MARKETING AND AUTISM

Read articles on appealing to, and employing, neurodivergent individuals and their communities

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Autistic brand communities follow different social rules than neurotypical spaces but generate fierce loyalty. Learn how to moderate neurodivergent fan communities effectively.

3 min read

Autistic Brand Communities: Different Social Rules, Same Loyalty Potential

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Jan 19, 2026 8:00:02 AM

The mechanical keyboard enthusiast forum has 50,000 members. Someone posts their new build. Within minutes, responses appear: "Those keycaps clash with that case." "Your stabilizers sound rattly—you need to lube them." "Why would you choose that...

Branding Autism Community AUDHD
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PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) causes autistic consumers to resist aggressive marketing automatically. Learn why pressure tactics guarantee loss and permission-based marketing converts.

5 min read

PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance): When Marketing Pressure Guarantees Loss

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Jan 19, 2026 8:00:01 AM

"BUY NOW! Limited quantities! Sale ends in 3 hours! Don't miss out! Act fast! Only 2 left in stock!"

Autism Psychology Behavior Digital marketing
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Autistic influencer marketing fails when it exploits disability for inspiration. Success comes from leveraging genuine expertise and special interest authority in niche communities.

5 min read

Autistic Influencer Marketing: Beyond Inspiration Porn to Actual Authority

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Jan 19, 2026 8:00:00 AM

A makeup brand partners with an autistic influencer. The campaign shows her overcoming challenges to apply lipstick. The narrative centers on her...

Autism Influencers Digital marketing
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Time blindness causes autistic and ADHD consumers to miss sales deadlines despite genuine purchase intent. Learn why extended windows and smart reminders increase conversions.

4 min read

Time Blindness and Purchase Timing: Why Autistic Consumers Miss Sales and Deadlines

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Jan 12, 2026 8:00:02 AM

Your flash sale ends in 24 hours. An autistic customer with ADHD sees the promotion Tuesday morning. They think, "I'll buy that tonight after work."

Sales Autism Psychology Behavioral economics
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Monotropism causes autistic shoppers to hyperfocus on single products rather than browse categories. Learn why

5 min read

The Monotropic Shopping Experience: Single-Focus Commerce vs. Browse Culture

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Jan 12, 2026 8:00:01 AM

A neurotypical shopper visits your site looking for running shoes. They browse the running category, compare several models, check out hiking boots...

Sales Website Ecommerce Retail
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Rejection sensitivity prevents autistic consumers from contacting customer service even when they need help. Learn why self-service options aren't just convenient—they're essential accessibility features.

6 min read

Rejection Sensitivity and Customer Service: When Autistic Consumers Won't Ask for Help

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Jan 12, 2026 8:00:00 AM

An autistic customer receives a damaged product. It's clearly defective—missing parts, incorrect color, doesn't function. They're eligible for...

Sales Neurodivergence Customer retention Customer experience
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Autistic consumers build their lives around specific products and experience genuine distress when they're reformulated or discontinued. Learn why product consistency creates fierce brand loyalty.

5 min read

Samefood Marketing: The Neurodivergent Demand for Exact Product Replication

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Jan 5, 2026 8:00:01 AM

An autistic adult finds the perfect black t-shirt. The fabric weight is exactly right. The neck opening doesn't trigger sensory issues. The fit is...

Branding Neurodivergence Product marketing
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Popularity-based marketing backfires with autistic consumers who distrust social proof and prefer technical specifications over testimonials. Learn why niche brands win neurodivergent customers.

6 min read

Social Proof Backfire: When Autistic Consumers Distrust Popularity-Based Marketing

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Jan 5, 2026 8:00:00 AM

"Join millions of satisfied customers!"

Autism Psychology Digital marketing
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Executive function challenges cause autistic shoppers to abandon carts at checkout. Learn why multi-step processes, shipping options, and account creation kill conversions.

4 min read

Executive Function and Cart Abandonment

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Jan 5, 2026 6:59:59 AM

An autistic customer has spent forty minutes researching your product. They've read specifications, compared options, checked reviews, and finally...

Psychology Behavior Ecommerce Retail
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Scent marketing drives away autistic customers with sensory sensitivities and chemical reactions. Learn why fragrance-free retail creates competitive advantage and customer loyalty.

4 min read

Olfactory Marketing Disasters: When Scent Drives Away Autistic Customers

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Dec 29, 2025 8:00:02 AM

Walk into an Abercrombie & Fitch. Before you see a single product, the smell hits you—aggressive cologne pumped through the ventilation system at...

Autism Product marketing Sensory
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Fluorescent lighting drives autistic customers out of retail spaces. Discover how LED alternatives, dimming options, and natural light design increase customer retention and sales.

5 min read

Lighting Design in Retail for Autism: Beyond Fluorescent Hell

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Dec 29, 2025 8:00:02 AM

An autistic customer walks into your store with money to spend and genuine interest in your products. Within ninety seconds, the fluorescent lights...

Product marketing Sensory Retail
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Misophonia transforms everyday sounds into rage triggers for many autistic consumers. Learn why ASMR-style marketing backfires and how to avoid sound-based brand rejection.

6 min read

Misophonia in Marketing: When ASMR Is a Weapon, Not a Reward

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Dec 29, 2025 7:00:00 AM

The camera zooms in on perfectly manicured nails tapping a glass bottle. Tap. Tap. Tap. A whispered voice describes the product's features. Rustle of...

Neurodivergence Audio Digital marketing
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Sound logos and audio branding can trigger sensory overload in autistic consumers. Learn why acoustic branding needs volume control, frequency consideration, and silent alternatives.

6 min read

Acoustic Branding for Autism: When Sound Logos Cause Shutdowns

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Dec 29, 2025 7:00:00 AM

You open Netflix. Ta-dum. You boot up your Xbox. Startup chime. You visit a website. Autoplay video with sudden music. You receive a notification....

Branding Autism Audio
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Autistic pet owners represent premium customers whose special interest intensity drives deep product research and sustained spending. Learn how to market to this passionate, loyal demographic.

5 min read

Pet Product Marketing to Autistic Animal Lovers

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Dec 22, 2025 8:00:02 AM

An autistic person develops a special interest in marine biology at age seven. By age twelve, they can identify 200 species of fish by sight, explain...

Autism Neurodivergence Product marketing Lifestyle
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Autistic consumers prioritize predictability over perks in banking. Learn why transparent fees, overdraft protection, and routine-friendly features matter more than rewards points.

4 min read

Banking and Financial Services for Autistic Consumers

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Dec 22, 2025 8:00:02 AM

Most banks sell you the same dream: rewards points, cash back, travel perks, exclusive access. They're selling excitement, aspiration, variable...

Neurodivergence Technology Finance
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Face-blind consumers can't recognize celebrity endorsers or brand spokespeople. Learn why prosopagnosia demands logo-first brand recognition strategies that don't rely on faces.

4 min read

Prosopagnosia in Brand Recognition: Marketing to Face-Blind Autistic Consumers

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Dec 22, 2025 8:00:01 AM

Your brand ambassador just posted to their 2 million followers. The engagement is strong. The comments are glowing. And a significant portion of your...

Branding Sales Autism Product marketing
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Autistic users process websites differently due to weak central coherence. Learn how to create navigation that works for detail-focused minds, not just big-picture thinkers.

2 min read

Central Coherence and Website Navigation: Why Autistic Users See Details, Not Big Picture

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Dec 17, 2025 2:29:29 PM

Here's something most web designers miss: when an autistic person lands on your homepage, they're not seeing what you think they're seeing.

Neurodivergence Website Design
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Discover why autistic consumers resist product upgrades and how brands can capture this market by marketing continuity, maintaining legacy products, and reducing transition costs.

3 min read

Transition Resistance: Why Autistic Consumers Won't Upgrade Even When It Makes Sense

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Dec 8, 2025 8:00:01 AM

Your smartphone is three generations old. The camera is objectively worse. The battery dies by noon. Apps crash regularly.

Audience Autism Product marketing SaaS marketing
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Learn why autistic consumers' pattern recognition abilities expose performative disability marketing and how brands can build genuine accommodation that creates loyalty instead of backlash.

4 min read

Why Autistic Consumers See Through Performative Inclusivity

Picture of Writing Team Writing Team: Dec 8, 2025 7:59:59 AM

Your brand posted a puzzle piece graphic for Autism Awareness Month with the caption "We celebrate neurodiversity."

Audience Autism Neurodivergence Inclusivity
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Learn how autistic consumer shutdown and recovery cycles create unique purchasing patterns that smart brands can anticipate and serve more effectively.

4 min read

Marketing During Overwhelm and Recovery Periods

Picture of Neurodivergence Writing Team Neurodivergence Writing Team: Dec 1, 2025 7:59:59 AM

Your marketing calendar assumes consistent purchasing capacity throughout the year.

Marketing Autism Communication
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