Marketing and Consumer Research

Description & course content

The SBWL Marketing and Consumer Research, provides Bachelor students with knowledge about consumer psychology to understand human beings in their role as consumers. This is of utmost importance, from a managerial, societal and individual consumer perspective. A deep understanding of consumer behavior is a timeless asset and crucial for any position in a market-oriented business or organization. It also gives students the chance to put their learning into practice while working with large and well-known companies.

Marketing and Consumer Research focuses on the following:

• Relevant insights into the fundamentals of consumer psychologyCreating and delivering value at the main consumer touchpoints such as branding and marketing communication
• The toolbox of marketing research methods, analyzing, interpreting and synthesizing data (making sense of data)
• Applying consumer-centric marketing knowledge in real-life practice projects

Special: the m.core High Potential Award

Since the winter term 2015/16, the institute grants the m.core High Potential Award with the collaboration of  well-known Austrian companies. The five best students get the chance to apply for a paid internship at a well-known Austrian company.

Admission

In the SBWL Marketing and Consumer Research, learning is based on a mix of insights from top-tier international research as well as discussions of current practical applications. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for students of the SBWL, to bring interest in both, academic research as well as translating those insights into practice. Moreover, students are encouraged to think critically. This enables every single student not only to benefit from the classroom content but also from fellow students. Admission to the SBWL is composed of three parts:

• Motivation letter
  
• Reflection task: Your individual reflection on a current topic in marketing and consumer research
• Success in your previous courses (transcript of records)

Recommended Structure

1. Semester:

• Course 1 (GK) – Consumer Psychology and Behavior
• Course 2 – Consumer Touchpoint Management

2. Semester:

• Course 3 – Research Methods in Marketing
• Course 4 – Marketing and Consumer Research Project
• Course 5 – Marketing Insights

For the specialization, Marketing and Consumer Research, five courses worth 4 ECTS each, have to be completed. There is a mandatory sequence for the courses: course 1 and 2 must be successfully completed before enrolling for courses 3 and 4 is allowed. There is no sequence for course 5 though. Students can complete the specialization in a minimum of two semesters.

Bachelor’s Thesis

Students of the SBWL Marketing and Consumer Research who have completed course 1 “Consumer Psychology and Behavior” can apply for a bachelor‘s thesis. In principle, however, it is also possible to apply for a bachelor thesis without having completed the SBWL. In general, the preparation of a bachelor thesis requires a positive completion of the subject “Grundlagen wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens”. You can propose your own topics, provided that they correspond to the research focus of the institute, or you can choose from the list of topics. You can find more information on this in the guidelines of the institute.

Job profiles

The specialization Marketing and Consumer Research equips students with an encompassing knowledge-base for any related master's program or professional career directly after the bachelor's degree. Graduates have excellent job prospects within various areas of marketing and related fields, such as customer insights, product and brand management, marketing management, customer relationship management, consulting, advertising, market research, consumer protection and behavioral science.

Hier findest du die Präsentation von der SBWL-Messe!