The Credibility and Persuasive Power of Reference Groups
source credibility
defined as a source’s persuasive
impact, stemming from its perceived expertise, trustworthiness, and believability.
Oral source
A communication source that
speaks on behalf of a company,
such as an endorser, salesperson, or advertiser.
Informal source
A person whom the message
receiver knows personally, such
as a parent or friend, or an individual met online, who provides
the receiver with product information and advice.
Normative influence
is learning and adopting a group’s norms, values, and behaviors. The
most pertinent normative influence comes from groups to which people naturally belong,
such as family, peers, and members of one’s community. Generally, normative influence
occurs among members of the same socioeconomic group .
For example, families have a large
normative influence on children because they mold young children’s initial consumptionrelated
values. These include which foods to select for good nutrition, appropriate ways to
dress for specific occasions, how and where to shop, or what constitutes “good value.”
Comparative influence
occurs when people compare themselves to others whom they
respect and admire, and then adopt some of those people’s values or imitate their behaviors.
For example, when a recently graduated student who holds a “start of the ladder” position in
a corporation admires her boss and aspires to live like the boss and have similar possessions,
the boss exerts comparative influence on the lower-level employee.
membership group
A group to which a person either
belongs or can join and whose
values he or she adopts.
symbolic group
A group to which an individual
is unlikely to belong, but whose
values and behaviors he or she
adopts nevertheless.
CONSUMPTION-RELATED REFERENCE GROUP
The consumption-related groups that influence consumers’ attitudes and behavior include
friendship groups, shopping groups, virtual communities, and advocacy groups.
Friends
Seeking and maintaining friendships is a basic drive for most people. Friends fulfill a wide
range of needs: they provide companionship, security, and opportunities to discuss problems
that an individual may be reluctant to discuss with family members. Friendships are also sign of
maturity and independence, for they represent a breaking away from the family and
the forming of social ties with the outside world.
Fellow Shoppers
People may shop together just to enjoy shopping or to reduce their perceived risk; that is, they
may bring someone along whose expertise regarding a particular product category will reduce
their chances of making incorrect purchases.
example of a shopping group is the shared experience of waiting in line. Retail
experts say that by standing in a crowd, shoppers see themselves as making the right buying
decision—a concept known as social proof. Retailers also recognize the value of keeping
shoppers waiting, because waiting crowds create attention and generate sales even after the
initial frenzy has died down.
Virtual Communities
Many websites encourage consumers to leave comments and have others respond to them.
Most young adults have extensive buddy lists and regularly communicate with people whom
they have met online but never in person. Online, it does not matter if you are tall or short, thin
or fat, handsome or average looking, and many feel free to express their thoughts and even be
intimate with those they have never met face to face.
Advocacy Groups
The objective of consumption-focused advocacy groups is to assist consumers in making
decisions and support consumers’ [Link]
organization supports laws that restrict alcoholic beverage advertising and is opposed to any
advertising that may have a negative impact on young people.