Whether in consumer or business markets, understanding customers is at the heart of marketing.
This module covers how to understand consumers’ attitudes, opinions, emotions/feelings, perceptions, judgements, decision-making, cultures, and their relationships with brands, with communications media, with marketing channels and their consequent buying behaviour.
Students will explore the psychological, economic and sociological underpinnings of human relationships and behaviour and their effect on consumer behaviour, especially search for and interpretation of information, awareness of and interest in products and services, evaluation of products, services and suppliers, buying decisions, consumption and eventual disposal or recycling of goods.
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Dates and times
- Lectures: 2hours per week
- Seminars: 2hours per week
This course is blended learning. In addition to the workshops students will need self-study and prepare independently. This will require a time commitment of approximately 200 hours throughout the course.
Price
The full cost is £1,600. The deposit cost is £50.
Please ensure you can commit to the scheduled dates as unfortunately we are unable to give refunds.
Content
This module will be delivered by academics and professionals who are expert in communications, marketing and behavioural science. Topics to be covered will be:
- Consumer drives and motivations
- Consumer decision making processes: cognitive, habitual and affective decision making
- Psychological Influences on consumption - drive & motivation, perception, learning & attitudes, personality and self-concept, attention, decision-making processes, knowledge, attitudes, group influences, motivation, self-perception
- Social, cultural and economic influences on consumption – reference groups, status, class, education, family structure, culture and relational consumption, ethnicity, language, income, wealth, housing etc.
- Satisfaction and loyalty – with companies, brand and products
- Impact of group influence and opinion leaders on consumer behaviour
- Digital consumer behaviour (online, technology use)
- The impact of various types of media and media usage – broadcast, print, digital, social media
The course is assessed via...
A summative coursework written portfolio (equivalent to 3,000 words). The portfolio will involve analysis of the thinking, perceptions and behaviour of consumers or customers in a target market chosen by the student.
A formative assessment will take place in seminars, in which students will be presented with particular elements of theory and a mini-case study of a target market, and asked to apply the theory to the target market.
Requirements
Applicants must have at least 96 UCAS tariff points and have up to three years work experience in business development and/or marketing with a familiarity and interest in basic economic principles. The UCAS website has a UCAS tariff calculator to help work out your points.
International students should check our country-specific pages for equivalents. If English is not your first language you will need to achieve an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with no less than 5.5 in any section (or equivalent)
You must provide a supporting statement of no more than 500 words. Please complete the application form and forward references and evidence to supporting your application to shortcourses@stmarys.ac.uk.
Award
Successful students will receive a certificate of attendance and a transcript detailing 20 credits at Masters level. Please note that the transcript will follow once internal and external quality assurance processes have been completed.
Find out more
For more information about this course please contact the Short Courses team:
Tel: 020 8240 4321
Email: shortcourses@stmarys.ac.uk