Market Research and Consumer Behavior

Course Overview

This course aims to provide students with an introduction to research methods used in market research and the psychology of consumer behavior. The students will be presented with the methodologies used to collect data to understand consumers perceptions, believes, motivations, needs and desires. The course is an interdisciplinary course combining the disciplines of marketing, psychology, economy and research.

Learning Outcomes

The course will offer students the necessary knowledge to research, study and understand consumer behavior. By the end of this course students should be able to design a market research project and collect information from the field to understand, explain, predict and manipulate consumer behavior. With the completion of this course students are expected to:

  1. Understand fundamental principles, concepts, and measurement tools essential to planning, conducting, and evaluating marketing research activities.
  2. Learn how to design marketing research studies in a logical and systematic manner.
  3. Learn the difference between qualitative and quantitative research methods.
  4. Be able to utilize exploratory research and secondary information sources to formulate relevant research questions.
  5. Be able to operationalize concepts for the purpose of developing testable propositions.
  6. Be able to collect, organize, and analyze data using SPSS statistical software, and interpret findings to address marketing research problems.
  7. Identify the key terms, concepts, and theories of consumer behaviour
  8. Evaluate the principal theories of consumer behaviour; critically assess strengths, limitations and applications
  9. Apply consumer behavior concepts to real world marketing problems and develop better marketing programs and strategies to influence those behaviours
  10. Analyze the current trends in consumer behaviour; and apply them in marketing an actual product or service.

Course Content

This course will introduce the students to the research design and the methods researchers use to collect data in market research. Furthermore, the course will introduce students to the principles of consumer behavior. Students will understand how consumers perceive, buy, use and dispose of products in the market. This course is not a statistics course and only introduces data processing as part of dissemination of the research outcomes, not as a thorough explanation of this issue.

In more details the topics covered in this course are listed below:

  1. Definition and the evolution of marketing research
  2. Ethical Issues in Marketing Research
  3. Preparing Marketing research reports and presentation: Format of the research report
  4. Importance and Role of research in Marketing; the marketing research industry; Introduce Exploratory Research Techniques
  5. Secondary Data vs. Primary Data;
  6. Sampling Designs and Techniques
  7. Survey Design; Questionnaire construction
  8. Causal Designs and Experiments
  9. Attitude measurement/measurement scales
  10. Qualitative Marketing Research
  11. In-depth-interviews Design and Analysis
  12. Focus Group Design and Analysis
  13. Introduction to Consumer Behaviour; Understanding Customer Perceptions: Multidimensional Scaling
  14. Identifying Market Segments: Cluster Analysis; Understanding Product Preference: Conjoint Analysis
  15. Evolution of Consumer Behaviour as a Field of Study and its Relationship with Marketing: Behaviour Dimension
  16. The Interdisciplinary Nature of Consumer Behaviour
  17. The Consumer Decision Making Process; The Psychology of Persuasion in Consumer Behaviour
  18. The Cognitive Consumer: Perception, Learning and Memory
  19. Consumer motivation, Needs and Affect
  20. Consumption and Satisfaction; Psychological Influence on Consumer Behaviour
  21. The Self, Personality, and Lifestyles
  22. Attitudes: Formation & Change; Decision‐Making: Individuals and Situations
  23. The Social Consumer: Group Influences and Families
  24. The Social Consumer: Subcultures; Cultural Influences on Consumer Behaviour; The Social Consumer: Creation and Diffusion of Culture
  25. The Social Consumer: Organizational Buying
  26. Consumer Behavior Analysis and Marketing Strategy
  27. The Impact of Advertising in Consumer Behaviour
  28. Unconscious and Subconscious Advertising
  29. Persuasive Advertising and consumer decision making.

Instructional Method

The course will include lectures, where the professor will explain the new concepts and introduce the theoretical background and empirical approaches in the field of market research and consumer behavior. Seminars will be organized for students to discuss the concepts and brainstorm ideas. During the seminars case studies, group projects and presentations will be integrated, where students can apply the knowledge presented in the lectures.

Required Course Materials

  1. Hague, P., (2021), Market Research in Practice: An Introduction to Gaining Greater Market Insight (4th) Kogan Page, London, UK
  2. Solomon, M.R., (2019), Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being (13th) Pearson, USA
  3. Maison, D., (2019), Qualitative marketing research: understanding consumer behavior, Routledge; Taylor & Francis, Devon, UK

Assessment

Evaluation will be based on the students´ performance during the whole time of the course. Students will work on group projects that will be assessed in conference like presentations. Students will receive verbal feedback from the professor and the other participants in the course. Written feedback will be given to students in submitted works and essays. A final project will serve as a final exam for the successful completion of the course.