Are we missing something with neurodivergence?

Opinion

Neurodivergence can unlock opportunities to improve advertising relevance and effectiveness. Here’s where we can start.

UK businesses are leaving £2bn on the table every single month by failing to connect with disabled consumers. And within that staggering figure lies an even more overlooked opportunity: the neurodivergent market.

More than one in five potential UK consumers have a disability and a significant portion of them are neurodivergent (20%). As an industry obsessed with the psychology of human behaviour, are we missing this crucial piece of the puzzle?

We often hear the term “neurodiversity”, a broad umbrella acknowledging the natural spectrum of human brain function. But “neurodivergence” recognises that it’s not just about variation; it’s about difference.

Unlocking effectiveness

It’s glaringly obvious that there’s a gap in our understanding of how neurodivergence intersects with advertising effectiveness. Neurodivergence is a delicate and rightfully protected characteristic, but this doesn’t mean we should shy away from crucial research and measurement.

We’ve seen some progress with data on ethnic diversity appearing in tools like YouGov, thanks to the efforts of Wavemaker and brands like Nationwide championing diversity, and improvements in the authentic representation of disability among influencer campaigns, thanks in parts to agencies such as Purple Goat.

But when it comes to neurodivergence and advertising, the conversation is still in its infancy.

You’d think an industry built on understanding the human mind would be leading the charge in engaging with neurodivergence, right? Wrong. The data reveals a painful truth: the media and communications industry under-indexes for neurodivergent employees. We’re lagging sectors like technology and finance. Clearly, we need to practise what we preach.

While we might champion neurodiversity inclusion in our workforces, making progress in recruitment and company culture, we’re yet to truly explore how these very advantages might impact how advertising works on neurodivergent consumers. We’re stuck on stereotypes and narratives of adaptation and correction.

I’m convinced that neurodivergence can unlock new and interesting opportunities to improve advertising relevance and, in return, effectiveness.

Harnessing unique strengths

After months of digging through research papers and talking to industry leaders, I found only two relevant studies that have so far explored this rich topic.

One study found unique differences in attention and emotional responses to the same ads between neurotypical individuals and those with autism — even discovering a propensity for those with autism to respond better to shorter ads.

Think about the implications for increasing relevance through better alignment of ad and audience, and the positive implications this may have for TV adspend!

Another study revealed that individuals with ADHD are more engaged by advertising than neurotypical individuals, particularly when it highlights convenience and attractiveness. Hello, targeted messaging and reduced effective frequency levels!

These studies are just the tip of the iceberg. They scream for a deeper understanding of how neurodivergence influences consumer behaviour and advertising effectiveness.

We need to shift from simply adapting and accommodating neurodivergent needs to strategically harnessing the unique strengths of neurodivergent consumers when designing advertising campaigns.

What we can do

So what can we do?

Address the blindspot: Integrate neurodivergence into all measurement tools, especially brand and ad tracking. Without this data, we’re missing crucial insight around how different audiences process the information we’re communicating — missing optimisation opportunities and potentially wasting resources.

Know the numbers: Quantify the neurodiverse segment of your audience and whether your brand over-indexes towards certain individuals. If you don’t know how many you’re talking to, you could inadvertently be leaving value on the table. Size the risk and the potential opportunity.

Challenge the narrative: Become an ally for a new conversation. Use available research to challenge conventional thinking and promote ethical, effective ways to engage both neurotypical and neurodivergent communities.

I would challenge researchers, practitioners and industry stakeholders to be curious about understanding how neurodivergence influences consumer behaviour — and welcome the opportunity to work with any interested parties in furthering the industry’s knowledge in this area.

With 20% of the UK population identifying as neurodiverse, the time to act is now. Let’s stop treating neurodivergence as a box to tick and start seeing it as a strategic advantage. The future of advertising depends on it.

Cameron Davies is planning partner at Wavemaker