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ResearchContextoftheMarketingand
ConsumerBehaviourGroup
Coreconcept
Theresearchprogramconsistsoftwopillarsthatarerelatedtoeachother:marketingand
consumerbehaviour.Withintheconsumerbehaviourtrack,researchisconductedtounderstand
consumersbuyingandconsumptionbehaviourprocesses,andtheirdeterminants,andto
improvemarketingandcousumerresearchmethodology,thelatterinordertoobtainrelevant
informationaboutconsumers.Understandingconsumerspreferenceformationprocessesand
theirassociatedbehaviourisnecessaryforfirmstodevelopsuccessfulproductsandservices,
andforpolicymakerstodevelopsuccessfulpolicies.Consumerresearchintotheprocessof
consumersbuyingbehaviourfocusesonhowcommercialandsocialmarketingcananticipate
andrespondtoconsumerbehaviour.Here,therelationwithmarketing,theMCBGroupssecond
pillar,becomesapparent.
Withinthemarketingpillar,researchisconductedintomarketingstrategy,marketingchannels,
andmarketinginstitutions.Knowledgeofconsumerandcustomerbehaviouristhedriverbehind
afirmsmarketingstrategy,hencetheknowledgegeneratedintheconsumerbehaviourpillar
providesinformationforfirmstodevelopnewmarketingstrategies.Notonlydoesconsumer
behaviourresearchprovidethenecessaryinformationaboutproductdevelopmentatopicofin
depthresearchatMCB,italsoplaysanimportantroleinthedevelopmentofmarketing
channelstructures,atopicthathasbeenresearchedbyMCBsinceitsoriginin1965.Testingfor
redistributionofeconomicpowerinmarketingchannelsandassessingtheprofitabilityof
advertisingandshelfspaceallocationsaretopicsinthisdomain.Withinthemarketingpillar,
marketinginstitutionsthatfacilitatetheexchangeprocesswithinthemarketingchannel(such
asauctionsandfuturesmarkets)areacentraltopicofresearch.Thesemarketinginstitutions
playanimportantroleinthedomainoffoodandagribusiness.Changingconsumer
preferences,newtechnologies(e.g.,biotechnology,Internet),andconsumerconcerns(food
safetyissues),notonlyrequiremarketinginstitutionstoimplementstructuralchangesatafast
pacebutalsohaveamajorimpactonfoodpoliciesofgovernmentalinstitutions,andNon

governmentalorganisations,aswellassocietymoregenerally.Intheareasofnewtechnology
andfoodsafetyinparticularthisisdevelopingasoneofthekeyareasoftheMCBgroups
efforts

TheResearchProgramandtheMCBGroupsambition
ThedomainoftheMCBgroupsresearchprogramisthefood,agribusiness,andother
institutionsinterestedinfoodandagriculture.Thisdomainprovidesexcellentopportunitiesto
contributetotheknowledgeinthefieldofmarketingandconsumerbehavior.Foodmarketingis
theclassicalexampleofmarketingoffastmovinggoods,whichisinvestigatedintensivelyin
generalmarketingtheory.Agribusinessandfoodcompaniesareofsignificantimportancetothe
Dutcheconomy.Therapidlychangingenvironmentinwhichtheagribusinessandfoodindustry,
andregulatoryinstitutions,operatesrequiresnewconceptstounderstandandtackleexisting
andemergingquestionsquestions.TheMCBgroupaimstobealeadingresearchgroupin
marketingandconsumerbehaviorinthedomainoftheagribusinessthefoodindustryand
policycommunity.TheMCBgrouphasestablishedstronglinkswithotherEuropeanandUS
universitiesthatalsofocustheirmarketingandconsumerbehaviorresearchonthisdomain.
TheresearchtopicsthathavebeenstudiedandthatwillcontinuetobemaintopicsoftheMCB
groupwithintheconsumerbehaviorareaare:consumerperceptionandbehavioursregarding
foodsafetyandfoodsafetyissues,consumerresponsetonewtechnologicaldevelopments(e.g.
nutrigenomics,plantgenomics)infoodproducts,theroleofbrandingandlabeling,e.g.,the
region/countryoforigincue,,consumersresponsetoinnovativefoodproducts,consumer
perceptionofthevarietyinretailassortments,theroleofriskperceptionandriskattitudeon
consumerdecisionmakingbehavior,consumersandfirmssocialresponsibility(e.g.animal
welfare),engagingconsumersinagrifoodpolicydevelopment,andthedevelopmentof
(multivariate)dataanalysistechniquesformarketingresearchintheareaofconsumer
behavior.Withinthemarketingarea,thefollowingmaintopicsarebeingstudied:Analysisofthe
performanceoffoodandmarketingchannelsandmarketinginstitutions(auctionsandfutures
markets),theimpactofinternettechnologyonmarketingoffoodproductsandthebusinessto
tobusinessmarketingintherawmaterialfoodmarketingchain.
HumanresourcemanagementatMCBisaimedatdisposingtheresearchcapacitiestofulfilthe
knowledgetocontributetoourmission.Manyofthefacultyhasspecialistbackgrounds
(econometrics,psychometrics,psychology,marketingresearchetc.)thatcomplementeach
other.Throughtheircooperationonaresearchtopic,complexresearchquestionscanbe
studied.TheMCBGrouphasanexcellentmarketingandconsumerbehaviorPhDprogram,with
manyformercandidateshavingsuccessfulscientificcareersbothathomeandabroad.ThePhD
studentsworktogetherwithseveralstaffmembersonresearchprojectsandtakecoursesin
variousnationalandinternationalPhDeducationprograms.