AANB11062U Anthropological market research and consumer insight - statistics and ethnography in practice

Volume 2014/2015
Content

This course is a hands-on exploration of how the science and methods of anthropology contribute to market research and consumer insight studies.

Companies’ strategic and tactical decisions are increasingly based on consumer research. This course covers quantitative and qualitative market research methodologies and discusses the analytical and theoretical implications of an anthropology of consumption.

Consumer culture has only recently gained attention as an anthropological subfield and plays a surprisingly insignificant role in ethnographic discussions. Nevertheless many anthropologists work within the field of ‘consumption’ doing market research, communication, branding, product development, strategic consultancy, marketing and much more. The field is rich in details from discussions on second hand clothes sales in Zimbabwe to McDonald’s restaurants in Korea to behaviour campaigns in trains in Denmark.

In the course the lectures and seminars are combinations of concrete market research projects/designs/studies and discussions of methodological concerns and analytical distinctions.

The students should have a substantial knowledge of traditional anthropological concepts such as exchange, gift vs. commodity, barter and trade, money and economic cosmologies.

Methodologically, the students will gain most from this course if they already have a working understanding of descriptive statistics, know SPSS and are familiar with interview methods and participant observation.

As part of the examination the students are to do an extensive fieldwork around a typical market research problem, e.g. consumer profiling, segmentation, product launch, market access, positioning, competitor analysis, brand study, re-position of a product and/or a brand, advertisement tests and communication/brand/product development. The fieldwork should have element of both qualitative and quantitative research.

The course covers the following topics:

  • The market research process, research design and problem identification
  • Quantitative market research, e.g. sample, data collection, questionnaire, data exploration, validation, statistical tests and data interpretation
  • Qualitative research, e.g. respondents, interview methods, question guide, focus groups, workshops, ethnographic methods, co-creation, user-driven research, data interpretation
  • Presentation and communication of recommendations, conclusions and results

 

The main focus is on the applied and practical use of the methods, assessment of the various techniques and the research designs and the interpretation of the analytical results

Learning Outcome

The objective is that after students have participated in (this course) they will be able to:

  • know and use market research and consumer insight concepts, theories, models and methods – and analytically and critically engage with these
  • identify and use different anthropological approaches to market research and consumer insight studies
  • identify and develop relevant market research and consumer insight problems and be able to express these in a applied manner
  • develop a research design that fits the market research challenge and be able to list competing or supplementing research designs; moreover take a reflected and informed decision between these
  • assess, evaluate, choose and use appropriate research tools, techniques and methods
  • demonstrate a sound and concise knowledge of the different elements in the market research process as well as having the holistic view of how these elements play together
  • assess and communicate independently the solution to a concrete market research and consumer insight question/problem/study and reflect analytically on this in order to assess the quality of the market research
  • pursue the engagement with market research and consumer insights through methodological insight from both classic and experimental ethnography
  • use concepts from the broader anthropological literature including both theory and ethnographic accounts in the analysis of consumers, markets, products, brands and communications as socio-cultural practices

Texts on Absalon and a book of own choice within consumer culture, e.g. McCracken (Culture and Consumption I + II), Bourdieu (Distinction), Featherstone (Consumer Culture and Postmodernism), Douglas (The World of Goods: Toward an Anthropology of Consumption), Miller (Material Culture and Mass Consumption) and Moeran (A Japanese Advertising Agency: An Anthropology of

Media and Markets).

BSc-, Credit-, Open Education and all international students: 500 pages obligatory literature.
MSc students: 500 pages obligatory literature + 200 pages of literature chosen by students

Literature chosen by students must be relevant to the course’s subject matter.

 

The course is conducted as a combination of lectures, seminar discussions, student presentations and fieldwork as market research.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 48
  • Field Work
  • 60
  • Lectures
  • 14
  • Preparation
  • 70
  • Seminar
  • 14
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Essay.
Length: Min. 21.600 - max. 26.400 keystrokes for an individual essay. For group exams plus an additional min. 6.750 - max. 8.250 keystrokes per extra group member.

The essay assignments can be written individually or in groups of max. 4 people. Read more about the rules for group examinations in the
curriculum 4.3.1.

The examination essay must address a relevant topic from the course and must include literature from the course syllabus.
Exam registration requirements
It is a requirement that the student is present for at least 75% of the lectures as part of their exam for the course. Lecturers will keep an attendance list.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam
1. & 2. Re-exam
For written exams:
A new essay/portfolio with a revised problem statement is submitted at the announced date. The student must register for the re-exam.
For oral exams:
A revised synopsis with a new problem statement is submitted at the announced date. The students must hereafter participate in a new oral exam at the announced date. The student must register for the re-exam.
Criteria for exam assesment

See learning outcome