Improving Quality of Life for Labeled as Disabled (LAD) People through Marketing

1. Is it Possible to Improve the Quality of Life of “Labeled As Disabled (LAD)” People Through Marketing? Murad Canbulut, Istanbul Kemerburgaz University Deniz Atik, IzmirUniversity of Economics 21st Marketing Congress October, 2016

2. Quality of Life (QOL) • Economic developmenthas influenced individual and social lives in a positive manner, which is also reflected in increased Quality of Life (QOL) (Arndt 1981; Kilbourne et al. 1997; Mullen et al. 2009; Sandıkçı et al. 2015; Sirgy et al. 1982; Sirgy et al. 2004). • QOL  a multi disciplinaryconcept, mostly associated with economic, social, psychological, and physical status(Farquhar 1995; Sirgy et al. 1982; Wegner et al., 1984). • Economic dimension  Focus on vital topics such as poverty, hunger, and disease. • Socio-psychological aspectsFocus on as happiness, life satisfaction, and subjective well-being (Sirgy 2002). Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

3. Disabilityand QOL Physicalstatus (body / deficiencies) Socialexclusion Exclusionfromtheworkenvironment Poverty Lower life satisfaction, happiness, andwell-being Canbulut & Atik, 21st Marketing Congress

4. Historical Background of Disability EXCLUSION • Religiousinstitutions Inearliertimes – Evilto be punished • Medical institutionsMarginalized in Asylums • IndustrializationInefficientfortheproductionsystem • Market system Cannotmeetadvertisedbeautyimages Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

5. Labeled as Disabled (LAD) NORMS AND DISABILITY Normal  Able bodied • Physical attractiveness, the look, is emphasized in contemporary society (marketablelook?) • Therefore, labeling processbegins, Not Normal  Disabled Weprefer using the term: Labeled as Disabled(LAD) people Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

6. Literature • Leadingfields in disabilityresearch Medicine, health, and public policy. • Medical Model – emphasizingimpairment • Social Model – emphasizingsocialbarriers (e.g. Oliver 1990; Sheakespeareand Watson 2001) • Very limited research on disability in marketingfield. • Focusing on disabilityand LAD peopleMarketers, public policy makers, and marketing scholars may benefit(Baker et al. 2007; Vezina et al. 1995). Canbulut & Atik, 21st Marketing Congress

7. TheoreticalContributions • Considering the lack of research on disability in marketingWe hope to develop an alternative model of disability, which may shed light in improving the QOL of LAD individuals through marketing elements. • We also hope to make contributions on the future of the body. • The study  Emerging market context, Turkey. Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

8. Methodology • Disability  Sensitive topic. • Need a humanistic approach Most of the researches are conducted by able-bodied individuals (top-down); however, we need a deeper and better understanding of LAD individuals’ experiences from their own perspectives. • Qualitative approach  30 semi-structured in-depth interviews. • 12 females and 18 males  17 of the informants had a disability (physical or visual impairment), and 13 were able-bodied, between the ages of 17 and 55, with different social and cultural backgrounds. Canbulut & Atik, 21st Marketing Congress

9. Methodology Two different interview protocols were prepared; • one for LAD individuals  to understand their feelings, thoughts, and experiences. • the other for able-bodied individuals  to understand their attitudes towards disability. ResearcherMurad  Having a LAD sisteris morefamiliarwiththissensitivetopicandabletohave a bottom-upapproach Two different cities of an emerging country, Turkey. • Istanbul (the most populous city) and Izmir (the third most populous city and hometown) BetweenMarch 2014 and September 2015. Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

10. Some Questions for LAD Individuals • Tell me about a positive shopping experience. • Tell me about a negative shopping experience. • Could you please describe an ideal fe/male figure? (Body, personality, fame, or so on). • What do you think about media representations, ideal fe/male figures, or so on? How do you feel when you see these representations? • Tell me about your feelings and experiences when you participate in daily life. • Tell me about a good experience (inclusion, welcome, positive reaction). • Tell me a bad experience (exclusion, negative reaction, discrimination). Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

11. Some Questions for Able-bodied Individuals • Do you have individual disability experience? • Could you tell me an experience with disabled individual? • Have you participated in disability projects? What was the motivation? • Do you have collaborations with associations, governmental individuals, or famous people? • How did the project affect the company’s future plans? (e.g., production of special products, more disabled employment, or so on). Canbulut & Atik, 21st Marketing Congress

12. Findings Canbulut & Atik, 21st Marketing Congress

13. Findings The influence of marketing; Dark Side Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress Bright Side

14. Dark Side of Marketing Setting and imposing the norms • Bodilynorms advertisedbeautyimages • Barriers lack of 4P tailoredfor LAD people • Insufficientproducts • Not-affordableprices • Not convenientplaces • Negativemediaimages • Therefore, helpingtheexclusionprocess • ConsideringLAD people as valuable customer segments with an emphasis on economicdimensions, not humanitarian Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

15. Disabledconsumers’market hasconstraintsin terms of distribution channels, advertisement, and promotion. Imean that we still do not have 4Psservingdisabled consumers. Moreover, marketers do not have knowledge about entering into the little known market of disabled people.They should consider it like entering into a foreign market becausethey are foreigner to that market conditions. (M, 38-LAD-visualimpairment, governmentofficial) Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

16. Modernity standardizes people regardless of their age, income, culture, or so on. The system does not look for solutions forindividual problems, assuming all people love chocolate, hamburger, or cola; people who eat same food, drink same beverages, do same activities, and so on. The modern system does not try to understand differences. Having differences, we (disabled people) do not create problems for humanity; the system creates problems for all people! (Male, 48-LAD-visualimpairment, former MP) Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

17. Bright Side of Marketing Business Life • Social projects carriedoutbyglobal corporations (e.g. Peugeot, Samsung)toincreaseawarenessandacceptance. • Specialized4Ps of marketing. Academia • More humanistic marketing Macromarketing, and TransformativeConsumerResearch(vulnerableconsumers) andISMD. • ISMD  Brand New Journal MGDR!!! Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

18. At the beginning of this project, we did not think about developing a new product or component for disabled individuals. After the project had positive results, the Ministry of Family and Social Policies insisted on us to produce components for disability friendly cars. Also, with this project, we developed disability friendly stores. Any disabled customer can visit one of our distributors without facing any accessibility or communication problems; and then choose the most appropriate car. That’s awesome! (Female, 40-Able-bodied, marketing manager of Peugeot). Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

19. The Macromarketing Model of Disability Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

20. The Future of Body • Alternative modes of life  Postmodern(Firat and Dholakia, 2003). • The advances in prosthetic technology (Siebers 2006). • Prostheses  New body  New bodily norms • New technologies  New computerized aesthetics (e.g., 3D organs with different shapes and tattoos.) • Attractive for able-bodied individuals  More efficient, flexible, faster, and more aesthetical human Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

21. FutureResearch • LAD people are among one of the most numerous minorities, • A woman, a poor person, a person from a different religion or cultural background may experience difficulties and isolation. • Taking into consideration all of these, the experience of being from multiple minority groups and improving the QOL need further research. Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

22. FutureResearch • Individuals with physical impairments  participate in daily life and make their own decisions on what to wear, eat or do. • Mentally disabledpeople  cannot make their own decisions, fully dependent on their families or take carers. • How the families decide on the consumption practices of the mentally disabled individuals? • Civil war in Syria, millions of people leave their homes and flee abroad to survive some groups issued a fatwa to exterminate LAD children. Being both a refugee and LAD person may be explored. Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress

23. Thank you for listening! Any questions/comments? Canbulut & Atik 21st Marketing Congress