MARKETING 537 -- CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
Professor:
Dr. Laura Flurry
Office Phone: 257-3768
Email:
lwflurry@latech.edu
Office:
Office Hrs:
COBB 341
9:15 - 11:20a.m.; 1:45 – 3:00p.m. MWF,
and by appt.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: A review of the basic concepts of consumer behavior. Emphasis will be placed on
issues surrounding consumers' search for, purchase, and use of products. The social and psychological influences
on these various behaviors will also be explored.
TEXT: Consumer Behavior: Building Marketing Strategy. Twelfth Edition. By Hawkins and Mothersbaugh.
ISBN: 978-0-07-353004-8 (2013). Digital support available: www.mhhe.com/hawkins12e
ADDITIONAL COURSE MATERIAL: Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden
Forces That Shape Our Decisions. By Dan Ariely. ISBN: 978-0-06-135324-6 (2010). Paperback and Kindle
versions available.
COURSE LECTURES and NOTES: All course materials will be available on Moodle. Class announcements
will also be posted to Moodle throughout the quarter.
EXAMS: Three exams will be administered during the quarter. Each will consist of essay questions with a heavy
focus on the application of the concepts and theories discussed in class and in the text. All exams will be
administered via Moodle and must be completed within the time allotted. Exams will require access to the Internet
and may be taken at the student’s choice of location (e.g., computer lab, home, office, etc.). Exam responses
MUST be typed in MS Word format and be received via email by the professor by the appointed deadline on exam
day. Late Exams will not be accepted! Once exams are graded, scores will be posted on Moodle.
LIFESTYLE DATA PROJECT: Included with the purchase of your text is a DDB Lifestyle Study Data Disk.
Included on the disk are Excel spreadsheets summarizing the annual U.S. consumer lifestyle survey collected by
DDB Worldwide, a leading advertising agency. Guided by this information, each student must identify a new
product or service to which there is likely to be a need and a viable target market. The product must not be an
existing product! Students are encouraged to be creative in their product selections. Product proposals are due on
December 12. Once approved, each student must compose a marketing strategy plan for his/her product idea to
include a description of the new product, identification of the target market, description of product positioning
(differential advantage relative to competition), and a proposed marketing mix (product features, price level,
promotional strategy, distribution strategy, and services). Appendix B is a useful resource. An outline of the
required content is attached. The report is worth 100 points and must be submitted by 10:00 a.m. on March 2.
COURSE GRADE DETERMINATION:
Exams (100 points each)
Lifestyle Project
300 points (75 % of course total)
100 points (25% of course total)
Emergency Notification System (ENS): All Louisiana Tech students are strongly encouraged to enroll and update their
contact information in the Emergency Notification System. It takes just a few seconds to ensure you’re able to receive
important text and voice alerts in the event of a campus emergency. For more information on the system, please visit:
http://www.latech.edu/administration/ens.shtml. In the event of a campus emergency, login to Moodle
(http://moodle.latech.edu) within 36 hours of a University closure to receive instructions regarding the course.
Accommodation for Special Needs:
Students needing testing or classroom accommodations based on a disability are encouraged to discuss those needs with the
professor as soon as possible. Required documentation from the DSS office (e.g., appropriate DSS memorandum) should be
provided.
Academic Misconduct:
University policy with respect to academic misconduct will be strictly enforced. Academic misconduct will not be tolerated.
Cheating on exams, plagiarism, or copying another student’s assignments will result in a grade of zero. In accordance with
the Academic Honor Code (www.latech.edu/tech/students/honor-code.pdf), students pledge the following: “Being a student
of higher standards, I pledge to embody the principle of academic integrity.” Any attempts at cheating, plagiarism, or
facilitating academic dishonesty will be penalized. Students are advised to read the Academic Misconduct section of the
current University Bulletin. Please be aware that misrepresentation of an excused absence is grounds for academic
misconduct.
Date (by week)
December 3
December 5
December 8
December 10
December 12
December 15
December 17
December 19
January 5
January 7
January 9
January 12
January 14
January 16
January 19
January 21
January 23
January 26
January 28
January 30
February 2
February 4 -6
February 9
February 11
February 13
February 16 -18
February 20
February 23
February 25 -27
March 2
CLASS SCHEDULE
Topic
Chapter
Course Overview
Introduction to Consumer Behavior
Consumer Research
Consumer Decision-Making Process
Product Proposal Due (submit via email)
Information Search
Alternative Evaluation and Selection
Merry Christmas! (No Class Lecture)
Outlet Selection and Purchase
Post-purchase Processes, Consumer Satisfaction
Situational Influences
Exam 1
Cross-cultural Variations
Changing American Values
MLK Holiday
Changing American Demographics
Changing American Subcultures
Changing American Families
Group Influences
Exam 2
Perception and Being Predictably Irrational
Learning, Memory and Positioning
Motivation, Personality, and Emotion
Attitudes and Influencing Attitudes
Mardi Gras Break
Self-Concept and Lifestyle
Exam 3
Lifestyle Project Work – no class lectures
Lifestyle Project Due (submit via email)
1
Appx. A
14
15
16
17
18
13
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Learning Objective
To define consumer behavior
To review research methods
To overview the steps in decisionmaking process
To discuss the process of search
for, evaluation of and selection of
product alternatives
To describe outlet and item
selection, post-purchase processes
and situational factors
To evaluate the impact of culture
on consumer decisions
To illustrate American culture
To describe evolving population
and cultural trends in the U.S.
To examine forms of group
influence on decision-making,
including family and social class
To introduce strategic implications
of consumer perception
To introduce learning theories
To learn dynamics of individual
differences affecting decisions
To illustrate consumer lifestyle
segmentation and theories of self
THE PROFESSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THIS SCHEDULE WITH
NOTICE TO THE STUDENTS
Lifestyle Project Outline
I. Product Description
A. What is your product? (provide a name and a detailed description)
B. What type of problem will your product satisfy?
C. What type of innovation is your product?
D. What is the expected diffusion rate of your product? (Evaluate your product using the characteristics
which influence the adoption rate of a new product.)
II. Target Market
A. What is the target market for your product? Utilize the appropriate segmentation approaches
(demographic, psychographic, usage, benefits, and geographic) to identify the target market for your
product. Be sure to refer not only to the introductory class discussion of market segmentation, but also
to the specific discussions on the individual and environmental influences which may be applicable to
your product (i.e., personality and lifestyle, family life-cycle, culture / subculture, social class, etc.).
B. Why is the selected target market the most appropriate segment? (Use the criteria for successful
segmentation to justify your choice of target market.)
C. What is your intended target market strategy (i.e, single or multiple segments)? Why?
III.
Situational Analysis
Conduct secondary data analysis for your proposed product and market. This information should provide a
justification as to why your product is needed in the marketplace and why your product has a competitive
advantage.
A. Situational Environment
i. Demand / demand trends – industry trends
ii. Social and cultural environment and trends
iii. Demographic environment and trends
iv. Economic environment and trends
v. Technological environment and trends
vi. Political and legal environment and trends
B. Competitive Environment (What existing products currently satisfy the same need as your product? Is
there any information about these products available to help formulate your strategy?)
i.
Detailed competitive evaluation, including detailed assessment of product, price, promotion
and distribution
IV. Product Positioning
A. What will be differential advantage of your product? How will you position the product relative to the
competitive alternatives?
V. Marketing Mix
A. Pricing Strategy
a. At what price to you intend to offer your product? Why?
B. Promotional Strategy
a. What components of the promotional mix do you intend to use to promote your product? (i.e.,
advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling) Why?
C. Distribution Strategy
a. Through what type of distribution channel do you plan to make your product available? Why?
VI. Appendix (reference list, etc.)