Chapter 10

Reference Groups, Family InfluencesAnd Social Class

MKT348Dr. Franck Vigneron

What is a Group?

• Two or more people who interact to accomplish either individual or mutual goals

• A membership group is one to which a person either belongs or would qualify for membership

• A symbolic group is one in which an individual is not likely to receive membership despite acting like a member

Reference Reference GroupGroup

A person or group that serves as a point of

comparison (or reference) for an individual in the

formation of either general or specific values, attitudes,

or behavior.

Broad Categories of Reference Groups

• Normative Reference Groups

• Comparative Reference Groups

Normative Normative Reference Reference

GroupGroup

A group that influences the general values or behavior of

an individual.

Comparative Comparative Reference Reference

GroupsGroups

A group whose norms serve as a benchmark for highly

specific or narrowly defined types of behavior.

Indirect Indirect Reference Reference

GroupsGroups

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, or TV personalities.

Factors That Affect Reference Group Influence

• Information and experience• Credibility, attractiveness, and power o the

reference group• Conspicuousness of the product

Factors Encouraging Conformity:A Reference Group Must ...

• Inform or make the individual aware of a specific product or brand

• Provide the individual with the opportunity to compare his or her own thinking with the attitudes and behavior of the group

• Influence the individual to adopt attitudes and behavior that are consistent with the norms of the group

• Legitimize the decision to use the same products as the group

Selected Consumer-Related Reference Groups

• Friendship groups• Shopping groups• Work groups• Virtual groups or

communities• Consumer-action groups

Informal Informal GroupsGroups

A group of people who see each other frequently on an

informal basis, such as weekly poker players or

social acquaintances.

Shopping Shopping GroupGroup

Two or more people who shop together.

Reference Group Appeals

• Celebrities• The expert• The “common man”• The executive and employee

spokesperson• Trade or spokes-characters• Other reference group appeals

FamilyFamily

Two or more persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption who reside

together.

Extended Extended FamilyFamily

A household consisting of a husband, wife, offspring,

and at least one other blood relative.

Single-Parent Single-Parent FamilyFamily

Households consisting of one parent and at least one child, because of divorce,

separation, and out-of-wedlock births.

Consumer Consumer SocializationSocialization

The process by which children acquire the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to function as

consumers.

Other Functions of the Family

• Economic well-being• Emotional support• Suitable family lifestyles

Dynamics of Husband-Wife Decision Making

• Husband-Dominated• Wife-Dominated• Joint

– Equal– Syncratic

• Autonomic– Solitary– Unilateral

The Family Life Cycle

• Traditional Family Life Cycle– Stage I: Bachelorhood– Stage II: Honeymooners– Stage III: Parenthood– Stage IV: Postparenthood– Stage V: Dissolution

• Modifications - the Nontraditional FLC

Social ClassSocial Class

The division of members of a society into a hierarchy of distinct status classes, so that members of each class have either higher or lower status

than members of other classes

Social Class and Social Status

• Social status is usually defined in terms of one or more of the following socioeconomic variables:– Family Income– Occupational Status– Educational Attainment

The Measurement of Social Class

• Subjective Measures• Reputational Measures• Objective Measures

Subjective Subjective MeasuresMeasures

In the subjective approach to measuring social class, individuals are asked to

estimate their own social-class positions.

Reputational Reputational MeasuresMeasures

The reputational approach requires selected community

informants to make initial judgments concerning the

social-class membership of others within the

community.

Objective Objective Measures of Measures of Social ClassSocial Class

A method of measuring social class whereby individuals are asked

specific socioeconomic questions concerning

themselves or their families On the basis of their

answers, people are placed within specific social-class

groupings.

Objective Measures

• Single-variable indexes– Occupation– Education– Income– Other Variables

• Composite-variable indexes– Index of Status Characteristics– Socioeconomic Status Score

Single-Single-Variable Variable

IndexIndex

The use of a single socioeconomic variable

(such as income) to estimate an individual’s relative

social class.

Composite-Composite-Variable Variable

IndexIndex

An index that combines a number of socioeconomic

variables (such as education, income, occupation) to form

one overall measure of social class standing.

Consumer Behavior and Social Class

• Clothing, Fashion, and Shopping• The Pursuit of Leisure• Saving, Spending, and Credit• Social Class and Communication