CONSUMER CHOICES
Syllabus
Updated A.Y. 2022-2023
Customer Journey - Digital and creative
Semester: Spring 2023
Instructor: Professor Ilijana Petrovska
Duration of Course: 45 hours
Period: 10 April – 19 May 2023
Contact hours: 36
Home assignments and home hours: 28 hours
Credit Hours: 6 ECTS
Prerequisite: Principles of Marketing
Instructor’s contact details:
e-mail: petrovska@uacs.edu.mk
Required text:
Solomon, M.R. (2020) Consumer behaviour: Buying, having and being. (13th edition) New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Or previous edition
Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being, Global Edition 13th Edition, by Michael R. Solomon, © 2020, ISBN-13 9781292153117, ISBN-10 1292153113
Supplementary reading:
Students are strongly advised to extend their reading to further articles and books:
- Mothersbaugh & Hawkins (2017) Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing strategy. 13th McGraw Hill
- Molenaar, Cor (2015) Why customers would rather have a smartphone than a car: relationship retailing as an opportunity. Farnham, Surrey, England; Gower
- Sorensen H. (2017) Inside the Mind of the Shopper: The Science of Retailing. Pearson FT Press
- Neumeier M. (2016) Brand Flip, The: Why customers now run companies and how to profit from it
- Schiffman, L.G., Kanuk, L.L & Hansen, H. (2008) Consumer behavior: A European Outlook. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Journals and Magazines
Journal of Consumer Behavior
Journal of Consumer Research
Advances in Consumer Research
International Journal of Consumer Studies
Journals of Relationship Marketing
Journal of Marketing
Course description:
The most complex aspect of marketing is understanding the consumer, especially taking into consideration the new trends such as digitalization and globalization, which affect the daily outcome of the customer journey. Therefore, this course aims to provide the basic tools to better comprehend consumer behavior and develop customer journey mapping. By working on a number of topics and finding answers related to different aspects of human behavior in relation to consuming, the students gain a deeper understanding of the psychological processes and their importance to the behavior of the consumers. The students also engage with their own consumption habits and apply their growing knowledge to real-life situations of consumer behavior.
Learning objectives
During the course the students will:
- Learn the fundamental principles and theories in consumer behaviour as well as the connections to other sciences;
- Develop their abilities to apply consumer behaviour concepts to marketing problems that are likely to involve consumer consumption;
- Understand the basic analytical tools that can be used to investigate customer journey
Learning outcomes:
By the end of this course the students will be able to:
- Conduct small scale independent research and draw customer journey mapping relevant to marketing;
- Critically apply their knowledge in the decision connected to various consumer behaviour situations.
Course delivery
Class lectures will review key themes from the suggested textbooks mainly in the form of Powerpoint slides. The notes of the lecture, as well as homework and assignments, will be saved on the University intranet. The students will also be actively involved in the lessons through group work, discussions, and work on practical examples that will enable the students to gain first-hand experience on some of the studied phenomena.
Course assessment criteria
- Group presentation on Consumer trends - 30% - every class according to the topic defined on the 1st class
- The final project consists of Market research using different tools from the classes and developing report useful for Marketing managers. The goal is to work on a real case from the market, for a luxury brand of your choice. This is a project, assessed through:
- Final project presentation - 30%
- Final project written report - 40%
Class participation:
Expected is at least 2/3 of the class participation.
Non attending students - Course assessment criteria
- review paper and presentation for Consumer trends - 20% - maximum 1.500 words, using minimum 3 sources, and using APA referencing.
- The Final project consists of Market research using different tools from the classes and developing a report useful for Marketing managers. The goal is to work on a real case from the market, ask the professor for the instrument and research instrument approval. This should result in:
- Final project presentation - 20%
- The Final project individual written report - 30%
- FINAL EXAM - Final case analysis individual - 30%
All the assignments should uploaded on MS Teams, and a virtual presentation of all assignments should be scheduled before the exam is due.
Course outline:
Day |
Chapter |
Theme |
|
1 |
1
|
Introduction |
|
Understanding Customer Choices |
|||
Analyze: Desk research of articles on Trends in Consumer Choices for presentation for Next classes |
|||
2 |
3
|
Group presentation of papers for perception |
|
Perception |
|||
A: develop a Perceptual / Association map |
|||
3 |
4 |
Learning and memory |
|
Short Case – Nostalgia |
|||
Final project initiation |
|||
4 |
5 |
Motivation and affect |
|
Group presentation |
|||
Ethical CASE analysis |
|||
5 |
6 |
The Self: Mind, Gender, and Body |
|
Final project – discussion of topics, instrument & papers |
|||
6 |
7 |
Personality, Emotions, lifestyle and values |
|
7 |
8 |
Attitudes and persuasive interactive communications |
|
8 |
9 |
Decision making |
|
Customer Journey |
|||
9 |
10 |
Case analysis – Paper Boat |
|
Buying using and disposing as factors for consumer choice |
|||
10 |
11 |
Group influence and social media |
|
How it affects the Customer Journey – group work |
|||
11 |
12
|
Income and demographics influence |
|
Culture and subculture |
|||
14
|
Family influence |
||
Final project – Q&A session |
|||
12 |
|
- Final project presentation |
|
- Final project written report |
Prepared by Prof. Ilijana Petrovska
Date: January 2023