Profile of an Opinion leader

Innovativeness
Willingness

to talk
Self confidence
Gregariousness
Cognitive differentiation

Frequency and Overlap of Opinion

Leadership
The frequency of consumer opinion
leadership suggests that people are
sufficiently interested in at least one
product or product category and give
advice concerning it to others.
Opinion leadership tends to overlap
across certain combinations of interest
areas. Overlap is highest among product
categories that involve similar interest.

Market mavens
These consumers possess a wide range of
information about many different types of
products, retail outlets and other
dimensions of markets.

Situational Environment of Opinion

Leadership

The interpersonal flow of communication

Two-step

flow of communication theory.

Ideas flow from mass media
(e.g., newspapers, magazines, radio) to
opinion leaders and from them to the
general public.
Mass media

Step 1

Opinion
Leaders

Step 2

Opinion
Receivers

Multistep Flow of Communication theory

The information and influence often are two
way processes in which opinion leaders
both influence and are influenced by
opinion receivers
Mass Media

Step 1

Opinion
Leaders

Step 2
Step 3

Opinion
Receivers