11-1

11-1

Chapter
Chapter
11
11
Group Influence and
Opinion Leadership
 11-2
11-2

Asch’s
Asch’s Classic
Classic Conformity
Conformity
Study
Study

Test Line A B C

Which line equals the test line?

 11-3
11-3

Drivers
Drivers of
of Group
Group
Dynamics
Dynamics
• Conformity (Asch’s Conformity
Study)
• Authority (Milgram’s Study About
Pain)
Reference
11-4
Reference
11-4

Groups
Groups
A Reference Group is an Actual or Imaginary
Individual or Group Conceived of Having Significant
Relevance Upon an Individual’s Evaluations,
Aspirations, or Behavior.
Reference Groups Influence Consumers in Three
Ways:

Informational
Informational Value-Expressive
Value-Expressive

Utilitarian
Utilitarian
Influence
Influence and and Types
11-5
Types
11-5

of
of
Reference
Reference Groups
Groups
• Normative Influence
– The social power of reward and punishment that
produces behavioral compliance but may not produce
any private acceptance of the position advocated.
• Comparative Influence
– The group does not attempt to set, or enforce, rules for
your behavior, but only serves as a standard you choose
for comparison.
• Formal Versus Informal Groups
– Small, informal groups are more common and important
to us because of their high Normative Influence.
– Larger, formal groups tend to be higher in Comparative
Influence.
Membership
Membership Versus
11-6
Versus
11-6

Aspirational
Aspirational
Reference
Reference Groups
Groups
The Likelihood That People Will Become Part of a
Consumer’s Identificational Reference Group is
Affected By:

Mere
Mere Group
Group
Propinquity
Propinquity Exposure Cohesiveness
Exposure Cohesiveness
When
When Reference
Reference Groups
11-7
Groups
11-7

Are
Are
Important
Important
The
The Power
Power of
of Reference
11-8
Reference
11-8

Groups
Groups
Coercive
Coercive Social
Social
Power
Power Power
Power

Reward
Reward Types of Referent
Referent
Power
Power Reference Power
Power
Group
Power
Expert
Expert Information
Information
Power
Power Power
Power
Legitimate
Legitimate
Power
Power
Conformi
11-9
Conformi
11-9

ty
ty
Conformity Refers to a Change in Beliefs or Actions
as a Reaction to Real or Imagined Group Pressure.
Norms Refer to Informal Rules That Governs
Behavior
Types
Types of
of Social
Social Influence
Influence

Normative
Normative Informational
Informational
Person
PersonConforms
ConformstotoMeet
Meet Conformity
ConformityThat
ThatOccurs
OccursBecause
Because
the
theExpectations
Expectationsofofaa the
theGroup’s
Group’sBehavior
Behavioris
isTaken
Taken
Person
Personor
orGroup.
Group. as
asEvidence
EvidenceAbout
AboutReality.
Reality.
Factors
Factors Affecting
Affecting the
11-10
the
11-10

Likelihood
Likelihood
of
of Conformity
Conformity
Cultural
Cultural Pressures
Pressures

Fear
Fear of
of Deviance
Deviance

Commitment
Commitment

Group
Group Dynamics
Dynamics

Susceptibility
Susceptibility to
to
Interpersonal
Interpersonal Influences
Influences
Social
Social Comparison
11-11
Comparison
11-11

Theory
Theory
• Three fundamental propositions:
– people have a drive to evaluate their
opinions and abilities
– in the absence of “objective” bases for
comparison, this need can be satisfied by
“social” comparison with other people
– such social comparisons will, when
possible, be made with similar others.
Social
11-12
Social
11-12

Comparison
Comparison
• Social Comparison Theory asserts that we
look to the behavior of others to provide a
yardstick about reality as a way to increase
the stability of one’s self-evaluation.
• Consumers are selective about whom they
use for benchmarks.
• In general, people tend to choose a Co-
Oriented Peer,
Peer or a person of equivalent
standing when performing social
comparisons.
Compliance
Compliance and
11-13
and
11-13

Obedience
Obedience
The Way a Request for Compliance is Phrased or
Structured Can Make a Difference in Acceptance.

Foot-in-the-Door
Foot-in-the-Door Make
MakeaaSmall
SmallRequest
RequestFirst,
First,Then
Then
Make a Larger One Later.
Make a Larger One Later.

Low-Ball
Low-Ball Technique
Technique Person
PersonisisAsked
AskedforforaaSmall
SmallFavor
Favor
That Turns Out to Be Costly.
That Turns Out to Be Costly.

Door-in-the-Face
Door-in-the-Face Make
MakeananExtreme
ExtremeRequest
RequestFirst,
First,
Then
Then a Reasonable RequestLater.
a Reasonable Request Later.
 11-14
11-14

Selling,
Selling, Buying,
Buying, and and
Giving
Giving
• Automatic Responding
• Social behavior is learned according to principles
of social learning theory.
• Much of what is learned involves informal rules of
social exchange.
• We over-learn to such a degree that it becomes
automatic.
• Marketers take advantage of this over-learning to
produce immediate compliance, rather than
thoughtful consideration of the requests that are
being made.
 11-15
11-15

Six
Six Weapons
Weapons of of
Influence
Influence
• Reciprocation
– “free sample” - we believe that exchanges are
equitable if each person’s outcomes are
proportional to his or her inputs. We restore equity
by giving away enough of our own assets to make
the situation “fair.” Ex: Hare Krishna Society.
• Authority
– Milgram’s study on pain.
• Liking
– we comply more readily with those who like us than
with those who do not. Ex: salesperson saying the
suit looks nice on you.
 11-16
11-16

Six
Six Weapons
Weapons of of
Influence
Influence
• Consistency
– get you to make a public commitment to
attitudes, it will be simpler to sell you a product
consistent with that commitment
• Social Proof
– large numbers of people cannot be wrong!
• Scarcity
– your “last opportunity’ to buy before being
discontinued.
Group
Group Effects
Effects on
on Individual
11-17
Individual
11-17

Behavior
Behavior
Deindividu-
Deindividu- Decision
Decision
alism
alism Polarization
Polarization

Social
Social Group Shopping
Shopping
Group
Loafing
Loafing Effects Behavior
Behavior
Effects

Risky
Risky Bandwagon
Bandwagon
Shift
Shift Effect
Effect
Resistance
Resistance to
to
11-18
11-18

Influence
Influence
Anticomformity Independence
Defiance of the Deep-Seated Need
Group is the to Preserve
Object of Behavior Freedom of
Vs. Choice

Reactance
People try to
Overcome a Loss
of Freedom
Word-of-Mouth
11-19
Word-of-Mouth
11-19

Communication
Communication
Much Information About Products and Services is
Actually Conveyed by Individuals on an Informal
Basis called Word-of-Mouth Communication (WOM).
(WOM)
Factors That Encourage WOM Are:

Person
Person is
is Highly
Highly Involved
Involved With
With the
the Product
Product

Person
Person is
is Highly
Highly Knowledgeable
Knowledgeable About
About the
the Product
Product

Person
Person Has
Has aa Genuine
Genuine Concern
Concern for
for Someone
Someone Else
Else

Person
Person May
May be
be Uncertain
Uncertain About
About aa Recent
Recent Purchase
Purchase
 11-20
11-20

The
The Dominance
Dominance of of
WOM
WOM
• Guerilla Marketing
• Viral Marketing
Negative
Negative Word-of-
11-21
Word-of-
11-21

Mouth
Mouth
• Negative Word-of-Mouth:
– Is weighted more heavily by consumers than
positive comments.
– Has been shown to reduce the credibility of a
firm’s advertising.
– May influence consumers’ attitudes toward a
product as well as their intention to buy it.

• Rumors are the chief form of negative WOM.

– Rumors often result in Boycotts of products,
companies, or services.
Opinion
11-22
Opinion
11-22

Leaders
Leaders
An Opinion Leader is Someone Who is
Knowledgeable About Products and Whose Advice
is Taken Seriously By Others.
Are Often Among Are Technically
the First to Buy Competent and
New Products Have Expert
Power

Opinion
Opinion
Are Similar to Have
HavePrescreened,
Prescreened,
Leaders
Leaders
the Consumer in Evaluated,
Evaluated,and
and
Values and Synthesized
Beliefs Synthesized
Product
ProductInformation
Information
Are Socially
Active in
Their Community
Extent
Extent of
of An
An Opinion
11-23
Opinion
11-23

Leader’s
Leader’s
Influence
Influence
• Very few people are Generalized Opinion
Leaders,
Leaders someone whose recommendations
are sought for all types of purchases.
• More likely, opinion leaders are either:
– Monomorphic,
Monomorphic or an expert in a limited field.
– Polymorphic,
Polymorphic or an expert in several fields.
• Even opinion leaders who are Polymorphic,
Polymorphic
tend to concentrate on one broad domain,
such as electronics or fashion.
Characteristics
Characteristics of
11-24
of
11-24

Opinion
Opinion
Leaders
Leaders
Are
AreOpinion
Opinion Innovators
Innovators
Seekers
Seekers
Key
Key
Characteristics
Characteristics
of
of
Opinion
Opinion
Leaders
Leaders

Innovative Market
Market
Innovative
Communicators Maven
Maven
Communicators
 11-25
11-25

Opinion
Opinion Leadership
Leadership
Scale
Scale
 11-26
Identifying
Identifying Opinion
Opinion
11-26

Leaders
Leaders
Self-Designating
Self-Designating Method
Method
 11-27
11-27

Identifying
Identifying Opinion
Opinion
Leaders
Leaders
• Sociometric Method
– Referral Behavior
– Network Analysis
– Referral Network
– Tie Strength
– Bridging Function