Marketing and sensory disability: accessibility in products and advertising

Abstract

Consumer participation in the development of products and services has been increasing. This has given rise to the responsible consumer, understood as one who includes in their purchasing decisions the analysis of the social practices that the company applies. On the other hand, sensory marketing, as a young field within marketing, seeks to capture the consumer’s attention through the senses. The questions that motivate this work then are: How is this concept applied to cases in which the consumer has a sensory disability? What products do companies develop so that people with sensory disabilities can access them as hegemonic consumers do? How do they present or advertise them on social networks? Based on the above, the general objective of this document is to identify advances in products and advertising so that people with sensory disabilities can access them. To do this, some products are taken as cases whose main attribute of interest is linked to one of the aspects of sensory marketing. A content analysis of the advertisements is carried out and, subsequently, an audience analysis that aims to interpret the favorable and critical aspects that users leave for companies. It can be seen that product initiatives are valued and imitation by other brands is recommended, although the lack of articulation with other aspects of the marketing mix such as advertising, distribution and price is still noted.