BBA

2018-19

Consumer Behavior

(BS-MKT-303)

Fall, 2018

Name of the Instructor: Diptiman Banerji, Ph.D.

Contact Details – diptiman@jgu.edu.in

Consultation hours: Appointment through email preferred.

INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE

Consumer Behavior (CB) is the study of the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use or
dispose of products, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy needs and desires. Given the centrality of consumption
for any marketing activity, understanding CB is at the very heart of marketing research and practice. Since
consumption is a part of a larger array of human activities, it is necessary to situate CB in the wider domain of human
behavior. Like most of the behavioral disciplines, CB is a complex area of inquiry with inter-disciplinary influences
from Economics, Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
The learning objectives are:
1. To provide a basic understanding of the psychological, sociological, anthropological, and economic processes
affecting consumer choices.
2. To assist students to gain an insight into how consumers think, feel, reason and select between alternatives’ so
as to craft appropriate marketing strategy.
3. To cultivate students awareness of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment.
4. Studying consumer behavior will also assist the student as a consumer to better understand consumption related
decisions.

LEARNING GOALS
In addition to the specific course-related objectives, this course is designed to achieve the following learning goals
 1. Critical and Integrative thinking: Each student will be able to identify critical issues in Consumer Behavior
settings, develop a perspective that is supported by relevant information and integrative thinking, to draw
and assess conclusions. This learning goal will be measured through assignments and submissions
2. Awareness of Global Issues affecting Consumer Behavior-related Decisions: Each student will be able to
identify key relevant global issues and be able to analyze the impact of the global environment on
Consumer Behavior, as compared with domestic market-related management issues. This learning goal will
be assessed through class discussion on different applications of Consumer Behavior in the global context.
3. Interpersonal Awareness and Working in Teams: Each student shall demonstrate an ability to work
effectively in a team, exhibiting behavior that reflects an understanding of the importance of individual roles
and tasks and the ability to manage conflict and compromise, so that team goals are achieved. (e.g., the
team based case presentations in the class and the group assignments will be a major component for
measurement of this learning goal).
4. Effective Presentation and Listening Skills: Each student shall be able to communicate verbally in an
organized, clear, persuasive manner and be a responsive listener. (e.g., I will expect you to use the case
presentations to develop your presentations skills. I also expect you to be active listeners when your
classmates are presenting and to give specific feedback.)

TEACHING METHOD
The course will be a combination of lectures, class discussion, case studies, and assignments. To participate
effectively in class, the student should come prepared to the class by reading in advance the sections of the textbook
that will be covered in the session, as well as any other material handed by the instructor, including the cases. Here
the onus of learning will be with the student and the instructor will be a facilitator. Instead of only learning ‘what to
do,’ the cases will also be used as examples of real-world phenomenon where a particular issue or set of issues
arise, and good and bad practices are seen.

TEAMS AND TEAMWORK

Your class will be divided into groups containing 4-6 members. You will be informed about the details of your team,
and you should prepare for each case group-wise, for presentation in the class. You will also prepare for your
projects group-wise.
At the end of the term, each team member might be asked to grade other member’s participation in the coursework
as well; this is something known as a peer-to-peer review (P2P review). The final grade will be adjusted downward if,
any team member has been free-riding, according to the other group members. The way we will achieve P2P review
will be as follows. At the end of the term, I will ask each team member to rate everyone else regarding how much of
the group’s final rating they contributed to. If the average for a student is, say 80% (i.e., that individual has
contributed to 80% of the group’s rating), then that student will get a group project mark of 80% of the group’s score.

ATTENDANCE POLICY
Attendance at all the sessions is as per the university rules (minimum 75% excluding all leaves). The following
instances will also be treated as an absence unless prior permission is taken
 Attending only part of the session, either entering or leaving during the break
 Arriving in class after the session is scheduled to begin
 Failing to display the name card

GRADING
The rubric that I will use for evaluation is as below.
Evaluation Item Weightage Nature Explanation
Case 10% Group Analysis and presentation of assigned cases. Please see the
presentations*# notes below.
Class Quiz 20% Individual I will announce two class quizzes in class. Since these are
announced quizzes, absence translates to zero marks for that
quiz. The only ground I will give a re-test on is if you were ill and
the same has to be supported by the University doctor’s
certificate.
Project Work 20% Group Please see details in the next section.
End Term 50% Individual The end term shall test students on the essential concepts
learned during the course and is likely to be a mix of both short
descriptive questions and MCQs.

*Please note that any group(s) at random will be asked to present the assigned case for that class. As a corollary,
each group should come prepared to class to make a ten-minute succinct presentation. I will share the broad outline
of how a case presentation has to be made.

#Please do not assume that if a group has presented during the initial sessions, it will not be called again. In other
words, a particular group can be called to present in two or three sessions as well, while another group might be
called to present in only one session.

PROJECT (TEAM BASED)

Introduction
The primary objective of the group project is to have you synthesize and apply consumer behavior (CB) concepts
learned from class to real-world phenomena. This assignment is designed to show some evidence of significant
learning that takes place beyond the classroom.
The rationale for this assignment is two-fold: (1) students will integrate core concepts into a real-world topic of
interest, and (2) it encourages the expression of creativity—a critical characteristic of a good marketer.
Guidelines for the Project
I. Select an FMCG (e.g., Dove) or service brand (e.g., HDFC Bank), of interest. Your project scope will be
restricted to this brand specifically and not to any other brand, including sub-brands. For example, Bajaj and
Pulsar are two brands in that they have distinct identities (even though Pulsar is a sub-brand).
II. Acquire background information on this brand. This information should come from the brand itself,
applied/commercial publications reputed newspaper and business magazine articles, and any other relevant
3rd party/academic publications. You may even consider contacting companies and asking for the
information you need.
III. Analyze the brand’s strategic decisions (STP) and relevant tactical decisions (appropriate for this project
from a CB point of view; you do not need to discuss every P from the 4P’s) by applying concepts and
theories that you have learned in this course. Your analysis should include an explanation of consumer
behavior concepts or theories, of how the brand relates to/applies to these concepts or theories. For
example, if a brand is targeting a particular segment, describe that segment and a typical persona of that
segment. Next, one of the 4P’s is communication. You might want to discuss what communication elements
are being used and relate them to CB concepts. Another “P” is the price. You might want to analyze the
brand’s pricing decisions, utilizing concepts like JND. Apart from secondary data, I recommend using
primary research to understand how consumers think.
IV. Provide an evaluation of the effectiveness of the brand’s strategy and marketing tactics. You should focus
on what works and what isn’t working. This assessment should include an explanation of consumer
behavior concepts or theories, that is, why you think an aspect is working or likely to work or the other way
around.
V. Provide an extension to the brand. This may be a new product or service, a new communication strategy,
etc. Be sure to explain why this approach will be effective using consumer behavior concepts and theories.
VI. You are encouraged to submit as exhibits items such as sample ads and other promotional materials,
TV/radio commercial transcripts/descriptions/URLs, website materials, packages, and any other relevant
marketing artifacts.

Project Milestones (see details below):

A. Let me know the brand/brand family you have chosen: By the end of the day of the third class.
B. Submit the Proposal: By the end of the day of the seventh class.
C. Submit interim report: By the end of the day of the 20th class.
D. Submit Final Report: Two days before the end-term exam for CB.
Proposal (10% weightage of overall project marks): By end of seventh class
A short document (2 pages max., 1.5 spaced, 12-point font, Ariel Narrow, hard copy; a cover page with the project
title and the names of group members should be separate) that states the team’s choice of brand and short points on
what you intend to do. The document should identify the marketing strategies and tactics and the consumer behavior
concepts/principles/models that are expected to be central to the project (this is tentative, and can be changed as the
project evolves).

Interim report (20% weightage of overall project marks): By the end of 20th class
In this interim report, you will document the progress you have made so far. This should be a maximum of 4 pages +
cover page.

Final Report (70% weightage of overall project marks): Two days before the end-term exam for CB.
Expected length – 12 pages maximum, without the cover page
(1) Executive Summary
The Executive Summary section, in less than 1 page, summarizes the key points in your report. A good summary will
let your readers know the context and focus of your analyses and your final recommendations or comments.
(2) Introduction or background:
This section should contain a brief, (~ 2-page discussion) about the parent company, the brand and the marketing
strategy and the tactics taken by the brand.
(3) Consumer Analysis
This part of your report will cover most of your report and discussion of points III & IV above (~ 6 pages). Please
discuss any primary research if you have done so. Note that any primary research will add to the strength and rigor of
the project.
(4) Recommendations
In the final section, discuss what actions you would like the brand to take (~3 pages). The recommendations would
be based on your findings in point IV (evaluation on the effectiveness of the brand’s strategy and marketing tactics)
and point V.

Other important points

Please avoid plagiarism at all costs. Please acknowledge your sources of information appropriately. The inclusion of
references is required (you can use “Insert Footnote” function in MS Word or choose your reference style, like the
APA style).
A team’s final report will be graded primarily based on the appropriate application of concepts, principles, and models
discussed in the course. The final report should demonstrate breadth (incorporating a number of concepts/ principles/
models that are relevant to the chosen marketing application), depth (the extent to which conceptual knowledge is
used to derive specific proposed actions), and quality of implementation.
Report professionalism makes good content even better. Regardless of the quality of your content, the report needs
to reflect the time and effort you have invested. The report should look professional and follow a coherent structure. It
should be well written, free of typos and grammatical errors, and nicely formatted. Here are some suggestions to
make it look nice (but feel free to do more):
- Proofread and then proofread again (!)
- Numbered pages
- Labeled appendices (if necessary)
- Charts, graphs, and images with labels where appropriate
All groups (irrespective of their presentation date) must submit the final soft copy of their report two days before the
CB end term examination.
The final report should be:
• Max. 12 pages, excluding the cover page
• 1.5-spaced
• 12-point font, Ariel Narrow
• 1-inch margins, header, and footer

Evaluation
Please note that your final report will be evaluated basis the following rubric:
1. Quality of research and analysis: 60%
2. Relevance to the Objective of the assignment: 20%
3. Clarity and quality of presentation: 20%

If you have doubts at any stage, please feel free to contact me either after the class or in my office through prior
appointment.

DELIVERABLES FOR THE GROUP PROJECT

As mentioned above.

TEXTBOOK, COURSE PACKAGE, AND OTHER READINGS

I will be following this text book in the course:
Schiffman, L. G., Wisenblit, J., & Kumar, S. R. (2015). Consumer behavior (11th ed.). New Delhi, India: Pearson

Chapters from this book are assigned as required readings in the class schedule below. Please read the chapters
before coming to class for an engaging classroom discussion. Cases and any other reading material assigned for
reading will be uploaded on the e-learning platform.

CLASS SCHEDULE (Each session is of 90 minutes’ duration)

Session No. – 1,2 Introduction to the Course and Consumer Behavior
Objective of the session In this session, you will have a basic introduction to the course and why it is important
to study Consumer Behavior.
Text Book Chapters Chapter 1
Readings --
Case Title and Number --
Pedagogy Lecture and class discussion

Session No. – 3 Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning (STP)

Objective of the session In this session, we will refresh the concepts of segmentation, targeting and positioning
and understand how consumer behavior can be a basis to implement STP.
Text Book Chapter Chapter 2
Readings --
Case Title and Number --
Pedagogy Lecture and class discussion

Session No. – 4 Research Design

Objective of the session To understand how to develop research objectives and to relate this with development
of a research design. You will also have an appreciation of the broadly two different
types of research methods – quantitative and qualitative.
Text Book Chapter Chapter 15
Readings --
Case Title and Number --
Pedagogy Lecture and class discussion

Session No. – 5-7 Understanding Consumers’ Psychological Dimensions: Needs and Motivation
Objective of the session At the end of this session, you will have an understanding of human needs,
motivations, and goals.
Text Book Chapter Chapter 3 (till the section on “motivational research”)
Readings --
Case Title and Number --
Pedagogy Lecture and class discussion

Session No. – 8-10 Understanding Consumers’ Psychological Dimensions: Personality and Trait
Dimensions
Objective of the session At the end of this session, you should be able to understand how individuals’
personalities vary, the conceptual underpinnings, and the connection with their
behavior.
Textbook chapter Chapter 3 (from the section on “the nature and theories of personality”)
Readings --
Case Title/ Number Case 1 will be announced in class
Pedagogy Lecture, class discussion and case presentation(s).

Session Nos. – 11-13 Understanding Consumers’ Psychological Dimensions: Perceptions

Objective of the session At the end of this session, you will learn about what the elements of human perception
and their applications from a CB perspective
Text Book Chapter Chapter 4
Readings --
Case Title and Number Case 2 will be announced in class
Pedagogy Lecture, class discussion and case presentation(s).

Session No. – 14-16 Understanding Consumers’ Psychological Dimensions: Learning

Objective of the session This session will familiarize the student with the key elements of consumer learning
and their influence on CB.
Text Book Chapter Chapter 5
Readings --
Case Title and Number --
Pedagogy Lecture and class discussion
Session No. – 17-19 Understanding Consumers’ Psychological Dimensions: Attitude Formation and
Change, and Consumer Persuasion.
Objective of the session In this session, we will lay the foundations for knowing about the formation of attitudes
and their nature and characteristics. We will also delve into how consumers’ attitudes
effect their behaviors and vice-versa. Towards the end of the eighth session, we will
also touch upon relevant topics in communication; however, this will just be a basic
discussion.
Text Book Chapters Chapter 6 & 7
Readings --
Case Title and Number --
Pedagogy Lecture and class discussion

Session No. – 20-22 Reference Group, Family and Social Class, and Consumer Behavior
Objective of the session In this session, we will examine how reference groups (e.g., family) and social class
play an influential role in affecting the attitudes and behavior of consumers and how
knowledge of these helps marketers.
Text Book Chapters Chapters 9 & 10
Readings --
Case Title and Number Case 3 will be announced in class
Pedagogy Lecture, class discussion and case presentation(s).

Session No. – 23-24 Cultural Issues

Objective of the session At the end of this session, you will learn how culture and sub-culture play an influential
role in affecting the attitudes and behavior of the consumers and how knowledge of
these helps marketers.
Text Book Chapter Chapter 11
Readings --
Case Title and Number --
Pedagogy Lecture and class discussion

Session Nos. – 25-27 Cross-Cultural Consumer Behavior

Objective of the session In this session, we will try to understand how cross-cultural factors impact a firm’s
marketing strategy.
Text Book Chapter Chapter 12
Readings --
Case Title and Number Case 4 will be announced in class
Pedagogy Lecture, class discussion and case presentation(s).

Session No. – 28-29 Diffusion of Innovations

Objective of the session In this session, we will try and understand who innovators are and how innovative
products and services spread among consumers.
Text Book Chapters Chapter 13
Readings --
Case Title and Number --
Pedagogy Lecture and class discussion

Session No. – 30 Course Summary and Wrap-up

Objective of the session This will be a summary and wrap-up session, where we will view everything we have
learned in terms of an organizing framework.
Text Book Chapters --
Readings --
Case Title and Number --
Pedagogy Lecture and class discussion

DELIVERY DEADLINES FOR PROJECTS/ASSIGNMENTS

As mentioned in the “PROJECT (TEAM BASED)” section.