General Information
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Target Audience
This course targets students interested in understanding and analysing consumer thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. The course covers concepts, frameworks, and theories from psychology and other social sciences and their application to a wide range of marketing challenges.
Format
12.25 regular sessions
Course Mission
Contemporary approaches to marketing emphasize the importance of adopting a consumer focus, from determining consumers’ wants and needs, understanding their motivation, to shaping their attitudes and ensuring their loyalty. This course provides insight into consumer psychology and the means by which consumer behaviour can be influenced or altered. The course has both theoretical and practical objectives in that we will:
- Explore theory and research that is relevant to understanding consumer psychology
- Apply these theories and findings to generate novel ideas for effective marketing/communication techniques.
By shedding light on the psychological underpinnings of consumers’ motivation, attitudes, preferences, and decision-making styles, this course will help students make more insightful and effective marketing decisions, as well as developing novel ideas for grabbing attention, shaping behaviour, and changing consumers’ minds.
Course Scope
The primary goal of this course is to enhance understanding of consumer behaviour, from determining consumer needs to building customer relationships. Behavioural concepts from various social science disciplines are used to examine cultural and social influences, individual differences, motivation, learning, perception, memory, attitudes, decisions, and purchase behaviours. The emphasis is on using this knowledge to capitalize on marketing opportunities.
Evaluation and Grade Breakdown
| Component | Due Date | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Class Participation | Ongoing | 20% |
| Short (1-3 page) assignments | Ongoing | 45% |
| Group Project | Ongoing (presentations on April 8) | 35% |
Required Resources
Textbook: Consumer Behaviour: Buying, Having, and Being, (8th Canadian Edition), Michael R. Solomon, Kelley J. Main, Katherine White, and Darren W. Dahl, Toronto, ON: Prentice Hall