The process by which

one person (the

opinion leader)
informally influences
Opinion
the consumption
Leadership
actions or attitudes of
others who may be
opinion seekers or
opinion recipients.
What Is Opinion Leadership?

Opinion Opinion
Leader Receiver

Opinion
Seeker
Word of Mouth in Action
Figure 15-1
 Dynamics of the Opinion Leadership Process

• Credibility
• Positive and Negative Product Information
• Information and Advice
• Opinion Leadership Is Category-Specific
• Opinion Leadership Is a Two-way Street
Many not-for-
profit
organizations
that hope to
change
behavior,
count on
opinion
leaders.
 Motivations Behind Opinion
Leadership
Issues
• The Needs of • Self-involvement
Opinion Leaders • Social involvement
• The Needs of • Product involvement
Opinion Receivers • Message involvement
• Purchase Pals
• Surrogate Buyers
versus Opinion
Leaders
 Motivations Behind Opinion
Leadership
Issues
• The Needs of • New product or new usage
Opinion Leaders information
• The Needs of • Reduction of perceived
Opinion Receivers risk
• Purchase Pals • Reduction of search time
• Surrogate Buyers • Receiving the approval of
versus Opinion the opinion leader
Leaders
 Motivations Behind Opinion
Leadership
Issues
• The Needs of • Actually accompany
Opinion Leaders consumers on
• The Needs of shopping trips
Opinion Receivers • Used 25 percent of
the time for purchases
• Purchase Pals
of electronic
• Surrogate Buyers equipment
versus Opinion
Leaders
 Motivations Behind Opinion
Leadership
Issues
• The Needs of • Surrogate buyers may
Opinion Leaders replace opinion
• The Needs of leaders
Opinion Receivers • An example is a
• Purchase Pals wardrobe consultant
who helps in the
• Surrogate Buyers
purchase of business
versus Opinion
clothes
Leaders
 Key Differences Between Opinion Leaders and
Surrogate Buyers
Part I: Opinion Leaders

OPINION LEADER
1. Informal relationship with end users
2. Information exchange occurs in the context of a casual interaction
3. Homophilous (to a certain extent) to end users
4. Does not get paid for advice
5. Usually socially more active than end users
6. Accountability limited regarding the outcome of advice
7. As accountability limited, rigor in search and screening of alternatives
low
8. Likely to have used the product personally
9. More than one can be consulted before making a final decision
10. Same person can be an opinion leader for a variety of related product
categories
 Key Differences Between Opinion Leaders and
Surrogate Buyers
Part II: Surrogate Buyers

SURROGATE BUYER
1. Formal relationship; occupation-related status
2. Information exchange in the form of formal instructions/advice
3. Heterophilus to end users (that is, is the source of power)
4. Usually hired, therefore gets paid
5. Not necessarily socially more active than end-users
6. High level of accountability
7. Search and screening of alternatives more rigorous
8. May not have used the product for personal consumption
9. Second opinion taken on rare occasions
10. Usually specializes for a specific product/service category
 Measurement of Opinion Leadership

• Self-Designating Method
• Sociometric Method
• Key Informant Method
• Objective Method
 Measuring Opinion Leadership

OPINION LEADERSHIP
SAMPLE
MEASUREMENT DESCRIPTION OF METHOD
QUESTIONS ASKED
METHOD

SELF-DESIGNATING Each respondent is asked a “Do you influence

METHOD series of questions to determine other people in their
the degree to which he or she selection of
perceives himself or herself to products?”
be an opinion leader.

SOCIOMETRIC Members of a social system are “Whom do you

METHOD asked to identify to whom they ask?”“Who asks you
give advice and to whom they for info about that
go for advice. product category?”
OPINION
SAMPLE
LEADERSHIP
DESCRIPTION OF METHOD QUESTIONS
MEASUREMENT
ASKED
METHOD

KEY INFORMANT Carefully selected key informants in “Who are the most
METHOD a social system are asked to influential people in
designate opinion leaders. the group?”

OBJECTIVE Artificially places individuals in a “Have you tried the

METHOD position to act as opinion leaders product?”
and measures results of their efforts.
 Profile of Opinion Leaders
GENERALIZED
CATEGORY-SPECIFIC
ATTRIBUTES ACROSS
ATTRIBUTES
PRODUCT CATEGORIES
Innovativeness IIntere
t st
Willingness to talk Knowledge
Self-confidence Special-interest media exposure
Gregariousness ame age
Cognitive Same sociial status
differentiation ocial expo sure outside group
S

S
 Individuals whose
influence stems from a
general knowledge or
Market
market expertise that
Maven
leads to an early
awareness of new
products and services.
 The Interpersonal Flow of Communication

• Two-Step Flow
– A communication model that portrays opinion
leaders as direct receivers of information
from mass media sources who, in turn,
interpret and transmit this information
• Multistep Flow
– A revision of the traditional two-step theory
that shows multiple communication flows
Two-Step Flow of Communication
Theory
 Multistep Flow of
Communication Theory
 Issues in Opinion Leadership and Marketing
Strategy

• Advertisements Stimulating Opinion

Leadership
• Word of Mouth May Be Uncontrollable
 Marketers Seek to Take Control of the Opinion
Leadership Process

• Creating products with built-in buzz

potential
• Strategy designed to stimulate buzz
• Viral marketing
• Weblogs