Module BUSI3431: Consumer Power

Department: Management and Marketing

BUSI3431: Consumer Power

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To explore the power of consumers in forcing organisational and marketing change.
• To explore the social criticisms of marketing practice and the factors that drive consumer activism.
• To understand the ethical, political, sustainable and social issues and values of the consumer and their relationship with marketing practice and consumption behaviours.
• To engage at a critical level with the latest research into the role of ethics, sustainability and responsibility in marketing practice, consumer empowerment and consumer culture.

Content

• Introduction to Consumer Power and Anti-Consumerism.
• Social Criticisms of Contemporary Marketing Practice.
• Consumer Ideology and Consumer Emancipation.
• Anti-Consumerism.
• Consumer Activism and Rebellion: Boycotting and Buycotting.
• The Ethical Consumer (Ethical Consumerism).
• The Political Consumer (Political Consumerism).
• The Sustainable Consumer (Sustainable Consumerism).
• Corporate Social Responsibility: Impacts on Marketing and Consumers.
• Consumer Culture and Wellbeing.
• Consumer Empowerment.

Learning Outcomes

• Subject-specific knowledge: By the end of the module students should be able to have:
• An understanding of the social criticisms of marketing practice and resulting drivers of behaviours relating to consumer activism and critical consumerism.
• A critical awareness of the ethical, political, sustainable and social influences within the decision-making processes of consumers and the models that attempt to interpret this behaviour.
• An appreciation of how and why these values and beliefs held by consumers informs marketing approaches.

• An ability to observe, interpret and evaluate the conscious choices that result in consumer activism and critical consumption behaviours.
• An ability to develop, critically analyse and evaluate the marketing activities and strategies of organisations seeking to influence and address ethical, political, sustainability, and social issues.
• An ability for students to become critically aware of their own behaviours as responsible consumers.

• Critical thinking, assessment and evaluation.
• Creativity and problem solving.
• Active and reflective learning.
• Group work and teamwork.
• Presentation skills.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• This module is delivered via a series of lectures and seminars. The lectures introduce key concepts and frameworks, while the seminar series builds on these ideas through the combination of supported readings, group work and discussions to demonstrate the ways in which consumer research of this type inform marketing activities in the commercial and not-for-profit worlds along with evaluating the causes for consumer activism and critical consumption.
• The module is assessed by means of a written assignment, comprising of a 5 minute presentation (individual video bulletin) and a written report of 2,000 words. Specifically, a real example of consumer rebellion, consumer activism, or critical consumption is to be identified and discussed within the video presentation. Then, a written report of 2000 words is to be produced that critically analyses the identified case, concluding in a proposed marketing solution to deal with the challenges.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Students identify a real example relating to consumer activism, consumer rebellion or the wider concept of critical consumption introduced within the module content, for analysis in the summative assignment and are to present their ideas in the workshop, for feedback and review

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University