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    • Consumer Behavior

    Consumer Behavior Courses Online

    Explore consumer behavior principles for understanding purchasing decisions. Learn about psychological, social, and cultural factors influencing consumer behavior.

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    Explore the Consumer Behavior Course Catalog

    • U

      University of Colorado Boulder

      Gut Check: Exploring Your Microbiome

      Skills you'll gain: Microbiology, Bioinformatics, Molecular, Cellular, and Microbiology, Life Sciences, Health Informatics, Big Data, Biostatistics, Data Analysis, Medical Science and Research, Nutrition and Diet, Biology, Nutrition Education, Data Collection

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.2K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      S

      Stanford University

      Social and Economic Networks: Models and Analysis

      Skills you'll gain: Network Analysis, Network Model, Social Sciences, Sociology, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Game Theory, Behavioral Economics, Graph Theory, Mathematical Modeling, Markov Model, Probability & Statistics, Probability Distribution, Bayesian Statistics, Simulations

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      754 reviews

      Advanced · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      N

      Northwestern University

      Fundamentals of Digital Image and Video Processing

      Skills you'll gain: Image Analysis, Digital Communications, Computer Vision, Data Processing, Visualization (Computer Graphics), Medical Imaging, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Motion Graphics, Linear Algebra, Color Theory, Bayesian Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Sampling (Statistics), Algorithms

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.8K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      N

      Nanjing University

      心理学与生活

      Skills you'll gain: Psychology, Child Development, Human Development, Culture, Social Studies, Social Sciences, Sociology, Human Learning, Creativity, Cultural Diversity, Mental Health Diseases and Disorders, Interpersonal Communications, Behavior Management

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      720 reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • B

      Berklee

      Music Business Foundations

      Skills you'll gain: Contract Negotiation, Music, Intellectual Property, Music History, Contract Management, Law, Regulation, and Compliance, Business Management, Talent Management, Marketing Management, Entrepreneurship

      4.9
      Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2.6K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • L

      Lund University

      Cities and Consumption: Urban Sustainability and the Sharing Economy

      Skills you'll gain: Community Development, Governance, Economics, Policy, and Social Studies, Sustainability Reporting, Public Policies, Environment and Resource Management, Multimedia, Innovation, Stakeholder Engagement, Analysis

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      169 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • U

      University of Michigan

      Introduction to User Experience Principles and Processes

      Skills you'll gain: UI/UX Research, User Experience, User Centered Design, Interaction Design, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Design Thinking, Human Computer Interaction, Human Factors, User Interface (UI) Design, Ideation

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.6K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • W

      Wesleyan University

      Creative Writing: The Craft of Character

      Skills you'll gain: Storytelling, Content Creation, Writing and Editing, Writing, Creativity

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1.9K reviews

      Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free
      Free
      T

      The University of Tokyo

      Welcome to Game Theory

      Skills you'll gain: Game Theory, Strategic Thinking, Socioeconomics, Social Sciences, Behavioral Economics, Economics, Strategic Decision-Making, Decision Making, Business Strategy, Probability

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • Status: Free
      Free
      C

      Coursera Instructor Network

      Effective Marketing in the Global Marketplace

      Skills you'll gain: Target Audience, Value Propositions, Marketing, Global Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Diversity Marketing, Content Marketing, Brand Strategy, Marketing Planning, Marketing Strategies, Branding, Marketing Analytics, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Social Media Marketing, Market Research, Consumer Behaviour, Customer Engagement

      4.8
      Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
      ·
      62 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • U

      University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

      Digital Media and Marketing Strategies

      Skills you'll gain: Digital Media Strategy, Online Advertising, Digital Marketing, Content Marketing, Marketing Strategies, Social Media Marketing, Marketing Effectiveness, Social Media, Shared Media, Paid media, Integrated Marketing Communications, Risk Management, Search Engine Optimization, Customer Relationship Management, Owned Media, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

      Build toward a degree

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      3.1K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • I

      IE Business School

      Brand and Product Management

      Skills you'll gain: Product Lifecycle Management, Brand Strategy, Brand Management, Customer experience strategy (CX), Branding, Brand Awareness, Product Management, Brand Loyalty, Product Strategy, Product Planning, New Product Development, Employee Engagement, Customer Engagement, Portfolio Management, Competitive Analysis

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      2.7K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

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    In summary, here are 10 of our most popular consumer behavior courses

    • Gut Check: Exploring Your Microbiome: University of Colorado Boulder
    • Social and Economic Networks: Models and Analysis: Stanford University
    • Fundamentals of Digital Image and Video Processing: Northwestern University
    • 心理学与生活: Nanjing University
    • Music Business Foundations: Berklee
    • Cities and Consumption: Urban Sustainability and the Sharing Economy: Lund University
    • Introduction to User Experience Principles and Processes: University of Michigan
    • Creative Writing: The Craft of Character: Wesleyan University
    • Welcome to Game Theory: The University of Tokyo
    • Effective Marketing in the Global Marketplace: Coursera Instructor Network

    Skills you can learn in Marketing

    Market (economics) (28)
    Social Media (15)
    Marketing Strategy (14)
    Analytics (13)
    Brand (13)
    Digital Marketing (13)
    Marketing Analytics (11)
    Plan (11)
    Advertising (9)
    Modeling (9)
    Social Media Marketing (9)
    Brand Management (7)

    Frequently Asked Questions about Consumer Behavior

    In marketing, consumer behavior is the study of how - and why - individuals and groups make purchasing decisions. These are the fundamental questions of the field of market research, as these important insights can drive business decisions into what products and services to sell as well as the best ways to sell them. And, while these questions aren’t new, researchers today have new tools to gain valuable insights into consumer behavior.

    The migration of so much of our buying behavior to online platforms, from product research to comparison shopping to purchase and post-purchase reviewing, has created vast amounts of information for data analysis. Sophisticated customer analytics can harness this data to describe consumer shopping habits in great detail - and, when combined with regression analysis and other statistical techniques, predictive analytics can be created to forecast and influence future purchasing decisions.

    The field of behavioral economics has also revolutionized the study of consumer behavior. This relatively new discipline combines economics with psychological insights into cognitive biases to better understand economic behaviors ranging from the decisions of individuals to global investment patterns. The emerging subfield of consumer neuroscience focuses on explaining buying behavior, creating opportunities for so-called neuromarketing approaches that leverage these insights to create more effective branding and advertising.‎

    The study of consumer behavior is the principal concern of market research analysts, who are responsible for understanding what products people want, who will buy them at what price, and what type of marketing strategy can reach them most effectively. While traditional market research approaches have relied heavily on consumer focus groups and surveys, the new world of marketing analytics is increasingly demanding a strong understanding of digital marketing tools and data analysis techniques as well.

    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, market research analysts made a median annual salary of $63,790 as of 2019. These jobs are projected to grow much faster than the average across all occupations, as more and more industries and companies seek to gain a competitive edge by using data-driven market research approaches to better understand consumer behavior.‎

    Yes, you can. Coursera offers a number of courses and Specializations on consumer behavior and related topics, including cutting-edge customer analytics and neuromarketing approaches. These courses are offered by top-ranked business schools from all over the world, including the University of Pennsylvania, Copenhagen Business School, and IE Business School. By learning online with Coursera, you can get a high-quality education remotely at a significantly lower cost than on-campus students - a combination that makes for an easy purchasing decision for a growing number of students as well as mid-career professionals.‎

    The skills or experience you may need to already have before starting to learn consumer behavior include having a basic understanding of marketing strategies, the ability to grasp basic supply and demand concepts, and some knowledge about data analytics (consumer browsing and buying patterns, for example). You may also want to know a bit about how to develop spreadsheet modules to analyze data, evaluate risk, and optimize business decisions.‎

    The kind of person who is best suited to learn consumer behavior is one who is interested in understanding, analyzing, and dissecting customer browsing and buying patterns to use for business purposes. A person who may benefit from learning consumer behavior is interested in what psychologists call “heuristics,” which are the mental shortcuts we take to make the choices we do daily. Someone who would be best suited to learn consumer behavior may want to research, extract, organize, and describe data to support business decisions, product launches, and product sales. In addition, the type of person who may be well suited to learn consumer behavior is interested in the emerging fields of consumer neuroscience and neuromarketing and how it is used in businesses. A person who works, or plans to work in a corporate setting, or who plans to be an entrepreneur or product designer may be well suited to learn about consumer behavior and what makes consumers tick.‎

    Learning consumer behavior may be right for you if you want to continue on a career path in sales, if you want to understand the consumer decision-making process, or if you need to make managerial decisions by analyzing how consumers make choices. If you need to develop product marketing strategies such as viral marketing, develop a brand’s visual identity and benefits to customers, or learn to derive customer insights from sets of data, learning about consumer behavior may be right for you. In addition, if you would like to work in a global setting where you explore international markets and industries for new ideas or expansion, learning about consumer behavior may be beneficial for you.‎

    Online Consumer Behavior courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Consumer Behavior skills. Choose from a wide range of Consumer Behavior courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.‎

    When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Consumer Behavior, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here.‎

    This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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