This course will explore how to understand inequality in the marketplace and how to develop successful strategies to address consumers’ needs. The course is divided into three macro-topics: consumer behavior, innovation, and strategy. In the first, the students will learn more about the concepts of inequality and how inequality is experienced at different social and cultural levels. The students will gain a better understanding of consumers’ psychology and needs. During the remaining part of the course, the students will develop competencies in the domains of innovation and marketing strategy. That knowledge is fundamental to understand how organization operate in relation to inequalities.

By the end of this course students will be able to: Knowledge and understanding • Interpret the concept of inequality • Recognize successful elements in developing products and services for consumers experiencing inequalities Applying knowledge and understanding • Execute and implement interviews and observations to assess how consumers cope with inequality in everyday life • Differentiate and decide a successful strategy to address the target’s needs. • Develop a new product/service and justify the decision for a strategy Making Judgements • Compare different consumers’ habits depending on their specific situational context • Criticize and compare existing marketing strategies (e.g., communication, pricing, and distribution) of companies operating to minimize inequalities • Judge the key elements of an innovation against inequality Communication Skills • Summarize and present the key findings of an analysis in an effective way • Elaborate a strategy for the launch of a new product • Present a strategy in an effective way Learning Skills • Propose actionable solutions for a company • Exhibit understanding of the key concepts related to the module

The modules of the course will cover the following topics: • What do we mean by inequality and Why do we care? • Innovation against inequality • Entrepreneurship against inequality • Developing a marketing strategy against inequality

Marketplace dignity: transforming how we engage with customers across their journey C Lamberton, NA Saldanha, T Wein – 2024 University of Pennsylvania Press Additional readings will be selected before the beginning of the course

field work team work projects

• Group interview/observation In the field and presentation of results (10%) • Group work: Target and analysis + market strategy (20%) • Individual personal reflections (10%) and individual written exam (60%)

none