1. Reference Groups, Family Influences
Chapter 10
Reference Groups, Family Influences
And Social Class
MKT348
Dr. Franck Vigneron

2. 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

3. Reference Group
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.

4. Broad Categories of Reference Groups
Normative Reference Groups
Comparative Reference Groups

5. Normative Reference Group
A group that influences the general values or behavior of an individual.

6. Comparative Reference Groups
A group whose norms serve as a benchmark for highly specific or narrowly defined types of behavior.

7. 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, or TV personalities.

8. Factors That Affect Reference Group Influence
Information and experience
Credibility, attractiveness, and power o the reference group
Conspicuousness of the product

9. 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

10. Selected Consumer-Related Reference Groups
Friendship groups
Shopping groups
Work groups
Virtual groups or communities
Consumer-action groups

11. Informal Groups
A group of people who see each other frequently on an informal basis, such as weekly poker players or social acquaintances.

12. Two or more people who shop together.
Shopping Group
Two or more people who shop together.

13. Reference Group Appeals
Celebrities
The expert
The “common man”
The executive and employee spokesperson
Trade or spokes-characters
Other reference group appeals

14. Family
Two or more persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption who reside together.

15. Extended Family
A household consisting of a husband, wife, offspring, and at least one other blood relative.

16. Single-Parent Family
Households consisting of one parent and at least one child, because of divorce, separation, and out-of-wedlock births.

17. Consumer Socialization
The process by which children acquire the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to function as consumers.

18. Other Functions of the Family
Economic well-being
Emotional support
Suitable family lifestyles

19. Dynamics of Husband-Wife Decision Making
Husband-Dominated
Wife-Dominated
Joint
Equal
Syncratic
Autonomic
Solitary
Unilateral

20. 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

21. Social 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

22. 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

23. The Measurement of Social Class
Subjective Measures
Reputational Measures
Objective Measures

24. Subjective Measures
In the subjective approach to measuring social class, individuals are asked to estimate their own social-class positions.

25. Reputational Measures
The reputational approach requires selected community informants to make initial judgments concerning the social-class membership of others within the community.

26. Objective Measures of Social 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.

27. Objective Measures Single-variable indexes Composite-variable indexes
Occupation
Education
Income
Other Variables
Composite-variable indexes
Index of Status Characteristics
Socioeconomic Status Score

28. Single-Variable Index
The use of a single socioeconomic variable (such as income) to estimate an individual’s relative social class.

29. Composite-Variable Index
An index that combines a number of socioeconomic variables (such as education, income, occupation) to form one overall measure of social class standing.

30. Consumer Behavior and Social Class
Clothing, Fashion, and Shopping
The Pursuit of Leisure
Saving, Spending, and Credit
Social Class and Communication