Understood.org and Kantar Provide New Insight into Impact of Individuals with Learning and Thinking Differences

This joint initiative creates a guide for brands and businesses to enhance inclusivity by integrating the unique experience of these populations, particularly those with compounded marginalized identities, into research.

NEW YORK and LONDON, Aug. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Understood.org, the leading nonprofit dedicated to supporting the 70 million people in the United States with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia, announced its partnership with Kantar, the world's leading marketing data and analytics business and indispensable brand partner to 96 of the world's 100 biggest advertisers. According to Understood.org's Neurodiversity and Social Media Study, nearly 60% of Americans say they don't have a clear understanding of what learning and thinking differences are. The partnership will generate insights for people, brands and businesses on how to create more inclusive, impactful experiences, campaigns and policies for people with learning and thinking differences, through research that focuses on and incorporates the historically underserved demographic of people with learning and thinking differences. Reports include Kantar GLOBAL MONITOR, US MONITOR, and the Global Brand Inclusion Index.

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This work comes at a critical point in time, where the number of people with learning and thinking differences is growing, yet businesses have little to no insight into their lived experiences. Kantar finds that globally, 11% of the population reports having a thinking or learning difference that might impact reading, writing, focus, math, or communicating with other people (Kantar Global MONITOR June 2024). When looking at the experiences of this group, Kantar's U.S. Brand Inclusion Index 2024 finds that the vast majority – 82% -- have experienced discrimination in the last year; the reasons vary from their age to their gender to their mental or physical abilities. This is twice the total population's incidence and the highest of any other group with a sample big enough to report. Further outlining the risk to brands, Kantar finds 58% of discrimination experiences took place at a commercial location, such as while shopping, at a restaurant, hotel, or other hospitality place, or other business environments in 2024. 

"Clearly, we all could be doing more to create fair and positive experiences for all people, in particular individuals with learning and thinking differences and various accessibility needs," said Valeria Piaggio, Global Head of DEI, Kantar, "This demographic is often forgotten, but that's not only wrong from a human standpoint, it's wrong from a business perspective. We know this community is growing, and it's influential with $1.9 trillion in annual disposable income globally."

"That's why I couldn't be more excited about our partnership with Understood.org, which will help brands better understand how to reduce stigma, drive advocacy, and create safe and welcoming experiences for this powerful consumer audience."

The partnership's main goal is to evolve the way in which research is conducted about people's identity, identifying respondents with thinking and learning differences, and providing accessibility accommodations in the studies. The organizations' work together has already resulted in the inclusion of new custom questions in upcoming Kantar studies, including the Brand Inclusion Index and MONITOR reports.

Over the next few months, Kantar and Understood.org will also be releasing:

• Global MONITOR findings regarding the consumer experience of the global community of people with disabilities, including recommendations for how brands and organizations can better support them and the demographic's prevalence by market and the potentially unique experiences and desires of those with learning and thinking differences across categories & services (Fall 2024).
• In-depth data on the intersectional identities of those with learning and thinking differences in the US, made possible by robust sample sizes of 11,000+ in Kantar's US MONITOR data. This report will showcase the intersectional identities of people with learning and thinking differences across gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and other cross-demographics, and outline how brand considerations across innovation, marketing and hiring efforts (Fall 2024).
• An additional chapter in Kantar's Global Brand Inclusion Index, featuring insights on how people with learning and thinking differences rate brands for inclusivity and identify and celebrate the brands who are leading the charge.

"Gaining insights into the lived experiences of people who learn and think differently is crucial, as they represent a large market segment that is overlooked and underestimated," said Nathan Friedman, Understood.org's co-president and chief marketing officer. "This partnership will infuse accessibility into research, spurring brands to engage this significant consumer segment to foster revenue growth and brand loyalty while raising global awareness for neurodiverse people"

For more information on this research and to learn about the accessible opportunities for your brand, contact Kantar here: https://www.kantar.com/north-america/contact

About Understood.org

Understood.org is a nonprofit focused on shaping the world for difference. We raise awareness of the challenges, skills, and strengths of people who learn and think differently. Our resources help people navigate challenges, gain confidence, and find support and community so they can thrive. Together, we can build a world where everyone can reach their full potential. Understood.org is a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in New York. For more information, to donate, or to partner with us, visit u.org/media and follow us @UnderstoodOrg.

About Kantar

Kantar is the world's leading marketing data and analytics business and an indispensable brand partner to the world's top companies, including 96 of the world's 100 biggest advertisers.

We have a complete, unique and rounded understanding of people around the world: how they think, feel and act, globally and locally in over 90 markets.

We don't just help clients understand what's happened, we tell them why and how they can shape the future.

https://www.kantar.com/

SOURCE Understood