• for part 1: Mastering the Concepts of Marketing Mix in Mainstream Marketing Mastering models for consumer, industrial markets including network models for business to business account for markting history according to Ellis
• for part 2; knowing the elements of the models and their mutual differences Mastering the Kantian model for aesthetic judgment Mastering the avantgarde models of Beuys and Bourriaud Mastering the aesthetic model of Ranciere
• For part 3 Applying models in 2 a, b, and c. to marketing cases for 1. consumer products 2. business to business markets 3 Financial markets 4. Public and non for profit markets

 MARKET(ING) AND AESTHETICS; introduction to marketing and consumption studies for philosophers
 
Teaching the field of Marketing to Fløk (philosophy and economy)-students is a philosophical challenge achieved by integrating three elements of the course. The first part initiates Fløk students to the business profession of marketing. In the second part Fløk students get an introduction to three aesthetic philosophies that they will apply and use in part three; case studies of consumers in different markets.
 

1. Introduction to Marketing as a Job, a Function and Discipline.

Marketing is about making firms develop and sell products and services with high value to customers so the course starts by an introduction to Marketing as a special profession. After a short history and “state of the art” orientation to corporate marketing management; this first part treats the development of the marketing function in business corporations and some general models of consumer-, industrial- and financial-markets for products and services? The part is based on genealogical marketing-history and textbook “state of the art” descriptions of professional marketing culture. In addition to readings and lectures this part will also contain studio based ( at CBS studio) encounters with marketing professionals. The introductory part will be designed in cooperation with marketing scholars and practitioners with the aim of making Fløk students able to communicate to a marketing community.
 
 
 

2. Three Aesthetic Philosophies relevant to Marketing

This second part takes the previous readings of students as a starting points. Marx, Smith, Plato, Kant and Bentham/Mill all have, sometimes conflicting,  ideas that might be interpreted to have special bearing on marketing. A Fløk student may ask why, for instance, many contemporary continental philosophers, followingPlato, bash marketing as a lethal form of sophistry? Is the marketer a threat to the philosopher king? We also know that modern Marxiananalysis violently condemns corporate marketing as a powerful capitalist tool for exploiting and seducing consumers on markets. In fact, as Fløk students already are ware of, much continental philosophy is actually marketed as firmly anti-marketing? On the other hand liberal heirs to ScottishPhilosophers, mostly with US connections, advocate freedom of markets with minimal public regulation? But what did Smithreally imply when he and Humeuse the term Marketing? How are discussions on democracy connected to marketing like Popperscriticism ofPlatoas an enemy of an Open Society? Can Simmel´sphilosophy of money come to grips with Marxcriticism of markets?
The above is already part of baggage Fløk students have acquired in previous courses. Now our course focuses on the part of modern philosophy especially relevant to understanding markets and consumption namely “Aesthetics”. In a somewhat Kantianvein consumption can be seen as a phenomenon( you buy something that functions for you; use value ) and a noumenon( you buy something that is relatively good; exchange value) but also as making  judgments of aesthetic value ( something beautiful or sublime gives you artful experiences). But Kant´s aesthetic is just one of three different forms of “Aesthetics” that provide marketing methods for the analysis and understanding of consumption.
 

a. Classical Aesthetics; Kant and Kantian philosophy of aesthetic judgment.

b. Avant-Garde Aesthetics; art extended to social sculpture via relational aesthetics developed by Beuysand Bourriaud

c. Organizational Aesthetics; creation of social markets as aesthetic processes according to Ranciere.

3. Discovering consumption/consumers with aesthetic perspectives.

From a philosophical perspective a consumer is “the Other” facing the marketer. Marketing aims at co-creating value with consumers inhabiting different culturesboth ascitizensand buyerswith legaland monetary duties and constraints. The third part the course will focus on studio based work with concrete business cases in consumer research. The cases will treat household marketing (consumers goods/services markets), in business-to-business (purchasers and investors on industrial markets) financial marketing (buyers of financial products/services) and public and non-profit marketing (e.g. utility clients or donors of funds). Cases could be written or created by students in field work inspired by ethnography.
The point of the casework is to provide a case-reflection based on the methods in 2, a.,b. and c. above. The lessons of the cases studies should in addition be able to communicate to marketing professional working in the spirit we have explained in part 1 of the course.
In short; Fløk students should learn to make aesthetics inspired consumer research that can the “message over” to marketing professionals.