MKTG 2060 - Consumer Behavior

Credit Hours: 3.00

Objectives:

1. Discuss how consumer behavior is influenced at the macro level by global issues as well as at the micro level by family and group influences.
2. Describe the affect of cultural and sub-cultural variations in the consumer decision process.
3. Identify and describe key sub-cultures in U.S. society, focusing on differences in buyer behavior.
4. Compare cultural variations in non-verbal communication patterns.
5. Describe changes in U.S. society from the standpoint of demographic distribution and social stratification.
6. Identify values that are emerging in U.S. society and explain their impact on the buying process.
7. Differentiate between U.S. values and values of other cultures.
8. Explain how household and family life cycles influence buyer behavior.
9. Describe group influences on consumer behavior, including reference groups, opinion leaders and word-of-mouth.
10. Create marketing strategies that reflect understanding of the external influences on consumer behavior.

Outcome 2: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of internal influences on consumer behavior

Objectives:

1. Describe perception and its role in the buying process.
2. Explain how understanding of perception is important in a variety of marketing contexts, including advertising, retailing, branding, and package design.
3. Describe learning theory as it relates to the consumer buying process.
4. Outline the different theories of motivation and explain how they link to different levels of involvement in the purchase decision process.
5. Describe consumer personality and explain how it relates to brand personality.
6. Describe how emotions are used in marketing and advertising.
7. Identify the components of attitudes and describe how they form and how they change.
8. Describe the meaning of lifestyle analysis and the role it plays in developing marketing strategies.
9. Create marketing strategies that reflect understanding of the internal influences on consumer behavior.

Outcome 3: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the purchase decision process.

Objectives:

1. Describe the significance of the situational context of a purchase decision
2. Explain stages in the consumer decision process, differentiating between low-involvement and high-involvement purchases
3. Define the Problem Recognition stage and offer strategies to discover consumer problems and to help consumers to recognize problems
4. Define the Information Search stage and identify strategies for inclusion in the consumer’s consideration set.
5. Define the Evaluation stage and explain how consumers analyze, compare and make choices
6. Define the Post-purchase stage and offer strategies to reduce dissonance, increase loyalty and build relationships with customers
7. Create marketing strategies that reflect understanding of the purchase decision process

1. Introduction to Consumer Behavior
   1. Applications of consumer behavior
   2. Market analysis: consumers, companies, competitors, market conditions
   3. Market segmentation - definition and overview
   4. Overview of Marketing Strategy: product, price, place, promotion
   5. Introduction to consumer behavior model: external influences, internal influences, and the consumer decision process
2. External Influences on Consumer Behavior
   1. Global cultural factors affecting consumer behavior: language (verbal and non-verbal), demographics, values
   2. U.S. society: changes in values, demographics, subcultures, and household structure - and implications for marketing strategy
   3. Group influences on consumer behavior: types of groups, nature of the influence and implications for marketing strategy
3. Internal Influences on Consumer Behavior
   1. Perception: exposure, attention, interpretation and implications for marketing strategy
   2. Learning: memory, brand image and implications for marketing strategy
   3. Motivation, Personality and Emotion: implications for marketing strategy
   4. Attitudes: components, influences and implications for marketing strategy
   5. Self-concept and lifestyle: definitions, analysis tools like VALS or PRIZM and implications for marketing strategy
4. Consumer Decision Process
   1. Organizational vs. individual consumers
   2. Types of decisions and extensiveness of decision process
   3. Problem recognition and implications for marketing strategy
   4. Information search and implications for marketing strategy
   5. Evaluating choices and making a selection - both for the product and the outlet from which it is purchased
   6. Post-purchase behavior: satisfaction/dissatisfaction, commitment, repurchase