Course Outline and Session Plan

Batch 2018-20 (Term VI)

Course Title: Consumer Behaviour
Faculty: Jayakrishnan.S
Credits: Two (2)
Course Overview: Understanding consumer and the manner in which consumer make decisions
is the key to the success of any marketing and business strategy. The concepts and principles of
consumer behaviour is critical in understanding the psychological and sociological process
involved in how people buy, use, or experience products and services. So course provides insights
about consumer research, analysis and how to utilise it in developing marketing strategy.

Course Pedagogy: The course will be primarily delivered with article discussions and case
analysis. It will be supplemented with lectures regarding few topics. So class preparation is
required for the course.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: The course intends to

1. To provide students basic knowledge about the key concepts in Consumer behaviour.
2. To understand the applications of consumer behaviour
3. To familiarize students with consumer research models and methods.

Business Leadership: Understanding and analysing consumer attitudes and interests is one of the
key functions that determines success of any organisation. With emergence of new media and rapid
technology evolvement understanding consumer behaviour has become much more challenging.
Students need to understand the importance and aspects of consumer behaviour which can equip
them to provide direction for product and promotional strategy for their organisations. The course
contents focus on consumer behaviour, role of it and how to effectively gather and analyse
consumer insights for business excellence.
Dealing with change: Current marketing environment is dynamic in nature. Consumer
requirements and needs are changing constantly. The course provides insights about consumer
research and analysis which may enable students to understand the changes in the consumer
behaviour and how to utilise the insights for developing an effective marketing strategy.
Value Creation: Consumer acquisition and retention is the vital functions that creates value in
terms of revenue, market visibility and market reach. The learning’s of this course will focus on
creating organisational and societal value using an effective consumer driven marketing strategy.

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 Session Plan
Session Topic Case study\Articles
1,2 Consumer behaviour-relevance and * Pillsbury cookie challenge
applications
3 Consumer segmentation and its importance Housing.com – Marketing a service offering.

4-5 Modelling , Researching Consumer Behaviour *Analysing consumer perceptions

6 Consumer Decision Making/Purchasing NPA influencing consumer behaviour.
Process
7,8 Psychological factors and Consumer decision XYLS: Exploring consumer perception about
making premium watches in Indian context.
Flipkart: Grappling with product returns.
No More Uncle – Asian men’s beauty in the
marketing spotlight.
Exploring brand associations in Indian context-
Café coffee day.
9 Cultural, Sociological factors and Consumer Super shampoo products,
decision making Radio Mirchi- Marketing strategy for the
Bangalore market
Hindustan Unilever – Brooke bond Red Label’s
6 pack Band
10 Post Purchase behaviour

11 Consumer Learning Process

12 Communication and Consumer Behaviour Himalaya herbal tooth paste
13 Consumerism- An Introduction The new consumerism: inequality, emulation and
Consumer behaviour and society the erosion of well-being
14 Ethics and Consumer behaviour

Note: * Cases/Articles are for class room discussion and rest of the cases and articles need
to be presented by students which will be evaluated.

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Supplementary materials will be provided for concepts which students need to read and
prepare which will be discussed in classroom.
References
1. David L. Loudon, Albert J. Della Bitta- Consumer Behaviour: McGraw Hill Education
(4th edition)- Primary Reference
2. Leon G. Schiffman, Leslie Lazar Kanuk, S. Ramesh kumar – Consumer Behaviour:
Pearson Education (10th edition) - Primary Reference.
3. Jay D. Lindquist, M. Joseph Sirgy- Shopper, Buyer and Consumer Behaviour- Atomic Dog
publishing (2nd edition).- Primary Reference
4. Dheeraj Sharma, Jagdish N. Sheth, Banwari Mittal (2015)- Consumer Behavior : A
Managerial Perspective- Cengage Learning- Primary reference
5. Mukherjee Srabanti- Consumer Behaviour: Cengage publishing (1st edition) - Secondary
Reference.
Suggested Readings
6. Hill -Why we buy: Simon & Schuster (2008)
7. Rama Bijapurkar - We are like that only: Penguin(2009)
8. Martin Lindstrom- Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy :Crown Business (2010)

ASSESSMENT

Sl no Criteria Marks

1 Class participation 15

2 Project 25

3 Case study/Article Presentation 30

4 Final Exam 30

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 Assessment Rubrics and Evaluation components
Evaluation component/Vision Class Descriptive Exams Project Case study/Article
and Mission elements participation presentation
Business Leadership Yes Yes Yes Yes

Dealing with Change Yes Yes Yes Yes

Value creation Yes Yes Yes Yes

Class Participation
Exceptional Excellent Accomplished Unacceptable

Common Attributes High enthusiasm, energy Enthusiasm and Limited Lethargic and
with clear understanding active participation participation disinterested
and ability to convey it. and acceptable level behaviour.
Proactive participation and of understanding and
high interest level interest.
Business Leadership Clear understanding about Understanding about Partial Lacks understanding
the Consumer behaviour the consumer understanding about consumer
concepts and ability to behaviour and fair about the behaviour and
connect with industry idea about the consumer inability to relate it
scenario. applications in behaviour with industry.
industry scenario concepts.
Value creation Providing insights about Providing insights Ability to identify Unable to provide
strategies and actions that about strategies and some action plan any means of value
can create organisational actions that can which may create creation.
value. Providing new create organisational value

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 directions and means to value to certain
create value. extent

Descriptive Exams

Exceptional Excellent Accomplished Unacceptable

Common Attributes Clarity about concepts and Clarity about Minimal clarity Inability to convey
ability to convey it. Precise consumer about concepts and about the concepts.
style/way of writing the behaviour concepts ability to convey it
answers. and ability to in an acceptable
convey it in an manner
effective manner.
Business Leadership Ability to look at issues and Ability to look at Partial Lacks idea about
provide solutions through issues and provide understanding issues and solution
innovative and creative acceptable about issues and providing ability
manner. Providing best solutions limited solution
solutions providing ability.
Dealing with Change Ability to identify situations Ability to identify Ability to identify Unable to identify
and suggest strategies to situations and situations and any change and
address change take into suggest strategies suggest strategies suggest strategies
account organisational which can address which is
constraints. change to certain satisfactory
extent
Value creation Ability to suggest Ability to suggest Ability to suggest Unable to suggest
approaches which can create approaches which approaches but not approaches for
value to the organisation can create value to in a refined value creation.
taking into account the the organisation manner.
organisational resources. which is acceptable

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 Project

Exceptional Excellent Accomplished Unacceptable

Common Attributes Precise Contents, More than adequate Satisfactory Poor Contents and
Adherence to submission Contents, contents, no adherence to
guidelines and Identifying Adherence to Adherence to submission
and Presenting Interesting submission submission guidelines.
insights guidelines. guidelines.
Business Leadership Identifying and Identifying and Partial Lacks understanding
understanding the skills and understanding the understanding skills and strategies
strategies that can lead to skills and strategies skills and that can lead to
understanding consumer that can lead to strategies that can business leadership.
behaviour. Ability to convey understanding lead to business
it in an effective and refined consumer attitudes leadership.
manner. and requirements.
Dealing with Change Ability to identify change in Ability to identify Ability to identify Unable to identify
an organisation and try to and understand change any change
understand it in developing change in an
skills to deal change. organisation.
Value creation Gaining insights about Gaining insights Ability to identify Unable to gain
strategies and actions that about strategies and insights about insights about
can create organisational actions that can strategies and strategies and
value. Developing a clear create actions which can actions that can
understanding about means organisational create value create organisational
of value creation. value to certain value
extent

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 Case study and Article presentation

Exceptional Excellent Accomplished Unacceptable

Common Analysing issues in the
Attributes case/article in the best way,
Adherence to presentation
guidelines and ability to
convey the solution or
analysis in an interesting
and effective manner which
is outstanding.
Business Ability to identify,
Leadership understand instance to
demonstrate consumer
behavioural insights and
looking it with a different
perspective.
Dealing with Ability to identify situations
Change and facts which can be
effectively utilised to
address change. Students
can provide effective and
creative solutions to address
the problems
Value creation Adding a different
perspective to the situation
Analysing issues in the Analysing issues in Analysing
case /article in a good the case /article in an issues in the
manner, Adherence to acceptable manner, case /article
presentation guidelines Adherence to in a poor
and ability to convey the presentation manner
analysis and solution in a guidelines and ability without
manner which is good and to convey the solution proper
well above the acceptable and analysis in a analysis or
manner. satisfactory manner solutions.
Ability to identify instance Partly able to identify Unable to
of consumer behaviour instance of consumer identify
and demonstrate in a behavioural insights. instance of
satisfactory manner. . consumer
behavioural
insights.
Ability to identify Ability to identify Unable to
situations and facts and situations and facts identify
using to deal change in a situations and
satisfactory manner facts to deal
with change.
Adding a common Adding a common Unable to
perspective to the situation perspective and provide any

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 and suggest means to create and suggest means to suggesting usual perspective
value take into account create value which can be means to create value for value
organisation and industry. improved. which is satisfactory creation.

Project Guidelines

Students need to identify any product/service of their interest. They have to conduct a research on
different attributes that consumer look for the product and what are the major factors that determine
the purchase of this products. Based on the research, they need to develop a marketing strategy for
the product or service.

Report Format

1) Introduction
2) Methodology
3) Learning/Conclusion

Case study /Article Presentation Guidelines

1) Identify the facts or the core aspects in the given material.
2) Key problems and issues need to be identified.
3) Do the analysis based on the facts and within the framework of the topic.
4) Provide your suggestions and perceptive about the topic.
5) Conclusion.
6) Time limit for presentation – 20 minutes, Q&A /Discussion: 5 minutes

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