WPP’s GroupM has struck a partnership with Google to create a website accessibility workshop designed to enhance the accessibility of client websites.  

GroupM, its agency EssenceMediacom and Google piloted the partnership with the agency’s client Bayer.  

The main idea is to make websites and the info on them as widely accessible and as user friendly as possible.   

As part of this collaboration, EssenceMediacom worked with Google’s mobile and acessibility experts to create a custom report and workshop adhering to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).   

Access to the workshops will be expanded across GroupM’s client base throughout the rest of the year.    

“As part of making advertising work better for people, inclusivity is a critical component to making that happen,” said Kieley Taylor, GroupM’s Global Head of Partnerships. “This partnership allows us to enhance the conversation around accessibility with our advertiser partners while highlighting our commitment to creating a more inclusive digital landscape."  

GroupM cited research that shows that 71% of online shoppers with special access needs abandon websites that they find difficult to navigate. That translates to an estimated $6.9 billion loss to competitors with more accessible websites annually.   

“Research shows that 82% of customers with disabilities spend more on accessible websites. If we’re not working to make our sites, and that of our clients, as accessible as we can, we’re missing a critical demographic in our ability to maximize performance for our clients’ campaigns,” said Paul Byrne, EssenceMediacom’s global head of performance solutions.    

In the Bayer pilot, workshops identified areas for improvement on company and brand sites. After making adjustments Bayer saw 95+ out of 100 scores (utilizing the Google Lighthouse Accessibility scoring system) across all pages.   

"This is a very tangible step forward in our commitment for inclusivity, health literacy and wider access to information for people with visual, motor and hearing disability needs," said Ekaterina Kharitonova, Bayer global media leader. She added that during the pilot teams focused on key URLs and reviewed low contrast text, missing alternative text for images and additional best practices from Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.