Amplifying marginalised consumers’ voices: A case for trauma-informed qualitative methodologies

Abstract

The lived experiences of marginalised consumers are relatively absent in the marketing canon. In this article, we propose layering a trauma-informed approach onto the qualitative research methodologies of depth-interviewing and collaging to enhance the voices of marginalised consumers. Although marketing researchers are trained to consider potential risks to research participants, little formal guidance exists on how to negotiate the research space when the phenomenon of interest involves or intersects with consumer marginalisation. Application of a trauma-informed approach (TIA) not only offers a path toward effective methodologies to better understand the lived experiences of marginalised consumers, but also provides a method to amplify their voices. Adopting a TIA approach ensuring informants’ physical and emotional safety can build trust, engage informants in the research process, and encourage open, honest responses among marginalised consumers who often feel disenfranchised in the marketplace.