Exam 9: Reference Groups and Word-Of-Mouth

Differentiate between normative influence and comparative influence. In your response, please select an example of each type of influence.

________ reference groups influence broadly defined values or behavior.

A salesperson who "looks you in the eye" often is perceived as more honest than one who evades direct eye contact. This is referred to as ________.

________ reference groups serve as benchmarks for specific or narrowly defined attitudes or behavior.

The first people to purchase a new product are considered ________.

Fred's faith in Asics, his favorite brand of running shoes, makes him consider other offerings introduced by Asics. Fred is not a risk-taker, and he tends to evaluate each new product carefully before adopting it. Fred is an opinion leader in his social networking community and best described as a(n) ________.

When celebrity/pro golfer Phil Mickelson appears in a commercial to talk about his experience with a prescription medication for arthritis, he is serving as a ________.

A(n) ________ provides companionship, security, and opportunities to discuss problems that an individual might be reluctant to discuss with family members.

STUMBLEUPON MINI CASE: StumbleUpon calls itself a "discovery engine" because, at one time, 50.27% of all traffic from a top 10 list of social sites came from StumbleUpon. Their relatively small group of users (15 million) often out-refers the larger user base from Facebook (over 1.15 billion). In fact, the influential users of StumbleUpon generate 1 billion page referrals per month. Their users, called "Stumblers," introduce other Stumblers and non-users to web content, providing a "map to an adventure you wouldn't otherwise have found out about." The influence of these Stumblers was deemed valuable by film marketers, who worked with StumbleUpon to promote films like Jurassic Park 3D and Evil Dead. Stumblers are young and highly engaged, so studios see the personalized search engine, which "learns" the preferences of its Stumblers, as a way to reach early influencers. -In the STUMBLEUPON MINI CASE, the influencers are expert informal sources of information, also known as ________.

A clear perceived fit between a message's sponsor and the entity being sponsored can strongly enhance the sponsor's credibility.

________ consists of promoting a company's image without referring to any of its offerings.

A group of irate parents who join together to protest the opening of an adult, X-rated bookstore across from the elementary school is an example of a(n) ________.

Consumers perceive celebrities that appear in commercials often as more credible than celebrities with lesser commercial exposure.

Explain what viral marketing is and provide an example of how it is used.

Which of the following does NOT enhance the credibility of a salesperson?

The consumer's earliest and often most influential reference group is ________.

The degree of reference group influence on purchase decisions is higher for an expensive watch than it is for shaving cream.

The key factor underlying the persuasive impact of a personal or interpersonal message received from either a formal or informal source is ________.

The key basis for message credibility is ________.

When Joe wanted to get a new outboard motor for his sailboat, he consulted a forum for British Seagull motors and connected with Jim. Jim gave him information about the outboard motor he was considering. Jim, the individual Joe met and respected online who gave him product information and advice, is an example of a(n) ________.