Aim of the course

The aim of this course is to draw on the influence of marketing activities on consumer behavior by placing marketing ideas in a broader societal context. This course provides insights into potential and existing inherent conflicts which arise within the interplay of contemporary marketing practices and the society. By viewing marketing activities through different lenses (the company lense, the consumer lense, the wider societal lense, the „planet“ lense, among others), the students will acquire a balanced view of the effect of marketing and the inherent consumer culture on different stakeholder groups in the socitey.

Description of the course

In this course, the students will be introduced to the evolution of current marketing techniques applied by companies and the downside of contemporary marketing practices by systematically reviewing the the forerunners of today’s markets and marketing and the different stakeholders impacted by it. In addition to the historical roots of our today’s (economic) background, this course will touch upon the topic‘s ontological premise, the impact of the abundance of choice on different stakeholder groups, the concept of consumer sovereignty, vulnerable segments, critical perspectives of international marketing, defining ones' selves through brands, and beyond.

Topics covered during this course     

Introduction: Brief overview of what critical marketing is about; ontological denaturalization; Marx’ s commodity fetishism, Veblen’s theory of leisure class and the trickle-down effect, Frankfurt school and their culture industry, Critical sociology and its critique of marketing as manipulation of symbolic systems and mental processes, Foucault’s power games).

Body: Post WW II period where consumption in the US was promoted as everyone’s civic duty, the imaginative world without marketing, its positives/negatives, on choice (overload), psychological mechanisms causing the detriments of choice and its consequences, on “the customer is the king”, advertising and “the magic system” and reification of brands, adverting as a contaminator of public space and who it “hurts”, the “monkey business” across the marketing mix (prices, products, etc), the vulnerable groups,  how and why they become an “easy catch”, critical perspectives on international marketing, pursuit for new, western lifestyle and the shattered identity of the human being.

In this course the student

• will be aware of the ontological realm or the foundational premisewhich has influenced contemporary marketing; 
• is able to evaluate the impact of contemporary marketing activities on the immediate and less immediate stakeholder groups; 
• can identify the frequently “hidden agendas” of marketing techniques and campaigns used to create a reaction which often benefits the “company view” only;
•  is able to critically evaluate various instances of misconduct within established marketing frameworks (the marketing mix, the segmentations variables, etc); 
  is familiar with how consumers have started “acting back”; 
• can evaluate and redesign contemporary marketing practices to benefit as many stakeholder groups as possible. 

Please note that the first and last sessions/days are mandatory. If you do not attend the first session/day, you will be de-registered from the course. In order to obtain a grade for the course, students must attend at least 80% of the course.

Within this course, a variety of didactic elements are utilized to facilitate the successful completion of the learning outcomes outlined above. The course is delivered as a mix of lectures covering theoretical concepts and their application and utilizes classroom interaction to facilitate learning and welcome viewpoints and takes of different (cultural) origin: Several group activities add to acquisition of knowledge and different perspectives. A key element in the course delivery is the group presentation during the last class, which allows for an immediate transfer of knowledge to the immediate environment that surrounds the various stakeholder groups.

Criteria for successful completion of the course: 

1) Pre-course assignment – an academic article review which serves as a “warm-up” for the course and will be referred to throughout the course as we progress. The following aspects in the written pre-course assignment will be assessed and graded:

Introductory summary of the article: 5%
Your critique: 15% 
Conclusion of your critique: 5%

Total of course grade: 25% 

IMPORTANT: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THE PRE-COURSE ASSIGNMENT PLEASE CHECK SECTION "PRE-COURSE ASSIGNMENT"

2) Active participation - each student must participate actively during the class. The evaluation of this criterion will be rather subjective, so try to do your best.  

Total of course grade: 25%

3) End-of-course presentation (~ 15-20 minutes per person + Q&A): in a pair or a group of 3 students carry out the following: scan the environment (walk the streets, stores, read papers, journals, social media feeds, etc) and analyse 1 case per student in your pair/ group. This case must „click“ with the context of the topics in the course. These cases may fall under any of the topics of the touchpoints between society and marketing, thus broadening the perspective on marketing and evaluating the consequences. What is important that the cases you choose to present “click” with what we have spoken about in the course. Please remember that when presenting, it is necessary not only to present the case, but also analyze in which way those contribute / take from the different stakeholders in the society.

Total of course grade – 50%

The following aspects in the group-work presentation will be graded:  

Analysis of the cases in terms of course material: 30%
Presentation of the case (enthusiasm, competence): 10%
Response to questions / comments: 10%
Total of course grade: 50%
 
Course Assessment 

Pre-course assignment : 25%
Participation (not just attendance): 25%
End-of-course presentation: 45% 

TOTAL: 100%

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Grading scale

Pre-course assignment – 25% of the total grade (submission deadline 31.03.2026; to be uploaded in Canvas)

The assignment (1000-1500 words in total).

PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULLY!

1.       Scan the 3 (three) articles chosen for you (available in Canvas – Files – Pre-course readings). Choose 1 as per your liking that you will write a reflection on. Tip: as you will see while scanning through the articles, some of them are longer and others shorter. I urge you not to choose the shortest but the one that you find the most engaging. Additionally, longer ones frequently offer more content for reflection.

2.       Read the selected article carefully, applying to it a pencil or highlights to mark what seems to be more relevant and what you believe you will need for writing the reflection.

3.       Start writing the reflection. Your reflection should follow a clear structure: 

a) Introduction (takes up about 20-25% of total text): Briefly introduce the article (title, author, publication, context). Introduce its main arguments, claims, and key information. Keep it concise.

b) Critique and reflection (takes up about 60-65% of total text): This is the core of your reflection. 

·         Evaluate the author’s main points and arguments in the article from your own personal perspective and personal experience.  

·         Identify strengths, weaknesses, and potential biases of the article. 

·         Organize this section clearly: each opinion should begin with a topic sentence followed by supporting arguments. 

·         Conclude this section by suggesting which audiences might benefit from reading the article. 

c) Conclusion (takes up about 20-25% of total text): Summarize 1) the main points of the article and 2) your critique. Reflect on the article’s overall significance and relevance.

Important notes: 

·         Critical reflection is not about personal likes or dislikes. Keep an open, balanced perspective and acknowledge that people differ in their worldviews, even if their views differ from your own. 

·         It is very important that you connect the critique with your personal experiences. 

·         Even though several classroom assignments will allow the use of generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT and the like), the use of it for this assignment is NOT allowed. Your work must be your own.