MKT 450 – Consumer Behavior and Marketing Syllabus (Revised: 01/06/13) Spring 2013 16496 16498 T/R T/R Professor: Office: E-Mail: Office Hours: 12:00 - 01:50 pm 02:00 - 03:50 pm HOH 303 HOH 303 Gülden Ülkümen HOH 516 ulkumen@marshall.usc.edu Tuesdays & Thursdays 11 am-12 pm. 24-hour advance notice, please. COURSE DESCRIPTION We are all consumers. We buy groceries, computers, and cars. We purchase services ranging from bank accounts to college educations. However, we also know that consumers are different from one another. We buy different clothes, drive different cars, and eat different foods. Moreover, even the same consumer can make different decisions depending on the situation. So how are we to construct coherent marketing strategies? In this class we will try to learn how and why consumers behave the way that they do. We will explore our intuitions about our own behavior. We will learn about theories developed in marketing, psychology and other behavioral sciences. And we will learn to use these theories to predict how consumers will respond to different marketing activities. LEARNING OBJECTIVES To acquire a framework for analyzing consumer behavior problems To learn how consumer behavior can be affected by different marketing strategies To show how behavioral evidence can be used to evaluate alternative marketing strategies To develop a deeper understanding of consumer behavior by learning about relevant psychological and sociological theories To acquire experience in applying these theories to real-world consumer behavior problems Page 1 of 11 REQUIRED MATERIALS Textbook Consumer Behavior (2012, 6th edition), by Wayne D. Hoyer, Deborah J. MacInnis, and Rik Pieters, Houghton Mifflin Co: Boston: MA. Course Reader Includes the following HBS cases: Starbucks: Delivering Customer Service (9-504-016) Boston Beer Company: Light Beer Decision (9-899-058) TiVo in 2002 (9-502-062) Readings & Assignments Additional exercises, journal articles, and recent news from the popular business press will be provided throughout the semester. The journal articles will provide you with a deeper insight into selected topics and methods of consumer behavior research. The business news articles and exercises will give you the opportunity to apply the textbook’s conceptual framework to current real-world marketing problems. Make sure that you have read the readings assigned for each class. This will help you to better understand the material discussed in class and to actively participate in class discussions. These readings and assignments will be handed out in class or posted on the class website. It will be the student’s responsibility to obtain these materials if a class session is missed for any reason. Course Website https://blackboard.usc.edu This website is an important part of the course and you will want to refer to it frequently for information on each session. It contains important announcements, course syllabus, copies of the PowerPoint slides we will use in class each day, readings and other handouts and assignments. Please check this website regularly. It is your responsibility to check this website once before every class for important announcements and updates. COURSE NOTES A subset of the PowerPoint slides for each class will be available for downloading from the website by 10 am the morning of the relevant class session. I will post a subset of the slides I use in class on Blackboard. These slides only present an outline of the class discussion. You will still need to take additional notes to fully capture the material discussed in class. It is the student’s responsibility to print out lecture notes and bring them to class. PREREQUISITES This class does not have a prerequisite. Page 2 of 11 ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING DETAIL Final grades represent how you perform in the class relative to other students. Your grade will not be based on a mandated target, but on your performance. Historically, the average grade for this class is about a (B). Three items are considered when assigning final grades: 1. Your average weighted score as a percentage of the available points for all assignments (the points you receive divided by the number of points possible). 2. The overall average percentage score within the class. 3. Your ranking among all students in the class. Your evaluation will be based on 2 midterms, 1 final exam, an individual assignment, three case study reports, a final project, and your class participation: Case Reports: Individual Assignment: Midterm 1: Midterm 2: Final Exam: Final Project: Class Participation: Case Study Reports 9% 10% 15% 15% 25% 16% 10% 9% You will be asked to prepare 3 Harvard Business School cases for class discussion. To make sure that you have read and thought about the cases in advance, I will ask everyone to bring to class a (max) 2 page report on the day we discuss the case in class, in the beginning of class. Each case report will contribute 3% towards your final grade. Detailed information on the case preparations will be posted on the Blackboard at a later date. Individual Assignment 10% Evaluation & Choice Assignment is designed to help you better understand and remember the issues discussed in class. This assignment should be done individually. Final Project 16% A significant part of your course grade will be determined by a final project, which will be completed in groups. As professionals interested in marketing, you are all going to be part of teams that work together in finding solutions to common marketing problems. Therefore, as part of this course, you will be required to carry out a team project in which you focus on a particular product, service, or non-profit cause, conduct research to examine this product and its customers and discuss your findings. More information on the final project will be posted on Blackboard at a later date. You are responsible for selecting your team members, coordinating schedules, and communicating your expectations about division of labor. At the end of the semester, each team member Page 3 of 11 will be asked to evaluate the contribution of every other member in their teams. Part of your grade on the final project will be based on these peer evaluations. Midterms 30% (Midterm 1: 15% & Midterm 2: 15%) The two midterms will be based on the lectures, class discussions, assigned readings, and class assignments. They may include multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. The midterms will include material primarily covered in lectures, but material from the textbook and assigned readings may also be included. There will be no makeup exam. If you cannot take one of the midterms due to a documented medical condition, the other midterm will count for 30% of your grade. If you fail to take both midterms due to a documented medical condition, your final exam will count for 55% of your grade. The medical report should specifically mention that the student was affected/excused on the day of the exam, or for a period that covers the day of the exam. Final Exam 25% The exam may consist of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. The exam will primarily include material covered in lectures, but material from the text, group presentations, and assigned readings may also be included. There will be no makeup exam. The current university policy is that no student may omit the final examination, or request to reschedule the final examination date. Class Participation 10% Your class participation grade will be composed of your attendance and quality of your participation (5%), and your preparation assignments (5%). Attending classes will substantially increase your understanding of the assigned readings and provide you with insight into issues beyond those covered in the readings. It will also give you the opportunity to actively participate in class discussions and obtain a better class participation grade. Note, however, that your mere presence is not sufficient to earn points for class participation. What matters more is the quantity and, especially, the quality of your contributions to class discussions. Throughout the semester, I will ask you to prepare a series of short assignments, which will prepare you for class discussions. A list of these assignments will be posted on blackboard. These assignments will usually ask you to find examples of certain products or situations, through observation or research. Having these short write-ups ready with you in class will prepare you for more fruitful class discussions. Please come to class with two copies, and hand one copy in at the beginning of class. ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION POLICY All assignments are due at the beginning of class. Please turn in a hard copy of each assignments/case reports at the beginning of class on their due date. Assignments submitted Page 4 of 11 by email will not be accepted. Late assignments will lose points. Students are responsible for knowing when the assignments and reports are due. If you are unable to turn in an assignment on or before the due date, for whatever reason (e.g., illness), you must contact me prior to the due date. Your grades will be posted on our course page on Blackboard. Please check there from time to time to make sure all your points are recorded properly. EVALUATION OF YOUR WORK To keep things fair for future students, I do not allow students to take their actual exams out of the classroom. You may look over your exams in my office during office hours, or by appointment. You may regard each of your submissions as an “exam” in which you apply what you’ve learned according to the assignment. I will do my best to make my expectations for the various assignments clear and to evaluate them as fairly and objectively as I can. If you feel that an error has occurred in the grading of any assignment, you may, within one week of the date the assignment is returned to you, write me a memo in which you request that I reevaluate the assignment. Attach the original assignment to the memo and explain fully and carefully why you think the assignment should be re-graded. Be aware that the re-evaluation process can result in three types of grade adjustments: positive, none, or negative. EXTRA CREDIT POLICY Please note that there will be no opportunities to improve your grade through the completion of extra credit work. COMMUNICATION The best way to reach me is via email. The office hours are on Tuesday and Thursday 11 am-12 pm. If you plan on meeting me during office hours, please let me know 24 hours in advance. If you cannot make it to the regularly scheduled office hours, please email me and set up an appointment for a different time. I will use Blackboard’s email system to contact you individually or as a group about the class (e.g. changes in the syllabus, assignments, etc.). It is your responsibility to make sure that emails sent via Blackboard can reach you at an email address you check on a regular basis. ATTENDANCE POLICY I expect everyone to attend all classes. Aside from being an essential part of the learning experience, regular attendance is a prerequisite for contributing to class discussions. Moreover, please keep in mind that: o Attendance is an important component of your class participation. o You do not need to notify me if you cannot make it to class, unless it’s an exam day or if you are not able to attend for an extended period of time. Page 5 of 11 o Absences will be excused only due to documented medical reasons (including the specific date), or when accompanied by a note from another USC instructor. Absences due to job interviews or other reasons will not be excused. o All assignments are due at the beginning of class and late assignments will be penalized. o If you have to miss class you are responsible for getting notes from other students, and in general understanding the material covered, and for knowing any changes or assignments announced in class. CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE Out of respect for the other students in the class, it is important for you to focus your full attention on the class, for the entire class period. While most students do observe proper decorum, it takes only a few to bother the entire class. In a busy, electronic age, proper class etiquette means observing the following standards: o Arrive for class on time. o Once you have arrived, you should leave the classroom only if absolutely necessary. Leaving to make or take phone calls, to meet with classmates, or to go to an interview, is not considered appropriate behavior. o The only material you should have in front of you is reading concerned with the class. Reading of any other material, such as newspapers or magazines, or doing work from another class, is not acceptable. TECHNOLOGY POLICY Laptop and Internet usage is not permitted during academic sessions unless otherwise stated by the professor. Use of other personal communication devices, such as cell phones, is considered unprofessional and is not permitted during class time. ANY edevices (cell phones, PDAs, I-Phones, Blackberries, other texting devices, laptops, Ipods) must be completely turned off during class time. Upon request, you must comply and put your device on the table in off mode and FACE DOWN. You might also be asked to deposit your devices in a designated area in the classroom. Videotaping lectures is not permitted due to copyright infringement regulations. ADD / DROP PROCESS If you are absent six or more times prior to February 1 (the last day to withdraw from a course with a grade of “W”), I may ask you to withdraw from the class by that date. These policies maintain professionalism and ensure a system that is fair to all students. STATEMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 Page 6 of 11 and is open 8:30 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776. STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. SCampus, the Student Guidebook, (www.usc.edu/scampus or http://scampus.usc.edu) contains the University Student Conduct Code (see University Governance, Section 11.00), while the recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A. Students will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for further review, should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty. The Review process can be found at: http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/ . Failure to adhere to the academic conduct standards set forth by these guidelines and our programs will not be tolerated by the USC Marshall community and can lead to dismissal. No cheating, plagiarism, or dishonest behavior will be tolerated. Copying the work of a current or past student, plagiarizing in any way, or performing any other act of academic dishonesty will be dealt with in a manner consistent with University policy. Individual work, either in the form of an individual assignment or on an exam, must be yours and yours alone. In group projects, I expect the members of each team to contribute equally. Keep in mind that part of your grade from group projects depends on peer evaluations. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS/COURSE CONTINUITY In case of emergency, and travel to campus is difficult, USC executive leadership will announce an electronic way for instructors to teach students in their residence halls or homes using a combination of Blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technologies. Please activate your course in Blackboard with access to the course syllabus. Whether or not you use Blackboard regularly, these preparations will be crucial in an emergency. USC's Blackboard learning management system and support information is available at blackboard.usc.edu. Thank you for your co-operation in these very important rules. I am looking forward to an exciting class and semester! Page 7 of 11 PROJECTED CLASS SCHEDULE SPRING 2013 updated 01/06/13 Please note that this is a tentative class schedule – it may change in the course of the semester. You are responsible for any changes announced in class or posted on Blackboard. DATE DAY TOPIC 01 / 15 Session 1 Tuesday Introduction to the Course 01 / 17 Session 2 Thursday Overview of Consumer Behavior 01 / 22 Session 3 Tuesday Measuring Consumer Behavior (Qualitative Methods) 01 / 24 Session 4 Thursday Measuring Consumer Behavior (Quantitative Methods) 01 / 29 Session 5 Tuesday Consumer Behavior and Marketing (Segmentation & Targeting) 01 / 31 Session 6 Thursday Case Discussion: Starbucks Consumer Behavior and Marketing (Positioning) ASSIGNMENT Read Chapter 1 DUE1: Personal Profile Read Appendix DUE: Starbucks Case Report PART I: The Consumer Decision Making Process 1. Overview 02 / 05 Session 7 Tuesday The Consumer Decision Making Process Read Chapter 2 DUE: Form Groups for Final Project 2. Pre-Purchase Processes 1 02 / 07 Session 8 Thursday Need Recognition & Search 02 / 12 Session 9 Tuesday Exposure & Attention Read Chapter 7 Read Chapter 3 All deliverables (i.e., forms, reports, assignments, etc.) are due in hard copy, in class, on the due date indicated in this schedule. Page 8 of 11 02 / 14 Session 10 Thursday Perception DUE: Select 3 Candidate Products for Final Project 02 / 19 Session 11 Tuesday Case Discussion: Boston Beer Company Course Review DUE: Boston Beer Company Case Report 02 / 21 Session 12 Thursday MIDTERM 1 02 / 26 Session 13 Tuesday In-Class Research Workshop Note: Students can use laptops in this session 3. Purchase & Post Purchase Processes 02 / 28 Session 14 Thursday Opinion Formation 03 / 05 Session 15 Tuesday Opinion Formation 03/07 Session 16 Thursday Storage & Retrieval Read Chapter 4 DUE: Report Summarizing Selected Product, Research on Target and Alternative Segments, and Hypotheses for Final Project 03/12 Session 17 Tuesday Evaluation & Choice Read Chapter 8 03 / 14 Session 18 Thursday Evaluation & Choice 03 / 19 Tuesday Spring Break - No Class 03 / 21 Thursday Spring Break - No Class 03 / 26 Session 19 Tuesday Decision Biases 03 / 28 Session 20 Thursday Course Review Page 9 of 11 Read Chapters 5 & 6 Read Chapter 9 DUE: Evaluation & Choice Assignment 04 / 02 Session 21 Tuesday MIDTERM 2 04 / 04 Session 22 Thursday Consumption & Evaluation Read Chapter 10 Read Hoch & Ha (1986) 04 / 09 Session 23 Tuesday In-Class Workshop DUE: Report on Suggested Research Methods & Materials for Final Project PART II: Individual & Environmental Influences on the Decision Making Process 04 / 11 Session 24 Thursday Individual Influences on Adoption Culture and Consumer Behavior Read Chapter 15 04 / 16 Session 25 Tuesday Demographics Read Chapters 12, 13 04 / 18 Session 26 Thursday Psychographics Case Discussion: TiVo 2002 Read Chapters 14 DUE: TiVo 2002 Case Report PART III: Improving Consumers’ Decisions 04 / 23 Session 27 Tuesday Consumer Welfare Read Chapter 17 Final Project Presentations 04 / 25 Session 28 Thursday Project Presentations 04 / 30 Session 29 Tuesday Project Presentations 05 / 02 Session 30 Thursday Course Review Section: 16496 16498 Final exam date & time T/R T/R 12:00 - 01:50 pm 02:00 - 03:50 pm Wednesday, May 15, 2-4 pm Thursday, May 9, 2-4 pm Page 10 of 11 DUE: Final Project for All Groups PERSONAL INFORMATION FORM MKT 450 – Consumer Behavior and Marketing Professor Gülden Ülkümen, Spring 2013 Your name: _____________________________________________ Cell phone number: _______________________________________ Please staple your photo here Major(s): ________________________________________________ Expected graduation date:___________________________________ Please read the following statement and indicate your agreement by providing your signature below. “I have read the syllabus thoroughly. I understand and agree to the requirements associated with this course.” ___________________________________________ Signature _________________ Date 1) List any class you might miss for religious observance. 2) List any classes you are currently taking, or have taken in the past that is relevant to our course (e.g., Marketing, Psychology, Communications). 3) What is your recent work experience? 4) What are your favorite brands? List four. 5) Who are your favorite celebrities? List four. 6) What are your favorite movies? 7) Tell me something about yourself that is important to you and/or makes you unique (your interests, hobbies, background, talents, collections, etc.) Use the back of the form if you need more space. Page 11 of 11