Reflection on a collaborative journey to embed an Indigenous graduate attribute in social marketing curricula

Purpose For social marketers to engage ethically and effectively with Indigenous peoples, universities need to equip students with appropriate professional capabilities. However, despite Indigenous authors emphasising self-determination and Indigenous-led models, social marketing models and professional capabilities omit this, creating a gap in the education of future social marketers. This paper aims to report the learnings gained from Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars working collaboratively under an Indigenous-led framework to embed Indigenous perspectives in a social marketing subject with the aim to skill future graduates to work for and with Indigenous Australians. Design/methodology/approach Using a collaborative critical reflection methodology, the four researchers participated in a series of six discussions, supplemented by individual reflections. Analysis progressed in an ongoing and iterative process. Findings This study’s findings highlight the challenges and opportunities for higher education institutions to enhance the education of future marketers. Findings centred around three key themes: experience and adaptations made by non-Indigenous teaching team; support, guidance and frameworks; and positionality and transferability of the learning. Practical implications Practically, this paper concludes with a call for the development of frameworks and guidelines to support marketing academics embed Indigenous perspectives in higher education curricula and develop the skills and capabilities of future graduates. Social implications Equipping marketing graduates to work with and for Indigenous Australians promotes reconciliation and supports Indigenous self-determination. Originality/value This study’s originality stems from the use of collaborative reflective practice engaging both Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators to evaluate the implementation of an Indigenous Graduate attribute within the social marketing curricula.