In today’s ever-evolving marketing landscape, brands leading the charge in creating accessible and inclusive experiences are the ones making a lasting impact, and Colorado 811’s recent partnership with Recite Me illustrates this shift.
By prioritizing accessibility in its marketing messaging, design, and delivery, Colorado 811 is forging deeper connections with its diverse audience and setting a standard for inclusive practices in its industry. Read on to learn about how they are making it happen.
Why Inclusion Matters at Colorado 811
As an organization dedicated to damage prevention and public safety, Colorado 811 serves everyone across the State of Colorado. As the communication link between utility/facility owners, excavators, and homeowners with the goal of ensuring the protection of underground facilities from damages relating to excavation, it is essential that their resources and services are accessible to people of all abilities and languages.
McKenna Emerine, Marketing Manager at Colorado 811 shared, “Inclusion is important because Colorado 811 serves a diverse population. We want to make sure that everyone – no matter their ability or what language they speak – has access to our services.”
When Colorado 811 set out to enhance its digital presence, accessibility quickly emerged as a core focus. Their decision to implement Recite Me technology on their website was driven by two primary goals: expanding their reach and improving user experience.
With Recite Me, Colorado 811 is addressing this need head-on. The Recite Me accessibility and language assistive toolbar not only enables translation into over 100 languages, but also provides features such as text-to-speech, reading aids, screen reader, and customizable styling options that help individuals tailor their experience according to their needs.
“We implemented Recite Me in response to feedback from our stakeholders who have been asking for the ability to translate our website into Spanish due to a large number of employees in the damage prevention industry speaking only or mostly Spanish.”
Steps Toward Inclusive Marketing
In the increasingly competitive digital marketplace, cultivating brand loyalty is more important than ever. Acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing one, and 33% of customers will consider switching companies after just one poor experience (Netomi). With this in mind, Colorado 811 is taking great steps to create an inclusive experience for their customers and website visitors across every touchpoint:
- Translating All Print Materials into Spanish
- Translating Key Social Media Posts
- Implementing Recite Me Technology
- Updating the Website for a Better User Journey
Looking to 2025, Colorado 811 has grand plans in store! The organization plans to launch a brand-new website by the end of 2024, setting the stage for an enhanced digital experience for its website visitors.
Additionally, Colorado 811 is gearing up for a large-scale “Dig Season” campaign, which will run from March through July for homeowners, and March through October for professionals. This campaign will include a dynamic mix of video content, organic and paid social media, over-the-top (OTT) advertising, radio spots, and more.
A Blueprint for 2025
Looking to 2025, Colorado 811 has grand plans in store! The organization plans to launch a brand-new website by the end of 2024, setting the stage for an enhanced digital experience for its website visitors.
Additionally, Colorado 811 is gearing up for a large-scale “Dig Season” campaign, which will run from March through July for homeowners, and March through October for professionals. This campaign will include a dynamic mix of video content, organic and paid social media, over-the-top (OTT) advertising, radio spots, and more.
Standing still on integrating inclusion and accessibility best practices into your marketing mix is not an option. For organizations looking to make an impact, the message is clear—embrace accessibility and inclusivity, and you’ll create a brand that truly resonates with your audience.
Help us understand how inclusive the marketing industry is today in our ‘Inclusive Marketing Survey’. Whether you’re an in-house marketer or work for a marketing agency, your input is essential. Together, we can build a clearer picture of the industry’s inclusivity and identify ways to drive change.
Kickstart your accessibility journey with Recite Me
Act today to ensure your website is accessible and compliant with the latest WCAG standards. Get started on your website accessibility strategy by working through the following action points:
- Contact our team for more advice about WCAG standards and Accessibility best practices.
- Find out more about the Recite Me Web Accessibility Checker.
- Schedule a free demonstration to learn how our technology can help you.
- Run a free scan of your website for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance.
- Try our assistive toolbar on your website.
