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The New Consumer

Code: 43402
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Strategic Planning in Advertising and Public Relations OB 1

Contact lecturer

Name :
Estrella Barrio Fraile
Email :
estrella.barrio@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Nicolás Lorite García
Aurea Gomez Cardona
Patricia Luján Bellon
Sara Vinyals Mirabent
Albert Vinyals Ros

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

The ones contemplated in the master's teaching plan.

Objectives

This module addresses the figure of the new consumer, understood as a person who, thanks to the new digital environment, is hyperconnected and has evolved towards a profile that is more informed, aware, sensitive and demanding of companies. This new consumer is transforming the relationship between the company and its public, in which responsibility (economic, social and environmental) and agility in the responses are the protagonists.

From this approach it is expected that at the end of the master's degree students will be able to:

  • Identify the different types of consumers and consumers from the persuasive and psychological point of view.
  • Analyze the behavior habits and needs of consumers and consumers under the perspective of "Shopper understanding studies".
  • Know the new consumer trends and emerging segments.
  • Strategically apply persuasive communication aimed at the new "consumer" and consumer model.
  • Know the representation of diversity in advertising and its intercultural dynamizinf effects.
  • Identify the function of social advertising as a transformative entity and its effects on consumer awareness in their collaboration on key issues such as childhood vulnerability and syphilis.
  • To understand the identity dialectics between ads and consumers to create persuasive messages.
  • To identify different effects that bias advertising interpretation.
  • To understand how organisations articulate their communication strategies for inclusive communication based on the role of advertising as an agent of social transformation.
  • To understand CSR as a strategic, transversal and transformative element for organisations and to approach its communication in a strategic way in order to connect with the new consumer.

Learning outcomes

  1. Integrate the different disciplines in the study of consumer behaviour.
  2. Know the ethical boundaries that researchers must take into account in their approach to consumers.
  3. Segment consumers on the basis of their habits, lifestyles, needs, gratifications and motivations.
  4. Identify the most suitable advertising for the new consumers.
  5. Become familiar with the professional routines of strategic planning in advertising and PR, based on working in teams.
  6. Work on the productive skills of scientific teams conducting research into communication, which require collaboration and teamwork.
  7. Know and use the contributions of women and gender studies in the discipline.
  8. Know how to use inclusive and non-sexist language.
  9. Know how to carry out an adequate and informative treatment of sexist violence, excluding elements which could create unhealthy interest and avoiding banality.
  10. Know how to collect, systematise, conserve and disseminate information about women, works written by women, documents referring to the laws and policies of equality and those generated by research into gender studies, evaluating gender bias which may be included in existing searches and descriptors.
  11. Know how to distinguish in theoretical and empirical analyses the effects of sex and gender variables.
  12. Know how to identify the intersection of gender inequality with other inequalities (age, class, race, sexuality and identity/gender expression, functional diversity etc.).
  13. Identify and be able to analyse the structure causes and effects of violence against women and other gender violence.

Contents

1. Status of the \"Consumer\" from the perspective of Communication: Commercial communication model vs. corporate communication model. Audiences vs. target. Intangible values.
2. Consumers: Characteristics and typology. Habits and behaviour. Needs and desires: \"Shopper understanding studies\". Consumer identity and cognitive biases, two key determinants in decision-making.
3. Managing emotions in persuasive communication: Psychological models of consumer behaviour.
4. New consumer trends: the responsible consumer.
5. The new consumers: Inclusive communication strategies based on the role of advertising as an agent of social transformation.
6. Anthropological approach: the creation of identity through consumption.
7. Effectiveness of communication for the new consumer: Media planning.


The course content will be sensitive to issues related to gender perspective and the use of inclusive language.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Personal study 56 2.24 1, 2, 5, 6
Elaboration of works 45 1.8 3, 4, 6
Problem solving (cases) 16 0.64 3, 4, 6
Master Classes 18 0.72 1, 2, 4, 5
Tutorials 7 0.28 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

The teaching methodologies of the module are:
• Master classes.
• Problem solving classes (cases).
• Tutorials.
• Study and personal work.
• Preparation of works. 

A detailed schedule outlining the content of each session will be presented on the first day of the course and will be available on the course’s Virtual Campus, where students will find all teaching materials and necessary information for effective course monitoring. Should the teaching modality change for reasons of force majeure according to the competent authorities, the teaching staff will inform students of any modifications to the course schedule and teaching methodologies.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Exam 30% 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Practical excercise 30% 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
Final module work 40% 4 0.16 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

The subject evaluation system is based on the following percentages:

A) 30% exam

B) 30% practical exercise

C) 40% final modul work

A (30%) + B (30%) + C (40%) = 100% FINAL GRADE OF THE MODULE

Reassessment

Students will be entitled to reassessment in the course if they have been evaluated on a set of activities accounting for at least two-thirds of the total course grade.

Single-Assessment

This course/module does not provide for a single-assessment system.

Not Evaluable

The module will be considered \"not evaluable\" when any of the following requirements are met:

- The activities have not been submitted within the deadlines set by the teachers (in case of late submissions, the grade will be penalized. In case of systematic delays in the deliveries or failure to present them, they will be considered non-assessable).

- The student has not attended at least 80% of the sessions of the module.

- The student has not completed the module project.

- The student has not completed the practical cases of the module.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

For this module, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction, translations or the use as a tool in order to improve your project or presentation (e.g. image generation, video). Students must clearly identify any parts generated with these technologies, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how AI has influenced the process and final outcome of the assignment. Failure to disclose the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty to the assignment grade, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.

Any student suspected of submitting work that includes AI generated content may be asked for preliminary work or other materials to evidence the student’s original and unaided authorship. The student may also be asked to separately explain or support their work. AI identification methods may also be employed by the professors. After review, if it is determined by the instructor that submitted work likely contains AI generated content, the work may receive a zero and the student may be subject to further misconduct measures.

Plagiarism

The student performing any irregularity (copy, plagiarism, impersonation,...) will be graded with 0 for this assessment act. In the event of several or repeated irregularities, the final score of the subject will be 0

Bibliography

Aljure, Andrés. (2016). El plan estratégico de comunicación. Barcelona: UOC.

Anarte Ortiz, Maria Teresa. (2008). Psicología aplicada a la publicidad y las relaciones públicas. Universidad de Málaga: Servicio de Publicaciones.

Añaños, Elena. y otros (2008). Psicología y Comunicación Publicitaria. UAB: Servicio de Publicaciones.

Barletta, Marti (2006). Marketing to Women. USA: Dearborn Trade Publishing.

Barrio, Estrella; Enrique, Ana-María. (2021). The strategic value of corporate social responsibility (CSR): the present and future of its management. Profesional de la información, v. 30, n. 3, e300312. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2021.may.12

Barrio, Estrella. (2019). Responsabilidad Social Corporativa. De la noción a la gestión. Barcelona: UOC. https://elibro.net/es/ereader/uab/105597

Cernuda, Gemma (2014). Ellas deciden. Barcelona: Empresa activa.

Chavez, Brenda (2017). Tu consumo puede cambiar el mundo. Barcelona: Península.

de Fina, A., Schiffrin, D. & Bamberg, M. (2006), Discours and identity.  Cambridge University Press.

Lorite García, N. (2021). Publicidad, diversidad fenotípica y dinamización intercultural en Cataluña en tiempos de crisis y cambios. Cuadernos.Info , (48), 139-165. https://doi.org/10.7764/cdi.48.27671

Lorite García, N., Grau Rebollo, J. & Lacerda J. (2018). Representation of sociocultural diversity in audiovisual advertising: materials for inclusive treatment. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 73, 425-446. DOI: 10.4185/RLCS-2018-1263en

Morató, Jordi (2016) La comunicación corporativa. Barcelona: UOC.

Schiffman, L. G., & Kanuk, L. L. (2005). Comportamiento del consumidor. Pearson Educación.

Sinek, Simon (2013). La clave es el por qué. Barcelona: Península.

Sotillo, Sandra (2021). La era de la confiança. Cómo convertirse en una empresa TrusMaker. Madrid: ESIC.

Turow, J. (2012). The daily you: How the new advertising industry is defining your identity and your worth. Yale University Press.

Vinyals, A. (2019). El consumidor tarado. Barcelona: Amazon.

Zaltman, G. (2003). Cómo piensan los consumidores\". Empresa Activa, Barcelona.

Software

No specific software

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TEm) Theory (master) 30 Spanish first semester afternoon