Marketing 407 ~ Buyer Behavior ~ Spring 2012

http://www.cb.wsu.edu/~jjoireman/
Tue./Thur.. 10:35-11:50 in Todd 334
Professor:
Dr. Jeff Joireman, Todd 382; E-mail: joireman@wsu.edu
Office Hours: Tue. (1-2) and by appointment
Teaching Assistant:
Mr. Mark Mulder, PhD Graduate Student in Marketing, Todd 390; Email: mulder@wsu.edu.
Office Hours: To be announced
Instructor and TA Availability:
Our goal is to make this course a positive learning experience and we encourage you to stop by our
offices with questions, concerns or to discuss course material. Were here to help, so make use of our
office hours. If anything is unclear, ask in class, email, or stop by during our office hours. If our hours
dont work for you, email us and we can set up an appointment outside of office hours.
Readings:

Shiffman, Kanuk, & Wisenblit (2010). Consumer behavior. 10 edition. San Francisco:
Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Three Sectional Course Packets. Available in Cougar Copies. Each packet will cover the PPTs for the
three major sections of the class and will be available by the day before the section begins.

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Course Objectives:
Consumer behavior involves a range of topics including what motivates consumers to purchase a product
or service, how consumers process information about consumer decisions, consumer attitudes,
persuasion and social influence, the impact of affect, individual differences, and culture on consumer
behavior, self-regulation, retailing strategy, e-commerce and public policy issues. The goal of this course
is to familiarize you with fundamental concepts underlying consumer behavior and encourage you to
apply that knowledge so as to become better marketers and consumers.
Basis for Evaluation:
(Required 205 points)

3 Exams @ 50 points each (150 points total)

5 Homework Assignments @ 5 points each (25 points total)
2 Presentations @ 5 points each (10 points total)
10 Spot Attendance Checks @ 2 points each (20 points possible)

(Extra Credit 5 points)

Extra attendance day 2 points

1 Optional Homework Assignment 3 points

Grading:
Course letter grades will be assigned using the percentages shown below. Standard rounding procedures
will be used to determine your final %. For example, if you have .924, this rounds to .92 (and you get an
A-). If, on the other hand, you have .926, this rounds to .93 (and you get an A). If you are 1 point away
from the next highest grade, I will bump you up to the higher grade. Beyond this, no adjustments to final
grades will be made.
93 - 100 A
90 - 92 A87 - 89 B+

83 - 86
80 - 82
77 - 79

B
BC+

73 - 76 C
70 - 72 C67 - 69 D+

60 - 66
D
Below 60 F

Academic Dishonesty:
Students are expected to uphold the WSU standard of conduct relating to academic dishonesty (for
details, see Office of Student Conduct website: http://www.conduct.wsu.edu/default.asp?PageID=343.)
Students assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the academic work they submit and/or
are engaged in. The guiding principle of academic integrity shall be that a student's submitted work
(papers, projects, etc.) and performance on exams, quizzes, and other similar assignments, must be
solely that student's own work. If it is evident that any violation of this principle has occurred (with the
exception of authorized group work), the offense may be punishable by automatic failure in the course
and referred to University authorities for further action.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
I am committed to providing assistance to help you be successful in this course. Reasonable
accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. If you have a disability and may
need accommodations to fully participate in this class, please visit the Disability Resource center (DRC).
All accommodations MUST be approved through the DRC, located in the Administration Annex Bldg,
Room 205. Please stop by or call 335-3417 to make an appointment with a disability specialist.
Attendance Policy:
To maximize your learning, you should attend all regularly-scheduled class sessions. If, for some reason,
you must miss a class (or arrive late or leave early), please contact me via email prior to class to explain
the situation and find out what you missed. Because a great deal of information is only covered in class, it
is easy to fall behind if you miss a class. As noted later in this syllabus, I will conduct spot checks on
attendance, each worth 2 points.

Classroom Etiquette:
Though we often do not think of it in these terms, the classroom is a training ground for the real-world.
Soon, you will graduate and find yourselves in interviews, business meetings etc. As such, during class,
you should conduct yourself professionally. Non-class related activity, such as texting and/or checking
email is bad etiquette, and will certainly not fly in the business world. In addition, such activities will
interfere with your ability to learn and can be distracting to others. Please do yourself, and everyone else
a favor, by conducting yourself professionally in class.

Safety on Campus:
WSU is committed to providing a safe environment for students, staff and faculty. Please refer to the
following web sites for more information on campus safety: http://safetyplan.wsu.edu and

http://oem.wsu.edu/emergencies.

Required Tasks:
Exams:
There will be three sectional exams. Exams will include multiple-choice and short-answer questions taken
from the book and lectures (including guest lectures). Scantron forms will be provided on the day of the
exam, but you should bring one or more number 2 pencils to the exam.
Make-up exams will not be given, except under extreme circumstances. If you must miss an exam, you
need to contact Dr. Joireman via email (joireman@wsu.edu) before the exam and you must provide a
written explanation of the situation. Make-up exams will not be identical to the original exam, and may
end up being harder as a result.
Homework Assignments:
There will be five required homework assignments (HW-1 thru HW-5), each worth 5 points, and one
additional optional extra credit homework (HW-6), worth 3 points. Details are explained later in the
syllabus.
Presentations:
There will be two brief in-class presentations (course applications, course reflections), each worth 5
points. Details are explained later in the syllabus.
Attendance:
I will conduct spot checks on attendance. Each spot check is worth 2 points. The maximum number of
attendance points possible is 20, but I will conduct at least 11 spot checks (i.e., its possible for you to
miss one spot check without being penalized; if you are in class during all 11 spot checks, Ill give you 2
extra credit points beyond the 20 original points possible). In terms of attendance, no special
accommodations will be made for any reason. So, if you miss class because you were sick, you simply
miss out on those attendance points. But remember, you can miss one of the spot attendance checks
without being penalized.

COURSE SCHEDULE ~ MKTG 407 ~ Spring 2012

Exam Dates and Due Dates for Assignments
Date
Topic
Reading
1/10
Introduction to Course
a
1/12
Whats the Big Idea? Introduction to Consumer Behavior
1, 15
HW-1 (Profile): Email Dr. Joireman by Mon., 1/16, 8 am
1/17
Discovering What Consumers Want: Marketing Research
2
1/19
Divide and Conquer: Market Segmentation and Targeting
3
1/24
Internal Drivers I: Consumer Motivation
4
HW-2 (Means-End Chain): In class
1/26
Internal Drivers II: Consumer Personality
5
1/31
Review for Exam 1
Exam 1
Exam 1
2/2
2/7
The Self-Concept and Brands: Are We What We Buy? (Richie Liu)
2/9
Look and Learn: Consumer Perception and Learning
6-7
HW-3 (Product Placement): In class
2/14
Attitudes: The Holy Grail of CB
8
2/16
The Persuaders
2/21
E.T. Eats Reeses: Product Placement (Brian Gillespie)
2/23
Crafting an Effective Message: Persuasion Processes
9
2/28
Robert Cialdini: The King of Social Influence
HW-4 (Social Influence). In class
3/1
Review for Exam 2
Exam 2
Exam 2
3/6
3/8
Course Applications
SPRING BREAK
3/13
SPRING BREAK
3/15
3/20
Weve Always Done it That Way: Familial Influences on CB
10
3/22
When in Rome: Cultural Influences on CB
11-13
3/27
Sex Sells, But Why? Evolutionary Influences on CB
3/29
Drawing the Line: Ethics and Socially Responsible Marketing
16
4/3
Hamburgers vs. Treadmills: Promoting Health Behavior
4/5
Atmospherics and the Power of Scents (Manja Zidansek)
HW-5 (Promoting Health Behavior). In class
4/10
Flight Delay: Promoting Positive Responses to Service Failures
HW-6 (Optional) (Service Failure Nightmare). In class
4/12
Pay it Forward: Promoting Charitable Giving (Mark Mulder)
4/17
Review for Exam 3
Exam 3
Exam 3
4/19
4/24
Course Reflections
4/26
Course Wrap-Up (required)
Notes. Schedule is open to change. All exams are sectional exams. Reading = Shiffman et al. book. HW-1 thru HW-5 are required. HW-6 is
a
optional (3 points extra credit). Emails: Dr. Joireman (joireman@wsu.edu). Mark Mulder (mulder@wsu.edu). Chapter 15 (pp. 459-482).

MKTG 407 - Homework Assignments Spring 2012

General Notes:

HW 1-5 are required and worth 5 points each. HW 6 is extra credit and worth 3 points.
With the exception of HW-1, late homework will not be accepted.
HW-1 needs to be emailed to Dr. Joireman. HW-2 thru HW-6 are due in-class. Read carefully.
Make sure to provide all of the requested information and label any relevant files as noted.
If you have questions, feel free to contact Dr. Joireman (joireman@wsu.edu) or Mark Mulder
(mulder@wsu.edu) or swing by our offices.

REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS (HW-1 thru HW-5) 5 points each

HW-1: Student Profile MKTG 407
Assignment:
Prepare a profile of yourself and email it to Dr. Joireman. The requested information is provided below
to Dr. Joireman (joireman@wsu.edu). Keep it to one page, single spaced. Name your file as follows:
Your Name_MKTG 407_S2012_Student Profile.
Due:
Mon., January 16th by 8 am. Email to Dr. Joireman (joireman@wsu.edu) Late profiles will be docked 2
points per day.
Required Elements:
Your picture
Name:
Email:
Life Goal:
New Years Resolution (or Goal for the Year):
Interesting Fact about Self:
Hobbies:
One New Place You Would Like to Visit (and why):
Person who inspires you (and why):
HW-2: Means End Chain
Assignment:
Following the examples provided in class, conduct a means-end chain for one of your favorite products.
Briefly describe the product. Then, highlight its attributes, functional consequences, psychological
consequences, and how it maximizes your important values.
Due:
Thur., Jan. 26th, In class. Late assignments will not be accepted.

HW-3: Product Placement

Assignment:
Watch a movie that came out during the time period you were assigned in class and keep a tally of all
product placements you notice, even if the same product shows up more than once. Watch the movie a
second time and write down all the different brands/products you see in the movie.
Write a summary of your observations (movie title, year released, number of placements, list of all the
different brands/products, and your reaction to the product placements)
Due: Tue., Feb. 14, In class. Late assignments will not be accepted.
HW-4: Social Influence Applications
Assignment:
In class on Thur., February 23rd, we will cover how basic principles of influence apply to consumer
behavior (Cialdinis Principles of Influence). Pick two of the principles we discussed and apply them to
one of your recent consumer decisions. One page, single spaced.
Due: Tue., Feb. 28th, In class. Late assignments will not be accepted.
HW-5: Promoting Health Behavior
Assignment:
On Tue., 4/3 we will discuss how marketing can be used to promote health behavior. This assignment
draws on that lecture. In it, you should summarize the findings of the studies discussed in lecture. One
page, single-spaced.
Due: Tue., April 10th, In class. Late assignments will not be accepted.
HW-6: Your Service Failure Nightmare (Extra Credit Assignment)
Assignment:
Following the lecture on service failures, write up a brief description of your worst service failure
nightmare. Then apply the material discussed in class to your experience. Does the lecture material h elp
explain your experience and response well? If so, how? If not, why not? One page, singe spaced.
Due: Thur., April 12th, In class. Late assignments will not be accepted.

MKTG 407 Presentation Assignments Spring 2012

Presentation 1 - Course Applications PowerPoint
Assignment:

We will assign you a topic (chapter) from class. Within that topic/chapter, you should select 1
principle related to that topic that you feel is very important or interesting (for whatever reason).
Your job is to prepare a 1-minute (1-slide) PowerPoint presentation that shows the class a realworld application of that principle. Given that these are very short, it is probably best to limit your
illustration to a picture (rather than a video).
You should email your slide to Mark Mulder (mulder@wsu.edu) by Wed., March 7th at 9 am.
We will put all of the slides together and bring it to class the next day.
Be prepared to walk the class through your slide. To keep things moving efficiently, we will go in
alphabetical order (last name) and have you stand up and present it from your seat in class.

Due:

You should email your slide to Mark Mulder (mulder@wsu.edu) by Wed., March 7th at 9 am. Late
slides will not be accepted.

Presentation 2 - Course Reflections PowerPoint

Assignment:

Pick what you consider to be the most important concept we covered in class.
Then, prepare a 1-minute (1-slide) PowerPoint presentation that shows the principle and why you
think it is important. Given that these are very short, it is probably best to limit any illustrations you
might wish to include to a picture (rather than a video).
You should email your slide to Mark Mulder (mulder@wsu.edu) by Mon., March 23rd at 9 am.
We will put all of the slides together and bring it to class the next day.
Be prepared to walk the class through your slide. To keep things moving efficiently, we will go in
alphabetical order (last name) and have you stand up and present it from your seat in class.

Due:

You should email your slide to Mark Mulder (mulder@wsu.edu) by Mon., March 23rd at 9 am. Late
slides will not be accepted.