MCS 2600 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Reference Group, Communication Source, Narrowcasting

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Marketing and Consumer Studies
• Course: MCS 2600
• Professor: Nicole Mc Callum

Document Summary

Informal source: a parent, friend or another consumer. A source"s persuasive impact, stemming from its perceived expertise, trustworthiness, and believability. The source: impersonal and interpersonal communications: source credibility, reference groups, normative, comparative, membership, symbolic. Consumer-related reference groups: friendship groups, shopping groups, virtual communities, advocacy groups. To influence its members, a reference group must: Inform member that the brand or product exists: provide opportunity to compare thinking with the attitudes/behavior of the group. Influence individuals to adopt attitudes and behavior that are consistent with the group"s norms: legitimize the member"s decision to use the same products as other members. The source: word of mouth strategic applications: buzz agents, viral marketing, tackling negative rumors. Innovators: early adopters, early majority, late majority, laggards. Credibility of formal sources other credibility sources. Medium credibility: the credibility of the magazine, website, or radio station. Effects of time: the sleep effect phenomenon when the consumer does not remember the source.