Fashion brands gain edge by embracing disability representation
by National University of Singapore
edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Andrew Zinin
When featuring models with disabilities in advertising, brands walk a fine line—how should they convey a message of inclusivity without coming across as exploitative and insensitive? The underrepresentation of people with disabilities in media adds to the challenge, as little is known about the factors influencing how different portrayals are received by consumers.
A recent series of studies led by Assistant Professor Jane Jiaqian Wang at NUS Business School offers some guidance on embracing inclusive marketing. It found that disability representation in fashion advertisements can boost brand image and advertising impact, but that timing and authenticity play important roles in shaping consumer perceptions.
In the paper “Does Featuring People with Disabilities Help or Hurt Fashion Marketing Effectiveness?” published online in the Journal of Marketing Research in December 2024, the researchers noted that people with disabilities seldom appear in fashion marketing despite making up 16% of the global population. Correspondingly, the existing literature on how disability representation influences marketing effectiveness is limited, and the effectiveness of past campaigns is even contradictory at times.
To examine the impact of disability representation in marketing more systematically, the researchers conducted a field study in the form of an advertising campaign involving more than 4,000 users on Facebook, followed by a series of controlled lab experiments with more than 2,000 participants.
In the Facebook study, participants were shown one of two versions of an advertisement, featuring a model without visible disability and a model with a prosthetic leg respectively. They engaged more actively with the advertisement featuring the model with a prosthetic leg, which achieved approximately 60% higher click-through rates and 28% lower cost-per-click than the version without disability representation.
The presence of a visible disability in the advertisements also enhanced the brand’s overall image on two measures: warmth, or the perceived good intentions of the brand, and coolness, in the sense of being distinctive and unconventional. Brands that featured models with disabilities were rated as warmer and more distinctive, with participants viewing the disability representation as a signal of goodwill and deviance from industry norms.
“When advertisements feature individuals with disabilities, consumers are more likely to perceive the brands as compassionate and unconventional,” said Asst Prof Wang. “Importantly, this deviation from the norm is beneficial, as it supports inclusivity and promotes positive portrayals of the community. As a result, this departure from the norm contributes to a brand’s perceived distinctness.”
However, a key difference was observed in the studies where participants were given additional context about the circumstances of the brands behind the advertisements. Participants gave higher ratings for brand warmth and coolness to a brand when the brand’s inclusivity initiative and advertisements were presented without additional context, and they rated a brand lower when they were told the inclusivity initiative was launched following public backlash against the brand’s body-shaming conduct.
The same effect was observed when a brand was described as a first mover or a follower of other companies’ lead in featuring models with disabilities, with first movers rated higher than followers.
“Consumers tend to reward brands that take an authentic and proactive approach to disability representation,” Asst Prof Wang said. “To avoid accusations of insincerity or tokenism, companies must demonstrate a sustained and substantial commitment to inclusivity, such as investing in the design of adaptive clothing or having meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities in their marketing efforts.”
The researchers also compared disability representation with plus-size representation to examine the impact of different inclusivity efforts in advertising, and found that disability representation increased marketing effectiveness, brand warmth, and coolness while plus-size representation did not significantly differ from featuring straight-size models with no visible disabilities. The results indicate that disability representation is more effective than plus-size representation for building a stronger brand image.
Importantly, the study also highlights that different body inclusivity or diversity initiatives have nuanced differences. Marketers should not treat all forms of inclusivity as interchangeable but rather tailor their strategies to reflect the unique perceptions and impacts associated with each type of representation.
The research shows that disability representation in fashion advertising can be a strategic advantage for brands in a competitive marketplace, provided the brands demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity in other aspects of the business. By incorporating disability representation thoughtfully and authentically, fashion brands can forge a stronger connection with consumers while advancing social good.