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2015/2016  BA-BPSYO1541U  Consumer behaviour and market analysis

English Title
Consumer behaviour and market analysis

Course information

Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Spring
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for BSc/MSc in Business Administration and Psychology, BSc
Course coordinator
  • Antonia Erz - Department of Marketing (Marketing)
Main academic disciplines
  • Customer behaviour
  • Marketing
Last updated on 27-04-2015
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors:
  • Describe, classify, combine and discuss relevant theories and models of consumer behavior
  • Discuss and reflect upon implications from research for marketing practice
  • Analyze practical examples and cases by applying relevant theories and models and suggest solutions
  • Describe and explain methods of consumer behavior research
Prerequisites for registering for the exam
Number of mandatory activities: 1
Compulsory assignments (assessed approved/not approved)
Mandatory mid-term assignment is to be handed in at a specific time and place. It is an individual assignment, max 5 pages. Students are asked to describe a minor and major purchase decision and, based on the theories and models of the course, analyze whether, how and why these decisions differ.
Assignment will be graded pass/fail. If the student fails, a revised assignment must be handed in. Students must pass the assignment in order to attend the final exam. A make-up/re-exam of the same form will be offered.
Examination
Forbrugeradfærd og markedsanalyse:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Written sit-in exam
Individual or group exam Individual
Assignment type Written assignment
Duration 4 hours
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Summer and Summer
Aids allowed to bring to the exam Limited aids, see the list below:
  • Allowed dictionaries
  • Allowed calculators
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
If the number of registered candidates for the make-up examination/re-take examination warrants that it may most appropriately be held as an oral examination, the programme office will inform the students that the make-up examination/re-take examination will be held as an oral examination instead.
Course content and structure

The overall goal of the course is to enable students to theoretically connect consumer behavior research, based on fundamental psychological theories and models, with marketing models and theories and derive implications for marketing practice. Moreover, students’ analytical skills will be trained by analyzing practical examples and cases based on the theoretical foundations.

 

Consumer behavior research aims at explaining how consumers make decisions in the marketplace, and the course introduces students to theories and models of consumer behavior. Thereby, this course builds on students’ knowledge from preceding courses on cognitive psychology and personality and social psychology. We will draw from fundamental psychological theories, covering the four broad areas of consumer behavior research: First, consumers in the marketplace, looking at consumer behavior from a marketing perspective; second, consumers as individuals, covering areas such as perception, learning/memory , motivation, the self and personality; third, consumers as decision-makers, looking into theories and models of individual decision-making; and fourth, consumer groups, covering relevant theories from social psychology.

 

Consumer behavior research goes beyond the study of what and why we buy; it also takes into consideration how marketers influence consumers and how consumers use the products and services marketers sell.  A comprehensive understanding of the consumer is the foundation of all major marketing activities, namely product development, price and distribution strategies, and all marketing communications. More specifically, understanding perceptions, motivations, learning, attitudes and behavior of consumers has implications that go beyond choosing the right brand name or color of an advertisement.

 

Therefore, we will extend on the underlying psychological theories of consumer behavior and develop a basic theoretical understanding of marketing. A selection of basic marketing terms, principles and theories will supplement the syllabus, and we will dig deeper into theories and models that determine today’s role of marketing, such as the service-dominant logic, the diffusion of innovations or the co-creation of value. Moreover, we will touch upon the digital consumer and the relatively young and under-researched phenomenon of social media, where the consumer not only interacts with the company but also with other consumers.

Implications of current consumer behavior research will be derived and discussed for the marketing of private businesses as well as public institutions.

Teaching methods
TBA
Last updated on 27-04-2015