MKTG 3221: Consumer Behavior and Strategy Spring 2014: Mon/Wed 2:00-3:15 pm College of Health & Human Services, Room 281 Instructor Information Dr. Linyun Yang Office: 244B, Friday Building, 2F Office hours by appointment Phone: 704-687- 7575 Email: l.yang@uncc.edu Course Overview Businesses spend an enormous amount of time, money, and other resources on monitoring, predicting, understanding, and influencing the behavior of consumers. Their success depends on convincing consumers to use their products and services rather than competitors offerings. This course provides a contemporary, strategic approach to consumer behavior. Throughout the course, students will examine cutting- edge examples of how key concepts and theories can be applied to company, brand, and organizational decisions. This course will also have a heavy emphasis on application through assignments and in- class exercises. Students will learn how marketing managers use their research- based knowledge to reach consumers more efficiently and to create more effective segmentation, positioning, and branding strategies. Course Format The course will combine lectures, in- class exercises, videos, student presentations, and class discussion. We will use many different materials in this course to illustrate consumer behavior phenomena and to get you thinking about managerial implications of those findings. It is important that each of you comes to class prepared. The level and success of the discussions depends on the willingness and ability of everyone to participate actively. Course Materials Consumer Behavior 1 st edition, by Frank R. Kardes, Marla L. Cronley, and Thomas W. Cline Additional required readings will be posted online throughout the semester Top Hat (register through invitation link sent via email) 1
Course Assessment Note: Assignments will be taken down a letter grade for each day they are turned in late. Assignment Individual or Group Due % Grade Attendance Individual Ongoing 5 Research Participation Individual Ongoing 5 Class Participation Individual Ongoing 10 Quiz #1 Individual W 2/5 16 Experience Map Assignment Group W 2/19 16 Quiz #2 Individual M 3/24 16 Analysis Group W 4/16 16 Quiz #3 Individual M 5/5 16 Individual Assignment Details Attendance (5%) Attending classes is not optional. It will substantially increase your understanding of the assigned readings and provide you with insight into issues beyond those covered in the readings. Research Participation (5%) There are two alternative ways to complete the research participation requirement. The first is to be a subject for academic research projects for a maximum of 2 hours. You will be assigned to participate in specific research projects. This requirement provides students with first- hand experience in marketing research. Your participation in academic research projects will also help Marketing Faculty continue to develop state- of- the- art marketing thought which is ultimately brought back to the classroom. The second alternative way to fulfill this requirement is to attend the Department of Marketing distinguished speaker series or read assigned academic research papers. You will then write reports based on the research presented in each of the seminars or research papers. The grading for either will be Pass/Fail. 2
Class Participation (10%) Your individual participation will be graded based on: Class Discussion: Each of you can improve the quality of the course by sharing your own insights from the readings and observations in the real word. Your comments will be evaluated based on quality, not quantity. Group Exercises: On several occasions during class, you will be asked to work in groups to craft a solution to a problem provided by the instructor. The group will be asked to employ the solution insights learned from the lecture/discussion and assigned reading of the week. Your participation in these group exercises will contribute to your participation grade. Quizzes (16% each) There will be three quizzes. These quizzes are not cumulative and will focus solely on the topics covered in class. The quizzes will be closed book/notes and consist of multiple choice and possibly short answer questions. Group Assignment Details Experience Map Assignment (16%) Create an experience map that captures the emotional state of a user through an essential interaction with a brand of your choosing. That experience can be anything from buying and unboxing a new iphone to calling AT&T customer service. Whatever the experience, it should be one that informs a user s lasting attitudes and opinions about your brand. Your map should highlight the best and worst parts of the experience and how those moments relate to the brand s intended user experience. You will submit a one- page experience map and describe your research process and findings in a 10- minute presentation. Presentation order will be determined by random drawing. Analysis (16%) To nurture and sustain a brand effectively, you must be constantly in touch with what your stakeholders (consumers, users, members) think about your brand and what you (your organization) think of your brand. It helps to have some language to pull these constructs apart. Brand image is defined as the set of actual associations the consumer has with a brand. Brand identity is defined as the set of aspirational associations the organization would like to have of its brand. Perform a preliminary image- identity gap analysis by capturing the brand associations from these two perspectives (internal + external). You will submit a one- page image- identity gap analysis and describe your research process and findings in a 10- minute presentation. Presentation order will be determined by random drawing. 3
Class Policies Promptness To minimize disruptions, please do not come late or leave early. If you must, let me know in advance. Note that if you come to class after attendance has been taken, you will not receive credit for that day. E- Mail When sending me an email, please include MBAD 6271 in the subject heading. I have a filter that will allow me to give priority to your emails. This is also the best way to contact me with any questions. Re- Grading If you believe an error has been made in grading your assignments, you may request a re- grade by doing the following: 1. Write a brief note to me explaining why you think there is an error. Please attach a copy of the graded assignment. 2. All re- grade requests must occur within seven (7) calendar days of the day graded material is returned to the class. 3. I reserve the right to re- grade the entire contents of any submitted assignment. Your grade may go up or down. Academic Integrity Students have the responsibility to know and observe the requirements of The UNC Charlotte Code of Student Academic Integrity. This code forbids cheating, fabrication or falsification of information, multiple submissions of academic work, plagiarism, abuse of academic materials, and complicity in academic dishonesty. Any special requirements or permission regarding academic integrity in this course will be stated by the instructor, and are binding on the students. Academic evaluations in this course include a judgment that the student's work is free from academic dishonesty of any type, and grades in this course therefore should be and will be adversely affected by academic dishonesty. Students who violate the code can be expelled from UNC Charlotte. The normal penalty for a first offense is zero credit on the work involving dishonesty and further substantial reduction of the course grade. In almost all cases the course grade is reduced to F. Copies of the code can be obtained from the Dean of Students Office. Standards of academic integrity will be enforced in this course. Students are expected to report cases of academic dishonesty to the course instructor. Diversity The Belk College of Business strives to create an inclusive academic climate in which the dignity of all individuals is respected and maintained. Therefore, we celebrate diversity that includes, but is not limited to ability/disability, age, culture, ethnicity, gender, language, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socio- economic status. 4
Tentative Course Schedule *All reading assignments are tentative. Make sure to check Moodle for the most updated readings. Wk Day Topic Reading Assignment 1 M 1/6 Winter Break - No Class W 1/8 Consumer Behavior Course Overview 2 M 1/13 Consumer Perception Text pg. 62-70, 74-79 NYT - Anywhere the Eye Can See Click on Pringles ad Note: Add/drop deadline on 1/17 W 1/15 Consumer Research Text pg. 20-22 3 M 1/20 MLK Day No Class W 1/22 Attitude Formation Text pg. 91-92 4 M 1/27 Motivation Text pg. 102-106 W 1/29 Emotion & Experience Map Overview Text pg. 113-114 5 M 2/3 Quiz #1 Review W 2/5 Quiz #1 6 M 2/10 Memory & Automatic Info Processing Text pg. 126-131, 136-138 NYT - Voting Booth Feng Shui W 2/12 Consumer Habits 7 M 2/17 Experience Map Workshop W 2/19 Experience Map Submit Experience Map before class 5
Wk Day Topic Reading Assignment 8 M 2/24 W 2/26 Experience Map Experience Map 9 M 3/3 Spring Break No Class W 3/5 Spring Break No Class 10 M 3/10 Classical Conditioning Text pg. 120-124 W 3/12 Operant Conditioning Text pg. 124-126 11 M 3/17 Decision Making Process Text pg. 180-188, 214-219, 223-233 Complete pre- class exercise W 3/19 Quiz #2 Review 12 M 3/24 Quiz #2 W 3/26 Branding Strategy & Overview Text pg. 165-169 Stanford GSB Highly Trusted Brands 13 M 3/31 Social Influence Text pg. 286-299 W 4/2 Psychology of Money Wharton Are you a tightwad or a spendthrift? Text pg. 238-240, 243-244 14 M 4/7 Creativity WSJ How to be creative W 4/9 Culture JCMC A cross- cultural analysis of websites 6
Wk Day Topic Reading Assignment 15 M 4/14 W 4/16 16 M 4/21 Workshop Submit Image- Identity Gap before class W 4/23 17 M 4/28 Quiz #3 Review W 4/30 Reading Day - No Class 18 M 5/5 Quiz #3 2:00-3:15 pm 7