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Social Influences on the Consumer Decision Process
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Concept Version 7
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Opinion Leaders

Opinion leaders are people consumers look to for guidance in making purchase decisions, usually someone with more knowledge of the subject.

Learning Objective

  • Discuss the importance of opinion leaders in marketing and how they can influence the success of a product or service


Key Points

    • Consumers seek out help in making consumer purchases. One source of help is an opinion leader.
    • Opinion leaders are usually seen as being honest and impartial. They have the standing to be able to influence others.
    • Finding opinion leaders can be vital to the success of a marketing plan, as they can then influence others to purchase the product or service.
    • Celebrities are often used as opinion leaders in promoting a product.

Terms

  • reference group

    A reference group refers to a group to which an individual or another group is compared.

  • clout

    Influence or effectiveness, especially political.


Full Text

Our purchase decisions are influenced by any number of people or groups. We often look to opinion leaders for help in our consumer decisions. Opinion leaders are usually people who are more knowledgeable about a certain product or service than the average consumer. As such, opinion leaders can shape how a product is viewed. Consumers are constantly seeking out the advice of knowledgeable friends or acquaintances who can provide information, give advice, or actually make the decision. For some product categories, there are professional opinion leaders who are quite easy to identify–for instance, auto mechanics , beauticians, stock brokers, and physicians. All these professionals can influence the decisions consumers make within their area of expertise. Sometimes, these opinion leaders can actually be groups, known as reference groups.

Mechanics as Secondary Groups

Mechanics can be considered opinion leaders in the automotive industry.

Characteristics of Opinion Leaders

Opinion leaders are generally people who have the ability to influence others. They usually have deeper expertise in a certain area, and are often looked to for help in making consumer decisions. For example, a local high school teacher may be an opinion leader for parents in selecting colleges for their children. Often, an opinion leader is among the first to use a new product or service, and can then pass on his or her opinions of the product to others. Opinion leaders are often trusted and unbiased and have the social network of friends, family, and coworkers necessary to disperse information.

Opinion Leaders in Marketing

Opinion leaders are particularly useful in marketing. If a marketer can identify key opinion leaders for a certain group, she can then direct her efforts towards attracting these individuals. In marketing, celebrities are often used as opinion leaders. Although they may not actually know more about a product or service, there is usually the perception that they do. Celebrity endorsements in marketing are a way to give clout to a product or service . Opinion leaders can have a profound influence on the success of a product, and on one's own consumer purchases.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Celebrities are opinion leaders for the products or services they promote.

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