By Tracey Corbin-Matchett OAM
CEO, Bus Stop Films – organiser of this year’s inaugural Disability Employment Summit
In adland, we want our ads to connect consumers with the products and services we’re promoting, and ultimately part with their money, right? And creative agencies have a responsibility to bring to life the products and brands they represent and have that translate into sales.
But often the storyline or optics of advertising misses the mark for nearly 20% of our population, overlooking deaf, disabled and neurodivergent (DDN) people.
This is a huge untapped market of buying power, missing many loyal customers. When you showcase DDN people on screen, we see ourselves, we connect with your ethos, we buy your products. Take it a step further and include us in your production teams and you’ve unlocked an even stronger connection to a huge global audience, the proud disability community.
Earlier this year I was grateful to travel to NYC to speak at the Global Summit of the Unstereotype Alliance, on the power of inclusive production in advertising and the work of Bus Stop Films in inclusive filmmaking.
Honestly, I was so nervous speaking on the floor of the United Nations, but I welcomed the opportunity as a proud, hard-of-hearing woman, to share my experience both professionally and personally of the impact of inclusion in advertising.
I had someone important in the audience to impress. Not only am I a proud disabled consumer and creative leader, I am the proud parent of three Gen Z’ers, who are also from the DDN community.
I can’t tell you how much our family group chat lights up with us all sharing “bussing” clips and campaigns, many featuring disabled talent, alongside viral cat videos and parent pranks.
You see, I had one of my daughters along with me in NYC, and after my talk, we TikTok’d around Times Square, dropping by every brand her favourite influencers had promoted. If I can see it, I can BE buy it, and buy it she did!
But I am more than just a mum supporting the spending habits of my teens. As a woman in the creative sector, I’m well aware of the impact of not reading the room on inclusion.
However, authentic inclusion goes beyond gender. True inclusion in creative strategy reflects intersectional inclusion, around disability, ethnicity, sexuality, cultural identity and more. We know how who is behind the camera, in the writer’s room and in the pitching session impacts what we see on screen. So, if your team isn’t inclusive, your ads won’t be either.
For over 16 years Bus Stop Films has been championing change to bring people with disability to our screens and ensure productions are inclusive. Our employment team has worked with many brands that recognise the importance of inclusive productions.
We’ve proudly collaborated with Unilever, QANTAS, NiB, Mastercard, Bonds and many more, engaging our services and expertise on inclusive production practices in casting, crewing and storytelling.
Each campaign unlocks pathways to employment on both sides of the camera for people with disability. These brands know inclusive campaigns connect more authentically with diverse audiences, and that makes a significant difference to the way the campaign lands, which has positive flow-on effects on sales and brand loyalty.
I often say it takes a village to keep the bus on the road, and we want to share our expertise with the commercial village and bring more producers, brands and creative agencies on board with inclusion.
That’s why we’ve brought over 50 of the best minds from story, strategy and production from Australia and the USA together for the inaugural Driving Change: Disability Employment Summit, taking place at Sydney’s Bondi Beach from November 18-19.
If you want to enact positive change for your productions and grow your audience through inclusion, join us at this year’s history-making event either in person or online.
Tickets are on sale now: Get yours here.
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The business case for inclusive advertising is backed by stats. A recent study conducted by the Unstereotype Alliance in partnership with Saїd Business School at Oxford University found that inclusive ad campaigns produce strong results – a 62% likelihood of being a consumer’s first choice, a 3.5% increase in shorter-term sales, a 16% increase in longer-term sales, and a 15% jump consumer loyalty.
