Solutions Marketing

1
Solutions Marketing
the
group
National Business Leadership Network Summit
- Turning Difference Into Dollars
2
American with Disabilities Act

• Instead of
• Another Darned Aggravation,
• think of it as...
• Attitude Determines Accessibility
• Additional Dollars Available

3
Managing Diversity

• A comprehensive managerial process for
  developing an environment that works for all
  employees.
• R. Roosevelt Thomas from
• Beyond Race and Gender

4
Diversity Equation

• Women
• African-Americans
• Hispanic Americans
• Asian Americans
• Gays/Lesbians
• CURRENT Diversity

5
Diversity Equation
continued

• Americans with Disabilities
• Women
• African-Americans
• Hispanic Americans
• Asian Americans
• Gays/Lesbians
• TRUE Diversity

6
Understanding Disabilities

• What are disabilities and how many people are
  disabled?
• What is the income of people with disabilities?
• How does this groups aggregate income compare to
  other niché markets?
• What are the markets characteristics?

7
What is a Disability?

• People with limited abilities in basic life
  activities that have physical, sensory or
  cognitive conditions called disabilities.
• Basic life activities include taking care of
  oneself, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking,
  learning, working, performing manual tasks,
  participating in community events and activities,
  and breathing.

8
Disability Categories

• MOBILITY Impairments
• VISUAL Impairments
• DEAF/HARD of HEARING
• LANGUAGE Impairments
• LEARNING Impairments
• AGE-RELATED Impairments

9
Disability Markets Income

• 49 Million Americans
• 175 Billion in Disposable Income
• 1 Trillion in Aggregate Income

Source U.S. Census Bureau, 1996 and 2001
10
Disability Market Compared to Other Markets

• Market Segment Population
  Aggregate Income
• Consumers with Disabilities 49 Million
  1 Trillion
• African-Americans 35 Million 469
  Billion
• Hispanic-Americans 31 Million 420
  Billion
• Asian-Americans 10.5 Million 229
  Billion
• Gays/Lesbians 18 Million 340
  Billion

Sources U.S. Census Bureau, Advertising Age,
Market Segment and Diversity.inc.com
11
Markets Characteristics
Persons Having Long-Term Disabilities

• 70 socialize with close friends, relatives or
  neighbors at least one time per week.
• 40 eat at a restaurant, at least one time per
  week.
• 23 go to department stores, malls or shopping
  centers at least one time per week.
• 25 own computers.

12
What Consumers with Disabilities Really Want

• Information and resources addressing their needs
• To be valued as a customer and not an
  inconvenience
• Consistency with few surprises

13
What Consumers with Disabilities Really Want
(contd)

• Convenience
• Ease of accessing services
• Staff with practical skills, rather than
  awareness and sensitivity

14
Four Pillars of an Effective Disability
Marketing Strategy
Customer Service
Accessibility

• Marketing

Employment
LEADERSHIP
15
Initial Steps to Developing the Strategy

• Assign a champion.
• Examine your companys mindset.
• Allocate staff and resources, conduct research,
  write business plan and determine quick-wins.
• Present the business case to senior leadership
  and obtain buy-in.
• Engage key divisions to participate in the
  strategy.
• Make sure the company can deliver on its
  promises.
• Partner with a disability organization in a
  substantive way.

16
Marketing Success!

• Embassy Suites added 13 million to their gross
  revenue, within 3 years, by providing a
  disability customer service training program for
  their staff.
• Six Continents Hotels( Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn
  Express, Crowne Plaza, Staybridge by Holiday Inn,
  and the Inter-continental Hotels and Resorts)
  estimate that accessible rooms accounted for 3.4
  million room nights sold, based on reservations.

17
Marketing Success!

• In May 2000, Merrill Lynchs Deaf/Hard of Hearing
  Client Services had 5,300 clients, with assets of
  765 million.
• Norwest Corp. created a a homeownership program
  with flexible requirements. Since 1991, the
  program has issued 812 loans in Colorado,
  totaling more than 53.9 million.
• BusinessWeek.coms online column on Assistive
  Technology accounted for 35,000 hits to the site
  each month.

18
Implementing the Disability Marketing Strategy

• Test your companys marketing approach with
  people with disabilities.
• Develop an integrated marketing and promotional
  strategy that cuts across all lines of business.
• Target the disability community first, then the
  mainstream.
• Become involved in the disability community.
• Use the Internet to build relationships with
  consumers.