Inclusive Advertising through the Soundtrack: Insights from People with Visual Impairments
Article Sidebar
134)
Main Article Content
Authors
Abstract
264
Today’s audiovisual advertising is heard more than seen, as many viewers feel overloaded with visual information or engage in multitasking while viewing. The fact that many viewers are not watching the screen is a problem that should concern the entire advertising industry. Are there technological solutions that enable us to hear what we do not see? Audio description (AD) is an established option in the field of visual impairment, but is it the only option to make advertising accessible to people who are not looking at the images? This study considers these questions, applying a methodology based on Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) and combining Grounded Theory and the focus group model as a data collection technique. Three focus groups ⎼two comprising people with a visual disability and the third made up of people without one explored the question of whether contemporary advertising has been drifting towards an exclusion of spectators with visual impairment. Participant responses were split between the view that commercials should incorporate AD but with clear improvements that take viewer opinion into account and the belief that advertising should return to its origins and make its soundtrack more explicit, perhaps rendering AD unnecessary.
Keywords
References
ACB-American Council of the Blind. (2013). The Audio Description Project. Accessed June 11, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.acb.org/
ATLAS.ti. (2020). What is ATLAS.ti? Scientific Software Development GmbH. Retrieved from https://atlasti.com/product/what-is-atlas-ti/
Bigby Ch., Frawley, P. & Ramcharan, P. (2014). Conceptualizing Inclusive Research with People with Intellectual Disability. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 27, 3-12. https://www.doi.org/10.1111/jar.12083
Bolt, D. (2013). Aesthetic blindness: Symbolism, realism, and reality. Mosaic: A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature, 46(3), 93-108.
Bolt, D. (2014). An advertising aesthetic: Real beauty and visual impairment. British Journal of Visual Impairment, 32(1), 25-32.
Charlson, K. (2021). Commercials with Audio Description: It’s About Time People Who Are Blind Are Considered within the Advertising Dollar. American Council of the Blind. Accessed May 4, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.acb.org/commercials-audio-description
Charmaz, K. (2000). Grounded Theory: objectivist & constructivist methods. In N. Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research (pp. 509-535). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Chion M. (1994). Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen. New York: Columbia University Press.
Coffey, A. J. & Atkinson, P. A. (1996). Making sense of qualitative data: complementary research strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Cumberbatch, G. & Negrine, R. M. (1992). Images of disability on television. London: Routledge.
Curry, L. (2015). Fundamentals of Qualitative Research Methods: Focus Groups (Module 4). Yale University. Accessed September 2, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCAPz14yjd4.
Davis, J. J. (2003). The Accessibility Divide: The Visually-Impaired and Access to Online News. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 47(3), 474-81.
Deighton, K. (2020). The voice of blind people hasn’t been heard: inside the fight for audio-described ads. The Drum. Accessed April 10, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.thedrum.com/news/2020/01/17/the-voice-blind-people-hasnt-been-heard-inside-the-fight-audio-described-ads
Díaz-Cintas, J. (2010). La accesibilidad a los medios de comunicación audiovisual a través del subtitulado y de la audiodescripción. Cooperación y diálogo, 157-180. Madrid: Instituto Cervantes.
Dodds, S. et al. (2022). Blended human-technology service realities in healthcare. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 32(1), 75-99. https://www.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-12-2020-0285
Eliot and Associates (2005). Guidelines for conducting a focus group, by Eliot and Associates. Accessed September 5, 2021. Retrieved from https://datainnovationproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/4_How_to_Conduct_a_Focus_Group-2-1.pdf
Ellis, K. & Kent, M. (2015). Accessible television: The new frontier in disability media studies brings together industry innovation, government legislation and online activism. First Monday, 20(9). https://www.doi.org/10.5210/fm.v20i9.6170
Fletcher-Brown, J. et al. (2021). Vulnerable consumer engagement: How corporate social media can facilitate the replenishment of depleted resources. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 38(2), 518-529. https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2020.06.002
Glaser, B. G. & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Strategies for Qualitative Research. Chicago: Aldine.
Greenbaum, T. L. (1988). The Practical Handbook and Guide to Focus Group Research. Lexington, MA.: Lexington Books.
Haller, B. & Ralph, S. (2001). Profitability, diversity and disability: Images in advertising in the United States of America and Great Britain. Disability Studies Quarterly, 21(2). https://www.doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v21i2
Haller, B. & Ralph, S. (2006). Are disability images in advertising becoming bold and daring? An analysis of prominent themes in US and UK campaigns. Disability Studies Quarterly, 26(3). https://www.doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v26i3.716
Harsch, C. (2018). Radio Advertising. Why radio commercials are more effective than advertisers think. Verlag: GRIN.
Kaufman-Scarborough, C. (2001). Accessible advertising for visually‐disabled persons: the case of color‐deficient consumers. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 18(4), 303-318. https://www.doi.org/10.1108/07363760110392985
Kaufman-Scarborough, C. & Childers, T. L. (2009). Understanding Markets as Online Public Places: Insights from Consumers with Visual Impairments. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 28(1), 16-28. https://www.doi.org/10.1509/jppm.28.1.16
Krueger, R. A. & Casey, M. A. (2000). Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research. Third Edition. London: Sage.
Kuhn, G. (2018). What is the Best Length for a Focus Group? Accessed December 18, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.driveresearch.com/market-research-company-blog/what-is-the-best-length-for-a-focus-group-qualitative-research-firm/
Kuyucu, M. (2019). The Fundamentals of Radio Advertising. In book The Media Studies-2- Global Radio-TV- Journalism and Online Media Studies. Editors M. Kuyucu. İstanbul: Zinde Yayıncılık.
Martín, J. D., Reinares, E. & Muela, C. (2015). Music in radio advertising: Effects on radio spokesperson credibility and advertising effectiveness. Psychology of Music, 43(6), 763-778. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/0305735614567701
Morgan, D. L. (1996). Focus Groups. Annual Review of Sociology, 22, 129-152.
Nenegroo, A. S. & Kuppusamy, K. S. (2019). Advertisements or adverse-tisements?’An accessibility barrier for persons with visual impairments. The Computer Journal, 62(6), 855-868. https://www.doi.org/10.1093/comjnl/bxy104
Nind, M. (2017) The practical wisdom of inclusive research. Qualitative research, 17(3), 278-288. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/14687941177081
Oakes, S. (2007). Evaluating Empirical Research into Music in Advertising: A Congruity Perspective. Journal of Advertising Research, 47(1), 38-50.
Oliver, M. (1996). Understanding Disability: from Theory to Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Press. Retrieved from https://www.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-24269-6_3
Olson, C. (2019). How to make your content more accessible to the visually impaired. Martech. Accessed June 11, 2020. Retrieved from https://martech.org/how-to-make-your-content-more-accessible-to-the-visually-impaired/
Orero P., Pereira, A. M. & Utray, F. (2007). Visión histórica de la accesibilidad en los medios en España. Dossier, 31-43. https://www.doi.org/10.24310/TRANS.2007.v0i11.3096
Orero, P. (2012). Audio Description Behaviour: Universals, Regularities and Guidelines. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 17(2), 195-202.
Rennie, D. L. (2000). Grounded Theory methodology as methodical hermeneutics. Reconciling realism and relativism. Theory & Psychology, 10(4), 481-502. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/0959354300104003
RNIB. (2021). Making TV ads for people with sight loss. Accessed October 8, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/sight-loss-advice/reading-home-and-leisure/television-radio-and-film/television-radio-and-film-news/making-tv-ads-accessible-people-sight-loss
Robare, J. S. (2011). Television for All: Increasing Television Accessibility for the Visually Impaired Through the FCC’s Ability to Regulate Video Description Technology. Federal Communications Law Journal, 63(2), Article 10. Retrieved from https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/fclj/vol63/iss2/10
Romero-Fresco, P. (2013). Accessible filmmaking: Joining the dots between audiovisual translation, accessibility and filmmaking. The Journal of Specialised Translation, 20, 201-223. Accessed 9 April, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.jostrans.org/issue20/art_romero.php
Scott, J. A & Cloud, N. E. (2008). Reaffirming the ideal: A focus group analysis of the campaign for real beauty. Advertising & Society Review, 9(4). https://www.doi.org/10.1353/asr.0.0012
Smithson, J. (2000). Using and analysing focus groups: limitations and possibilities. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 3(2), 103-119. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/136455700405172
Stewart, D. W. & Shamdasani, P. N. (2015). Focus groups: Theory and practice. London: Sage.
Strauss, A. L. & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. London: Sage.
Teixeira, T. S. (2015). When People Pay Attention to Video Ads and Why. Harvard Business Review Oct 14, 2015. Accessed July 19, 2021. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2015/10/when-people-pay-attention-to-video-ads-and-why
Thomas, L. (2001). Disability is not so beautiful: A semiotic analysis of advertising for rehabilitation goods. Disability Studies Quarterly, 21(2). https://www.doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v21i2
Thompson, D. R. & Wassmuth, B. L. (2001). Accessibility of online advertising: A content analysis of alternative text for banner ad images in online newspapers. Disability Studies Quarterly, 21(2). https://www.doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v21i2.281
UN-United Nations. (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Accessed June 14, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/convention/convoptprot-e.pdf
Vázquez, A. (2019). Audiodescripción: norma y experiencia. Madrid: Tragacanto.
WHO-World Health Organization. (2021). Blindness and vision impairment. Accessed December 19, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment
Wimmer, R. D. & Dominick, J. R. (2014). Mass Media Research: An Introduction (10th ed.) Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Details
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
RIGHTS TRANSFER
By submitting the article for evaluation and subsequent publication in Communication & Society, the AUTHOR exclusively assigns the rights of public communication, reproduction, distribution and sale for commercial exploitation to the University of Navarra through its Publications Service, for the maximum legal term in force -the entire life of the author and seventy years after his death or declaration of death-, in any country, and in any of the current and future edition modalities, both in print and electronic versions.
In the event that the article is not accepted for publication , this transfer of rights lapses with the communication of the refusal to the AUTHOR.
The AUTHOR affirms that the article is unpublished, that it has not been sent simultaneously to another publication medium and that the rights have not been transferred exclusively previously. He is responsible to the University of Navarra through its Publications Service for the authorship and originality of his work, as well as for all pecuniary charges that may arise for the University of Navarra through its Publications Service, in favor of third parties due to actions, claims or conflicts arising from the breach of obligations by the AUTHOR.
