumers. Once they do, and they experience the very best of your company’s commitment to them, they will begin to tell it.  At the heart of reaching 56M people in this U.S. is a really simple idea:

People decide to tell other people.

Start with that and get them talking about your organization. Make sure what your walk and talk line up, because this market can spot a phony.  Once you’ve done your work to understand the market, create a robust marketing strategy that includes digital/social media. Once your company captures the attention of the disability market, they will tell each other.

Filed Under: SMG Tip Leave a Comment

Tags: consumers, reputation

find this post helpful? Try these:

Default ThumbnailTuesday Tip: Use Your Misteps as Lessons Checkbox next to the word 'success'SMG Tip: Simplicity + Value + Consistency = A Recipe for Success
share

Welcome

Whether you are interested in breaking ground in the market as a company, you are living with disability or love someone who is, we’re committed to keeping you abreast of what matters to people with disabilities—and why—so stay with us.

SIGN UP

Get the latest SMG updates in your inbox!


Categories

  • Featured
  • General
  • Notes from the Founder
  • Profiles in Excellence
  • SMG Tip
  • Video

Archives

  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • May 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • July 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • October 2014
  • July 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • March 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • July 2012
  • April 2012
  • December 2011
  • October 2011
  • August 2011
  • April 2011
  • February 2011

Contact Us

Quick Facts

The disability market consists of 56M people, representing an annual disposable income of $544 billion.

The disability market is more than twice as large as the tween market (20M), and has almost 3X the disposable spending power ($180B).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, of the 69.6 million families in the U.S., 20.3 million families have at least one member with a disability.

A University of Massachusetts Boston survey found 92% of consumers felt favorably toward companies hiring people with disabilities; 87% prefer to do business with such companies.

By the year 2030, 71.5 million Baby Boomers will be over the age of 65 and demanding products, services, and environments that address their age-related physical changes.

Featured Clients

Darden Restaurants
American Express
AT&T
Sodexo
Bank of America
Wellcare
BlueCross BlueShield
ESPN
Zappos
Nike
Hilton
Get the latest SMG updates in your inbox!

678-805-7091 | info@disability-marketing.com

© 2025 Solutions Marketing Group

| a doodle dog creative website and brand