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Dr. Gordon C. Bruner II
Office: Rehn Hall, Suite 229
Office Phone: 453-4341

e-mail: gcbii@siu.edu

Whether an organization is a business or non-business, a brick-and-mortar store or internet-only business, it exists because there are people who "consume" what the organization "produces." Yet, in most cases the consumers are taken for granted and it is assumed that their attitudes, needs, and behavior are well understood when they probably aren't. Such organizations eventually suffer and go out of existence when competing organizations take away their customers because they understand and serve them better.

In general, the purpose of the course is to help the student develop a good grasp of the variables that affect consumption and the implications of this knowledge for actual business decisions.  Among the more specific goals, the course should improve the student's ability to:

1. Understand the sociological and psychological variables that shape the consumer decision process,

2. Identify various ways to segment a consumer market,

3. Examine the target market before making marketing-related decisions,

4. Identify new business opportunities,

5. Appreciate a variety of techniques for changing attitudes,

6. Learn how to maximize satisfaction and customer loyalty, and

7. Apply a knowledge of consumer behavior to a variety of entities ranging from non-profit organizations to e-commerce.