BMA5502 CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Department of Marketing, NUS Business School

Course Outline (subject to further changes)

Prof. Catherine Yeung

Associate Professor, Department of Marketing

Office: MRB #8-24 Email:

Office hours: To be determined

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Understanding consumer behavior is essential to the development of marketing strategies. Virtually all decisions involved in developing an effective marketing mix for a product or service require thorough knowledge of the consumers. Thus, a clear understanding of the principles of consumer behavior and the factors that shape consumer behavior is critical to developing effective marketing strategies.

The objective of this course is to enhance your understanding of consumer behavior. We view consumers as information processors and study the process through which consumers reach their decisions. We analyze the motivational and perceptual factors that affect decision-making, and the resulting implications for marketing strategy. Because the study of consumer behavior emphasizes on underlying behavioral concepts and guiding principles, this course is heavier in theory than other marketing courses.

Background Readings:

Wayne Hoyer and Deborah MacInnis, Consumer Behavior, 5th Edition, Houghton Mifflin, 2008.

In addition to Hoyer and MacInnis (2008), I will recommend a number of additional readings. These readings are culled from various sources (e.g., book chapters, academic and business journals) that relate to the focal topic(s) of the session and will give you deeper insights into the topic(s) outside of in-class discussions. I strongly recommend that you read these articles even though this is not part of your evaluation of the course. When reading these articles, you may find it useful to think about the implications of the basic ideas contained within them and how they can be applied to your industry.

GRADING SCHEME (subject to further changes)

Two Quizzes
Consumer Insights Briefs (Individual) / 40 %
20 %
Group Case Reports / 20 %
Class Participation
Group
Individual / 5 %
15 %

1