Aims

At the end of the class, students should be able to:
- conceive, carry out and interpret, in a rational and critical way, market studies using qualitative and quantitative methods,
- analyse consumer behaviour in its psychological, economic and sociological dimensions,
- identify and control the various stages which mark out the communication process: perception and attention, comprehension, retention, attitude formation, and passage to the act of purchase,
- adopt a critical point of view about the marketing approach towards social issues.

Main themes

Marketing research methods, Buyer behaviour, Marketing Communication, Critical analysis of markets, Operational marketing seminar.

Content and teaching methods

1. Marketing research methods
Content: Development of the methodological approach allowing the control of the whole stages of a market research. The approach suggested relates to the diagnosis of the needs for information, the collection of reliable information as well as their analysis in order to clarify the decisions marketing.
Note: this course is complementary to the POGE 2203 course "Analyses of qualitative and quantitative data" which initiated students with the methods of data analysis. Those methods will no longer be the object of a development within the framework of this course but will be applied within the framework of the group project.
Methods: The adopted teaching approach is based on methodological talks illustrated by real examples; talks of experts and the participation in the group project .

2. Buyer behaviour
Content: After an introduction devoted to the history and the heavy tendencies of the discipline, two parts are successively approached. The first part is centred on the process of consumer decision-making. A global model of decision-making is proposed which will be used as discussion thread for the whole of the talk. The second part concentrates on the mental and social processes which are at the basis of the decisions and the behaviours (motivation, perception and data processing, training, formation of the beliefs and attitudes). During the course, one will take care to expose the implications of the analysis of the consumer behaviour for strategy marketing.
Methods: A balance is required between an ex-cathedra teaching which aims more the rigorous acquisition of paradigms, concepts and theories and an interactive teaching accentuating confrontation with the every-day-life and the personal practice of student, comprehension and critical thinking.

3. Marketing Communication
Content: Decomposition of the communication process by which a company talks to its actual and potential consumers/buyers (perception and attention, comprehension, retention, formation of attitudes and passage to the act of purchase). Analysis of the various operational aspects which must take into account the person in charge for the communication marketing and familiarisation of the student with the tools of decision-making which are offered to this person in charge. The stress is laid more particularly on the management of the mass-media advertising communication: analysis of the creative process, analysis if the advertising media, determination of the advertising budget.
Methods: The adopted teaching approach is based on methodological talks illustrated by real examples. The totality of the course is ensured by an expert of the advertising communication.

4. Critical analysis of markets
Content: This course wants to open tracks of thinking, to formulate working hypotheses moderating or supplementing the contemporary economic theory at the time when on all sides a questioning emerges on the direction of what we are and of what we make. The course familiarizes us moreover with the application of the methods of psychoscopic qualitative research like to the development of creative capacities research recommendations of policy marketing.
Methods: Discussions about the content and the research methodology of the course; familiarisation with the essential bibliographical sources to enter the comprehension of the course; realization of a research project in team of four students.

5. Operational marketing seminar
Content and methods: Application and integration of the different aforementioned courses within the framework of the study of concrete problems. Development of a positioning strategy and a communication plan for the IAG with respect to the target of the first- and the second-year students of the ESPO Faculty. The proposal for a strategy is based on a market research about the purchasers-students behaviours and consists in developing creative and rigorous proposals as regards choice of positioning and communication plan for the IAG.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Prerequisite : Courses of Introduction to Marketing

Evaluation :
a) The group project (50% of the points).
b) Three individual evaluations (50% of the points) for buyer behaviour, communication marketing and critical analysis of markets. The overall rating will be the weighted average of the various results, except if the average is unsatisfactory. In this case, the evaluations transmitted to the jury of examination will be the weakest (principle of the absorbing failure). In the event of second session, the parts having obtained a satisfactory level in first session (that is to say 60% or 12/20) will be reported in September. The others will have to be represented individually.

Support:
References :
BLACKWELL R.D., MINIARD P.W. et ENGEL, J.F. (2000), Consumer Behavior, Fort Worth: The Dryden Press, 9e édition.
BROCHAND B. et LENDREVIE J. (2001), Le Publicitor, Dalloz, 5ème édition.
GIANNELLONI J. L. (2001), Etudes de marché, Vuibert, Paris.
KOTLER P. et B. DUBOIS (1994), Marketing Management, 8ème édition, Publi-Union, Paris.
LAMBIN J.J. (1994), La recherche marketing - Analyser, mesurer, prévoir, Ediscience international, Paris.
LAMBIN J. J. (1998), Le marketing stratégique, 4ème édition, Ediscience International, Paris.
LENDREVIE, LEVY et LINDON (2003), Mercator, Dalloz, 7ème édition.
PELLEMANS P. (1999), Le marketing qualitatif - Perspective psychoscopique, De Boeck & Larcier, Paris/Bruxelles.
PELLEMANS P. (1999), Recherche qualitative en marketing - Perspective psychoscopique, De Boeck & Larcier, Paris/Bruxelles.
Documents on iCampus or on teachers' personal websites.

Other credits in programs