Is Accessibility Important in Marketing?

Accessibility has always been a priority at Kogan Page.?

We strongly believe in creating an environment where everyone feels included, and this commitment extends to every aspect of our work. As part of this, we understand how important marketing is in connecting with and reaching diverse audiences.

This is why we’ve asked our talented marketing team to share some of the effective methods we use to prioritize accessibility in our marketing campaigns.

1.?What is accessibility and how does it impact marketing?

Accessibility is broad and nuanced. Although it includes physical accessibility (i.e. being able to access a physical space), it also goes beyond this to encompass the removal of barriers that exist both in-person and digitally, with the goal of empowering individuals and promoting their independence. Ultimately, accessibility goes hand-in-hand with inclusivity.

In relation to marketing, accessibility is about ensuring that everyone in your audience can engage with your brand, product and campaigns, including individuals with disabilities. Depending on the type of product you are marketing, who your target market is and the marketing strategies you utilize, how you make your marketing accessible will vary. It is essential to tailor your accessibility measures to the specific needs of different individuals. For example, those who have a hearing disability will have different requirements than those with a visual disability.

Kogan Page focuses on the accessibility of our digital products and marketing techniques to ensure that all audiences have an inclusive customer experience.?

2. How does Kogan Page make its marketing accessible?

Our marketing strategies use online and offline methods to reach and engage our audiences. To ensure all our campaigns are accessible to all, we have developed extensive guidelines for our marketing team to follow.

For example, in online campaigns, we use alternative text (alt text), captions and accessible hashtags, and limit our use of gifs/flashing imagery and emojis across all platforms. In our offline campaigns, we use concise copy and accessible colour contrasts in our branding and marketing designs.

We are consistently working in line with best practice guidelines, or taking initiative when guidelines aren’t available, and monitoring our efforts to see where we can further improve.

3. What do you think are some common misconceptions about accessibility in marketing?

That alt text is the solution. When used correctly, alt text is incredibly helpful to those who need it, however, it should not be the only thing brands do to be accessible. Alt text should complement a range of other steps organizations are taking to be accessible and inclusive.

For example, even if your social media post contains alt text, if it also includes hashtags without camel case, emojis scattered within the text or an image that uses a font type or colour that blends with the background – your alt text, no matter how good it may be, cannot overcome all these additional barriers.

4. What tools do we use to make marketing accessible?

In addition to our internal and brand guidelines, our marketing team regularly evaluates the website and social media pages by putting the content through text-to-speech software, to ensure its accessibility. On top of that, we also use a colour contrast checker to enhance design readability. We are constantly reading and staying up to date with the latest research to enhance our accessibility practices and make a positive impact.

5. How is Kogan Page championing accessible marketing?

We take great pride in the efforts of our marketing team in promoting each product. However, we believe that our authors also play a pivotal role in the book promotion process. To ensure accessibility across the board, we have developed comprehensive guidelines and provided resources to support them in making their marketing materials inclusive. We regularly update these guidelines and work hard to emphasize the importance of accessible marketing to our authors.

Additionally, we actively seek opportunities to share our knowledge with our publishing colleagues. By discussing this topic in events where we contribute as panellists, we aim to foster collaboration and promote awareness of accessible marketing practices within the publishing community.

Our mission is to prioritize the inclusion of every reader in our campaigns. We are committed to making our website and content platforms environments in which everyone in our audience can feel welcome and included.