Rationale

The course explores the cognitive and psychological characteristics of consumer behaviour and particularly the ways it is related to contemporary digital media consumption, through exposure to advertising models and concepts and promotional culture. The students will delve into the consumer decision making and thought processes to learn how these are affected by factors and stimuli of the wider environment within which the individual exists. They will also use theories of marketing, psychology, and other behavioural sciences to evaluate and examine the ways consumers respond to different marketing and direct or indirect promotional activities.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students will be expected to:
(i)    Define the concept of consumer behaviour and how this is shaped by today’s media portrayals.
(ii)   Evaluate the importance of consumer behaviour to design and implement effective media and public relations campaigns.
(iii)  Examine relevant theories and research in behavioral sciences to study the underlying motives of consumer behavior.
(iv)  Describe the process of consumers’ buying decisions including underlying needs, beliefs, attitudes and intentions.
(v)   Define factors that influence consumer behaviour, with a particular focus on media and digital forces.
(vi)  Evaluate these theories and apply them in marketing campaigns and communication strategies.
(vii) Examine the stimuli that attract and increase consumer flow.
(viii) Interpret particular consumer issues in terms of their response towards promotional activities.
(ix)  Perform market segmentation through the analysis of consumer behaviour.