Group conformity, opinion leaders and peer pressure

Groups

A group is two or more individuals who share a set of norms, have role relationships and interdependent behaviours.Groups influence the socialisation process. They influence what we learn and how we behave.

Maslows hierachy of needs

The basis of Maslow's theory of motivation is that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower needs need to be satisfied before higher needs can be addressed. Maslow states that there are general needs (physiological, safety, love, and esteem) which have to be fulfilled before a person is able to act unselfishly. These needs were dubbed "deficiency needs." While a person is motivated to fulfill these desires, they continue to move toward growth, and eventually self-actualization. The satisfaction of these needs is quite healthy. while preventing their gratification makes us ill or act evilly.

Maslow suggests that man is a social animal and that man needs unconditional positive regard. Children learn through conditional positve regard. In a marketiong context, marketers and advertising use 'belonging' as a pivotal message in advertising campaigns.





Social comparison theory

The social comparison theory, suggests that people look to the behaviour of others to provide a guide and to reassure us about our self-evaluation. Consumers are selective about who they us as benchmarks in their purchasing decision. Generally speaking, for social comparisons people tend to choose a peer or a person of a standing equivalent to compare themselves with.

Opinion Leaders

An individual whose ideas and behavior serve as a model to others. Opinion leaders communicate messages to a primary group, influencing the attitudes and behavior change of their followers. Therefore, in certain marketing instances, it may be advantageous to direct the communications to the opinion leader alone to speed the acceptance of an advertising message. For example, advertisers may direct a dental floss promotion to influential dentists or a fashion campaign to female celebrities. In both instances, the advertiser is using the opinion leader to carry and "trickle down" its message to influence its target group. Because of the important role opinion leaders play in influencing markets, advertisers have traditionally used them to give testimonials.

Peer pressure

Peer pressure refers to the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values or behaviour in order to conform to group norms. Social groups affected include membership groups, when the individual is 'formally' a member or a social clique.


Video of how to build trust and confidence with a customer, through a variety of ways.