Exam 11: Social Influences on Consumer Behavior

Carol is a graphic designer. She wants to buy a computer, so she asks Reda, her friend, for advice. Reda works at a computer repair and assembly store and knows everything there is to know about computers. In this case, Reda is a(n):

Owing to the rising popularity of celebrities and professional athletes, most top brands have started using them as brand ambassadors in their TV commercials and newspaper advertisements. Brands are likely doing this because youngsters consider celebrities and professional athletes their _____.

Discuss the different nonmarketer influences on consumers.

A(n) _____ is a group we do not want to emulate.

A business school has set up a gateway course that allows its students to collaborate with each other and their lecturers through a private social media platform. The platform allows students to ask their queries, exchange notes, and share information related to exam schedules and class timings. The school hopes that this new platform will increase graduation rates. In this case, the business school is attempting to increase what is known as the _____ of the students.

Negative information may prompt consumers to attribute problems to the offering itself, not to the consumer who uses it.

Compare the influence of positive and negative information.

Clay rarely drinks and hence considers himself a social drinker. When at a party or out with friends, he has only a mug of beer so that he is not the only one not drinking. This is an example of Clay:

Consumers are not susceptible to informational influence when considering complex products such as electronic appliances that consumers cannot easily understand how to use.

Dr. Sean Rich is a well-known cardiologist and is respected by many in his field. Rezyl, a leading medical and healthcare company, contacts him to set up trials for a new medication. If Rezyl gets his endorsement, others will perceive the company's medication in a positive light.

The impact of reference groups as socializing agents:

People become opinion leaders because they:

Bargainer's Bin is a retail store. It has started a new dollar store and launched a new Web page, www.bargainersbin.com The Web page has several series of webisodes related to the new store for customers to watch. Viewers can also send the webisodes to their friends via e-mail. In this case, Bargainer's Bin is hoping to spread the buzz about its Web page through:

Happy Kid Toys conducted a study on children between the ages of four and ten to determine the kind of toys they liked to receive as gifts during Christmas. The study concluded that roughly 75 percent of the requests made to Santa Claus were for things they had seen on TV. This is best thought of as an example of:

After graduating from university, Ted joined the army. He had been looking forward to serving his country by joining the army, but the routine-based lifestyle and strict training had him doubting his decision. In this scenario, Ted is feeling the influence of a(n) _____.

A(n) _____ is an individual who acts as an information broker between the mass media and the views and behaviors of an individual or group.

Discuss the importance of social media in disseminating word of mouth.

A(n) _____ is a specialized group of consumers with a structured set of relationships involving a particular brand.

Certain individuals, such as famous athletes, politicians, and movie stars, have influence because:

Word-of-mouth communication has more credibility, whereas advertising: