Connecting Consumer Behavior With Marketing Research Through Garbology

Abstract

Because of the ever-increasing demand by faculty for realistic, experiential-learning exercises easily incorporated into the marketing curriculum, this article offers a new exercise that is based on Parlin’s early work in marketing research with Campbell’s soup: garbology. Garbology is an entertaining, experiential learning activity that serves as a bridge from consumer behavior to marketing research, primarily used in Principles of Marketing. Garbology incorporates teamwork, observation research, prediction, and forecasting, as well as elements of environmental study. Students consistently rank this simple activity as “enjoyable” and “applicable” while honing critical-thinking skills and enabling them to develop one-on-one communication competence. Students learn how marketing combines the diverse areas of archaeology, anthropology, psychology, and law in research. The authors include easy-to-follow instructions and sample handouts that have been revised and perfected over multiple uses.

Notes

^1. The term garbology is attributed to William L. Rathje, anthropologist at the University of Arizona (Baguchinsky, 1999).