What makes a luxury bag irresistible in Shanghai but underwhelming in Stockholm? Why do some global campaigns spark outrage while others go viral for the right reasons? And how do we really know what consumers want, especially when they live half a world away?

This course looks into the minds of consumers around the world. Students will explore how culture, context, and psychology shape what people buy, want, and value, and how marketers can understand and influence them ethically and effectively. Across six sessions, students engage with theories and practical tools that help them make sense of global consumers, design research that captures consumer realities across cultures, and build consumer-centered strategies that actually resonate.

The course pays particular attention to consumers in emerging markets, the psychology behind segmentation and targeting, and the ethical side of influencing consumer behavior. Themes of sustainability, diversity, equality, and inclusion run throughout the course, because understanding consumers also means thinking carefully about how they are represented and reached.

Overall, this course blends theory and practice to help students understand consumers around the world and learn how to engage them effectively and ethically.

UN Sustainable Development Goals Considered in the Course

• 1 (No Poverty)
• 5 (Gender Equality)
• 10 (Reduced Inequalities)
• 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) 
• 13 (Climate Action)

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Analyze how culture shapes consumer behavior and apply cultural frameworks to interpret consumer differences across global markets.
2. Examine how social, economic, and contextual factors influence consumption in diverse markets, including emerging economies.
3. Critically evaluate the psychology and ethics of marketing stratgeis aimed at understanding and influencing global consumers.
4. Design and conduct cross-cultural consumer research using a range of traditional and emerging methods.
5. Reflect on how marketing shapes consumer lives, with attention to wellbeing, sustainability, and inclusion.
6. Communicate consumer insights and arguments effectively through case analysis, discussion, and collborative work.

Given the interactive nature of this course, regular attendance and engaged participation are expected.

To pass the course, students must attend at least 80% of the sessions; one absence (3 hours) is permitted. Please notify the lecturer or tutor in advance if you are unable to attend a session.

The course utilizes a combination of interactive lectures, case discussions, in-class debates, a market entry group project, and interactions with industry professionals. Attendance and participation in class discussions are critical to the success of the course and will determine students' grade and learning experience.

Students must carefully prepare and read the assigned chapters, articles, and cases prior to the session for which they are assigned to ensure a lively class discussion.

Grading Scheme

• Individual Class Participation (10%)
• Market Entry Group Project (30%)
• Case Study Group Presentation (20%)
• Individual Multiple-Choice Test (40%)

Grading Cut-offs

• 90–100 points: excellent (1)
• 80–89 points: good (2)
• 70–79 points: satisfactory (3)
• 60–69 points: sufficient (4)
• 0–59 points: failed (5)

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