Purple Tuesday celebrates another year on the 12th of November, 2019
What is Purple Tuesday?
Purple Tuesday is a day when businesses are encouraged to think about how they serve disabled customers.
Despite being relatively new, it is gaining real traction.
You could almost describe it as a movement. In our history, there have been many notable people-led movements. Those with a clear vision of what the world should look like; Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King.
When a business is values-led, it can have a similar level of impact.
How to be even more relevant
Purple Tuesday focuses on a wider range of disabled customers. This can, in my view, dilute the message.
You need to get under the customer’s skin to have a real impact. Behave in a way that shows that you really understand them.
There are awareness days dedicated to each individual disability throughout the year.
Deaf Awareness Week is celebrated annually in May.
Running promotional activities on this date would be far more relevant to deaf customers. The same would be true of other groups of disabled customers.
This is because you are communicating directly with a specific customer.
Deaf Awareness Week is led by a Charity called UK Council on Deafness (UKCoD) and is supported by other deaf charities.
Purple Tuesday would not be recognised by deaf people, whereas the deaf community celebrates Deaf Awareness Week.
A great example of practice
A business that chose to take advantage of this time was Aldi. The advert featured Aldi fish fingers with the storyline of a Deaf mother and daughter (Maisie Sly).
This was launched during Deaf Awareness Week last year and is a really fantastic example of what can be achieved:
Take a look at the advert here.
The deaf awareness week is a great opportunity for businesses to promote how they serve the 11 million people in the UK who are deaf or have hearing loss.
This type of promotional activity could happen on Purple Tuesday. But makes a much bigger impact when delivered on a culturally relevant and celebrated day.
All your marketing is true – the more targeted, the more relevant.
