79199 - Consumer Behaviour and Marketing

Learning outcomes

The first part of the course is designed to provide students with both theory about consumer behavior (CB) as well as an understanding of how CB concepts can be applied to marketing management, to our roles as consumers, and to everyday life. CB applies concepts, theories, and principles from the various social (behavioral) sciences to the study of factors influencing the acquisition, consumption, and disposition of goods, services, and ideas.

The second part of the course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive, conceptual and practical introduction to the field of marketing. Specifically, students will:

- discover how to specify information inputs needed for marketing decisions;

- learn to analyze the nature and extent of demand and the characteristics of market segments

- identify and evaluate market segments as potential opportunities

- develop and analyze alternative marketing strategies, i.e., decisions with respect to product offerings and their pricing, distribution and promotion

Course contents

1. Marketing, consumer behavior and strategic planning: links and intersections

2. Purchase paradigms: cognitive approach; reinforcement approach; habit approach.

3. Attitudes, beliefs, intentions and behavior

4. Predicting and explaining actions: theory of reasoned action; theory of planned behavior.

5. The marketing environment

6. Marketing segmentation, analysis, targeting and positioning

7. Managing product life cycles

8. Modifying attitudes and behavior: an information-processing perspective on communication

9. Marketing communication: advertising, sales promotion and publicity

10. Pricing: the managerial perspective

11. Distribution systems from a producer's perspective

Readings/Bibliography

1) R. East, M. Wright, M. Vanuele, Comportamento del consumatore, Apogeo, 2009, chapters 1, 2, 6, 8, 11

2) R. Wiener, R. Dhar, F. Mosca, Marketing management, 2 ed., Apogeo, Milano, 2013 chapters (1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 10, 12)

or, as a substitute of the Wiener et al. book::

2) R.P. Bagozzi, Fondamenti di Marketing, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2001 (chapters 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Teaching methods

Lectures, laboratory exercises, and the development of mini-projects by student groups

Assessment methods

The course includes a first midterm exam at the end of the first cycle of lectures and a second midterm exam at the end of the second cycle, both written. The first midterm focuses on the content covered in the first part of the course (Consumer Behavior); the second midterm focuses on the content covered in the second part of the course (Marketing). For students who cannot take the first midterm, do not pass it, or are not satisfied with their grade, a final written exam covering the entire syllabus will be available. For obvious reasons related to managing the learning workload, taking both midterms is strongly recommended.

The written exams (midterms and final) consist of 3 open-ended questions, each scored on a scale of 0–10 or 0–11. The purpose of the open-ended questions is to assess the student's ability to apply their knowledge and to make logical and deductive connections. The scoring for each question is as follows:

• 9–11: correct and comprehensive answer demonstrating full mastery of the topic, with only minimal inaccuracies if any

• 6–8: not entirely correct and/or incomplete answer, but showing a reasonable understanding of the subject

• 3–5: answer contains serious inaccuracies or is highly incomplete

• 0–2: missing or barely sketched answer, lacking any meaningful indication of the student's knowledge

The total score from the three questions adds up to 31 points, which corresponds to a final grade of 30 with honors (“30 e lode”). Students have 65 minutes to complete the written exam. The use of support materials such as textbooks, notes, or digital devices is not permitted. A minimum score of 18/30 is required to pass the exam.

If, as strongly advised, the student takes both midterm exams, the final grade will be calculated as a weighted average of the two scores. The weighting is as follows: 0.60 for the higher score, 0.40 for the lower score.

The grade for the single final written exam (if taken) will be calculated directly, without weighting.

Written exams (either midterms or the single final exam) are administered during the break between the lecture cycles and at the first exam session immediately following the end of the course. All remaining exam sessions in the academic year will consist exclusively of oral exams.

The purpose of the oral exam is to assess the student’s ability to apply their knowledge and to make logical and deductive connections. The grading criteria are as follows:

• Preparation on a very limited number of course topics, with analytical skills emerging only with prompting from the instructor; generally correct language use → 18–19

• Preparation on a limited number of course topics, with independent analytical ability limited to basic or procedural issues; correct language use → 20–24

• Preparation on a broad range of course topics, with the ability to make independent critical assessments and good command of subject-specific terminology → 25–29

• Thorough and comprehensive preparation on all course topics, with the ability to make independent critical analyses and connections, full command of terminology, and strong argumentative and reflective skills → 30–30 with honors

Teaching tools

PC, overhead projector, statistical and IT labs

Office hours

See the website of Gian Luca Marzocchi

See the website of Nicola Tomesani