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Making Disability Inclusion a Marketing Priority

December 28, 2016

The word Marketing highlighted with red marker in a handwritten chartA rule of business is to create products, experiences and/or services needed by customers so they buy it, share it, and buy it again.  If customers aren’t buying what you’re selling, your business is a hobby.  For instance, coffee by itself is just a caffeinated, warm beverage, but Starbucks has created an experience for its customers. Howard Schultz, company President and CEO, defined the atmosphere that Starbucks attempts to create when he said “We’re in the business of human connection and humanity, creating communities in a third place between home and work.”

Starbucks has done extensive research to understand demographics, customer behavior and key drivers that guide purchase decisions for customers, which includes college students, suburban moms, and road warriors.  The data informs the strategy, which gives companies like Starbucks a real understanding of customers and what motivates them to buy, time and time again.

I’ve met business leaders whose organizations target various markets. When the discussion shifts to explore what they know about the disability market, these diversity and multicultural market champions name the organizational barriers that impede progress, which are primarily fiscal constraints and needing more information to build the business case.  I ask my colleagues “Can you imagine if your company didn’t target the LGBTQ or African-American markets?” Typically, the answer is no.  I share that with the same focus, discipline and intention used to build relationships with other markets, the same focus and drive has to be applied to the disability market.

When I engage clients to understand, penetrate and retain the disability market we start with foundational questions. As we’re on the cusp of a new year, you may find them helpful to guide internal discussions to position your organization to become disability inclusive.  I suggest inviting 3 to 5 internal stakeholders to answer these questions with you. This is just a preliminary list to begin with so feel free to add to it:

  1. What has your organization done to market to, serve or employ people with disabilities?
  2. What does your organization know about the disability market – as consumers and potential employees?
  3. What does the company need to know that it doesn’t know?
  4. Who are the senior leaders that can advance disability inclusion?
  5. What additional data is needed?
  6. What are the first steps that can be taken, not requiring resources, to understand people with disabilities?
  7. Does the company have an Employee Resource Group? If so, how can this group be tapped to provide input for the organization’s disability inclusion strategy?

People with disabilities want to buy products and services, and work for organizations that know them.  Let’s make 2017 the year your organization takes first steps to move beyond compliance to new customers and employees.

Filed Under: SMG Tip Leave a Comment

Tags: disability marketing, inclusion, marketing, Starbucks

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Starbucks Hits It Out of the Park

November 17, 2015

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.

Filed Under: General Leave a Comment

Tags: consumers, inclusion, Starbucks

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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.

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