Leila Mabourakh, senior engagement manager at Google, and Casey Hendricks, global marketing manager at Google, founded gAccessibility, a program focused on empowering Google’s media clients to make their ads more inclusive. They are also members of the World Federation of Advertisers’ Digital Accessibility Alliance. Here, they explore how their user research can help marketers make ads more accessible.
Did you know that 50% of people in the U.S. watch TV with subtitles most of the time — and that 70% of Gen Z Americans do?
Subtitles and captions may be accessibility technologies originally intended for people who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing, but their curb-cut effects are well known to anyone who has watched a muted video. Inclusion benefits all of society in unpredictable ways.
Of course, accessibility can mean many different things to different people depending on their needs and preferences. Captions and audio descriptions are just two examples drawn from the needs of two different communities. The key to building accessible campaigns lies in limiting barriers to entry as much as possible and in having diverse teams. The latter means including and consulting with disabled communities along the way.
To define the need, ask communities directly
To research accessibility in ads, we partnered with market research firms Kantar and Eye Square. Specifically, we wanted to find out what the experience of being served an ad was like for the 2.2 billion people globally who are blind or have low vision.
If you make an ad accessible, it will benefit everyone.
Together with two other brands, we conducted a series of in-depth qualitative interviews of participants with self-identified visual disabilities, ranging from fully blind and partially blind to those with low vision and color blindness. Participants played four ads on YouTube, diving into overall positive and negative aspects of digital ads. Brands were given the opportunity to hear direct feedback as participants shared insights on ad accessibility — insights that led to change.
To improve the ad experience for everyone, it’s critical to include people with disabilities from the beginning and throughout the research process. “If you make an ad accessible for one group, it will benefit everyone,” said one participant with low vision who gave feedback on the ads. “Captioning and audio descriptions … aren’t just for the disabled community; [they are] for seniors, or even people who don’t have English as a first language.”
User feedback helped us determine the following three advertising best practices for accessibility.
Ensure brand and product recognition through auditory and visual cues
Considering how many people opt for captions or audio descriptions, it surprised us to find that more than 90% of ads included in our study relied solely on visual cues to convey information. Voice-overs often omitted audible brand names or product descriptions. When presented with an ad, many of the people in our study said they were unable to follow the ad’s message or identify a clear call to action.
Therefore, it’s important for ads to go beyond logos to use verbal mentions for brand and product names. These names should be sequentially said aloud, providing context for consumers — especially those who are unfamiliar with the product or brand.
A great example of product and brand-name mentions in an ad is “Javier in Frame.” Google’s 2024 Super Bowl ad shows blind protagonist Javier using Pixel’s Guided Frame feature to capture everyday life. The feature and brand are both mentioned in the last 10 seconds of the audio-described ad, and the ad itself is directed by Adam Morse, a blind filmmaker.
Provide audio descriptions and captions when available
Partnering with brands whose leadership also wanted to make their advertising more inclusive, we uncovered a wide range of insights across categories. One of the companies represented in the research was Mars, Inc.
Actions that make content accessible, such as adding captions to advertising, increase reach and often improve ad performance.
“At Mars, the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today, and that includes ensuring our well-loved brands are available to everyone,” said Gülen Bengi, chief growth officer at Mars Snacking and lead global CMO at Mars, Inc. “Identifying opportunities to be more accessible through our partnership with Google and Kantar has led us to actionable insights. It’s already informing our accessible marketing strategy and plans.”
We learned from the study that many people rely on audio descriptions to understand what happens in an ad, including details about characters, actions, scenes, and on-screen text. Balance descriptive and narrative details with music and sound effects to give listeners who use audio descriptions a seamless experience.
Visual information is just as important to accessibility as auditory information. Research shows that making content accessible by adding captions to advertising increases reach and often improves ad performance.
Optimize product engagement and calls to action
Across the board, brands received positive feedback when they repeated their brand name or slogan multiple times throughout an ad. But many people expected the ads to deliver calls to action that never came — or could not be heard, if they were present.
Inclusive advertising is accessible advertising, and it’s also good for business.
“I need to know how easy it is to get the product and use the product,” said one participant in the study.
Explicit and audible calls to action are required for consumers to take action, whether that means spelling out a URL or reading a phone number aloud. What’s more, closing with close-ups of products is only useful to those who can see them. Creating a narrative strategy that highlights product features and benefits, however, can speak to anyone who encounters the ad. Working these considerations into the script can help ensure that no potential audience is missed.
We’re looking forward to continuing to build a more inclusive world through advertising, especially with the advancement of AI. Inclusive advertising is accessible advertising, and it’s also good for business. Head to Google’s Belonging site for more examples of inclusive marketing and check out Google Marketing’s All In guide for an in-depth look at ways to build more accessible advertising.
