Canon Honours Scholarship

Cassini Sisson (2026)
Cassini is a Marketing Honours student with academic research and industry experience in digital marketing, marketing research, content creation, and brand communications across Australia, China, and the United States.

Cassini’s Honours research explores how human-like AI customer service chatbots influence consumer behaviour and frustration during service failures. By examining conversational language, voice interaction, and emotional intelligence shape consumer reactions, her study aums to provide businesses with practical recommendations to create AI support systems that reduce customer friction and foster more positive interactions.

Cassini says the research aims to deliver practical insights for modern businesses:

“By improving our understanding of how consumers react to different chatbot designs, this research aims to provide practical recommendations for organisations developing AI-powered customer service systems. Findings may help businesses create chatbot experiences that are not only more engaging but also better equipped to reduce customer frustration and encourage more positive service interactions.”

Kelly Balarin (2025)
Kelly’s thesis will explore the impact of dupes (imitation products) in the luxury beauty industry, including whether dupes threaten existing product lines or create an interesting new market category. Kelly will also examine the consumer groups that purchase dupes to better understand purchasing trends in this unique and changing segment of the beauty market.

Kelly says the Canon scholarship will enable her to focus on her studies: “This Canon scholarship has given me the financial stability that I need to prioritise and focus on my honours studies and reach my full academic potential. This scholarship has allowed me to dedicate my time to my research and fully apply myself to expanding the communal knowledge base in the marketing field.”

Amishi Handoo (2024)
Amishi’s thesis proposed a model for businesses to make public policy impact through brand advocacy, with a focus on making a long-term commitment to advocacy that aligns with core brand values. Since completing her thesis, Amishi has furthered her interest in public policy and environmental issues by commencing a role with the Australian Energy Market Commission.

Amishi noted that the Canon scholarship played an important role in supporting her research: “The Canon Honours Scholarship provided helpful support during my studies, allowing me to focus more on my academic work and overall progress.”