CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Objectives:

Course Description: Consumer Behaviour investigates the manner that people interact with
products and their marketing environment. During this course students will explore, many
social, cultural and marketing factors that influence the selection and usage of products and
services. Course participants will also learn about, and try to use, some of the techniques that
marketers use to understand and influences consumers, and how these techniques contribute to
our daily lives and the culture in which we live. The course attempts to make participants aware
about deviant consumption & will contribute to making responsible consumers.

Subject Specific Objectives:

(a) Introduce the Key concepts of Consumer Behaviour.

(b) Appraise the application of Consumer Behaviour in marketing applications & in
marketing strategies.
(c) Importance of consumer behaviour in mapping consumer trends and product
development.
(d) Acquaint the consumer decision making process.
(e) Appraise the importance of being a responsible consumer.

Course outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

(a) Explain and apply the key terms, definitions, and concepts used in the study of
consumer behaviour.
(b) Demonstrate how as a marketer you can use your knowledge of consumer behaviour
concepts to develop better marketing programs and strategies to influence those behaviours.
(c) Analyze the trends in consumer behaviour, and apply them to the marketing of an actual
product or service.
(d) Decipher how individuals or groups select, purchase, use and dispose-off products,
services, ideas or experiences to satisfy needs and desires.
(e) Contemplate how consumer behavior affects and changes society.

Pre Requisites:
• Students should know the materials covered in a regular consumer behaviour course.
• They should also have knowledge obtained in marketing management courses.
• Basic knowledge about micro-economics and psychology is also expected.

CONTENT:
UNIT- I:
1. Introduction to Consumer Behavior (3 Hours)
(a) Definition, Consumer and Customers, Buyers and Users
(b) The Changing Patterns of Consumer Behavior in the context of the evolving
Indian Economy, The Internet, e-commerce and information technology and the
changing consumer marketplace

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 (c) Contributing disciplines to CB
(d) Consumer Behavior and its Applications in Marketing Strategy
2. Consumer Motivation (3 Hours)

(a) Needs and Goals, Motive Arousal

(b) Motivational Theories, Overview of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

(c) Consumer Involvement

(d) Measurement of Motives

Case Study Presentation –I

UNIT- II
3. Consumer Perception (3 Hours)

(a) Sensation, Sensory Thresholds, Perceptual Selection, Perceptual Organization,

Perception Distortion.

(b) Consumer Imagery, Consumer Risk Perceptions & Mitigation.

4. Consumer Learning & Memory (3 Hours)

(a) Components of Learning

(b) Learning Theories & Applications

(c) Memory- ST & LT Memory

(d) Measures of Consumer Learning- Recognition & Recall Measures

5. Consumer Attitude Formation & Change (3 Hours)

(a) Consumer Attitudes - Functions of Attitude, Relationship between Attitude,

Beliefs, Feelings and Behavior.

(b) Attitude Models

(c) Changing Attitudes- Attitude Change Strategies for marketers

Case Study Presentation –II

ASSIGNMENT
UNIT- III
6. Consumer Personality (1.5 Hours)
(a) Personality & Self-concept

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 (b) Overview of Personality Theories,
(c) Emotions & Brand Personality
(d) Personality traits and consumer behaviour
(e) Product and brand personification
(f) AIO & VALS Survey
7. Reference Groups & Word of Mouth (1.5 Hours)

(a) Source of Group Influences

(b) Types & Nature of Reference Groups

(c) Group Norms and Behavior

(d) Opinion Leadership

(e) Source credibility and reference groups

(f) Credibility of spokes persons, endorsers and other formal sources

(h) Strategic applications of word-of-mouth

8. Family & Household Decision Making (1.5 Hours)
(a) Family as a socialization agent

(b) Family’s supportive roles

(c) Family Life Cycle Stages

(d) Family Decision-making

(e) Purchasing Roles within family

9. Social Class & Social Stratification (1.5 Hours)

(a) Measuring Social Class- subjective and objective measures

(b) Social classes in India - old and new Socio-Economic Classes (SEC) in Urban
& Rural Markets

(c) Geodemography & consumption

(d) Characteristics of BoP Consumers, HNI Consumers in India.

(e) Age cohorts- Millenials & Gen Z Consumers

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Case Study Presentation –III
Class Test (20 Marks): (It covers from Topic no 1 to 9 of the syllabus) (Unit-I to III)

UNIT- IV

10. Culture Values and Consumer Behavior, Cross-Culture (3 Hours)

(a) Concept of Culture, Values, Sub-cultures

(b) Culture’s role and dynamics

(c) Learning cultural values

(d) Measuring cultural values

(e) Influence of Indian Culture on Consumers

(f) Cross-cultural analysis and acculturation

(g) Localization versus standardization

11. Diffusion of Innovations (1.5 Hours)

(a) Types of Innovation

(b) Diffusion Process

(c) Product Features Affecting the Diffusion of Innovation

(d) The Adoption Process

(e) Time, Culture, Communication and Diffusion

12. Consumer Decision Making (1.5 Hours)

(a) 5 Stage Decision Making Model

(b) Resolving Information Asymmetry

(c) Post Purchase Dissonance

(d) Responsible Product Disposition

Case Study Presentation –IV

QUIZ & PRESENTATION

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UNIT-V

13. Situational Factors, Gifting Behavior, Ethics &Social Responsibility

(3 Hours)
(a) Situational Influences on Purchase Decisions

(b) Nature of Situational Influence

(c) Situational Variables

(d) Temporal, Social, Time, Physical Factors

(e) Consumer Gifting Behavior

(f) Socially Responsible Marketing

(g) Cause Related Marketing

Case Study Presentation –V

Total (30 Hours)

TEXT BOOK(s): (T)

1. Consumer Behaviour - Eleventh Edition, Leon G Schiffman, Joseph Wisenblit, Ramesh

Kumar, Pearson Publication, New Delhi 2016.
REFERENCES BOOKS: (R)

1. Understanding Consumers, MG Parameswaran, Tata McGraw Hill

2. Consumer Behavior: Applications in Marketing, Robert East, Malcom Wright, Marc
Wanhule, Jaywant Singh; Sage India
3. Customer in the Boardroom? Rama Bijapurkar, Sage
4. A Never Before World, Rama Bijapurkar, Penguin Portfolio
5. Consumer Behaviour- Building Marketing Strategy 11th Ed, Hawkins-Best-Coney-
Mukherjee, Tata McGraw Hill
6. Consumer Behavior, Dheeraj Sharma, Cengage India
7. Case Studies in Consumer Behaviour S Ramesh Kumar, Pearson

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