20432 - THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MARKETING: FROM NEURAL NETWORKS TO SOCIAL NETWORKS
CLMG - M - IM - MM - AFC - CLAPI - CLEFIN-FINANCE - CLELI - ACME - DES-ESS - EMIT
Department of Marketing
Course taught in English
ZACHARY ESTES
Course Objectives
The main objective of this course is to provide a psychological foundation for understanding marketing and consumer behavior. The course consists of two sections, both of which build from current psychological theory to understand recent marketing applications.
The first section, Neural Networks, focuses on the individual consumer. Topics include neuroscience and the perceptual sciences, with application to consumer perceptions, attention, and preferences (i.e., neuromarketing).
The second section, Social Networks, focuses on the individual within a social group. Topics include language, emotion, and social cognition, as applied to marketing communications, consumer groups, and social media marketing.
Students on this course learn:
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how the basic principles of neuroscience constrain and predict consumer perceptions and preferences;
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how psychological models of attention and memory can be used to develop effective marketing strategies and campaigns;
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how language and emotion influence consumer behavior;
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how individuals and groups engage with social media.
Course Content Summary
Section 1: Neural Networks
- The brain: A marketer’s guide
- Capturing attention in a crowded market
- Perceiving similarity and differentiation
- Consumer memory and neuromarketing
Section 2: Social Networks
- The language of marketing communication
- Marketing emotions
- Consumer groups
- Social media marketing
Detailed Description of Assessment Methods
Attending students
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5%class exercises: throughout the semester we will complete a number of simple in-class exercises to demonstrate the class topics. Your participation in each of these exercises will be rewarded on a pass/fail basis, and the number of exercises that you participate in will determine your grade on this component of the course.
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40% class presentation: Students will form small groups (approximately 5 members per group), will select a topic, and will give a 30-minute group presentation on the selected topic.
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10% written evaluation of class presentations: Each group will submit a short (1-2 page) evaluation of the other groups’ class presentations.
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45% final written exam: on material covered in lectures and readings the course.
Non Attending Students
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final exam on selected readings (100% of the final grade)
Textbooks
Attending Students
Selected readings (reading list provided at beginning of course)
Non Attending Students
Selected readings (reading list provided at beginning of course)