A group in its broadest sense includes two or more individuals
who share a set of norms, values, or beliefs and
have certain implicit or explicit relationships such that
their behaviors are interdependent. Some groups require
membership; others (e.g., aspiration groups) do not.
Primary groups are those with strong social ties and
frequent interaction, while secondary groups involve
weaker ties and less frequent interaction. Attraction
refers to the degree of positive or negative desirability
the group has to the individual.
The degree of conformity to a group is a function of
(1) the visibility of the usage situation, (2) the level of
commitment the individual feels to the group, (3) the
relevance of the behavior to the functioning of the
group, (4) the individual's confidence in his or her own
judgment in the area, and (5) the necessity/nonnecessity
nature of the product.
A consumption subculture is a group that self-selects
on the basis of a shared commitment to a particular
product or consumption activity. These subcultures also
have (1) an identifiable, hierarchical social structure;
(2) a set of shared beliefs or values; and (3) unique jargon,
rituals, and modes of symbolic expression.
A brand community is a nongeographically bound
community, based on a structured set of social relationships
among owners of a brand and the psychological
Chapter Seven Group Influences on Consumer Behavior 259
relationship they have with the brand itself, the product
in use, and the firm. Brand communities can add value
to the ownership of the product and build intense loyalty.
A virtual community is a community that interacts
over time around a topic of interest on the Internet. Virtual
communities exist and are important for many participants,
although the level of connection and participation
can vary dramatically.
Group influence varies across situations. Informational
influence occurs when individuals simply acquire
information shared by group members. Normative influence
happens when an individual conforms to group
expectations to gain approval or avoid disapproval.
Identification influence exists when an individual identifies
with the group norms as a part of his or her selfconcept
and identity.
Communication within groups is a major source of
information about certain products. It is a particularly
important source when an individual has a high level of
purchase involvement and a low level of product knowledge.
In such cases, the consumer is likely to seek information
from a more knowledgeable group member.
This person is known as an opinion leader. Opinion
leaders are product-category or activity-group specific.
They tend to have greater product knowledge, more
exposure to relevant media, and more gregarious personalities than their followers. They tend to have demographics
similar to their followers.
The terms market maven and Influentials describe
individuals who are general market influencers. They
have information about many different kinds of products,
places to shop, and other aspects of markets. Internet
mavens and e-fluentials describe their online counterparts.
Information is communicated within groups
either directly through word-of-mouth (WOM) communication
or indirectly through observation. Negative experiences
are a strong driver of negative WOM for all
consumers.
Marketers attempt to identify opinion leaders primarily
through their media habits and social activities.
Identified opinion leaders then can be used in marketing
research, product sampling, retailing/personal selling,
advertising, and creating buzz. Various offline and online
strategies exist for stimulating WOM, opinion leadership,
and buzz. Online strategies include viral marketing,
guides, and blogs.
Groups greatly affect the diffusion of innovations.
Innovations vary in degree of behavioral change required
and the rate at which they are diffused. The first
purchasers of an innovative product or service are
termed innovators; those who follow over time are
known as early adopters, early majority, late majority,
and laggards. Each of these groups differs in personality,
age, education, and reference group membership.
These characteristics help marketers identify and appeal
to different classes of adopters at different stages of an
innovation's diffusion.
The time it takes for an innovation to spread from innovators
to laggards is affected by several factors:
(1) nature of the group involved, (2) type of innovation
decision required, (3) extent of marketing effort,
(4) strength of felt need, (5) compatibility of the innovation
with existing values, (6) relative advantage,
(7) complexity of the innovation, (8) ease in observing
usage of the innovation, (9) ease in trying the innovation,
and (10) perceived risk in trying the innovation.
