Product Innovation, Consumption and Marketing

Training objectives of the course

In line with the general goals of the degree program and with the specific objectives of the subject of management of communication processes, the course aims to develop:
knowledge and understanding:
• Students will develop a background of knowledge related to the specific environment (mainly the USA) that has always been the incubator and the driving force of consumption innovations and marketing activities.
• They will learn the methodologies useful to identify and understand social and market trends that bring consumption innovations.
• They will mature a perspective on the dynamics with which consumption innovations spreads in various circumstances. They will develop a critical judgment of the strategic premises for successful new business.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
• based on the discoveries and reflections on the emblematic cases of consumption innovations (in a broader sense), the student will develop skills in evaluating by analogy the innovations underway or planned.
They will address the issues of consumption trends with numerous relevant references taken from the history of the American and European environments.

Course programme

In line with the general objectives of the degree and with the specific goals of the subject of ‘Management of communication processes’, the main contents of the course consist of:
• An historical and conceptual excursus of consumption phenomena and relevant product innovations referring to consumer goods and services.
• The relationship between the social and economic environment and consumer behaviors and innovation diffusion processes as explained by specific theories.
• The intertwining of consumption evolution and commercial distribution.
• The role of marketing and communication in supporting innovations.
• The nature of the various innovations: structural changes, trends, fashions, and disruptive innovations.
• Facts and important events related to consumption innovations in the Western world, specifically in the USA.

Didactic Methods

In line with the objectives of the “Product Innovations, Consumption and Marketing” course, the program includes:
• Lectures supported by audiovisual material in English;
• Critical discussions of the various cases dealt with;
• Internet research of documentary materials of the cases and events mentioned;
• Development of an individual project on a case chosen by the student and the teacher that will be part of the final exam.

Learning assessment procedures

In line with the learning outcomes and methods of the course, the learning assessment will consist of:
• A test on the computer with questions and answers based on multiple choice. (10 open questions and 60 with multiple-choice in 180 minutes)
• an oral examination with questions related to the textbook. The purpose is a self-assessment for the student to test her/his ability to elaborate a speech with appropriate language on the course topics.
• A presentation of a research project (optional) on a specific topic concerning a consumption innovation. (3/30 points)
• The final mark will consist of the average of the evaluation of the two assessments: computer-based test and oral examination, plus 3/30 points for the research project.