Dr Leighanne Higgins

Senior Lecturer

Profile

I am interested in the area of consumer behaviour, and teach many of the CB courses here at LUMS marketing department. My conusmer research interests lie within two core areas: Markeptlace Accessibility and Sacred Consumption.

Marketplace Accessibility: I am interested in understanding and challenging the barriers to marketplace and commercial settings for those living with disability. I began work in this area in 2016 and have built extensive insight and expertise into the access inequalities facing the disabled community in retail, healthcare, transportation, and tourism & hospitality. Since 2019, I have been working on the collaborative and art-based project: The Marketplace and I: Commercial Experiences of Disability Explored through Art (M&I). This project invited members of the disabled community to create artworks that represent their commercial experiences. To date the M&I has been publicly exhibited five times and engaged with over 1200+ stakeholders including companies, policymakers, politicians, charities, and the public. These public exhibitions have uncovered visitors to experience reflective and empathetic emotions towards the artworks, causing them to reflect deeply on their preconceptions towards disability. As such, since Autumn 2022, we have been using the project to engage with Lancashire based companies, using the artworks and wider M&I project we have developed a novel and innovative accessibility training workshop that permits companies to engage with accessibility scoring, accessibility planning and accessibility strategy building.

Sacred Consumption: I am interested in the complex relationship between religious and marketplace structures. My current research projects investigate religious consumptive behaviours within the context of pilgrimage with a particular focus on emotive and affectiveconsumption experiences.

Selected Publications

Faith hope and love: doing family through consuming pilgrimage
Higgins, L., Hamilton, K. 2014 In: Journal of Marketing Management. 30, 15-16, p. 1577-1596. 20 p.
Journal article

Is the crucifix sacred?: exploring the Catholic consumption of sacred vessels in building connection with the sacred
Higgins, L., Hamilton, K. 2011
Conference contribution/Paper

Sacred places: an exploratory investigation of consuming pilgrimage
Higgins, L., Hamilton, K. 2011
Conference contribution/Paper

LDAF Committee Meeting
Charity

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

NWRSM Committee Meeting
Charity

Layers of Vision Parliamentary Event
Government

Layers of Vision Workshop at House of Commons
Government

Leanne Hornby
Hosting a student (Other)

LDAF Committee Meeting
Charity

Consumer Culture Theory 2025
Participation in conference - Academic

Trustee Visits and advice giving
Charity

External Examiner for Thesis
Examination

Embracing Rejection Workshop
Invited talk

Marketing department PhD student workshop
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

LDAF Committee Meeting
Charity

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Podcast development
Charity

Trustee Meeting
Charity

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training - National Trust Inspiration Session
Business Course/Training

Doing Interdisciplinary Research on Markets and Marketing
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

NWRSN Committee Meeting
Charity

Trustee Meeting
Charity

Presentation of Accessible and Inclusive Tourism award
Expert Opinion

University of Birmingham
Visiting an external academic institution

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Business Course/Training

Department of Marketing: Inaugral Business Engagement Event
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Business Course/Training

Annual General Meeting
Charity

Trustee Meeting
Charity

Judging for the Marketing Lancashire 2024 awards
Expert Opinion

Lancaster City Council
Business Engagement

Judging for the Marketing Lancashire 2024 awards
Expert Opinion

NWRSN Committee Meeting
Charity

Judging for the Marketing Lancashire 2024 awards
Expert Opinion

Judging for the Marketing Lancashire 2024 awards.
Expert Opinion

Marketplace and I Acessibility Training - Refresher Session
Consultancy

CCI Roundtable Session on The Cost of Living Crisis
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Lancaster District Access Forum (LDAF)
Charity

The Marketplace and I was displayed at, and partook in the 2022 Lancaster Chamber of Commerce Expo at Morecambe College
Participation in conference - Business/Professional

NWRSN Committee Member
Charity

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training for Age Scotland
Consultancy

Marketplace and I Exhibition for Beaumont College
Festival/Exhibition/Concert

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Trustee at Neuro Drop-In
Charity

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Lancaster University Library Festival
Festival/Exhibition/Concert

Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Festival/Exhibition/Concert

The Gregson Lancaster
Festival/Exhibition/Concert

Judge for Marketing Lancashire Tourism Awards
Expert Opinion

Annals of Tourism Research (Journal)
Publication peer-review

CCI Roundtable Session on Halloween: History, Lore, & Consumption
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar

Rural Arts
Festival/Exhibition/Concert

Journal of Consumer Research (Journal)
Publication peer-review

European Journal of Marketing (Journal)
Publication peer-review

The Marketplace and I: Commerical Experiences of Disability Explored Through Art
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition

Therapeutic Servicescapes and Market-Mediated Performances of Emotional Suffering
Invited talk

Therapeutic Servicescapes and Market-Mediated Performances of Emotional Suffering
Invited talk

Therapeutic Servicescapes and Market-Mediated Performances of Emotional Suffering
Invited talk

Consuming Bondieuserie: Raising the Profile of Religious Kitsch Consumption
Invited talk

Consuming Bondieuserie: Raising the Profile of Religious Kitsch Consumption
Invited talk

Marketing Theory (Journal)
Publication peer-review

Journal of Marketing Management (Journal)
Publication peer-review

Consumption, Markets and Culture (Journal)
Publication peer-review

  • Academy for Gender and Social Justice Research in Organisations
  • Centre for Consumption Insights