University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Bryan School of Business and Economics
Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality and Tourism
Course: Marketing 424, Consumer Behavior, Fall 2014
Class Times: 12.30 – 1.45 pm, Tuesday and Thursdays, Room 213
Instructor: Sara MacSween, sara@themarketingboutique.com
Office Hours: Mondays from 10 am – 12 pm or by appointment, Room 374
Text: Consumer Behavior, 11th Edition by Schiffman and Wisenblit
Course Description: This class explores the psychological and socioeconomic factors
affecting consumer motivation, behavior and buying decisions. It places emphasis on
current theory and research about the behavior of consumers as individuals and
members of socioeconomic groups. The use of new technologies will also be covered.
Course Objectives:

To give students a workable understanding of consumers’ emotional and
behavioral buying patterns.

To provide students with an understanding of the different key factors that
directly or indirectly influence consumer behavior.

To facilitate an opportunity for students to expand their thinking so they are
prepared to enter the workforce and persuade their consumers (B-C and B-B) to
buy and use particular products and services.

To explain the importance of marketing communications during the buying cycle
to reinforce the concept of value.
Honor Code: This class will follow the following Honor Code policies:

University’s Academic Integrity Policy, which can viewed at
http://academicintegrity.uncg.edu/

The Bryan School’s Faculty and Student Guidelines, which can be viewed at
www.uncg.edu/bae/faculty_student_guidelines.pdf
Make-up Exams: Only given due to illness, and students must provide a note from a
physician on letterhead with a signature before a make-up exam will be given.
Midterm exam I
50 multiple choice questions covering chapters 1-5
25%
Midterm exam II
50 multiple choice questions covering chapters 6-10
25%
Midterm exam III
50 multiple choice questions covering chapters 11-16
25%
Oral presentations
(2 per group)
10 minute group presentation with Q&A session,
groups choose their presentation format
20%
Class participation
Class participation and the ability to answer
questions during oral presentations
5%
TOTAL 100%
Grading
Class Expectations
As instructor, I have the following responsibilities:
1. Come prepared to every class with a well thought-out class.
2. Design my class so you will understand how a marketer uses their understanding
of consumer behavior to connect with consumers and prospective consumers.
3. Consider that it is not always your fault if you don’t understand the material.
4. Create a mutually respectful classroom environment.
5. Provide real working examples of how consumer behavior translates in B-C and
B-B environments.
As students, you have the following responsibilities:
1. Turn off your phone so you can focus on the lecture. Your smart phone is smart
enough!
2. Come prepared to every class by reviewing previous notes and reading the
material. It’s amazing how things make sense when you read before class!
3. Consider that it is not always the instructor’s fault when you don’t understand the
material.
4. Treat others (including the instructor) with respect.
5. Ask questions when you don’t understand. Asking questions is a sign of maturity
- not ignorance. Sales professionals spend a lot of time asking their customers
questions.
Important Notes
1. The exam consists of questions from the text (50%) and lecture (50%). If you
don’t attend class, then you will miss HALF of the material on the exams.
2. Quality, not quantity, is important for class participation and oral presentations.
Class Schedule
Date
Activity
Tues, Aug 19
Oral Presentations &
Teams
Course introduction and team assignments
Thurs, Aug 21
Chapter 1
Tues, Aug 26
Chapter 2
Thurs, Aug 28
Continuation of Chapter 2
Tues, Sept 2
Chapter 3
Thurs, Sept 4
Continuation of Chapter 3
Tues, Sept 9
Chapter 4
Thurs, Sept 11
Continuation of Chapter 4
Tues, Sept 16
Chapter 5
Thurs, Sept 18
Continuation of Chapter 5
Tues, Sept 23
Thurs, Sept 25
Midterm I
Chapter 6
Tues, Sept 30
Continuation of Chapter 6
Team 1
Team 2
Team 3
Team 4
Team 5
Team 6
Team 7
Team 8
Team 9
Team 10
Thurs, Oct 2
Team 11
Team 12
Chapter 7 and midterm review
Tues, Oct 7
Chapter 8
Thurs, Oct 9
Continuation of Chapter 8
Tues, Oct 14
No class for Fall Break
Thurs, Oct 16
Chapter 9
Tues, Oct 21
Continuation of Chapter 9
Thurs, Oct 23
Chapter 10
Tues, Oct 28
Continuation of Chapter 10 Team 2
Team 3
Midterm II
Chapter 11
Team 4
Team 5
Catch up and midterm review
Thurs, Oct 30
Tues, Nov 4
Thurs, Nov 6
Team 13
Team 14
Team 15
Team 1
Tues, Nov 11
Thurs, Nov 27
Team 6
Team 7
Chapter 13
Team 8
Team 9
Chapter 14
Team 10
Team 11
Chapter 15
Team 12
Team 13
Chapter 16
Team 14
Team 15
No class for Thanksgiving Break
TBC
Midterm III
Thurs, Nov 13
Tues, Nov 18
Thurs, Nov 20
Tues, Nov 25
Chapter 12
Oral Presentations
Team 1, Presentation 1
Team 2, Presentation 1
Team 3, Presentation 1
Team 4, Presentation 1
Team 5, Presentation 1
Team 6, Presentation 1
Team 7, Presentation 1
Team 8, Presentation 1
Team 9, Presentation 1
Team 10, Presentation 1
Team 11, Presentation 1
Discuss how two websites or apps you regularly visits track
your behavior and enable marketers to target you effectively.
Discuss two technological innovations that are designed to
enhance customer retention.
Provide a navigation report of two websites (patterns and
surfing times). Describe how a marketer would use this
information to create customized advertising messages.
The owners of a local health-food restaurant need a
psychographic profile of families living in a five-mile driving
radius. Write a 10-item psychographic questionnaire that
measures a family’s dining preferences.
Show and discuss the effectiveness of four different
advertisements; discuss the different defense mechanisms
used.
Find and discuss an example of a B-C and B-B advertisement
or communication that is designed to arouse consumer needs.
Find three examples of promotional methods that use ambush
or experimental marketing. Discuss the effectiveness of the
sensory input provided.
Select a company that produces several versions of the same
product under the same name brand (not an example used in
the text). Prepare a list of the benefits each item offers.
Explain if you think the benefits will persuade consumers to
buy each version.
Visit a supermarket or drug store. Identify packages that were
designed with a marketer’s knowledge of stimulus
generalization or stimulus discrimination. Show and discuss
these examples.
Find an example of two ads that targets the left side of the
brain and two ads that target the right side of the brain.
Discuss your choices and their effectiveness.
Explain a person’s attitude towards visiting Disney World in
terms of the tri-component attitude model.
Team 12, Presentation 1
Team 13, Presentation 1
Team 14, Presentation 1
Team 15, Presentation 1
Team 1, Presentation 2
Team 2, Presentation 2
Team 3, Presentation 2
Team 4, Presentation 2
Team 5, Presentation 2
Team 6, Presentation 2
Team 7, Presentation 2
Team 8, Presentation 2
Team 9, Presentation 2
Team 10, Presentation 2
Team 11, Presentation 2
Explain how a marketer of a nicotine patch can use the theory
of trying-to-consume. Using this theory, identify two segments
of smokers that the marketer should target and explain the
best approach.
Find print ads using each of the following advertising appeals:
fear, sex and humor. Discuss their effectiveness and
persuasive value in class.
Should marketers use more verbal copy than artwork in print
ads? Provide examples of one B-C and one B-B ad. Explain
your answer with your two examples.
List and describe four advantage of social media over
traditional media. Provide examples.
Take pictures of two types of out-of-home media. Present
them in class and describe their target market and
effectiveness.
Provide examples of how companies strategically use buzz
agents and viral marketing. Discuss their effectiveness.
Find and present ads that encourage consumers to engage in
word-of-mouth communications. Discuss the communication
channels used.
You own two furniture stores – one catering to upper-middleclass customers and one to lower-class customers. Discuss
how social-class differences influence the following: product
lines and styles, advertising, media selection, communication
style and payment policies.
Identify one traditional family and one nontraditional
household featured on TV. Classify the traditional household
according to the family life cycle stage and the other according
to the living arrangements featured in Table 10.7. Compare
the consumer patterns of the two households.
Discuss why companies are offering green products. Provide
examples of products and identify their target market(s).
Find advertisements for two brands of deodorant. Do a
content analysis of the written and pictorial aspects of each ad.
Identify the core values portrayed in the ads. Describe how the
symbols in each ad convey the deodorant’s brand image.
People of the same age have different lifestyles. Discuss how
developers of retirement housing can use older Americans’
lifestyles to segment their markets.
Select one of the following countries: Mexico, Brazil,
Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Japan or Australia. Learn about the
country’s customs and consumption in the chosen country.
Prepare a promotional strategy designed to persuade tourists
from this country to visit the US.
How do consumers reduce post-purchase dissonance? How
can marketers provide positive reinforcement to consumers
after purchase to reduce dissonance? Provide examples.
Identify a product, service or style recently adopted by
you/your friends. Identify the innovation and describe the
diffusion process up to this point. What are characteristics of
early adopters? Who didn’t adopt it? What features are likely
to determine its eventual success or failure?
Team 12, Presentation 2
Team 13, Presentation 2
Team 14, Presentation 2
Team 15, Presentation 2
Find and discuss ads that depict the following: exploitive
targeting of children, overaggressive adverting, direct-toconsumer advertising of pharmaceuticals, cause-related
marketing, societal marketing by a for-profit company and
socially undesirable representation.
Neutrogena would like to extend its facial cleanser product
line. Design a qualitative and a quantitative research design.
Based on the discussion of focus groups and depth interviews
(Figures 16.2 and 16.3), develop a discussion guide for
studying college students’ reactions to their brand and model
of cell phone.
Using one of the attitude scales in Figure 16.6, construct a
survey to assess your fellow students’ opinions regarding the
technological support services provided by your university.