How and Why Consumers Buy 89
➤ Social class.Social classesare relatively homogeneous and enduring divisions in a
society. They are hierarchically ordered and their members share similar values,
interests, and behavior (see Table 3.1). Social classes reflect income as well as
occupation, education, and other indicators. Those within each social class tend to
behave more alike than do persons from different social classes. Also, within the
culture, persons are perceived as occupying inferior or superior positions according
to social class. Social class is indicated by a cluster of variables rather than by any
single variable. Still, individuals can move from one social class to another—up or
down—during their lifetime. Because social classes often show distinct product and
brand preferences, some marketers focus their efforts on one social class. Neiman
Marcus, for example, focuses on the upper classes, offering top-quality merchandise
in upscale stores with many personal services geared to these customers’ needs.Social Factors Influencing Buyer Behavior
In addition to cultural factors, a consumer’s behavior is influenced by such social fac-
tors as reference groups, family, and social roles and statuses.
Reference Groups
Reference groupsconsist of all of the groups that have a direct (face-to-face) or indi-
rect influence on a person’s attitudes or behavior. Groups that have a direct influence
on a person are called membership groups.Some primary membership groups are family,
friends, neighbors, and co-workers, with whom individuals interact fairly continuously
and informally. Secondary groups, such as professional and trade-union groups, tend
to be more formal and require less continuous interaction. Reference groups expose
people to new behaviors and lifestyles, influence attitudes and self-concept, and create
pressures for conformity that may affect product and brand choices.
People are also influenced by groups to which they do not belong. Aspirational
groupsare those the person hopes to join; dissociative groupsare those whose values or
behavior an individual rejects.
Although marketers try to identify target customers’ reference groups, the level of
reference-group influence varies among products and brands. Manufacturers of prod-
ucts and brands with strong group influence must reach and influence the opinion
leaders in these reference groups. An opinion leaderis the person in informal product-
related communications who offers advice or information about a product or product
category.^4 Marketers try to reach opinion leaders by identifying demographic and psy-
chographic characteristics associated with opinion leadership, identifying the pre-
ferred media of opinion leaders, and directing messages at the opinion leaders. For
example, the hottest trends in teenage music and fashion start in America’s inner cities,
then spread to youth in the suburbs. As a result, clothing companies that target teens
carefully monitor the style and behavior of urban opinion leaders.
Family
The family is the most important consumer-buying organization in society, and it has
been researched extensively.^5 Thefamily of orientationconsists of one’s parents and sib-
lings. From parents, a person acquires an orientation toward religion, politics, and
economics as well as a sense of personal ambition, self-worth, and love.^6 A more direct
influence on the everyday buying behavior of adults is the family of procreation—namely,
one’s spouse and children.
Marketers are interested in the roles and relative influence of the husband, wife,
and children in the purchase of a large variety of products and services. These roles
vary widely in different cultures and social classes. Vietnamese Americans, for example,