1st Australian Customer Vulnerability Symposium

Challenging Assumptions of Customer Vulnerability: Rethinking and Reshaping

28th April 2023 Friday, Melbourne Australia, 8.30am-5pm AEST

Face-to-Face (RMIT) and Online – Hybrid

The Australian Association of Social Marketing, RMIT University, the Consumer Wellbeing Research Group, and the Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology, QUT hosted the 1st Australian Customer Vulnerability Symposium on Friday, April 28th 2023 at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.
Customer vulnerability is a term that is well used but consistently misunderstood and misused and based on outdated assumptions of human behaviour. Vulnerability is typically framed as circumstances and personal characteristics that expose a person to increased susceptibility to damage, harm or loss. However, this definition frames vulnerability from a deficit perspective by focussing on the attributes a person lacks (e.g., powerless, helpless, or low levels of control) rather than on the circumstances that create vulnerability and the strengths that a person has to navigate or change their circumstance. The deficit lens sees those experiencing vulnerability as less able than ‘normal’ consumers/clients. The implications of a deficit approach are that strategies by government, NGOs, and industry often focus on what their customers or clients can’t do as opposed to what they can do and miss the opportunity to foster increased capabilities and resilience.
Contemporary thinking requires organisations to challenge existing assumptions and rethink and reshape their customer and client vulnerability strategies and policies. The new approach to vulnerability, built on a 20-year evidence-base in social science, suggests an alternate approach that honours customers/clients, supporting not only their experiences and abilities, but also their dignity: the strengths-based approach. This approach is more effective in addressing social problems because it frames people as capable of problem-solving and provides personal agency and empowerment.

Symposium Aims:

The aims of this symposium were to:
  1. Challenge assumptions and engage in dialogue on customers or clients experiencing vulnerability.
  2. Gain evidence-based knowledge and different perspectives on customers or clients experiencing vulnerability.
  3. Learn about cutting-edge practices to help you rethink and reshape your approach to customers or clients experiencing vulnerability.

 

Watch the presentations

Welcome from RMIT. Prof Mike Reid. Director, Consumer Wellbeing Research Group. School of Economics, Finance and Marketing. RMIT.

Welcome from the AASM. The Importance of Challenging Assumptions of Customer Vulnerability: Rethinking and Reshaping.  Dr Gauri Laud, University of Tasmania. Secretary, Australian Association of Social Marketing (AASM).

Keynote 1. The Case for a Strengths-Based Approach to Customer Vulnerability – Why Reframing Our Perspective is so Important. Prof Rebekah Russell-Bennett, Co-Director Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology (BEST), Queensland University of Technology.

Keynote 2. Creating Better Outcomes for Customers Experiencing Vulnerability.Amanda Forster, Executive Manager of the Customer Advocate Office, Suncorp.

Keynote 3. Vulnerability from a Social Research Perspective. Liz Duniec, Director and Lucy Marshall, Senior Research Manager, ORIMA Research.

Panel Discussion 1. Voice of Practitioners in Reframing and Rethinking Customer Vulnerability/ Session Chair: Lelde McCoy (The Reputation Group. AASM)

We Don’t Have All the Answers: The Importance of Consulting with Community. Mandy Griffiths. A/Director, Strategic Communications and Community Engagement.  Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.

Rebuilding Women’s Financial Security. Dr Jozica Kutin. Acting Head of Research and Evaluation. Tristan Saltness. National Program Manager for Financial Independence Hub. Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand.

Aligning Organisational Strategy and Fundraising, Communications and Marketing Approaches – An Industry Insiders’ Perspective.Caroline Sheehan. Director VINC. & MCM. Director Strategy, Planning and Performance. Royal Women’s Hospital.

Six Ways to Make Strengths-based Storytelling an Everyday Practice. Zayne D’Crus. Communications and Engagement Manager. Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance.

Breakout 1

Housing and Customer Vulnerability Assoc Prof Ashton DeSilva. Applied Econometrician, RMIT.

Empowering Victorians to Switch Energy Retailers: Service Quality as Driver.Dr Janneke Blijlevens, Senior Lecturer in Experimental Methods. RMIT.

Investigating Australia’s Energy and Food Cost Crisis. Prof Lisa Farrell. Director of the Societal Economics Research Group (SERG), RMIT.

Codesign to Empower: Lessons from Codesigning with Older Adults. Dr Torgeir Aleti.  Senior Lecturer, Digital Marketing. RMIT.

Breakout 2

The Importance of Recognising and Addressing Vulnerabilities in Australian Health Consumers. Assoc Prof Joy Parkinson. Principal Research Scientist, with the Australian eHealth Research Centre at CSIRO.

Understanding Women’s Marketplace Experiences for Advancing Structural and Social Change. Dr Laura McVey. Women’s Program Manager – Research, Policy & Strategy. esafety Commissioner’s Office.

Men! Not All Middle-Aged Men are Helpless and Hopeless: Implications for Reimagining Health Promotion. Prof Mike Reid. Professor of Social Marketing. School of Economics, Finance and Marketing, RMIT.

 Breakout 3 

Co-design with Customers Experiencing Vulnerability, Dr Kate Letheren. Consumer Psychology Researcher, Co-Deputy Director, Centre for Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology QUT

 

 

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