Buyer

Behavior
Diffusion of Innovation

Definition of Opinion
Leadership
The process by which one person, the
opinion leader, informally influences the
actions or attitudes of others, who may be
opinion seekers or merely opinion
recipients.
THEY ARE EFFECTIVE
BECAUSE THEY:

Are credible
Provide positive and negative product information
Provide both information and advice
Are specialized and category-specific
Are both providers and recipients of information

Opinion Leadership
Measurement

Self-designating
method
Sociometric method
Key informant method
Objective method
Combination methods

What Makes an Opinion

Leader?
Knowledge and interest
Consumer innovativeness
Media habits
Personal characteristics
Personality traits
Social class
Demographic factors

Profile of Opinion
Leaders
Generalized Attributes
Across Categories

Innovativeness
Willingness to talk
Self-confidence
Gregariousness
Cognitive differentiation

Profile of Opinion
Leaders
Category-Specific
Attributes

Interest
Knowledge
Special-interest media
exposure
Same age
Same social status
Social exposure outside group

One-Step Communications
Flow
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C

Two-Step Communications
Flow
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C

Opinion Leader

Multi-Step Communications
Flow
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C

OL

Interpersonal Communication
Categories
Socially Integrated
Opinion Seeking Scores
High
Low
Opinion Leadership
Low
High

High on both
opinion
leadership
and opinion
seeking.

Socially
Socially
Integrated
Integrated

Interpersonal Communication
Categories
Socially Independent
Opinion Seeking Scores
High
Low
Opinion Leadership
Low
High

High on
opinion
leadership,
low on
opinion
seeking.

Socially
Socially
Integrated
Integrated

Socially
Socially
Independent
Independent

Interpersonal Communication
Categories
Socially Dependent
Opinion Seeking Scores
High
Low
Opinion Leadership
Low
High

Low on
opinion
leadership,
high on
opinion
seeking.

Socially
Socially
Integrated
Integrated
Socially
Socially
Dependent
Dependent

Socially
Socially
Independent
Independent

Interpersonal Communication
Categories
Socially Isolated
Opinion Seeking Scores
High
Low
Opinion Leadership
Low
High

Low on both
opinion
leadership
and opinion
seeking.

Socially
Socially
Integrated
Integrated

Socially
Socially
Independent
Independent

Socially
Socially
Dependent
Dependent

Socially
Socially
Isolated
Isolated

Definitions of
Innovation
Firm-Oriented Definitions
Based on newness to the firm.

Product-Oriented Definitions
Based on new product attributes.

Market-Oriented Definitions
Based on proportion who have purchased.

Consumer-Oriented Definition
Based on consumer judgment of newness.

Telephone-Related
Innovations
Discontinuous

Dynamically Continuous

Continuous

Telephone

Answering
Answeringmachine
machine
Call
forwarding
Call forwarding
Call
Callwaiting
waiting
Voice
Voicemail
mail
Caller
ID
Caller ID
Banking
Bankingby
byphone
phone
Call
Callprompting
prompting

Hold
Holdbutton
button
Line-in-use
Line-in-useindicator
indicator
Redial
button
Redial button
Auto
Autodialing
dialingfeature
feature
Touch-tone
service
Touch-tone service
800
800numbers
numbers
900
900numbers
numbers

Pager

Nationwide
Nationwidepaging
paging
Stock
Stockmarket
marketquotes
quotes
Sports
scores
Sports scores
Two-way
Two-waypaging
paging
Pager
watch
Pager watch

Silent
Silentalert
alert
Message
Messagedisplays
displays
Built-in
Built-inalarm
alarmclock
clock
Fashion
colors
Fashion colors

Fax
Faxmodem
modem
Mobile
Mobilefax
faxmachines
machines
Home
Homeoffice
officesystems
systems
(fax,
(fax,copier,
copier,comp.,
comp.,etc.)
etc.)

Plain
Plainpaper
paperfax
fax
Speed
dialing
Speed dialing
Delayed
Delayedsend
send
Copy
Copyfunction
function

Fax Machine

Influences on
Diffusion

Relative advantage
Compatibility
Complexity
Trialability
Observability

Influences on
Diffusion

Innovation Characteristics

Consumer-Dependent

Relative advantage
Compatibility
Perceived risk
Complexity
Effect on other
innovations

Consumer-Independent

Trialability
Divisibility
Reversibility
Realization
Communicability
Form of innovation

Influences on
Diffusion

Consumer Characteristics

Psychological Variables

Perception
Motivation
Personality
Value orientation
Beliefs
Attitudes
Previous experience

Demographics
Age
Education
Income

Influences on
Diffusion

Propagation Mechanisms

Types
Marketer-controlled
versus nonmarketcontrolled
Personal versus
impersonal

Characteristics

Credibility
Clarity
Source similarity
Informativeness

The Diffusion
Curve

The Diffusion
Curve
Innovators 2.5% Venturesome
Very eager to try new ideas; acceptable if risk is daring; more
cosmopolite social relationship; communicates with other
innovators

Innovators

2.5%

The Diffusion
Curve
Early Adopters 13.5% Respect
More integrated into local social system; the persons to check
with before adopting a new idea; greatest number of opinion
leaders; role models

Innovators
Early
Adopters
2.5%

13.5%

The Diffusion
Curve
Early Majority 34% Deliberate
Adopt new ideas just prior to the average time; seldom hold
leadership positions; deliberate for some time before
purchasing

Innovators

2.5%

Early
Adopters

Early
Majority

13.5%

34%

The Diffusion
Curve
Late Majority 34% Skeptical
Adopt new ideas just after the average time; adoption may be
economic necessity and from peer pressure; approach
innovation cautiously

Innovators

2.5%

Early
Adopters

Early
Majority

Late
Majority

13.5%

34%

34%

The Diffusion
Curve
Laggards 16% Traditional
Last people to adopt an innovation; most parochial in outlook;
oriented toward the past; suspicious of the new

Innovators

2.5%

Early
Adopters

Early
Majority

Late
Majority

Laggards

13.5%

34%

34%

16%

Innovation Adoption
Process
AWARENESS Consumers learns the
brand name and product attributes.
INTEREST Consumers relate the
product benefits to their own needs.
EVALUATION Consumers compare
the goods with existing alternatives.
TRIAL Consumers obtain direct or
vicarious product experience.
ADOPITON Consumers choose the
innovation as a permanent solution.

Innovation Decision
Process
KNOWLEDGE Exposure and some
knowledge of function.
PERSUASION Favorable or unfavorable
attitudes are formed.
DECISION Choice to adopt or to reject
innovation.
IMPLEMENTATION Innovation is put
into use by consumer.
CONFIRMATION Seeks reinforcement
of decision or possible reversal.

Importance

Adoption

Trial

Evaluation

Interest

High Awareness

Relative Information
Importance

Personal and
interpersonal
sources

Low

Impersonal
mass-media
sources