Chapter 9

Question 1

reference groups

Answer 1

groups that serve as sources of comparison, influences and norms for people’s opinions, values, and behaviors . families

Question 2

source credibility

Answer 2

defined as a source’s persuasive impact, stemming from its perceived expertise, trustworthiness, and believability.

Question 3

types of sources and influences

Answer 3

• formal and informal source

- normative and comparative influence

Question 4

formal source

Answer 4

either a person or a medium providing consumption-related information and hired and paid by an organization

Question 5

informal source

Answer 5

a person whom the message receiver knows personally, such as a parent, friend or an individual online, who provides the receiver with product information and advice

Question 6

normative influence

Answer 6

learning and adopting a group’s norms, values and behaviors

Question 7

comparative influence

Answer 7

arises when people compare themselves to others whom they respect and admire and then adopt some of those people’s values or imitate their behaviors

Question 8

consumption related reference groups

Answer 8

• friends
• fellow-shoppers
• virtual communities
• advocacy groups

Question 9

friends

Answer 9

fulfill needs; provide companionship, security, opportunities to discuss problems that an individual may be reluctant to discuss with family members

Question 10

fellow-shoppers

Answer 10

shop together due to enjoyment or to reduce perceived risk; bring someone along whose expertise regarding a particular product category will reduce their chances of making incoherent purchases –> retail experts say that by standing in a crowd, shoppers see themselves as making the right buying decision-concept known as “social proof”

Question 11

virtual communities

Answer 11

many websites encourage consumers to leave comments and have others respond to them. Most young adults have “buddy lists” and regularly communicate with people whom they have met online but never in person

Question 12

advocacy groups

Answer 12

the objective of consumption - focused advocacy groups is to assist consumers in making consumption decisions and support their right

Question 13

types of advocacy groups

Answer 13

1. entities organized to correct a specific consumer abuse and then disband
2. groups whose purpose is to address broader, more pervasive problem areas and operate and extended period of time

Question 14

effectiveness of endorses and spokespersons

Answer 14

1. the synergy between the endorser and the type of product or service advertised is very important. The greater the fit between the celebrity and the product endorsed, the higher the persuasiveness of the message
2. endorsers whose demographic characteristics (age, ethnicity) are similar to those of the target audiences, are viewed as more credible and persuasive than those whose characteristics are not
3. consumer must trust the marketer(even if they like the endorser)
4. marketers who use celebrities in testimonials or endorsement must ensure that the message contents are compatible with the spokesperson’s qualifications

Question 15

characteristics of opinion leaders

Answer 15

1. opinion leaders are highly knowledgeable regarding a particular product category, follow new products that come into the markets
2. opinions leaders are self-conflict, outgoing and sociable
3. opinions leaders read special-interests publications and regularly visit websites devoted to the specific topic or product category in which they specialize
4. opinion leaders and receivers belong to the same socioeconomic and age groups

Question 16

social networks

Answer 16

virtual community where people share information about themselves with others, generally with similar interests, with whom they had established relationships that (for the most of the part), exist only in cyberspace

Question 17

engagement in WOM (word-of-mouth)

Answer 17

1. tie strength
2. similarity
3. source credibility

Question 18

Tie strength

Answer 18

the degree of intimacy and frequency of contacts between the information seeker and the source

Question 19

similarity

Answer 19

similarity among the group’s members in terms of demographics and lifestyles

Question 20

source credibility

Answer 20

the information seeker’s perceptions of the source’s expertise

Question 21

adopter categories

Answer 21

classification depicting where consumers stand in relation to other consumers in terms of the first time they purchase an innovation (new product or model)