MKTG90049 · Marketing, Society and Sustainability
Market Exclusion and Inclusive Marketing
Week 6 examines how markets exclude people and how inclusive marketing can widen participation. It covers market exclusion and its bases (privilege, oppression, stigma), intersectionality, consumer vulnerability, inclusive marketing, digital enclaves (Brouard et al. 2023) and the six dimensions of consumer empowerment.
In assessment this is the classic long-answer critique-scenario: you are given an excluded group, asked to critique current marketing practice, identify likely outcomes, and recommend empowerment moves — the a/b/c structure that recurs across past papers.
What this chapter covers
- 01Market exclusion (Burgess et al. 2017): barriers to participation in market relationships available to the majority
- 02How markets exclude: refusing/inferior service, distorted or absent representation, access barriers, food deserts
- 03Bases of exclusion: privilege, oppression and stigma; privilege drives markets
- 04Intersectionality (Crenshaw) and the ADDRESSING traits
- 05Consumer vulnerability (Baker et al. 2005): restricted choice, autonomy and self-concept; coping via avoidance, loyalty, hyper-consumption
- 06Inclusive marketing and marketing as a de-stigmatising force
- 07Digital enclaves (Brouard et al. 2023) and the six dimensions of consumer empowerment: choice, voice, justice, inclusion, consciousness-raising, catalysis
Long answer: critique the exclusion of disabled consumers (a/b/c structure)
- +10(a) Critique current practice (about 10 marks). Name the marketing failings and tie each to a concept: consumer exclusion/discrimination (inaccessible products/services), distorted or absent representation (stereotyping, invisibility in ads), and segment neglect / myopic marketing (assuming the group is small or unprofitable). Evaluate the assumptions as empirically wrong.
- +6(b) Three outcomes for the group (about 6 marks, ~2 each). Restricted choice and autonomy (fewer usable options); negative impact on self-concept (reduced self-esteem/self-efficacy from being ignored); and coping behaviours such as avoidance/exit, forced loyalty to the few accessible providers, or economic exclusion. One sentence each.
- +9(c) Three empowerment recommendations with an example (about 9 marks, ~3 each). Inclusive design + representation (accessible products and authentic portrayal); co-creation / voice (involve disabled consumers in design and feedback — VOICE); and consciousness-raising + access (education and removing information/physical barriers — CHOICE, INCLUSION). Ground each in a named or hypothetical example.
Key terms
- Market exclusion (Burgess et al. 2017)
- Barriers to participation in the market relationships and activities available to the majority — affecting whether individuals and groups are adequately represented and served, with implications for quality of life and social cohesion.
- Privilege and oppression
- Privilege is societally granted, unearned advantage tied to identity factors (race, gender, class, ability); it is inextricably linked to oppression, since the same systems that advantage some disadvantage others. The pursuit of privilege and avoidance of stigma drive markets.
- Intersectionality (Crenshaw)
- The interconnected nature of social categorisations (race, class, gender and more) that create overlapping, interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage — one person can experience several at once (see the ADDRESSING traits).
- Consumer vulnerability (Baker et al. 2005)
- A state that occurs when barriers prohibit control and prevent freedom of choice. Outcomes of exclusion include restricted choice, restricted autonomy and harm to self-concept; coping strategies include avoidance/exit, loyalty and hyper-consumption.
- Inclusive marketing
- Deliberately designing offers and representation so excluded groups can participate — from mission/Indigenous-owned brands to mainstream inclusivity efforts (extended shade ranges) — which can be genuine or superficial. Marketing can also act as a de-stigmatising force.
- Six dimensions of consumer empowerment
- Choice (access and information to exercise choice), Voice (self-expression and complaint), Justice (redress), Inclusion (joining others to demand change), Consciousness-raising (linking consumption to social issues) and Catalysis (coming together as a collective).
Market Exclusion and Inclusive Marketing FAQ
What does 'market exclusion' actually mean?
Market exclusion (Burgess et al. 2017) is when people face barriers to participating in the market relationships and activities that are available to most others — being refused service, offered only inferior options, ignored or stereotyped in advertising, or blocked by access barriers (information, geography, language, physical accessibility). Food deserts are a classic example. It matters because exclusion restricts choice and autonomy and harms self-concept, and it is the problem that inclusive marketing sets out to address.
How do I structure the market-exclusion long-answer question?
It almost always comes as an a/b/c critique-scenario, so obey the mark weighting. Part (a) critiques current practice, tying each failing to a named concept (exclusion/discrimination, stereotyping, myopic marketing, segment neglect). Part (b) lists concrete outcomes for the excluded group (restricted choice/autonomy, self-concept harm, coping behaviours). Part (c) gives the exact number of empowerment recommendations asked, each tagged to a concept (inclusive marketing, co-creation/voice, representation, access) and grounded in an example. Answer exactly the number of items requested and spend time in proportion to the marks.
What is intersectionality and why does it matter for marketers?
Intersectionality (Kimberlé Crenshaw) is the idea that social categories like race, class, gender and disability overlap to create interdependent systems of discrimination — a person can be privileged on one axis and oppressed on another. For marketers it matters because a single-identity view of a segment misses how disadvantages compound; inclusive marketing and consumer-empowerment strategies need to account for these overlapping identities (the ADDRESSING traits are a checklist) rather than treating an excluded group as homogeneous.
Can AI help me with Week 6 of MKTG90049?
Yes, as a study aid. Sia can drill market-exclusion concepts, help you structure the a/b/c critique-scenario to the mark weighting, and check that your empowerment recommendations each map to a consumer-empowerment dimension. Give it an excluded group and ask it to model the structure step by step. It does not write your graded answer, and University of Melbourne academic-integrity rules apply.
Exam move
Week 6 is where the a/b/c long-answer discipline pays off, so rehearse the structure, not just the content. Memorise the exclusion concepts (market exclusion, privilege/oppression/stigma, intersectionality, consumer vulnerability) and the six empowerment dimensions. Practise the critique-scenario end to end on a fresh excluded group: (a) critique tied to named concepts, (b) three outcomes, (c) three empowerment recommendations grounded in an example — always obeying the mark split and answering exactly the number of items asked. Rotate the group (disabled, migrant, low-income consumers) and clearly flag any statistics as illustrative. When a recommendation feels generic, ask Sia to tag it to a specific empowerment dimension and set a fresh scenario; it teaches the method and never does your graded work. Confirm assessment details on Canvas.
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