Understanding the customer: theories, trends, and values for an effective communication strategy

The course aims at introducing the student to the main theories and the latest trends related to the field of consumer behavior: target market, needs, values. After a short introduction on psychological an sociological perspectives, the students will have to face and apply the consumer behavior theories in the fields of marketing and corporate communication. Contents are designed to encourage students to reflect on consumer response to marketing actions: exposure, attention, perception and decision making. Throughout practical projects the students will conduct customer researches for a specified product category. The aim of the research will be to deliver detailed customer profiles of the resulting segments and to draw conclusions about appropriate marketing communications strategies. Focuses on the principal methodological and technical options of qualitative research, the principal theories and tools of qualitative research, consumer-based marketing research techniques such as surveys and focus groups, on different stakeholders and on e-marketing will be part of the course.