An understanding of customers and consumption is central to marketing. In this module we will be exploring why customers buy and consume brands (in all their diversity) and the meanings of these brands in their lives. We will also be examining organisational behaviour including the influence of stakeholders on organisational decision-making and inter-organisational relationships. We will be relating our conclusions to marketing and marketing communications. A wide range of issues are explored within this module, including:

• Brand consumption
• Customer decision-making
• Culture, lifestyles and consumption
• Group influences and opinion leadership
• Inter-organisational relationships
• Message consumption
• Organisational buying behaviour
• Post-modern customers and brand consumption
• Psychological explorations of customer behaviour e.g. perception, learning, motivation, attitudes and attitude change, the self
• Symbolic consumption and identity
• The purchase environment and shopping behaviour

Lecturers: to be defined (University of Savoie Mont-Blanc - France)