Consumer Behavior MBA Project: Topics, Insights, and Strategies

Consumer behaviour is the key to understanding how and why consumers make purchasing decisions. Mastering this area provides insights into market trends, customer preferences, and purchasing patterns for students of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. Deep knowledge of consumer behaviour empowers students to develop effective marketing strategies that drive business growth. This involves gaining hands-on experience by focusing on consumer behaviour MBA projects.

Real-world applications of consumer behavior extend to product development, pricing strategies, and targeted marketing campaigns. This helps ensure that businesses of all sizes remain competitive. These projects are key for applying theory to practice and providing actionable insights that lead to sustainable business success. In this guide, we’ll explore the top consumer behavior MBA project topics that will equip you with the skills to create impactful marketing strategies.

Top 10 MBA Project Ideas and Topics for Consumer Behavior in 2025

For MBA students, researching consumer behavior provides insights into market trends and the impact of digital transformation on purchasing habits. These project ideas and topics further enable you to showcase your expertise in basic and advanced MBA topics. They also help you explore how an MBA can transform your career. 

Below are ten project ideas that explore key aspects of consumer behavior in 2025

1. The Impact of Digital Marketing on Consumer Purchase Decisions

Project Overview: Digital marketing is the use of the Internet and other digital media to promote brands and connect with customers. It is also known as online marketing. You can refer to a digital marketing tutorial to understand key strategies like online ads, social media campaigns, and email marketing. This project involves analyzing how these digital marketing strategies influence consumer buying behavior through various engagement metrics, purchase decisions, and brand perceptions.

• Research Scope: Effectiveness of different digital marketing channels, consumer engagement levels, and conversion rates.
• Methodology: Case studies, surveys, and social media sentiment analysis. These methods are preferred because case studies provide real-world insights, surveys capture consumer preferences directly, and sentiment analysis reveals brand perception through online discussions.
• Expected Outcomes: This project aims to identify multiple digital touchpoints that influence consumer decisions and brand interactions. It further provides insights into which channels drive the highest engagement and return on investment (ROI).
• Time Duration: 4-6 weeks
• Key Consumer Behavior Concepts Explored: Decision-making, brand perception, engagement, conversion, and digital touchpoints.

Want to understand what drives consumer behavior in today’s market? Build expertise with online MBA degree courses now. 

2. Psychological Factors Influencing Impulse Buying

Project Overview: Psychological factors like learning, motivation, perception, beliefs, and attitude often influence a consumer's purchasing decisions. This project investigates the psychological triggers behind impulse purchases across online and offline retail settings.

• Research Scope: Emotional influences, product placement, limited-time offers, and the impact of advertising.
• Methodology: Observational research, in-depth interviews, and customer surveys. These methods are preferred because observational research captures real-time consumer behavior, in-depth interviews provide deeper psychological insights, and customer surveys help quantify trends and patterns in impulse buying.
• Expected Outcomes: The project identifies key psychological motivators and their influence on impulsive buying behavior. These insights help businesses design more effective consumer behavior in marketing strategies to drive spontaneous purchases.
• Time Duration: 5-7 weeks
• Key Consumer Behavior Concepts Explored: Motivation, perception, emotional triggers, decision-making, and impulse buying patterns.

3. The Role of Brand Loyalty in Consumer Retention

Project Overview: Brand loyalty refers to a consumer's consistent preference for one brand over others, often reflected in repeated purchases of a product or service. Brand loyalty plays a significant role in customer retention, encouraging consumers to choose a specific brand over competitors. This involves learning the best ways to provide an exceptional customer service to everyone who visits the brand’s platform. 

This project explores how brand loyalty programs, reward systems, and brand reputation impact customer retention.

• Research Scope: Effectiveness of loyalty programs, consumer preference shifts, and retention rates across industries.
• Methodology: Comparative study of various loyalty programs, customer feedback analysis, and retention rate evaluations. These methods are preferred because comparative studies highlight the effectiveness of different loyalty strategies and customer feedback analysis provides direct insights into consumer preferences. 
• Expected Outcomes: The project provides valuable insights into strategies that effectively enhance brand loyalty and customer engagement. These insights enable businesses to refine their loyalty initiatives for long-term customer retention.
• Time Duration: 6-8 weeks
• Key Consumer Behavior Concepts Explored: Branding, customer retention, loyalty programs, consumer trust, and purchase behavior.

4. Cultural Influences on Consumer Buying Behavior

Project Overview: Culture influences purchase decisions by shaping consumer behaviour in marketing preferences, values, and behaviors. Cultural factors such as societal norms, traditions, and shared beliefs play a significant role in determining which products consumers choose to buy.

This project explores how cultural backgrounds, traditions, and societal values affect purchasing decisions.

• Research Scope: Influence of local customs, cultural symbolism in branding, and regional consumer preferences.
• Methodology: Comparative, cross-cultural analysis, surveys, and case studies of multinational brands. These methods are preferred because cross-cultural analysis highlights differences in consumer behavior across regions, surveys provide direct insights into cultural influences on purchasing decisions, and case studies showcase successful brand adaptations in diverse markets. 
• Expected Outcomes: The project identifies key cultural factors that shape consumer behavior and offers recommendations for global brands. It also highlights how brands can adapt their marketing strategies to resonate with diverse cultural audiences, further enhancing global market penetration.
• Time Duration: 6-8 weeks
• Key Consumer Behavior Concepts Explored: Cultural influence, consumer preferences, brand perception, purchasing behavior, and localization strategies.

5. The Effect of Social Media Influencers on Consumer Trust

Project Overview: One of the primary impacts of social media influencers on consumer behavior is their ability to drive sales through product recommendations. Social media influence can easily sway consumer purchasing decisions through authentic endorsements and detailed product reviews.

This project analyzes how influencer marketing impacts brand perception, consumer trust, and purchasing decisions.

• Research Scope: Role of micro vs. macro influencers, authenticity in influencer marketing, and consumer engagement.
• Methodology: Online surveys, engagement rate analysis, and case studies of influencer-brand collaborations. These methods are preferred because online surveys capture consumer opinions on influencer marketing, engagement rate analysis provides quantitative data on the effectiveness of influencers, and case studies offer real-world examples of successful influencer-brand partnerships, highlighting their impact on consumer behavior.
• Expected Outcomes: This project provides valuable insights into effective influencer marketing strategies and trust-building techniques. It also examines the long-term impact of influencer partnerships on brand loyalty and consumer purchasing behavior.
• Time Duration: 5-7 weeks
• Key Consumer Behavior Concepts Explored: Brand perception, consumer trust, influencer impact, purchasing decisions, and engagement behavior.

Also Read: Social Media Marketing Tutorials 

Curious how data helps you understand consumer behavior? Consider upGrad’s MBA in Business Analytics courses now. 

6. Consumer Behavior Trends in E-commerce

Project Overview: E-commerce consumer behavior refers to the feelings, thoughts, and actions that drive individuals' purchasing decisions. By delving into the psychology of online shoppers, you can gain valuable insights that improve e-commerce strategies.

This project analyzes emerging consumer behavior patterns in online shopping, including preferences, habits, and decision-making factors.

• Research Scope: Mobile commerce, personalized shopping experiences, and the impact of AI-driven recommendations.
• Methodology: E-commerce analytics study, surveys, and focus group discussions. Online shopping habits, mobile commerce, personalized experiences, decision-making factors, and technology-driven influence (AI & AR).
• Expected Outcomes: This project will help you understand the key drivers of e-commerce success and consumer adaptability to digital platforms. It will also explore how emerging technologies like AI and AR enhance the online shopping experience and influence purchase decisions.
• Time Duration: 6-9 weeks
• Key Consumer Behavior Concepts Explored: Online shopping habits, mobile commerce, personalized experiences, decision-making factors, and technology-driven influence (AI & AR)

7. The Influence of Price Sensitivity on Consumer Choices

Project Overview: Price sensitivity significantly impacts consumer choices by determining how much a change in price affects a consumer's willingness to purchase a product or service. This project investigates how consumers react to price changes, discount offers, and promotional pricing strategies.

• Research Scope: Effect of dynamic pricing, competitor pricing comparisons, and psychological pricing strategies.
• Methodology: Market surveys, pricing experiments, and competitor analysis. These methods are preferred because market surveys gather direct consumer feedback on price sensitivity, pricing experiments allow for controlled testing of different pricing strategies, and competitor analysis helps identify how pricing tactics impact consumer choices relative to competitors.
• Expected Outcomes: This project helps you identify the most effective pricing strategies to attract and retain price-sensitive customers. It also examines how consumers perceive value in relation to pricing tactics and their impact on long-term brand loyalty.
• Time Duration: 5-8 weeks
• Key Consumer Behavior Concepts Explored: Price sensitivity, discount perception, dynamic pricing, value perception, and pricing strategies.

8. Sustainable Consumption: Consumer Attitudes and Behaviors

Project Overview: Sustainable consumption refers to how people act to minimize waste and protect the environment. It involves choosing products, using them responsibly, and disposing of them sustainably. This project examines how environmental consciousness and ethical concerns influence consumer purchasing choices.

• Research Scope: Awareness levels of sustainable products, willingness to pay for eco-friendly goods, and corporate responsibility perception.
• Methodology: Online consumer surveys, brand case studies, and purchase behavior analysis. These methods are preferred because online consumer surveys provide direct insights into attitudes toward sustainability, brand case studies offer real-world examples of successful sustainable marketing, and purchase behavior analysis helps track how sustainability influences actual buying decisions.
• Expected Outcomes: The project provides insights into how businesses can effectively market sustainable products. It also explores the key factors that influence consumer trust and purchasing decisions in a sustainability-driven economy.
• Time Duration: 6-8 weeks
• Key Consumer Behavior Concepts Explored: Sustainable consumption, environmental consciousness, ethical concerns, eco-friendly product preferences, and corporate social responsibility.

Also Read: How To Do Market Research – [Ultimate Guide]

9. The Impact of Advertising on Consumer Memory and Recall

Project Overview: Advertising significantly impacts consumer memory and recall by creating mental associations between a brand, product, and specific imagery or emotions. You can explore how these strategies work in real-world scenarios through advertising tutorials. It also helps consumers retrieve this information when making purchasing decisions.

This project explores how different advertising techniques affect consumer memory retention and brand recall.

• Research Scope: Effectiveness of video vs. static ads, emotional appeals, and repetition in brand messaging.
• Methodology: Experimental research, surveys, and recall tests on different ad formats. These methods are preferred because experimental research allows for controlled testing of various advertising techniques, surveys provide direct consumer feedback on ad effectiveness, and recall tests measure memory retention and brand association.
• Expected Outcomes: The project helps you understand which advertising elements improve consumer recall and long-term brand association. It also provides insights into how different ad formats influence purchasing intent and brand loyalty over time.
• Time Duration: 6–9 weeks
• Key Consumer Behavior Concepts Explored: Advertising effectiveness, brand recall, memory retention, emotional appeals, and purchase intent. 

10. The Role of Personalization in Consumer Decision-making

Project Overview: Personalization helps shape a business’s identity. It also attracts more consumers and increases engagement with existing customers. This project explores how personalized recommendations, targeted marketing, and user experience with GenerativeAI enhance consumer choices through AI-driven suggestions.

• Research Scope: Effectiveness of customized promotions, impact of personalized emails, and AI-based recommendation systems.
• Methodology: Data analytics, A/B testing of personalized vs. generic marketing campaigns, and consumer response analysis.  These methods are preferred because data analytics provides actionable insights into consumer behavior patterns, A/B testing helps compare the effectiveness of personalized versus generic campaigns, and consumer response analysis gauges how customers react to personalized marketing efforts. 
• Expected Outcomes: This project provides valuable insights into how brands can leverage personalization to improve consumer engagement and sales. It also highlights the role of AI-driven customization in building long-term customer loyalty and enhancing brand perception.
• Time Duration: 5–7 weeks
• Key Consumer Behavior Concepts Explored: Personalization, targeted marketing, consumer engagement, AI-driven recommendations, and customer loyalty.

Want to learn more about consumer decision-making strategies? Consider upGrad’s MBA in Business Analytics courses now.