Unconventional Business

Ever wondered just how the aged care and disability services industry actually works? Well, this episode's for you!

Like many developed countries, Australia has an ageing population. Today, there are around 3 million Aussies who are aged 70 and older, and just under half a million people living with a disability who access support services through the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Together, older people and people with disabilities who live in their own homes, with care and support, represent a significant proportion of our country and our community.

With a sizeable number of people accessing these types of services and a huge number of businesses operating in this space, why is the aged and disability care industry lagging behind when it comes to being truly consumer-first and delivering an exceptional customer experience?

This week, we're joined by Mable's Chief Operating Officer, Rachel Debeck, for a behind-the-scenes look into the aged and disability care industry, an industry under immense pressure to both evolve and meet the increasing needs of our population. We take a look at the systemic challenges that exist in the industry, gain an understanding of how complex the customer journey is and discuss why disruption hasn't occurred sooner.

We also explore the new, alternative model that Mable offers, a model that leverages a peer-to-peer marketplace to solve workforce shortages while also putting choice and control back into the consumer's hands.

It’s been described as ‘TikTok for doing good’, a global impact loyalty program, and an app that empowers and challenges people to take action on some of the world’s biggest problems like hunger, poverty and climate change.

Founder Andre Eikmeier joins us to share where his inspiration came from, how he realised that he didn’t need to figure out how to save the world, plenty of smart people before him were onto that, he just needed to figure out how to empower people to take action and have visibility of their impact. Say hello to the next big thing: Good Empire.

How did Andre go from co-founding Aussie online wine retailer, Vinomofo, to building a new company that’s set out to tackle the world’s biggest issues? Change is hard, and humans love convenience, so how will Good Empire motivate people to take action? What advice does Andre have for entrepreneurs and business leaders? And perhaps the biggest question, what’s an app got to do with saving the world?

Manuri Gunawardena was 24 and in her final years of medical school, working on a brain cancer drug trial, when she witnessed the inequities in the clinical trial industry and the impact on human life. One patient in the trial was able to navigate the complex system and access a clinical trial and drug that was successful in curing their disease, another was not and sadly passed away.

Manuri made her own life-changing decision and, instead of becoming a clinician, founded HealthMatch. HealthMatch is a platform that empowers patients to identify and access clinical trials, changing the lives of people who need to access clinical trials and the future of medicine in Australia and across the world.

Clinical trials are worth $1 billion to Australia’s economy, yet 80% of trials are delayed or abandoned, impacting on the lives of the tens of thousands of people who need access to these often life-saving drugs. Why?

There are fundamental issues with the clinical trial model. It’s inefficient and inequitable, archaic and broken, the very opposite of customer-centric. We see data and technology used to drive innovation and create personalised experiences in almost every other industry, so why not this one? Why has the clinical trial industry fallen so far behind?

From pet-sitting a Labrador named Honey for a friend, to establishing a game-changing partnership with Qantas, going public in the middle of a global pandemic and the acquisition of Waggly Club - Mad Paws' co-founder, Alexis Soulopoulos, joins us on Unconventional Business this week.

How did Mad Paws, a business founded on pet-sitting services, increase both bookings and new customer acquisition during a global pandemic, when the vast majority of Australia was grounded? What was the catalyst for the company to buck the trend and go public so early into their journey? How did Alexis and the team overcome the vast challenges that exist in building marketplace business models? And with 69% of Aussie households owning a pet, what does the future look like for Mad Paws and the pet industry?

Boden Westover, SVP Marketing at me&u and former VP Marketing at Mr Yum, joins us on the pod for a candid chat on the intersection of technology and customer service in the hospitality world.

Boden shares his perspective on why marketers need to hone their focus on retention, and how the brilliant minds in the marketing team at me&u are innovating to drive retention, loyalty and uncover new revenue streams. We cover the much-discussed merger of Australia's top two mobile ordering companies in me&u and Mr Yum to form one true market leader, Boden's advice for marketers today and so much more.

Podcast Show notes: Unconventional Business - Season 3 Episode 2

Host Kat Warboys, Senior Marketing Director APAC for HubSpot interviews

Boden Westover, Senior Vice President (SVP) of Marketing at Me&U.

Boden's background includes experience in fast-growth startups, ed tech, and sports technology.

This episode of Unconventional Business delves into the dynamic landscape of hospitality tech, the power of personalised customer experiences, the role of data-driven marketing strategies in driving growth and loyalty, and what a spicy marg has to do with this.

Key Episode Moments

Company Background:

me&u is a platform offering sales and marketing tools and services for hospitality brands.

Notable acquisition of My Guest List and subsidiary company Sprout, enhancing technology offerings for the industry.

The focus on personalised customer experiences through data capture and application.

Navigating the Pandemic:

The impact of the pandemic on the hospitality industry and Mr. Yum's pivot to pick up and delivery services.

Strategic move towards supporting local venues and reducing fees for customers.

Industry Evolution:

The evolution of hospitality tech post-pandemic, emphasizing seamless customer experiences and operational efficiency.

me&u's successful pivot and integration within the tech ecosystem to enhance user experience.

Future of Hospitality Tech:

The trend towards consolidation and integration in the hospitality tech space.

The importance of data-driven, personalised marketing strategies to enhance customer engagement and loyalty.

Insights and Takeaways:

Boden highlights the importance of brand marketing in the age of AI and the evolving role of the CMO.

The significance of tailored customer experiences and leveraging data for effective marketing campaigns.

The impact of technology integration and partnership in transforming the hospitality industry.

Want more?

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Unconventional Business was written and produced by HubSpot ANZ, Catherine Sumner and Amiria MacKinnon, and VidPod (www.vidpod.com.au).