Consumer education

Marketing is an integral part of consumer trade and media. Marketing is based on interaction between a customer and a business. This interaction takes place through multiple channels. 

A consumer with advertising literacy is also aware of their own role in the interaction with businesses and can understand the various operating environments and forms of marketing. Essential market competences required relate to communication skills. Consumers also need to be able to critically assess informative content in advertising and identify the methods of commercial persuasion.

Objectives

Learners identify the methods and tools of commercial persuasion. They participate in the interaction between businesses and consumers as users and producers of media in a critical and responsible manner. 

Learners will

• Understand the purposes of advertising and be able to interpret, identify, analyse and critically evaluate commercial messages in communication channels and media.
• Develop sufficient critical thinking skills to distinguish between different marketing and sales methods.
• Be aware of their own role in the commercial media environment and know how to use digital and commercial media responsibly.
• Develop sufficient skills to protect their own and others' personal information and privacy when using media.
• Develop the skills needed to understand how lifestyles, gender, age, and social roles, and ideals may be influenced by the media environment. 

Core contents 

• The influence of marketing and media at the individual and social levels
  • Socialisation in roles (e.g. gender)
  • The purpose/objective of marketing
  • Similarity/dissimilarity, social acceptance
  • Advertising and fashion, trendsetters
  • Gender roles in advertising
  • Data protection, the need for personal safety and privacy
• Methods and strategies of consumer communications by businesses
  • Marketing channels
  • Being critical of sources and manipulation (differences between marketing and informative content and between target groups)
  • Analysing commercial messages (images, language, text, patterns and sound)
  • The cost of marketing actions and who really pays for them
  • Collecting and using consumers' personal information
• Basic rules of marketing and advertising
  • Regulations on marketing and advertising
  • Misleading advertising and exploiting ideals
  • Subliminal advertising, text advertising, product placement, viral marketing, branding
  • Methods of protection against marketing via different channels and places (online, post office etc.)
• Socially sustainable consumption and marketing
  • Well-being, health, equality
  • Ethical, safe and healthy purchases
  • Preventing social exclusion, discrimination, violence and mental cruelty
  • Openness, actions based on joint efforts and opportunities for participation
  • Communality
• Consumer technology and the media environment
  • Consumers' position in the information society
  • Consumer-orientated innovations
  • Consumer participation in the development and assessment of media and technology
  • Consumer feedback
  • Virtuality (daily activities using information networks, digital information and services)
  • Use of electronic communication as a tool of commerce and marketing and the marketing of media and technology, commercial persuasion / new marketing techniques
  • A critical approach to the choices and the interpretation of media content and acquirement of the skills required of consumers
  • Online markets
  • Online participation
  • Virtual worlds and societies, games, blogs, participation and sharing
  • Consumer rights and responsibilities
  • Media convergence