By Taylor Morgan, Advertising Week
While many sessions at Advertising Week Europe 2025 buzzed with the usual talk of performance metrics and AI-driven innovation, one quieter, more intimate discussion delivered something rarer: a blueprint for building brands that don’t just include disabled consumers—they center them.
Titled “Beyond Accessibility: Creating Inclusive Campaigns That Inspire and Innovate,” the session was led by Gordon McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RIDC), and featured two trailblazers in inclusive brand work: Craig Noonan, Director of Brand at delivery company Evri, and Karen Fraser, seasoned ad leader and inclusion champion at Credos.
Together, they explored what it really means to move past tokenism—and how brands can embrace disability inclusion as both a moral imperative and a business advantage.
The Wake-Up Call: Accessibility Isn’t Optional
McCulloch opened with data that demanded attention:
- 66% of disabled people surveyed said they’ve had to change how they shop due to inaccessible retail experiences.
- 74% said those same experiences made them feel less valued as customers.
For context, that’s nearly 16 million people in the UK—roughly the combined population of Scotland, Wales, and all of Ireland. “If that kind of customer dissatisfaction existed among the non-disabled population,” McCulloch said, “we’d call it a brand crisis.”
Evri’s Transformation: From Pain Points to Progress
Craig Noonan shared how delivery giant Evri (formerly Hermes) began taking accessibility seriously—not out of marketing hype, but from external accountability. Poor scores from Ofcom and the Citizens Advice Bureau spurred the company to ask tough questions about who it was failing, and why.
One consumer’s quote hit especially hard: “A missed delivery was a daily reminder of how useless I felt.”
Evri responded by launching a multi-phase accessibility overhaul, partnering with RIDC and building a dedicated disability consumer panel. From allowing extra doorbell time to creating account-level delivery preferences, they didn’t just fix what was broken—they started designing for inclusion from the ground up.
And the impact? Massive. With 800 million parcels delivered a year—and one in four going to people with accessibility needs—Noonan framed it simply:
“If we deliver better for those who need us most, we deliver better for everyone.”
From Primark to Paralympics: Inclusion in Action
Karen Fraser brought the brand-side perspective, spotlighting how retailers like Primark are actively meeting unmet needs through their adaptive clothing line. Not only has the line driven in-store traffic and strong sales, it’s also reshaped how staff interact with customers—proof that inclusive products inspire more inclusive cultures.
Fraser also praised companies like Amazon, Tesco, and M&S for investing in accessible shopping experiences, while calling out Diageo and Procter & Gamble for embedding accessibility into their media planning—extending the reach and resonance of campaigns without dramatically increasing cost.
Her message to hesitant brands?
“Yes, the risk of getting it wrong is real. But the opportunity to get it right is greater than ever.”
Turning Campaigns Into Commitments
A major theme of the session: how to ensure inclusion doesn’t stop at a single campaign or PR splash.
Noonan warned against the allure of “glossy” one-offs. “You’ve got to get the undercoat right,” he said. For Evri, that means starting with structural transformation—then letting communications tell that story.
Fraser agreed, emphasizing authenticity over aesthetics. The secret? Start early, listen deeply, and involve the community throughout. “Primark didn’t just launch a product,” she said. “They co-created it—with real feedback, fittings, and research.”
What’s Next for Inclusive Marketing?
Asked about the future, Fraser acknowledged the political and social headwinds DEI efforts are facing—but stayed optimistic.
“This moment is temporary. What we’ve started is powerful. If we keep showing how inclusion drives better business, we’ll keep the momentum going.”
Noonan offered a rallying cry of his own, inspired by Barack Obama: “Be the change.”
He challenged agencies and brands to champion inclusion from the inside out—and even floated the idea of an industry-wide “Inclusion Week” where media and ad space is donated to raise awareness and bust myths.
Final Takeaway
This wasn’t a session about compliance. It was about creativity, commercial opportunity, and cultural responsibility. And it left attendees with a clear message:
Inclusion isn’t a niche initiative—it’s a core business strategy.
When you start with people, you end up with better products, stronger brands, and a market that feels seen.
In McCulloch’s words:
“Involve disabled people at the beginning—and you’ll create something better for everyone.”
