Students
MKTG216 – Consumer Demographics
2014 – MQC2 Evening
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Sheruni Karunaratne
Contact via sheruni.karunaratne@mqc.edu.au
Tutor
Melissa Tranquille
Contact via melissa.tranquille@mqc.edu.au
Unit Moderator
Salut Muhidin
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| Credit points |
Credit points
3
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
24cp
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit focuses on the application of a range of demographic skills and techniques in analysing and understanding consumer populations, market segmentation and demographically diverse consumer behaviour. It emphasises the importance of life cycle as an analytical framework that shapes the demand for goods and services at various stages of life of consumer population. Application of basic statistical techniques will be included. Some of the topics covered include: gendered consumer behaviour and cohort effects, market segmentation, demographic dynamics and market changes, ageing and substitution effects, life cycle and household consumption, and age and product substitution. Examples of Australian consumers and markets will be extensively discussed and international comparisons will also be considered.
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- knowledge and appreciation of the relationships between population trends and changes in markets and consumers;
- knowledge of the applications of demographic techniques in understanding consumer populations in Australia and other countries;
- skills in accessing data, information and literature and ability of analysing different segments of consumer populations;
- competence in writing reports/essays on topics related to consumer demographics
- ability to communicate results/findings in research projects through an oral presentation and engagement in group discussion.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 35% | 14 August and 4 September |
| Group Project | 25% | 18 September |
| Final Exam | 40% | Final exam period |
Assignments
Due: 14 August and 4 September
Weighting: 35%
The two assignments are designed to help students to progress towards the learning outcomes through practising what they have learned in the lectures and obtaining feedback which will further assist their learning. The techniques and concepts introduced in the lectures are incorporated into the two assignments. Assignment 1 will be returned to students in Week 6 to help identify issues and problems students may have so appropriate remedial assistance could be provided. The assignments are mainly designed to assess students’ capability in applying the demographic concepts and techniques in understanding consumer populations and also their critical, analytical and integrative thinking capability.
The assignments include multiple question parts. The maximum marks available for each part will be indicated on the assignment sheets. Detailed instructions and assessment criteria for the essay and presentation will be given to students.
All assignments are to be submitted in class at tutorial time and they will be returned to students at tutorials in the following week unless it is specified otherwise. Students who fail to submit the assignments will be given zero for the assignments unless a satisfactory document (e.g. doctor’s certificate or a letter from employer, etc.) is presented.
No extensions on assessment submission will be granted unless a notification of Disruption to Studies is made and approved. Late submissions will be accepted up to 72 hours after the submission deadline. There will be a deduction of 20% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late. This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for a Disruption to Studies is made and approved.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- knowledge and appreciation of the relationships between population trends and changes in markets and consumers;
- knowledge of the applications of demographic techniques in understanding consumer populations in Australia and other countries;
- skills in accessing data, information and literature and ability of analysing different segments of consumer populations;
- ability to communicate results/findings in research projects through an oral presentation and engagement in group discussion.
Group Project
Due: 18 September
Weighting: 25%
The group project is consisted of a group report and an oral presentation. They are designed to assess students’ ability of applying the concepts, skills, knowledge and techniques they have learned in class to the issues in the real world. Students will form a group of up to four and choose one topic (from a number of given topics) to write a group report of approximately 5,000 – 6,000 words and make an oral presentation of 10 minutes based on the key results of the group report. The group report and the presentation are designed to assess students’ problem solving and research capability, as well as effective communication capability. Students are advised that the group reports must be submitted in both hardcopy in class to your tutors at the scheduled time and softcopy via iLearn on the same date. Turnitin (a plagiarism detection program) will be used to detect plagiarised materials in the group reports to ensure academic integrity and honesty.
The group report will be assessed by the structure and clarity of the report, application of demographic concepts and techniques, quality of data analysis, interpretation of the results, and effectiveness of presentation.
No extensions on group report submission will be granted unless a notification of Disruption to Studies is made and approved. Late submissions will be accepted up to 72 hours after the submission deadline. There will be a deduction of 20% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late. This penalty does not apply for cases in which a notification of Disruption to Studies is made and approved.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- knowledge and appreciation of the relationships between population trends and changes in markets and consumers;
- knowledge of the applications of demographic techniques in understanding consumer populations in Australia and other countries;
- skills in accessing data, information and literature and ability of analysing different segments of consumer populations;
- competence in writing reports/essays on topics related to consumer demographics
- ability to communicate results/findings in research projects through an oral presentation and engagement in group discussion.
Final Exam
Due: Final exam period
Weighting: 40%
A three-hour final exam, covering all materials in lectures and tutorials, will be held during the university final examination period. Questions in the final exam will test students’ ability of calculating and interpreting demographic measures in relation to consumer populations and providing answers to questions relevant to the topics covered in this unit. All questions are designed to assess students’ learning outcomes outlined in this document.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- knowledge and appreciation of the relationships between population trends and changes in markets and consumers;
- knowledge of the applications of demographic techniques in understanding consumer populations in Australia and other countries;
- skills in accessing data, information and literature and ability of analysing different segments of consumer populations;
- competence in writing reports/essays on topics related to consumer demographics
Delivery and Resources
Required and Recommended texts and/or materials
Prescribed Text Book:
Martins, Jo M., Farhat Yusuf and David A. Swanson (2012) Consumer Demographics and Behaviours, Springer, ISBN 978-94-007-1854-8.
Recommended Reference Book:
Martins, Jo M., Farhat Yusuf and David Swanson (2013) Methods of Demographic Analysis, Springer, ISBN 978-94-007-6783-6.
Both books are available as eBook in the Macquarie University library. Students are welcome to download the books. Alternatively, hardcopies of the books are available for purchase in the Co-op bookshop. The weekly lectures are primarily based on the prescribed text book Consumer Demographics and Behaviour, but will also refer to materials from other sources. The recommended reference book Methods of Demographic Analysis is very useful for those students who have not taken DEM127/MKTG127 (Demographics Fundamentals) prior to taking MKTG216. The recommended reference book is a good source of information for all students on basic demographic measurements and concepts, which are highly relevant to this unit. A weekly reading list will be available on learning management system (iLearn). It is advisable that students download the lecture notes and reading materials from the iLearn or relevant databases prior to the lecture time. Hardcopies of teaching and reading materials will NOT be provided in the class. It is highly recommended that students compile notes of their own based on the materials covered in lectures and tutorials and from recommended readings.
Technology Used and Required
· Students are required to use calculators with scientific functions and Excel program throughout the semester to compute demographic parameters and estimates.
· In the second half of the semester, students will need to access the TableBuilder program via the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) website to carry out demographic data analysis that aims at understanding Australian populations and consumers. Instruction on the application of a TableBuilder account to ABS will be provided by the Macquarie University library.
Unit web page
· Course material is available on the learning management system (iLearn) http://ilearn.mq.edu.au.
Learning and Teaching Activities
· This unit is taught using lectures (two hours per week) and tutorials (one hour per week) which include a web-based data analysis research component.
· Students are expected to read in advance of lectures and participate in tutorials. In addition to the time spent attending classes and completing assignments and group project, students are also expected to spend time preparing for lectures, writing notes and reading relevant literature. In addition, students are expected to spend sufficient time preparing for the final examination.
· Exercises will be practised and examples will be given during the tutorial times. Students will have opportunities to engage group discussion and oral presentations.
Students are advised that a poor record of attendance in lectures and tutorials may adversely affect the grade awarded. Satisfactory attendance in lectures and tutorials may be used to determine a marginal grade. Macquarie City Campus has an expectation of 80% attendance of tutorials and lectures for which attendance is taken. Students who miss a lecture or tutorial due to unavoidable disruption are advised to submit a "Disruption to studies" notification and a professional authority form to the Student Enquiry Service. The form is on the web at http://students.mq.edu.au/student_admin/exams/disruption_to_studies/
What has changed?
This is a new unit.
Unit Schedule
| Week | Class Date | Topic | Assessment Given | Assessment Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 |
17 July |
Introduction to Consumer Demographics: Basic Demographic Measurements and Concepts |
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2 |
24 July | Demographic Dimensions of Markets and Consumers (Chapter 1 and Chapter 3) | ||
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3 |
31 July | Perspectives on Consumer Behaviours (Chapter 2) | Assign 1 | |
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4 |
7 August | Population Growth and Change of Markets (Chapter 4 and Chapter 5) | ||
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5 |
14 August | Life Cycle of Consumers (Chapter 6) | Assign 1 | |
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6 |
21 August | Market Segmentation and Income Distribution (Chapter 8) | Assign 2 | |
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7 |
28 August | Age, Preferences and Market Segmentation (Chapter 9) | Group Project | |
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8 |
4 September | Analysing Census Data using TableBuilder | Assign 2 | |
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9 |
11 September | Household Allocation Patterns (Chapter 7) | ||
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10 |
18 September | Gendered Preferences and One-Person Households (Chapter 10) |
Group Report Group presentations |
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11 |
25 September | Age and Product Substitution and Cohort Preferences (Chapter 11) | Group presentations | |
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12 |
2 October | Demographics of Major Emerging Markets: China and India | ||
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13 |
9 October | Revision, Conclusion and Unit Evaluation |
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Graduate Capabilities
Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- knowledge and appreciation of the relationships between population trends and changes in markets and consumers;
- knowledge of the applications of demographic techniques in understanding consumer populations in Australia and other countries;
- skills in accessing data, information and literature and ability of analysing different segments of consumer populations;
Assessment tasks
- Assignments
- Group Project
- Final Exam
Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- knowledge and appreciation of the relationships between population trends and changes in markets and consumers;
- knowledge of the applications of demographic techniques in understanding consumer populations in Australia and other countries;
- skills in accessing data, information and literature and ability of analysing different segments of consumer populations;
- competence in writing reports/essays on topics related to consumer demographics
- ability to communicate results/findings in research projects through an oral presentation and engagement in group discussion.
Assessment tasks
- Assignments
- Group Project
- Final Exam
Problem Solving and Research Capability
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- knowledge and appreciation of the relationships between population trends and changes in markets and consumers;
- knowledge of the applications of demographic techniques in understanding consumer populations in Australia and other countries;
- skills in accessing data, information and literature and ability of analysing different segments of consumer populations;
- competence in writing reports/essays on topics related to consumer demographics
- ability to communicate results/findings in research projects through an oral presentation and engagement in group discussion.
Assessment tasks
- Assignments
- Group Project
Effective Communication
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- competence in writing reports/essays on topics related to consumer demographics
- ability to communicate results/findings in research projects through an oral presentation and engagement in group discussion.
Research and Practice
Research and Practice
This unit provides students with opportunities to conduct research using data from the Australian 2006 and 2011 Census of Population and Housing on the topics that are relevant to this unit. Students will work in a group of up to four to carry out data analysis using TableBuilder, review a range of literature including journal articles, and write up a report on the key findings of the research. An oral presentation based on the key findings of the group report will be made in Week 10 and Week 11. The group report topics will be given prior to the mid-semester break.