Plumbing the Unconscious

X-Lab will be used in a STEM-designated Master of Science in Marketing program (MSM) led by Professor Müjde Yuksel, a consumer behavior researcher who examines digital consumption. The course will focus on understanding the influences, emotions, and reasoning that occur in consumers’ unconscious brains and how that can be used to improve customer experiences.

“Great marketing requires understanding the human condition on a deeper level, beyond just what people can tell or show you,” Yuksel said. “With X-Lab, we’re preparing the next generation of marketers and market researchers to look at the driving influences and emotions behind consumers’ decisions and actions.”

Hartzbech praised the Business School for developing a curriculum that provides students with access to tools, technologies, and information that will be central to success in business. “It’s no longer enough for marketers to know what decisions consumers make; they need to understand why those decisions were made—the reasoning, influences, and motivations behind behavior that can ultimately unlock greater success,” he said.

Also in attendance at the opening were Suffolk President Marisa Kelly, Suffolk Provost Julie Sandell, members of Suffolk’s Information Technology Services team, who were instrumental in supporting the X-Lab from its inception, and members of Suffolk in the Hub, the University’s student- run marketing agency, which designed many of the X-Lab’s marketing materials.