"Are you my brand?" call to action from disabled people

Black Friday is a colloquial term for the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It traditionally marks the start of the Christmas shopping season - reaching some 80 million consumers in the U.S. in 2022 - and is now a familiar concept in the UK too. Less familiar is Purple Tuesday, which takes place on the first Tuesday in November and describes itself as "a global social movement and the No1 brand for improving the customer experience for disabled people and their families 365 days a year". As tthe holiday season gets underway, the organisation in the UK has shown up on the famous central London light-boards above the busy shopping area of Piccadilly Circus, giving often unseen disabled consumers a spot on the largest out-of-home advertising site in Europe. Purple Tuesday is both an initiative connecting disabled people with brands to understand their lived experience of disabled customers, the issues they face every day, and the solutions needed, and a celebratory day that promotes accessibility and inclusivity. Last year’s event reached 23 million people globally, garnering over 6,000 participating organisations and 7,000 commitments from companies to improve. ”The Purple Tuesday Production is always a focal point of our annual celebrations so it’s vital that it has impact," says the organisation. "This year we wanted a film that would bring into sharp focus how disabled people are often made to feel when interacting with businesses, with the aim of inspiring brands to do better". With the Purple Pound/Dollar valued at £274 billion in the UK and $13 trillion worldwide, there is plenty of financial incentive for brands to up their standards for this demographic. For an isight into what that actually means for a high street store, take a look at this explainer from health and beauty retailer and pharmacy chain Boots UK: https://youtu.be/73EPQ5Iur8g. How do you feel about this campaign? Does it suceed in its aims of raising awareness?

Keywords: Purple Tuesday Piccadilly Lights 2023, disabled shoppers, Purple Pound, Purple Dollar, shopping for the disabled, disabled consumer experience, Wunderman Thompson