External Influences: Group Membership
In addition to cultural influences, consumers belong to many other groups with which they share certain characteristics and which may influence purchase decisions. Often these groups contain Opinion Leaders or others who have major influence on what the customer purchases. Some of the basic groups we may belong to include:
- Social Class – represents the social standing one has within a society based on such factors as income level, education, occupation
- Family – one’s family situation can have a strong effect on how purchase decisions are made
- Reference Groups – most consumers simultaneously belong to many other groups with which they associate or, in some cases, feel the need to disassociate
Marketing Implications:
Identifying and understanding the groups consumers belong to is a key strategy for marketers. Doing so helps identify target markets, develop new products, and create appealing marketing promotions to which consumers can relate. In particular, marketers seek to locate group leaders and others to whom members of the group look for advice or direction. These opinion leaders, if well respected by the group, can be used to gain insight into group behavior and if these opinion leaders accept promotional opportunities could act as effective spokespeople for the marketer’s products.