As individuals we often guide our behavior in a situation by our reference groups, these being the groups of people whose presumed perspectives or values are used as the basis for our behavior. Keep in mind; this is a little different from “peer pressure”, namely because those in the reference group may not even be aware of their influence (thus no pressure exists).
Looking at me you, for example, one could say I have the following reference groups: Immediate family, extended family, friends (which could break down even further into hometown friends, college friends, neighborhood friends…), colleagues, etc.
Are all reference groups equal? In most cases, they certainly are not. Typically only one group serves as a person’s primary point of reference.
4 Criteria for Classifying Reference Groups:
- Membership
- Strength of social ties (closeness of members)
- Type of contact (direct or indirect)
- Attraction
Attraction is a tricky criterion to understand. This is because it deals with desirability. Attraction may be negative or positive. Negative attraction to a group can lead to disassociative reference groups. For example, if you don’t like your boss, then you may seek to differentiate your lifestyle outside of work from the boss’. If he drives a Hummer, maybe you’ll stick to the sports car. On the other hand, the Thanksgiving Day table reference group may be a very positive influence (assuming you like your family or value their opinions).
In marketing we never want to discount the influence of our consumers’ reference groups. Oftentimes marketers will seek to tap into a market’s reference groups. One notable way is through endorsements. This is tapped into by finding the consumers’ “symbolic aspiration group.” For example, there is a good reason why Lacoste selected Andy Roddick, currently the #1 male tennis player in the U.S. (ATP rankings), to wear their brand. Andy’s attire, both on and off the court, can be influencing to not only his fans but also the general tennis community.
Market Intelligence, which should include Consumer Market Research and Consumer Profiling, is an essential for identifying the reference groups that may be influencing your market. Ask yourself, who’s influencing your market? If you don’t know the answer, find out!
