Deck 9: Reference Groups and Word-of-Mouth

Question 1

________ are groups that serve as frames of reference for individuals in their consumption decisions because they are perceived as credible sources.

A) Custom groups
B) Formal groups
C) Interpersonal groups
D) Reference groups
E) Informal groups

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Sheila admires her boss, Jerry, so she aspires to live her lifestyle and have similar possessions. Jerry exerts _________________ influence on Sheila.

A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic

Answer 2

A

Question 3

________ reference groups influence broadly defined values or behavior.

A) Comparative
B) Normative
C) Membership
D) Informal
E) Symbolic

Answer 3

B

Question 4

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

A) the number of times the message is sent
B) the source's credibility
C) the number of times the message is received
D) the type of broadcast medium used
E) the extent to which the receiver's peers understand the message

Question 5

A(n)_______________ is either a person or medium providing consumption-related information and hired and paid by and organization. A(n)__________________ is person whom the message receiver knows personally, such as a parent or friend who gives product information or advice, or an individual met and respected online.

A) informal source; symbolic source
B) informal source; formal source
C) formal source; symbolic source
D) formal source; informal source
E) symbolic source; formal source

Question 6

A group to which a person either belongs or would qualify to belong to is called a(n)________ group.

A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic

Question 7

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)_________________________.

A) symbolic source
B) formal source
C) informal source
D) normative source
E) comparative source

Question 8

Standing in a crowd waiting for a retail shopping experience, shoppers see themselves as making the right buying decision - a concept known as _______________________.

A) diffusion of responsibility
B) diffusion of innovation
C) social queuing
D) social loafing
E) social proof

Question 9

Referral programs, which offer rewards to current members who convince others to join, are an important element of ______________________.

A) friendship groups
B) shopping groups
C) virtual communities
D) advocacy groups
E) aspirational groups

Question 10

A(n)______________________ provides offers expertise regarding a particular product category, reduces uncertainty related to making an incorrect purchase, or increases consumer confidence because it provides a collective decision.

A) friendship group
B) shopping group
C) virtual community
D) advocacy group
E) aspirational group

Question 11

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

A) Comparative
B) Normative
C) Membership
D) Informal
E) Symbolic

Question 12

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

A) the family
B) their religious organization
C) their classmates
D) their friends
E) their heroes

Question 13

Professional tennis players may constitute a(n)________ group for an amateur tennis player who identifies with certain players by imitating their behavior whenever possible despite the fact that the amateur tennis player does not qualify for membership as a professional tennis player because he/she has neither the skills nor the opportunity to compete professionally.

A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic

Question 14

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

A) friendship group
B) shopping group
C) virtual community
D) advocacy group
E) aspirational group

Question 15

_________________ is an unpaid form of promotion, oral or written, in which satisfied customers tell other people how much they like a business, product, service or event.

A) Word-of-mouth
B) Source credibility
C) Comparative influence
D) Normative influence
E) Symbolic influence

Question 16

Bill is an avid coin collector and belongs to a coin collectors' club, receiving a monthly magazine and invitations to exclusive events. This coin collectors' club is an example of a(n)________ group.

A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic

Question 17

___________________, or the source's persuasive impact, stems from its perceived expertise, trustworthiness, and believability.

A) Source recognition
B) Source encoding
C) Source decoding
D) Source degradation
E) Source credibility

Question 18

A child's immediate family is a ________ group that plays an important role in molding the child's general consumer values and behavior.

A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic

Question 19

A(n)________ group is one in which an individual is not likely to receive membership, despite acting like a member by adopting the group's values, attitudes, and behavior.

A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic

Question 20

_____________________________ are groups that serve as sources of comparison, influence and norms for people's opinions, values and behaviors.

A) Age cohorts
B) Reference groups
C) Norming groups
D) Norming cohorts
E) Social conduct groups

Question 21

Marketers of new brands or brands that are not market leaders may argue against __________________, trying to convince consumers not to follow the crowd.

A) conformity
B) group power
C) individual experience
D) individual personality
E) conspicuousness

Question 22

Which of the following is a characteristic of a conformist?

A) They prefer wearing stylish clothing and pay attention to what others are wearing
B) They are inner-directed when it comes to ascertaining the right way to behave
C) They are not interested in fitting in during social gatherings
D) They behave the way they feel is right, regardless of what others might think
E) They are unlikely to change their mannerisms and approaches

Question 23

A(n)______________________ assists consumers in making consumption decisions and supports consumers' rights.

A) friendship group
B) shopping group
C) virtual community
D) advocacy group
E) aspirational group

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT something a reference group must do to influence its members?

A) Inform or make members aware that the brand or product exists
B) Provide the individual with the means or capital to purchase the product
C) Provide the individual with the opportunity to compare his or her own thinking with the attitudes and behavior of the group
D) Influence the individual to adopt attitudes and behavior that are consistent with the group's norms
E) Legitimize the member's decision to use the same products as other members

Question 25

Individuals may be influenced to conform to a group based on the group's __________________, but they are unlikely to change their attitudes or internalize their choices if they conform for this reason.

A) attractiveness
B) power
C) experience
D) personality
E) conspicuousness

Question 26

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

A) Institutional advertising
B) Family branding
C) Umbrella positioning
D) Formal advertising
E) Informal advertising

Question 27

Before e-readers, many women avoided reading printed erotica books in public because they felt the titles and covers of the books would reflect badly on them. The use of e-readers made the consumption of erotica books in public less __________________.

A) stigmatized
B) conformist
C) conspicuous
D) influential
E) acceptable

Question 28

Which of the following is a characteristic of a conformist?

A) They always pay close attention to others' reactions to their behaviors
B) They often pick up slang expressions from others and start using them
C) They change their mannerisms and approaches if they feel someone they are interacting with disapproves of them
D) They are guided by others' behavior if they feel unsure how to behave in a situation
E) All of the above are characteristics of conformists

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT one of the factors that affects the relationship between the effectiveness of messages and the spokespersons or endorsers they feature?

A) synergy between the endorser and the type of product/service advertised
B) similarity between the endorser's demographic characteristics and those of the target audience
C) the trust the consumer has in the marketer of the advertised product
D) whether the spokesperson is a member of a symbolic reference group
E) the congruency of the contents of the message with the spokespersons' qualifications

Question 30

Consumers with low ____________________ are more likely to seek the advice or example of others.

A) conformity
B) group power
C) individual experience
D) individual personality
E) conspicuousness

Question 31

Need for affiliation, need to be liked by others and other directedness are examples of ________________________ variables that increase the likelihood an individual is receptive to group influences.

A) conformity
B) group power
C) individual experience
D) individual personality
E) conspicuousness

Question 32

_____________________ is the believability of the endorser, spokesperson, or individual in an advertisement.

A) Source degradation
B) Source informality
C) Source formality
D) Source credibility
E) Source attractiveness

Question 33

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

A) friendship group
B) shopping group
C) virtual community
D) advocacy group
E) aspirational group

Question 34

A group of foodies that Nora has never met and only interacts with through online websites and a Facebook group, where group members share recipes and recommendations, is an example of a _______________________.

A) friendship group
B) shopping group
C) virtual community
D) advocacy group
E) aspirational group

Question 35

_________________ sources generally have more credibility than _______________ sources.

A) For-profit; not-for-profit
B) Not-for-profit; for-profit
C) Neutral; for-profit
D) For-profit; neutral
E) Neutral; negative

Question 36

The degree of reference group influence on purchase decisions varies according to product _________________, or how much it stands out and is noticed by others.

A) conformity
B) power
C) experience
D) personality
E) conspicuousness

Question 37

Which of the following is not one of the dimensions in measuring the credibility of a person or organization?

A) Expertise
B) Perseverance
C) Trustworthiness
D) Attractiveness
E) Likability

Question 38

Which of the following statements is true about spokespeople?

A) When message comprehension is low, the expertise of the spokesperson has little impact on the receiver's attitude.
B) A physically attractive model always enhances message credibility.
C) Consumers with strong ethnic identities are more likely to be persuaded by endorsers with similar ethnicity than individuals with weaker ethnic identities.
D) The endorser's credibility substitutes for corporate credibility, therefore, companies are sure to hire highly credible spokespeople to overcome the lacking credibility of the company itself.
E) As long as a celebrity is giving the testimonial, it doesn't matter whether or not the specific wording of the endorsement lies within the recognized competence of the spokesperson.

Question 39

Past performance and reputation of the brand, and the image and attractiveness of the spokesperson used are all factors on which ________ is judged.

A) brand appeal
B) advertising creativity
C) source credibility
D) endorser credibility
E) advertisement acceptability

Question 40

The degree of _____________________ that a reference group exerts on an individual's behavior depends on the individual, product and social factors.

A) personality
B) experience
C) conspicuousness
D) intensity
E) influence

Question 41

A ___________________ involves a celebrity who attests to the product's quality based on his/her own personal usage of the product.

A) celebrity testimonial
B) celebrity endorsement
C) celebrity actor
D) celebrity spokesperson
E) celebrity official

Question 42

The phenomenon known as the ________ suggests that both positive and negative credibility effects external to the message itself tend to disappear after six weeks or so.

A) decay effect
B) advertising wearout effect
C) disassociation effect
D) sleeper effect
E) dissipation effect

Question 43

In which product category would the role of the opinion leader during the decision making process likely be most important to the marketer?

A) laundry detergent
B) television sets
C) automobiles
D) doctors
E) computers

Question 44

The key basis for message credibility is ________.

A) the ability of the product, service, or brand, to deliver consistent quality, value, and satisfaction to consumers
B) the medium in which the message is delivered
C) the time of day at which the message is delivered
D) the synergies between the brand spokesperson and the product itself
E) the rate of repetition of the advertisement

Question 45

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) celebrity testimonial
B) celebrity endorsement
C) celebrity actor
D) celebrity spokesperson
E) celebrity official

Question 46

Celebrity-credibility includes the audience's perceptions of the celebrity's ________________ and ______________________.

A) fame; talent
B) charisma; talent
C) expertise; charisma
D) fame; trustworthiness
E) expertise; trustworthiness

Question 47

The key characteristic of the influence associated with opinion leadership is that ________.

A) it is interpersonal and formal and takes place between two or more people, none of whom represents a commercial selling source that would gain directly from the sale of something
B) it is impersonal and informal and takes place between two or more people, none of whom represents a commercial selling source that would gain directly from the sale of something
C) it is interpersonal and informal and takes place between two or more people, none of whom represents a commercial selling source that would gain directly from the sale of something
D) it is impersonal and formal and takes place between two or more people, none of whom represents a commercial selling source that would gain directly from the sale of something
E) it is interpersonal and informal and takes place between two or more people, one of whom represents a commercial selling source that would gain directly from the sale of something

Question 48

The theory of ________ suggests that the memory of a negative cue, such as a low-credibility source, simply decays faster than the memory of the message itself, leaving behind the primary message content.

A) the sleeper effect
B) advertising wearout
C) disassociation
D) differential decay
E) the dissipation effect

Question 49

Opinion leadership tends to be ________.

A) brand specific
B) price-point specific
C) universal
D) category specific
E) culturally specific

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT one of the motivations of opinion leaders?

A) Reduce post-purchase dissonance
B) Reduce search and shopping time
C) Gain attention from others
D) Show off expertise
E) Gain experience converting others

Question 51

Chuck Norris appears in social media for Era detergent, because he is tough on bad guys and the detergent is tough on stains. If he does not mention his own personal experience with the product, it is an example of a _________________________.

A) celebrity testimonial
B) celebrity endorsement
C) celebrity actor
D) celebrity spokescharacter
E) celebrity official

Question 52

When Damon filled out a survey for the sporting goods store he favors, it asked him to respond to items that asked for his agreement on items about his influence on his friends. These items were attempting to measure his opinion leadership using the __________________ method.

A) heuristic
B) key informant
C) self-designated
D) sociometric
E) Klout

Question 53

A celebrity's credibility is reduced when s/he endorses a variety of products because __________________.

A) the economic motivation underlying the celebrity's endorsements becomes too pronounced
B) the celebrity becomes less famous
C) teens find celebrities more authentic than other customers
D) the celebrity has positive associations with the products
E) almost a quarter of advertisements use a celebrity spokesperson

Question 54

The image of Vogue magazine adds status to the products advertised within the magazine. This is an example of ______________________.

A) message credibility
B) celebrity credibility
C) medium credibility
D) general credibility
E) time credibility

Question 55

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

A) Looking the customer/prospect in the eye
B) Outward signs of success
C) Driving an expensive, late-model car
D) Dressing the part of an expert
E) All of the above enhance the credibility of a salesperson

Question 56

A ___________________ is when celebrities appear on behalf of products with which they may or may not have any direct experience or familiarity, for extended periods of time.

A) celebrity testimonial
B) celebrity endorsement
C) celebrity actor
D) celebrity spokescharacter
E) celebrity official

Question 57

Which of the following is a characteristic of an opinion leader?

A) They lack self-confidence
B) They are withdrawn in social situations
C) They belong to different socioeconomic groups than the opinion receivers
D) They follow new products that come into the markets in the product category
E) They are part of the early majority in their area of expertise

Question 58

The ________________ method of measuring opinion leadership employs a self-administered questionnaire that requires respondents to evaluate the extent to which they have provided others with information about a product category or brand.

A) heuristic
B) key informant
C) self-designated
D) sociometric
E) challenge

Question 59

____________________, or the reputation of the retailer who sells the product, has a major influence on message credibility.

A) Vendor aura
B) Vendor credibility
C) Retail aura
D) Advertiser credibility
E) Advertiser aura

Question 60

The process by which one person informally influences the actions or attitudes of others is known as ________.

A) targeting
B) positioning
C) opinion leadership
D) referencing
E) blogging

Question 61

A __________________ score increases as the Twitter starts conversations and inspires social actions.

A) heuristic
B) key informant
C) self-designated
D) sociometric
E) Klout

Question 62

The three dimensions underlying consumers' engagement in ________ are tie strength, similarity among group members, and source credibility.

A) e-wom
B) impersonal communication
C) brand credibility
D) opinion leadership
E) publicity

Question 63

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, if the Stumblers are the first people to go see a new movie, they are considered ________.

A) consumer innovators
B) nonadopters
C) laggards
D) trial drivers
E) test consumers

Question 64

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

A) consumer innovators
B) nonadopters
C) laggards
D) trial drivers
E) test consumers

Question 65

When a product is first introduced, the ________ consider purchasing it to be risky because it is new. After a relatively small but not insignificant number of consumers purchased the product (and probably after the price has gone down), they conclude that purchasing the product is wise.

A) innovators
B) early adopters
C) early majority
D) late majority
E) laggards

Question 66

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) Salespeople
B) Consumer Reports
C) Opinion leaders
D) Spokespeople
E) Buzz agents

Question 67

The members of the ________ category of adopters are the very last consumers to purchase a new product. They are generally high risk-perceivers and the last ones to recognize the value of innovative products.

A) innovator
B) early adopter
C) early majority
D) late majority
E) laggard

Question 68

BZZAGENT MINI CASE: BzzAgent is a word-of-mouth marketing agency that runs brand advocate programs for global brands. It recently partnered with a company to pair its social media and word-of-mouth insights with shopper loyalty data. The results indicated that consumers who were making repeat purchases were also more engaged and created a higher volume of advocacy. The information from this study is important to marketers, who are trying to find ways to engage advocates and influencers, especially via social media. Marketers are trying to figure out the characteristics of individuals who are most likely to influence others.
In the BZZAGENT MINI CASE, which of the following is a likely motivation for the individuals who influence others?

A) Reduce post-purchase dissonance
B) Gain experience converting others
C) Gain attention from others
D) Show off expertise
E) All of the above

Question 69

The ________ category tends to perceive little risk in adopting new products. These consumers are even willing to pay high prices for newly-introduced products because they enjoy being the first to own them.

A) innovator
B) early adopter
C) early majority
D) late majority
E) laggard

Question 70

A ___________________, or a person who is knowledgeable about the nature of the social communications among members of a specific group, can identify individuals in the group who are opinion leaders.

A) heuristic
B) key informant
C) self-designated
D) sociometric
E) Klout

Question 71

Innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards are all ________.

A) adopter categories
B) diffusion stages
C) communications theories
D) marketing strategies
E) innovation strategies

Question 72

The ________________________ method measures opinion leadership by tracking person-to-person communications about a product or brand among members of a community where most people know each other by name.

A) heuristic
B) key informant
C) self-designated
D) sociometric
E) Klout

Question 73

The members of the ________ category of adopters take a relatively long time to evaluate whether or not they would benefit from owning a product and, most likely, perceive more risk in all consumption situations than members of the preceding adopter groups.

A) innovator
B) early adopter
C) early majority
D) late majority
E) laggard

Question 74

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 Stumblers are engaged in _________ when they advocate on behalf of products, like films, in social networks, brand communities, and blogs.

A) e-wom
B) impersonal communication
C) brand credibility
D) opinion leadership
E) publicity

Question 75

________ are considered expert informal sources of information.

A) Salespeople
B) Consumer Reports
C) Opinion leaders
D) Spokespeople
E) Buzz agents

Question 76

Which of the following is true of the characteristics of risk-averse consumers?

A) they tend to be outer-directed
B) they are not dogmatic
C) they have a low need for conformity
D) they are unlikely to be brand loyal
E) when assembled or unassembled products are available, they buy assembled versions of products, even if they are a bit more expensive

Question 77

BZZAGENT MINI CASE: BzzAgent is a word-of-mouth marketing agency that runs brand advocate programs for global brands. It recently partnered with a company to pair its social media and word-of-mouth insights with shopper loyalty data. The results indicated that consumers who were making repeat purchases were also more engaged and created a higher volume of advocacy. The information from this study is important to marketers, who are trying to find ways to engage advocates and influencers, especially via social media. Marketers are trying to figure out the characteristics of individuals who are most likely to influence others.
In the BZZAGENT MINI CASE, marketers are interested in finding individuals who influence others. The process by which one influential person informally influences the actions or attitudes of others is known as ________.

A) targeting
B) positioning
C) opinion leadership
D) referencing
E) blogging

Question 78

BZZAGENT MINI CASE: BzzAgent is a word-of-mouth marketing agency that runs brand advocate programs for global brands. It recently partnered with a company to pair its social media and word-of-mouth insights with shopper loyalty data. The results indicated that consumers who were making repeat purchases were also more engaged and created a higher volume of advocacy. The information from this study is important to marketers, who are trying to find ways to engage advocates and influencers, especially via social media. Marketers are trying to figure out the characteristics of individuals who are most likely to influence others.
In the BZZAGENT MINI CASE, the desirable brand advocates are engaged in _________ when they advocate on behalf of products in social networks, brand communities, and blogs.

A) brand credibility
B) impersonal communication
C) e-wom
D) adoption
E) publicity

Question 79

The ________ constitutes the first half of the "mass market" of consumers who would purchase a somewhat-established product.

A) innovator
B) early adopter
C) early majority
D) late majority
E) laggard

Question 80

________ are specialized, non-geographically bound communities formed on the basis of attachment to a product or brand.

A) Buzz marketers
B) Brand communities
C) Branded marketers
D) Opinion leaders
E) Publicity