Upson Regional Elevator Wrap

It’s a Wrap! Putting your Brand to Work for You

by AdvertisingBrandingRecruitment AdvertisingUncategorized

What do you think of when you think about advertising? Clients frequently think narrowly of a limited range of options. One of the reasons that I love what I do is the constant variety.  Every touchpoint with your customer or job candidate leaves a lasting impression. You should be reinforcing mission, vision, and values at every opportunity.

Over the years, we’ve helped clients tell their story on billboards, movie theatre screens, mall food court tables, coffee sleeves, t-shirts, banners on the front of buildings, shuttle buses wraps, computer screensavers, custom coins and holiday ornaments, just to name a few.

Shuttle Bus Wraps
Honor Health

 

 

Elevator Wraps

So, when Upson Regional Medical Center asked for help in identifying a vendor to help wrap the elevator doors in their hospital, we were ready. They wanted to share a safety guideline limiting the number of passengers in the elevators combined with a message reinforcing their commitment to caring for their community.

After presenting several design options, the client unanimously selected one design that featured four stock images of medical professionals. The client asked us to swap in their own employees and we were well on our way.

We faced an added challenge with the location of the hospital, which is approximately 70 miles from Atlanta in Central Georgia. We contacted vendors within a reasonable radius and carefully evaluated proposals, ensuring reasonable investment, quality job and ease of removal when the time comes. The client had 34 doors to be wrapped and we wanted to ensure it was done properly.

I am thrilled to say that installation was completed in one day with minimal interruption and the client was very pleased with the result, showing it off on social media the same day.

 

 

 

tiktok

Can Microsoft save TikTok?

by AdvertisingMobile AdvertisingSocial Media

tiktokTikTok is relatively new to the social media landscape. And it could be gone next month.

The US government recently gave the Chinese internet company ByteDance 45 days to sell TikTok or the app will be banned in the United States. Microsoft is negotiating to purchase the app, but serious competitors are moving in to steal its audience.

TikTok has been under scrutiny in the U.S. and around the world for months now over concerns that the Chinese government can access its user data.

India banned TikTok at the end of June, citing data security concerns. This was a massive blow, as India’s 200 million users were the company’s largest market outside of China. The app was banned on many U.S. government smartphones in 2019, and in early July, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the U.S. was considering banning the app.

In late July, President Trump’s reelection campaign started running ads against TikTok on Instagram and Facebook. The ads state, “TikTok is spying on you,” and “WARNING: China is spying on you.” They lead viewers to a petition to ban the platform in the United States.

However, TikTok reportedly has more than 100 million U.S. users. Banning the app might result in anger toward the administration ahead of the presidential election. Allowing a company like Microsoft to purchase the app might be a win-win for the administration and for TikTok.

Such an acquisition would make Microsoft a major competitor in the social media market. Microsoft already owns LinkedIn and Xbox, but does not have a service that can compete with Facebook, Snapchat, or Twitter.

TikTok also recently launched TikTok for Business to increase the app’s appeal to advertisers. And if Microsoft successfully purchases the app, it could secure TikTok as a key platform for advertisers to reach young people.

Though Microsoft might keep the app in the United States, scores of TikTok creators and users have already left the app and found alternatives.

One rival, Triller, recently passed TikTok and Snapchat in the app stores. TikTok stars with tens of millions of followers have migrated to Triller. Many celebrities such as Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, and Eminem have used the app to spread their music.  Triller has also raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors. The company plans to use these funds to boost its marketing, improve its platform, and entice TikTok influencers to join the app.

Meanwhile, Byte, a new app by one of the creators of Vine, has seen a surge in downloads. On July 9, Byte passed TikTok in the Apple App Store, with 622,000 installations.  The app’s audience is mostly Millennials and members of Gen Z who are fans of Vine, but it is also gaining users at TikTok’s expense. Dom Hofmann, Byte’s creator and one of the founders of Vine, aims to avoid the pitfalls that led to Vine’s demise in 2016. This includes ensuring that revenue is shared with content creators on the app.  Byte lacks many of the features of TikTok, although the company has announced new updates which will give its users more options.

Both Byte and Triller’s downloads spiked at the end of July but their audiences are still far smaller than TikTok’s 800 million users. However, there is a TikTok competitor that already has a large audience: Facebook.

Facebook plans to compete in this arena with its new Instagram Reels. Unlike Byte, which emulates Vine, Instagram Reels will be more like a copy of TikTok.

Facebook plans to release Reels in the U.S. in early August. The company has already tested the feature in India, France, and Germany. On July 20, The Economic Times reported that Facebook signed a licensing agreement with the Indian Performing Rights Society. This will give Facebook and Instagram users access to music they can incorporate into videos they create on the platforms.

If Reels takes any substantial share of TikTok’s market, it will strengthen Facebook’s dominance over social media’s largest and most diverse audiences. For marketers, this would be another reason to invest in social media and digital advertising on Facebook’s platforms.

It’s still uncertain whether Facebook, Byte, or Triller will successfully topple TikTok, especially if Microsoft successfully acquires it. Marketers and advertisers should follow these companies to ensure they effectively reach young audiences.

 

James Neidhardt is currently a member of the SCG’s Amplify Team.

 

Colleges and Universities Scramble To Minimize Financial Losses

by AdvertisingEducationMarketing

Colleges and Universities

College enrollments have been steady.
Then, came the virus.

 

Our nation’s colleges and universities are suffering deep financial wounds as the COVID-19 pandemic enters its sixth month. The devastating results show institutions scrambling to thwart large financial losses and even for some small colleges the possibility of closing.

How large are the losses facing higher education? An ABC News report showed unthinkable numbers. University of Michigan’s three campuses, for example, will see $400 million to $1 billion in losses, while California’s university system lost $558 million in March alone. A major portion of the losses to date stems from rebates on meal and housing that was unused due to campus closings.

 

So, going forward, it will be more important than ever for schools to focus on capturing a larger market share – getting a larger slice of a shrinking pie. Fortunately, despite a decline in the college-age population nationwide, college enrollments were at least remaining steady.

 

Statista, a leading provider of market and consumer data, showed public and private college enrollments have hovered around the 20 million mark since 2015. The year 2015 showed 19.99M while 2020 was forecast slightly lower at 19.75M.

 

However, that was before the COVID-19 Pandemic struck and drastically changed the college experience.  Sadly, The American Council on Education estimates a 15% drop in fall enrollments costing colleges and universities $23 billion in lost revenue.

 

Even more daunting, SimpsonScarborough, a higher education research and marketing company, is predicting a 20% loss in enrollment based on a survey of 2,000 college-bound high school seniors and current college students in March.

 

Finally, as students are preparing to go to college (or not), admissions professionals are doing a variety of things to keep their enrollments up.

Here are a few:

  •      Extending acceptance deadline
  •      Waiving deposits
  •      Early access to the waitlist
  •      Insurance against dropping enrollment

 

There’s so much more to this dynamic situation. As the difficulty in attracting a larger number of potential students climbs, it would be wise to have a partner with experience in the higher education market. If you are an Admissions professional, SCG would like to continue the discussion with you.

 

 

 

Tobi Matthews

Tobi Matthews joins SCG Advertising + Public Relations

by AdvertisingSCG News

Contacts:

Kurt Praschak / kpraschak@successcomgroup.com / 973.992-7800, x.289

Alexa Cangialosi / acangialosi@successcomgroup.com / 973.992-7800, x.172

 

Stratford, CT resident appointed director of new business development

by New Jersey-based communications agency 

Tobi Matthews joins SCG Advertising + Public Relations

 

Tobi Matthews

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Click here for high-resolution image)

 

PARSIPPANY, NJ (June 25, 2020) – Stratford, CT resident Tobi Matthews has been appointed director of new business development by SCG Advertising + Public Relations, a full-service communications agency based in Parsippany, NJ. In her new role, Matthews is focused on developing client relationships, with an emphasis on consumer marketing.

 

Matthews joins SCG with more than two decades of advertising and promotional experience in the consumer packaged goods arena. In supporting a wide array of leading brands, she has been particularly active in branding and shopper marketing initiatives.

 

“Tobi’s background in cultivating new business relationships is an impressive one, and we’re excited she has joined our team,” says SCG Advertising + Public Relations Vice President / Creative Director Tom Marguccio. “As an agency, we pride ourselves in providing a wealth of different communication service to clients in many sectors, and I’m confident Tobi will help us to further broaden the range of clients we serve.”

 

A graduate of Post University with an MBA in marketing, Matthews also holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Post.

 

About SCG Advertising + Public Relations

Founded more than half a century ago, SCG (Success Communications Group) provides 21st-century communication services highlighted by creativity, passion, and innovation. With specific expertise in advertising, marketing, public relations, social media, digital marketing, and recruitment, SCG is headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, with regional offices in the metro areas of Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Diego, and Tampa.

Additional information is available at www.scgadv.com, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

 

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A Blueprint for Mitigating Dis-information

by AdvertisingMarketingPublic Relations
Mitigating Dis-information
Click for pdf version.

From the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, public health officials at all levels were quick to identify mis- and dis-information as legitimate threats to public health. Several utilized the term “infodemic” to illustrate how the spread of false information was akin to the spread of the actual virus. Given the media landscape and our hyper-connectivity via social, digital, and mobile media, the analogy is entirely appropriate.

 

The pandemic – along with sophisticated information warfare campaigns by foreign actors like Russia and China — has helped shine an important light on the considerable dangers associated with the spread of false information. These include mis-, dis-, and mal-information, as well as conspiracies; they’re not new and the threats they pose will outlive the pandemic. Our upcoming election is sure to amplify the problem. Though mis-, dis-, and mal-information are all related to the spread of harmful information, they each are separate and distinct. However, each serves to undermine trust, erode communication channels, and significantly disrupt our democracy, economy, workplaces, and communities. Basically, they attack our entire way of life.

 

  • Mis-information is false information, though not created with negative intent
  • Dis-information is false information specifically created to harm a person or group
  • Mal-information is information based on reality, but used to inflict harm on a person or group

 

While these threats and their proliferation are well-studied and defined, there isn’t a clear consensus on how to address them most effectively. Organized and proactive disinformation campaigns typically involve detailed research, planning, and targeting. Further, all forms of mis-, dis-, and mal-information – even the basic rumor mill – include a process of seeding, sharing, and amplification. These various phases represent ideal opportunities for mitigation and management.

 

Just as viruses constantly mutate, so does disinformation. Sources and breeding grounds range from geopolitical rivals to a former employee with an ax to grind, and from those with complex motives to those simply looking for a malevolent adrenalin rush.

 

Government and media reform are essential … but they’re not assured. So, organizations and individuals must identify tools and tactics independent of institutional change. Further, the actions of individuals are essential elements in the proliferation of all forms of false information and so must necessarily be the centerpiece of any mitigation plan.

 

Leaders of organizations, and others specifically tasked with addressing false information — including public relations professionals, human resource professionals, and lawyers – need to look beyond their traditional “toolboxes” and consider new mitigation tactics based on the behavioral sciences. As noted by Edward Bernays, father of public relations and nephew of Sigmund Freud, those who understand the group mind are able to manipulate behavior … without those who are being manipulated even realizing it.

 

When information “tastes good” and is repeated with sufficient frequency, some will believe it – regardless of whether it’s accurate. Those tasked with dealing with mis-, dis-, and mal-information must have a thorough understanding of these illusory effects if they wish to successfully mitigate and manage.

 

Tools and Tactics for Organizations

 

Foundational Elements

  • Understand the source. A long, complex list of behavioral, political, economic, communication, and media issues impact the formation and proliferation of dis-information.

 

Key Elements Organizations Must Consider

  • Ability and motivation to understand, prepare, and plan for the threat will ultimately define successful mitigation.
  • Understanding the value of the organization’s intangible assets, like reputation, trust, and brand, will impact mitigation. Trusted organizations with strong reputations generally have the durability and resilience to resist attack, thanks to their intangibles.

 

Essential Tools for Mitigating Dis-information

  • Real-time listening and monitoring to quickly identifying false or misleading information.
  • Robust communication infrastructure, processes, and channels, along with skillful professional counsel and support.
  • Firmly established codes of ethics and a commitment to transparency.

 

Tactics for Mitigating Dis-information

  • Organizations should use their voice and proactively encourage key publics to pause, even briefly, to consider and/or verify the credibility of information before sharing it via social media. Akin to a public service announcement, organizations should simply remind people to “Take 5 ” before sharing. In addition, social media channels like Facebook and Twitter might consider specific, “pause to consider” messaging.
  • Message intervention through pre-bunking, attitude inoculation, de-bunking, and fact-checking.  While widely used, fact-checking simply can’t keep up with the volume of disinformation. Pre-bunking and attitude inoculation are shown to be effective at building immunity and reducing susceptibility to dis-information. De-bunking and fact-checking should utilize detailed messaging to counter false claims.
  • Continued use and development of the online gaming tool Bad News, which has proven effective at inoculating players against fake news and mis-information. 
  • Activate credibility boosters like partnerships with trusted third parties, community relations efforts, and thought-leadership programs that enhance credibility and increase resilience in the face of an attack.
  • Messaging that is clear, consistent, and concise, and which incorporates stories and visuals. Be mindful not to highlight false claims and consider using the “truth sandwich” – begin and end with the truth and avoid overemphasizing the falsehood (never share false claims without clarification). And, because voids of information provide an opportunity for disinformation, limit voids.
  • Particularly when dealing with more susceptible publics, activate and support recognized media literacy programs to help create a less fertile environment for dis-information campaigns.

 

Limiting the spread of misinformation, through pre-bunking and other measures, also helps decrease exposure to dubious claims at the core of many conspiracy theories.

 

The potential results of a successful mitigation effort are many, and the ultimate goal is enabling key publics to make more informed decisions.  This said, organizations need to recognize that there are limitations to what can be accomplished. Total elimination of all sources and adversaries isn’t plausible.

 

No matter their mission or size, organizations are potential victims of dis-information, either by a direct attack or a shockwave from larger attacks. As the keeper of intangible assets, public relations professionals – especially those who understand the entire paid, earned, shared, and owned media environment – are ideally positioned to direct planning and mitigation efforts.

 

# # #

 

 

Click here for a pdf copy of the infographic above

Click here for a jpeg of the infographic above

 

 

All Levels Of Education Sector Must Invest In Relationships, Reputation To Battle Coronavirus Disruption

by AdvertisingBrandingCommunity AwarenessEducationHuman ResourcesPublic Relations
The loss of life – as well as health and safety issues – remains the primary issue when talking about the coronavirus pandemic. That said, economic and societal disruption cannot be ignored.  The education sector, from pre-school to our higher education institutions, finds itself in the direct path of the storm and needing to prepare for the next waves.education battle coronavirus disruption

 

The action plans required to navigate the new-normal are extensive and detailed, and emphasis should rightly be placed on instruction and learning, technology, infrastructure, and financial considerations. None of those issues, however, will matter if schools can’t sustain meaningful relationships with their long list of publics. Parents and students are more tolerant of change and disturbances if they have trust.  Educators and staff are willing to go the extra mile if they have faith. Partners and suppliers are more open-minded if they believe a school is credible. Individuals and institutions are more giving when they have confidence.

 

Senior educational leaders will undoubtedly spend the next few months discussing important, tangible assets that ensure the delivery of education, but how much time will be spent on intangible assets like reputation, relationships, and brand?

 

Important Intangible assets

 

Intangible assets – like reputation, relationships, and brands — will first be defined by behavior and then by communication. Every organization must accept that it operates with the permission of those it serves, including students, parents, employees, regulators, partners, and a lengthy list of others. Moving forward, every action and behavior must be focused on earning and maintaining permission and trust to operate.  In the end, reputation is a simple formula: EXPECTATION + CREDIBILITY. Organizations must meet or exceed expectations and achieve credibility by doing what they say they will do in all facets of the organization, down to the very smallest detail.

 

When it comes to communication, every organization must fortify its antenna to become more effective at listening, and more attentive to relevant sights, sounds, and sentiments. They must accept and communicate vulnerability and values and give power to their conscience, ethics, and empathy, thus empowering others to act. They must speak clearly, consistently, and honestly across all platforms – paid, earned, shared, and owned. Communication must be systematic, process-driven, proactive, and reactive, and also reach to all ends of the organization, both internal and external, prioritizing those directly impacted first … but realizing that information spreads.

 

There will be bumps along the way, and some may ignite a frenzied response from the media. The industry should also anticipate government, legal, and consumer actions, along with dis-informational attacks. And all of this will negatively impact reputation and the bottom line.  Schools must soon identify and cultivate third-party advocates to speak on their behalf, quickly knock down misinformation, and employ attitude inoculation or pre-bunking techniques.

 

When it comes to maintaining and building intangible assets like relationships and reputation, there’s no magic solution. Instead, taking appropriate steps now will ensure an organization’s ongoing viability. Bottom line: educational leaders must prioritize investment in intangible assets and the professionals who manage them if they hope to survive and ultimately thrive in the post-coronavirus world.

 

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Related blogs:

 

SCG Trendwatch: MarCom Industry News – February 2020

by AdvertisingMarketingMobile AdvertisingOnline Strategy

Trendwatch Marketing

Welcome to your monthly round-up for busy MarCom professionals. Each month, we share the latest news, strategies, tools and trends affecting the industry landscape. Check-in for the latest updates from all over the web.  

Despite Super Bowl LIV’s marketing deja vu, several ads break out

Multibrand spots, ads supporting women, “Groundhog Day” and yes, the resurrection of Mr. Peanut, caused some of the biggest stir this year.

Super Bowl LIV made for a tense showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and the victorious Kansas City Chiefs, but few marketing surprises turned up during a night that leaned heavily on humor, multibrand team-ups, and newcomers in areas like politics and women’s representation. Read more…

Google plans crackdown on ‘disruptive’ video ads

Google’s Chrome web browser on Aug. 5 will stop showing all ads on sites that repeatedly have “disruptive” video ads, as defined by new standards from the Coalition for Better Ads (CBA)  Read more…

How Coke, Reese’s turned Super Bowl ads into Amazon sales after the game

Market share for some products advertised in Super Bowl commercial spiked on Amazon during and after the game, according to a Profitero report shared with Marketing Dive. Coke Energy and its zero sugar version saw surges of 111% and 197%, respectively. Read more…

The death of the marketing campaign: Why brands should rethink the dynamics of customer relationship

The marketing sector can be a complicated place as new marketing tools and techniques are launched, almost on a weekly basis.  Ever-evolving marketing technology and the proliferation of communication channels means that ‘communicating,’ or getting your message out there, has never been easier. Read more...

Here’s Why Recruiting Is A Growing Challenge

by AdvertisingHuman ResourcesRecruitment Advertising

Business results

The numbers are undeniable. The economy is booming but so is the level of difficulty in finding top talent. Recruiting talent is definitely a growing challenge.  If you look carefully at the data gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics you can see why.

Just take a look at some of these numbers generated monthly by JOLTS (Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey). No wonder Talent Acquisition professionals are unsure where their next hire can be found.

  • At 0.9 persons per job opening, the number of job openings has exceeded the number of unemployed persons for 21 consecutive months prior to November 2019.
  • Job openings have exceeded hires from 2015 to the present.
  • The unemployment rate has plunged from 9.8% in January of 2010 to 3.5% in December of 2019
  • Quits have exceeded layoffs and discharges since July 2011.
  • The quit rate has grown consistently from less than 1% in 2009 to short of 2.5% in 2019
  • Job openings nationwide have shown an increase from 2,731,000 in January 2009 to 7,625,000 in January 2019. Whew!
  • The gap between quits and layoffs/discharges continues to increase.
  • The industries with the greatest percentage of job openings are Leisure/Hospitality and Health Care/Social Assistance.

Want to see numbers that are a little closer to home? JOLTS is working on State Estimates. They can be found on the BLS website and show everything from Job Openings to Hires to Quits to Layoffs and Discharges and total separations. The data is available from February 2001 to June 2019.

Here’s the good news…all of these numbers – and more – are updated monthly and can be downloaded free of charge on the BLS.gov site and can help with recruiting.

 

Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics/JOLTS

 

SCG Trendwatch: MarCom Industry News – January 2020

by AdvertisingMarketingMobile AdvertisingOnline Strategy

Trendwatch Marketing

Welcome to your monthly round-up for busy MarCom professionals. Each month, we share the latest news, strategies, tools and trends affecting the industry landscape. Check-in for the latest updates from all over the web.  

Why Design and Marketing Should Become Strategic Partners

Brands across the marketing spectrum are reaping the rewards of joining forces with design at the start of the strategic process.  Read more…

Ben & Jerry’s CEO On Why Too Much Marketing Research Can Cause ‘Mediocrity’

Ben and Jerry’s CEO discusses embracing different ways of doing business from side-stepping research to prioritising activism.  Ben & Jerry’s CEO Matthew McCarthy has been in his role for a little more than a year but, from side-stepping research to prioritising activism, he is fully embracing the different ways the ice cream maker does business.  Read more…

What’s the Worst That Could Happen With My Phone Data? Our Journalists Answer Your Questions

The New York Times Opinion desk published an investigation last week into the location data industry, showing how companies quietly collect and profit off the precise movements of smartphone users.  Read more…

8 Digital Marketing Trends for 2020

2019 was a busy year for marketers. With dozens of new marketing tech flooding the market, hundreds of courses on marketing mastery and thousands of sales funnel videos, predicting marketing trends for 2020 became as hard as cooking a perfect macaron. We wanted to share our perspective, as a pioneer in the MarTech space, a community with hundreds of successful digital marketing agencies around the world.   Read more…

Instagram User Growth in the US Will Drop to Single Digits For the First Time

In 2019, Instagram’s US user growth rate will have dropped to single digits for the first time to 6.7%, down from 10.1% in 2018. Starting in 2020, and through the end of our forecast period in 2023, we estimate that the social media platform will grow slower than previously expected.  Read more...

The Changing Role of Webinars

Who would have thought that webinars – the bleeding edge technology innovation when they were introduced in 1996 by Microsoft’s NetMeeting and Xerox PARC’s PlaceWare – would have such staying power? In the past 20 years in marketing have taught me anything, it’s been to never doubt the good ol’, tried and true webinar. They have proven ability to boost organizations’ training, marketing, sales and customer engagements.  Read more…

Trendwatch-R-16x9

SCG Trendwatch: Recruitment Industry News & Insights – November 2019

by AdvertisingRecruitment Advertising

Trendwatch

Welcome to your monthly round-up for busy HR professionals. Each month, we share the latest news, strategies, tools and trends affecting the recruitment landscape. Check in each month for the latest updates from all over the web.

Top Recruitment Thought Leaders You Must Follow in 2019

Recruitment industry has seen dynamic changes in the last few years, recruitment professionals adopting innovative recruitment strategies and methods to ensure successful sourcing and hiring.

If you are looking for new inputs in recruitment, leadership, hiring, human resource, staffing and HR technology, then following the top HR and recruitment thought leaders is a must to keep yourself updated with the latest trends and technologies. The recruitment influencers frequently share their thoughts, ideas, experiences and knowledge online.  Read more…

88% of Professionals Would Be More Likely to Recommend Their Workplace If Their Employer Did This One Thing

More than half of professionals say they would be more likely to accept a role at a company that offers wellness benefits, according to new research.  The study, which delved into the shifting workplace needs and health concerns of 1,000 employed professionals between the ages of 24 and 40, found that as many as 78 percent experienced feelings of burnout at some point in their career. Read more…

The disturbing new findings about discrimination at work

Sixty-one percent, or about three in five employees responding to a Glassdoor survey, reported they have either witnessed or experienced discrimination involving age, race, gender or LGBTQ identity in the workplace.

Harris Poll conducted the global survey in July, attracting responses from 1,100 U.S. employees. While 45% experienced or witnessed ageism, 42% pointed to racism; another 42% encountered gender discrimination and 33% observed or experienced LGBTQ discrimination at work.  Read more…

Symphony Talent acquires Smashfly Technologies

Symphony Talent Intensifies Market Position To Provide The Most Comprehensive Talent Experience Solution In The Industry

NEW YORK, November 4, 2019 – Symphony Talent, a global leader in Employer Brand and Candidate Experience solutions, announced today that it has acquired SmashFly Technologies, the industry leader in enterprise recruitment marketing and candidate relationship management (CRM) technology. Read more…

Tap the talent pool of youth with ‘impact hiring’

The quest to hire entry-level employees – and retain them – is one of the toughest recruiting challenges HR professionals are facing.  The current unemployment rate is at an historic low, and with more than 7 million job openings across the U.S., far too many positions are going unfilled.

At the same time, there is a sizable segment of the population that remains unemployed or significantly underemployed. Called “opportunity youth,” this group of young people between the ages of 16 and 24 are neither in school nor gainfully employed—and they comprise a significant pool of 6.7 million potential workers.  Read more…

How Web Accessibility Affects Employment

All businesses are required by law to be equal opportunity employers. However, even if a company does not discriminate during hiring or employment if its website isn’t accessible to people of varying abilities, that company is still prohibiting the largest minority group – people with disabilities – from seeking employment.

According to The Brookings Institution, only 40% of working-age adults with disabilities have a job.  Read more…