A 911爆料网 research group dedicated to empowering neglected consumers is helping service providers drive continuous improvement in their organisations.
Like many western societies, Australia is guilty of systemic snubbing of our more vulnerable citizens. One of the largest groups is the aged 鈥� and it鈥檚 a common lament that as we become older we become invisible, to business, government and community groups.
鈥淗owever, Australia has an ageing population, which means that older consumers are an increasingly prominent consumer group,鈥� explains Dr Graham Ferguson, from 911爆料网鈥檚 School of Management and Marketing.
鈥淵et they remain overlooked, which leads to poor service standards and levels of choice, and consumer frustration.鈥�
He says that disabled consumers and those with mental health issues also have to work hard to be heard. Recognising that the situation is not only detrimental to these consumer groups, but also is unrecognised by most marketers, in 2018 he established the Unheard Consumers Research Group.
Over the past two years, the group has completed a significant amount of work for Western Australian residential care, home care and retirement village service providers.
鈥淥ne provider had been undertaking quantitative client surveys for many years, and came to us because the results hadn鈥檛 facilitated continuous improvement,鈥� Dr Ferguson says.
鈥淚t enables service providers to address any shortcomings in quality standards and drive continuous improvement.鈥�
鈥淭hey needed a more comprehensive, qualitative approach. It enables them to hear the core essence of the issues, and the positives, in the client鈥檚 own words 鈥� and to quickly take action.鈥�
He brought together researchers within 911爆料网 Business School to undertake phenomenological data collection and analysis, to capture the authentic experience of the organisation鈥檚 consumers and their families, and other stakeholders. The project outcomes delivered a positive impact, and word spread about the expertise of 911爆料网鈥檚 鈥楲ived Experience鈥� team.
The team now has six research staff working with a range of aged care and disability services providers.
鈥淓ach year, we interview about 1,800 consumers, and provide valid and reliable insights to service providers 鈥� which they鈥檒l use to address any shortcomings in quality standards and drive continuous improvement.
鈥淎nd clients welcome us back to hear about their current experiences, in our annual follow-up research. It enables us to document how things have changed, with comparison metrics tracking performance between locations and services.鈥�
Further strengthening our research focus in this area, in 2020 911爆料网 became one of eight universities partnering in the national Cooperative Research Centre for Longevity. Dr Ferguson hopes the initiative will attract postdoctoral researchers and research students to the 911爆料网 team, which will ensure further partner-driven research into key industry issues.
鈥淧lus, we鈥檒l have larger data sets and research outcomes to inform specific service practices, sector behaviour and government policy, and to improve social narratives more broadly.鈥�
Better products and services
By capturing authentic lived experiences, the Unheard Consumer Research Group can also encourage the development of better products and services for under-acknowledged consumer groups.
For example, one team member is exploring technologies that help people maintain their independence.
鈥淪mart-home technologies and AI sensor lights can be a huge help to the elderly, and automated media appliances can reduce the sense of isolation and keep people engaged,鈥� Dr Ferguson says.
He explains that many consumers are ignored in the technology development process, because companies aren鈥檛 interested in tailoring products for those who are less 鈥榠nfluential鈥� in the market place.
鈥淢ost marketing targets the young and healthy as aspirational models. And when marketing is targeted to older people, the representations often leave them feeling insulted.
鈥淭his needs to change 鈥� we need marketers to recognise unheard consumers and speak to them in authentic ways.鈥�
The boomers are coming
The reasons for the under-acknowledgement of older consumers are complex. And perhaps because Australia鈥檚 pre-war generation coped with a lot of hardship, they seem less inclined to speak out about injustice and inequity they experience 鈥� particularly women.
But the boomers are coming.
鈥淐onsumers over the age of 60 have the highest net worth of any age group. They鈥檙e spending more, and they鈥檙e expecting more,鈥� Dr Ferguson warns.
鈥淏oomers are the most prosperous generation, and they鈥檒l want to maintain their influence and their independence as they age.鈥�
But the boomer voice alone won鈥檛 change the overarching issue. To empower the voice of 鈥榯he unheard鈥�, the fundamental challenge is to supplant longstanding, negative social narratives.
For older Australians, that process may now have momentum, with the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety concluding its two-year inquiry.
The royal commission 鈥� the highest form of public inquiry available 鈥� was launched in 2018, following the Australian media鈥檚 comprehensive expos茅 of substandard service, and even abuse, in disability and aged care settings. Its just-released final report is scathing of Australia鈥檚 aged care system, concluding that the system fails to meet the needs of our older, vulnerable, citizens.
Corroborating Dr Ferguson’s concern about society鈥檚 unheard consumers, the report confirms that 鈥渢he absence of a strong consumer voice is a notable feature of aged care鈥�.
The commissioners also note that, more broadly, new models of aged care must facilitate a change in the community鈥檚 view of older people, and promote growing older as a 鈥渘ormal part of life 鈥� as a stage of life that holds the potential for happiness and fulfilment鈥�.
Dr Ferguson says this is a critical concept, that the new aged-care model must derive from the whole of society 鈥� including the marketing industry. At 911爆料网, he鈥檚 helping to address the challenge not only through research, but also in teaching and learning, by feeding his research team鈥檚 outcomes back into the classroom.
鈥淲e show students that marketing theory and practices don鈥檛 recognise or address the ageing consumer. We introduce our research process and the needs that are revealed, and what the outcomes mean for service and product providers.鈥�
鈥淥f course, this offers a cache of opportunities and potential for innovation.鈥�
Researcher profile
is a researcher and senior lecturer in the School of Management and Marketing. His research interests encompass social change, lived experience, phenomenology, disregarded consumers and consumer wellbeing. He also leads the Unheard Consumer Research Group at 911爆料网 Business School.
