30295 - PSYCHOLOGY OF MARKETING

This course assumes knowledge of the basic principles of marketing, as previously learned in an Introduction to Marketing course.

Much of consumer behavior is motivated by psychological factors and processes, such as emotion, cognition, and social influence. Thus, by understanding consumers’ cognitions and emotions, marketers can add psychological value to consumers’ experiences, and can capture additional economic value in exchange. The main objective of this course is to provide a psychological foundation for understanding consumer behaviors and marketing actions.

Topics include some or all of the following:

·         Evolutionary foundation of consumer behavior.

·         Neuromarketing.

·         Emotion.

·         Attention.

·         Sensory marketing.

·         Memory.

·         Language.

·         Brand personality.

·         Social and personal influences.

·         Advertising.

• Define relevant psychological constructs and effects.
• Describe contemporary models of consumer behavior.
• Recognize psychological influences on marketing performance.

• Define relevant psychological constructs and effects.
• Describe contemporary models of consumer behavior.
• Recognize psychological influences on marketing performance.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Individual assignments
• Group assignments

Individual assignments: there are assigned readings throughout the semester, and for each one, students submit a brief (1-page) summary of the reading.

Group presentation: students form small groups, and give an in-class group presentation on a selected topic.

10% discussion sheets: There are 5 readings throughout the semester designated “DS”, for Discussion Sheet. For all 5 of these readings you must submit a brief report (DS) of your reflections on the reading and any questions that arose from the reading. Discussion sheets must be submitted, using the provided form, via the course website at least one hour prior to the class for which it is assigned. No exceptions will be made. Your completion of each DS will be rewarded on a pass/fail basis, and the number of DSs that you complete successfully will determine your grade on this component of the course.

40% group presentation: Students will form small groups, and will give an in-class group presentation on a selected topic.

50% final exam: A 1-hour written exam will consist of multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, diagram, and short-answer questions on the materials covered in class.

100% final written exam on the assigned textbook. The exam is a 1-hour multiple-choice exam.

DS1    Blake, A. B., Nazarian, M., & Castel, A. D. (2015). The Apple of the mind’s eye: Everyday attention, metamemory, and reconstructive memory for the Apple logo. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 68, 858-865.

DS2    Dass, M., Kohli, C., Kumar, P., & Thomas, S. (2014). A study of the antecedents of slogan liking. Journal of Business Research, 67(12), 2504-2511.

DS3    Kohli, C., & Suri, R. (2002). Creating effective logos: Insights from theory and practice. Business Horizons, 45(3), 58-64.

DS4    Peck, J., & Childers, T. L. (2006). If I touch it I have to have it: Individual and environmental influences on impulse purchasing. Journal of Business Research, 59, 765-769.

DS5    Goldstein, N. J., Cialdini, R. B., & Griskevicius, V. (2008). A room with a viewpoint: Using social norms to motivate environmental conservation in hotels. Journal of Consumer Research, 35(3), 472-482.

Babin, B. J., & Harris, E. (2018). CB (8th Edition). Cengage Learning.