Disability inclusion initiative shifts sentiment and sales

The brands involved in the Shift 20 initiative to boost disability representation in advertising have attributed strong consumer and staff engagement to the project.

Uber Eats is a foundational member of the Shift 20 initiative to include disabled talent in advertising.

One year on from the launch of an initiative to increase disability representation in advertising, brand marketers involved in the project have reported increases in consumer and staff sentiment, as well as sales.

Foundation partners for the Shift 20 initiative, which aims to increase disability representation in advertising, have shared anecdotal impacts off the back of their involvement which has contributed to greater awareness of disability inclusion across their organisations.

The impacts, which include positive employee and brand sentiments, are supported by research by Accenture US which found disability-inclusive businesses grow profits more than four times faster than their peers.

Launched by the Dylan Alcott Foundation and advertising agency Special Group in September last year, Shift 20 partnered with a coalition of 13 brands to address the underrepresentation of the 20 per cent of Australians living with a disability.

Dylan Alcott is the founder of the Dylan Alcott Foundation with worked with creative agency Special Group to launch the Shift 20 initiative in 2023.

ANZ, AAMI, Bonds, Kia, McDonald’s, Oral-B, NIB, Pantene, Uber, and Weet-Bix signed up to air TV ad campaigns featuring people with a disability while Tourism Australia, Virgin Australia and TikTok also signed on to the initiative.

Foundation partner Uber told The Growth Agenda it had seen a “high level” of consumer engagement with advertising and marketing activity that included a person with a disability.

Uber & Uber Eats APAC director of marketing Andy Morley said while the business does not track direct sales implications from campaigns featuring talent with disability, he believes the higher engagement levels contribute to sales.

“We follow the line of logic and we’ve got hard knowledge that the more high level engagement that we see on our advertising, the higher level of business impacts that we see with the business.

“We’re already seeing the relationship between what we’re doing in the inclusivity space and a high level of engagement and advertising. So we expect that is flowing through to the business as the next step.”

Mr Morley said business and brand impacts were not the driver behind Uber’s involvement in the initiative, pointing to the organisations extensive work within the disability space through products such as Uber Assist, which provides transportation assistance for people with disability needs.

“We’re committed that it’s just the right thing for us to do. However, Dylan [Alcott] makes the point that 20 per cent of the market has a disability, and if you’re not catering to that then you’re probably ruling out 20 per cent of the market. The effect of that is that 20 per cent of people also have families and friends. So, if you get it right, there’s a huge opportunity to engage a more loyal audience with your brand,” said Mr Morley.

Uber is a foundational member of Shift 20 and has seen high engagement with its content featuring people with disability, said APAC director of marketing Andy Morley.

Research from the US and UK further supports this argument with an Accenture US report that found brands that champion disability inclusion can achieve 1.6 times more revenue and 2.6 times more net income than competitor brands. Meanwhile, an Oxford University study revealed inclusive advertising practices increased short-term and long-term sales by 3 per cent and 16 per cent, inclusively.

Dylan Alcott Foundation founder Dylan Alcott told The Growth Agenda he had been “blown away” by the response to the initiative, which has helped drive a 10 per cent increase in overall recall of disability representation in advertising over the last 12 months .

“We purposefully didn’t set any quotas or hard line requirements for brands to be a part of Shift 20, because we believe every small shift counts,” said Alcott. “Since launching in September 2023 we’ve seen a huge collective effort across the industry - the overhauling of creative briefing processes, new TVC spots showcasing talent with disability, new partnerships, and a considered approach across so many platforms including traditional and social channels.

“Most importantly we’ve opened up some really important conversations; brands who previously might have been nervous about engaging with disability representation have started asking questions, and those who were already making great strides, such as Uber and ANZ, have shown how this can be a successful long-term consideration, embedded into their businesses,” said Mr Alcott.

ANZ general manager marketing Sian Chadwick said the brand had continued to cast inclusively through a person-first approach as well as collaborating with inclusive filmmaking organisation Bus Stop Films to provide work experience opportunities to people with disability.

“For positive change to occur, we need to address these challenges head on – and we’re proud to play our part in making change happen. We’re also keenly aware that for careers to flourish, not only is it necessary to show the challenges some people face, but we also need to showcase people’s unique skills and experiences,” said Ms Chadwick.

NIB head of marketing & digital Chris Donald said the Shift 20 initiative aligns with the organisation’s overall commitment to support people of all abilities.

“We’re received really positive feedback within the organisation, with employees proud to work for a company that focuses on giving everyone the same access to health and wellbeing services.

“The deliberate focus on people with a disability in our advertising has led to an increased awareness for us, at nib, that there’s a need to represent all people across our marketing and communication more broadly.”

To help organisations step up their marketing efforts, Shift 20 foundation partner Tik Tok has launched a dedicated channel that will enable brands, advertising agencies and casting directors to find talent with disability for their advertising and marketing projects. The Shift 20 Casting Call will feature education, tips and advice for talent and brands.

Mr Alcott said the move was important to “create safe spaces and employment pathways for people with disability who might fancy giving acting a crack.”