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.

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 What is Opinion Leadership?

Opinion Opinion
Leader Receiver

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 Reasons for the Effectiveness of
Opinion Leadership
• Credibility
• Positive and Negative Product
Information
• Information and Advice
• Opinion Leadership Is Category-
Specific
• Opinion Leadership Is a Two-way
Street

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 Viral
• Buzz Marketing
Marketing
• Wildfire Marketing
• Avalanche Marketing

These terms describe any strategy that

encourages individuals to pass on a
marketing message to others.

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 Needs
• New-product or new usage information
• Reduction of perceived risk
• Reduction of search time
• Receiving the approval of the opinion
leader

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 Measurement of Opinion
Leadership
• Self-Designating
Method
• Sociometric Method
• Key Informant Method
• Objective Method

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 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?”

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 continued
OPINION
LEADERSHIP SAMPLE
DESCRIPTION OF METHOD
MEASUREMENT QUESTIONS 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.

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 Issues In Opinion Leadership and
Marketing Strategy
• Advertisements Stimulating Opinion
Leadership
• Word of Mouth May Be Uncontrollable
• Creation of Opinion Leaders

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