Amity Business School: MBA Class of 2014, Semester II

Amity Business School

MBA Class of 2014, Semester II
Consumer Behavior
Ms.Vandana Gupta
Opinion
Leadership
The process by which

one person (the
opinion leader)
informally influences
the consumption
actions or attitudes of
others who may be
opinion seekers or
opinion recipients.
What Is Opinion Leadership?

Opinion
Leader
Opinion
Receiver
Opinion
Seeker
Word of Mouth in Action

Figure 15-1
Dynamics of the Opinion Leadership Process
Credibility
Positive and Negative Product Information
Information and Advice
Opinion Leadership Is Category-Specific
Opinion Leadership Is a Two-way Street
Many not-forprofit
organizations
that hope to
change
behavior, count
on opinion
leaders.
Motivations Behind Opinion

Leadership
Issues
The Needs of
Opinion Leaders
The Needs of
Opinion Receivers
Purchase Pals
Surrogate Buyers
versus Opinion
Leaders
Self-involvement
Social involvement
Product involvement
Message involvement

Leadership
Issues
The Needs of
Opinion Leaders
The Needs of
Opinion Receivers
Purchase Pals
Surrogate Buyers
versus Opinion
Leaders
New product or new usage

information
Reduction of perceived
risk
Reduction of search time
Receiving the approval of
the opinion leader

Leadership
Issues
The Needs of
Opinion Leaders
The Needs of
Opinion Receivers
Purchase Pals
Surrogate Buyers
versus Opinion
Leaders
Actually accompany
consumers on
shopping trips
Used 25 percent of
the time for purchases
of electronic
equipment

Leadership
Issues
The Needs of
Opinion Leaders
The Needs of
Opinion Receivers
Purchase Pals
Surrogate Buyers
versus Opinion
Leaders
Surrogate buyers may

replace opinion
leaders
An example is a
wardrobe consultant
who helps in the
purchase of business
clothes
Key Differences Between Opinion Leaders and

Surrogate Buyers
Part I: Opinion Leaders
OPINION LEADER
1. Informal relationship with end users
2. Information exchange occurs in the context of a casual interaction
3. Homophilous (to a certain extent) to end users
4. Does not get paid for advice
5. Usually socially more active than end users
6. Accountability limited regarding the outcome of advice
7. As accountability limited, rigor in search and screening of alternatives
low
8. Likely to have used the product personally
9. More than one can be consulted before making a final decision
10. Same person can be an opinion leader for a variety of related product
categories
Key Differences Between Opinion Leaders and

Surrogate Buyers
Part II: Surrogate Buyers
SURROGATE BUYER
1. Formal relationship; occupation-related status
2. Information exchange in the form of formal instructions/advice
3. Heterophilus to end users (that is, is the source of power)
4. Usually hired, therefore gets paid
5. Not necessarily socially more active than end-users
6. High level of accountability
7. Search and screening of alternatives more rigorous
8. May not have used the product for personal consumption
9. Second opinion taken on rare occasions
10. Usually specializes for a specific product/service category
Measurement of Opinion Leadership
Self-Designating Method
Sociometric Method
Key Informant Method
Objective Method
Measuring Opinion Leadership

OPINION LEADERSHIP
MEASUREMENT
METHOD
DESCRIPTION OF METHOD
SAMPLE
QUESTIONS ASKED
SELF-DESIGNATING
METHOD
Each respondent is asked a

series of questions to determine
the degree to which he or she
perceives himself or herself to
be an opinion leader.
Do you influence
other people in their
selection of
products?
SOCIOMETRIC
METHOD
Members of a social system are

asked to identify to whom they
give advice and to whom they
go for advice.
Whom do you
ask?Who asks you
for info about that
product category?
OPINION
LEADERSHIP
MEASUREMENT
METHOD
DESCRIPTION OF METHOD
SAMPLE
QUESTIONS ASKED
KEY INFORMANT
METHOD
Carefully selected key informants in Who are the most

a social system are asked to
influential people in
designate opinion leaders.
the group?
OBJECTIVE
METHOD
Artificially places individuals in a

Have you tried the
position to act as opinion leaders
product?
and measures results of their efforts.
Profile of Opinion Leaders

GENERALIZED
ATTRIBUTES ACROSS
PRODUCT CATEGORIES
Innovativeness
Willingness to talk
Self-confidence
Gregariousness
Cognitive differentiation
CATEGORY-SPECIFIC
ATTRIBUTES
Interest
Knowledge
Special-interest media exposure
Same age
Same social status
Social exposure outside group
Market
Maven
Individuals whose
influence stems from a
general knowledge or
market expertise that
leads to an early
awareness of new
products and services.
The Interpersonal Flow of Communication

Two-Step Flow
A communication model that portrays opinion
leaders as direct receivers of information from
mass media sources who, in turn, interpret
and transmit this information
Multistep Flow
A revision of the traditional two-step theory
that shows multiple communication flows
Two-Step Flow of Communication

Theory
Multistep Flow of
Communication Theory
Issues in Opinion Leadership and Marketing

Strategy
Advertisements Stimulating Opinion

Leadership
Word of Mouth May Be Uncontrollable
Marketers Seek to Take Control of the Opinion

Leadership Process
Creating products with built-in buzz

potential
Strategy designed to stimulate buzz
Viral marketing
Weblogs

Amity Business School: MBA Class of 2014, Semester II

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Amity Business School: MBA Class of 2014, Semester II

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Amity Business School