Module overview
Understanding consumer behaviour and the trends in consumer lifestyles and sub-cultures, is at the core of creative marketing and management strategy. Being able to anticipate new consumer tribes and changing consumer segments against a set of demographic and psychographic classifications for example, enables consumer-centric decisions to be made by fashion brands.
The Future Consumer module will introduce you to the underlying theories and concepts that underpin change. New technologies and a fast-changing digital landscape are critically impacting consumer behaviour and motivations. You will learn to evaluate and challenge consumer segmentation approaches as well as the visualisation of consumer groups using primary research techniques.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- The underlying concepts and principles of contextual issues in including sustainable and ethical practices
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Plan and manage your workloads to set deadlines
Disciplinary Specific Learning Outcomes
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Evaluate and analyse data, researched from appropriate sources to develop future consumer profiles.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Identify and debate the current and emerging sustainable and ethical factors that have the potential for driving positive and constructive change
Syllabus
Indicative Content for this module will normally include:
- An Introduction of quantitative and qualitative approaches to consumer research
- The different ways and approaches to carrying out consumer research.
- Review the data available for secondary intelligence services such as Mintel, Euromonitor, Acorn and similar.
- Development of future focused consumer profiles and the principles of segmentation (psychographic, demographic, geographic for example) and therefore discussions on the advantages and disadvantages of traditional segmentation methods.
- Assessing consumer behaviour in relation to digital technology and shopping habits
- Analysis of consumer trends, cultural and lifestyle influences and data patterns on fashion buying behaviour and motivations.
- Consumer classifications & theories including Acorn, Maslow’s Theory, Theories of Adoption, and VALS.
- Fieldwork including observation and primary research.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include: Lectures, Seminars, Tutorials, Visual research workshops
Learning activities include: Lectures, Seminars, Group discussions/Peer Group Learning inc.Action Learning Sets, Library resources, Study Skills Hub, Optional Field Trip Activities
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Independent Study | 252 |
| Teaching | 48 |
| Total study time | 300 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Solomon M, Rabolt N (2009). Consumer Behaviour in Fashion . New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Jackson, T., & Shaw, D (2009) (2009). Mastering Fashion Marketing . . Basingstoke: : Palgrave.
Rath, P.M, Bay S, Petrizzi R & Gill P (2008). The Why of the Buy ,2nd ed. . New York: Fairchild Books.
Assessment
Assessment strategy
For the Future Consumer module, learning and teaching activities focus on helping you to investigate, question and analyse consumer behaviour, its theories and how this influences both marketing and management strategy in fashion. Feedback on your own progress and development will be given by group discussions, seminars and presentations. Informal feedback will provide opportunities for peer group learning and self-evaluation.
The formal assessment will be a 2500 word illustrated essay on consumer behaviour. The use of your own primary visual images will help you to develop visual research and analysis and to effectively present your critical engagement with consumer theory and practice.
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Coursework
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: You will experience formative feedback during the module in different learning situations, for example: tutorials, crits and written feedback.
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Portfolio | 100% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Portfolio | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Portfolio | 100% |