MARK217 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Reference Group, Interpersonal Communication, Mass Media
Social influences on consumer behaviour: Chapter 8
Part A
Social conformity:
What line is closest to this A, B or C study
The Asch experiment - Procedure: Asch used a lab experiment to study conformity, whereby 50
male students from Swarthmore College in the USA participated in a 'vision test.
Communication via the media:
• Communication is the transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver via a medium of
some sort.
• Essential to the process is feedback.
• Feedback alerts the sender as to whether the intended message has been receive.
Relationship between effectiveness of message and endorser employed:
• When message comprehension is low the receiver relies on endorser credibility.
• Synergy between endorser and type of product is important (i.e. match up hypothesis).
• Endorsers with similar demographic characteristics to target are more credible.
• Endorsers credibility is not a substitute for corporate credibility.
• The wording of the endorsement must be within the recognised competence of endorser.
Credibility:
• Perceived honesty and objectivity of the source has an enormous influence on the acceptance
of the communication.
• Source credibility is affected by:
o The perceived intentions of the source (i.e. what do they gain?)
o Are they non-profit or independent?
o Overall reputation, expertise and knowledge
o Brand image
o Choice of spokesperson (endorser).
Credible:
Reference groups:
• Group: two or more people who interact to accomplish either individual or mutual goals.
• Reference group: any person or group that serves as a point of comparison for an individual in
forming values, attitudes or behaviour.
• Normative reference groups influence general or broadly defined values and behaviour.
o E.g. for children, the main normative reference group would be immediate family.
• Comparative reference groups serve as benchmarks for attitudes and behaviours:
o E.g. family imitates next-door neighbour's behaviour.
Indirect reference groups:
• Individuals or groups with whom a person identifies but does not have direct face to face
contact, such as movie stars, sports, heroes, political leaders etc.
Don’t have to remember exactly all of these, but have to be aware that they could have an influence
on our perceived credibility of the message.
