Market mavens: Psychological influences

Market mavens are consumers who are highly involved in the marketplace and represent an important source of marketplace information to other consumers. Because of their influence on other consumers across a wide range of product domains, market mavens are particularly interesting to retailers. Previous studies have clarified the behavioral tendencies of market mavens. The present study focuses on psychological influences on market mavenism. A structural‐equation model of the normative influences on the psychology of the market maven is developed and tested. The hypothesized model describes relationships between global psychological constructs (self‐esteem, tendency to conform), consumer traits (susceptibility to interpersonal influence, consumer need for uniqueness), and a domain‐specific tendency (opinion leadership), placing the market maven construct in a normative, nomological network. The hypothesized model was supported by the data. The findings reveal the complexity of the market maven by disclosing their susceptibility to normative influence despite their need for uniqueness. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

In Search of the “Meta‐Maven”: An Examination of Market Maven Behavior across Real‐Life,Web, and Virtual World Marketing Channels

Recently, a new set of channels for consumer and business interaction have emerged—three‐ dimensional “virtual” worlds. This study attempts to better understand the nature of market maven behavior (diffusers of general marketplace and shopping information) across three different channels—virtual worlds, the Web, and real‐life—and to examine the extent to which market maven behavior is transferable across channel context (i.e., “fluid”) or channel dependent. Using data from two surveys (one in the virtual world “Second Life” and a follow‐up Web survey for the same respondents), this paper explores differences and determinants of maven behavior. Employing partial least squares analysis, the findings indicate that market maven propensity is transferable across channels (i.e., high‐scoring market mavens retain this across channel). However, while there may be the transferability of market maven behavior across channels, the findings demonstrate that maven propensity is influenced by the channel context. Consequently, individuals with high maven propensity tend to exhibit channels in which this behavior is more prominent. Therefore, market maven behavior might not only span general product categories, but also the channel itself (i.e., maven behavior remains fairly constant—or fluid—across channel). The findings also point to possible characteristics that may be used in the identification of market mavens: market mavens typically have greater cognizance of other mavens, are technology‐savvy and individualistic, are of either gender and tend to be older and more intensive and experienced users of Web platforms and also intensive users of virtual worlds than those with low maven propensity. The findings of the study contribute to understanding market maven behavior, and provide an insight into the practices of mavens in a multichannel context, particularly in the case of the emerging channels that are virtual worlds.     

I complain for your good? Re-examining consumer advocacy

Marketplace helping behavior such as opinion leadership, market maven, and purchase pals that benefit others has been extensively studied. A diverse but similar to other marketplace helping behaviors is the concept of consumer advocacy. Extant review of literature reveals that customer advocacy and consumer advocacy are conceptually different. The former is an organization level construct, and the latter is an individual consumer's ‘generalized tendency to share market information’. It is argued that a following dissatisfactory service encounter, consumer advocates would indulge in market placing helping behavior such as negative word of mouth to prevent other consumers' from having similar marketplace disappointments. Hence, prior studies link consumer advocacy to ‘altruistic tendencies’. On the basis of self-construal theory, this study investigates the motivations for consumer advocacy. Using a scenario-based experimentation implemented in survey method; we establish that consumer advocacy is motivated by an amalgamation of altruism and self-interest. We also operationalize third-party complaint construct and empirically test whether consumer advocacy is a predictor.     

Race,sex, and fashion innovativeness: A replication

This article reports a study of differences in self-reported fashion innovativeness, fashion opinion leadership, and spending for new fashions between middle-class blacks and whites of both sexes. The data was obtained by a mail survey from a random sample of 568 consumers from five states. Analysis of covariance with the effects of age and income controlled indicated (1) a strong main effect for sex, with women reporting greater fashion innovativeness, opinion leadership, and spending than men; (2) a weak main effect for race, with blacks reporting greater innovativeness, opinion leadership, and spending than whites. The difference between the sexes was larger than the difference between races, and no interaction effects were observed.     

Accelerating new product diffusion: How lead users serve as opinion leaders in social networks

In social networks or, more specifically, online communities on tech-products, opinion leaders are important sources of advice for other consumers in the adoption and diffusion of new products. However, possibilities for potential users to exert their influence on opinion leadership are ignored. This study determines whether and how lead users may serve as opinion leaders in social networks and advise other consumers in the adoption and diffusion of new products. Our survey with 308 users in the Xiaomi and Huawei communities suggests that higher lead userness is positively and significantly associated with the likelihood of opinion giving and passing. Product-possessing innovativeness has a higher impact compared with information-possessing innovativeness. Product involvement does not enhance the effect of information-possessing innovativeness. The findings provide a better understanding of the formation of opinion leadership in social networks for an accelerated diffusion of new products.     

Opinion leaders and followers: A replication and extension

Opinion leadership has been a central construct in studies of new product diffusion models. Flynn, Goldsmith, and Eastman (1996) introduced the related concept of opinion seeking and documented its measurement properties. This replication and extension paper examines these two concepts, using their original scales and placing them in a nomological model that includes innovativeness and computer and software use as antecedents. The research model is tested empirically using a convenience sample of 123 Israeli consumers, with regression models and a multiple discriminant analysis. Innovativeness and computer usage were found to explain opinion leadership and opinion seeking. Opinion leadership and opinion seeking predicted several computer‐related outcomes. The findings can be used to identify and utilize the differing information search profiles for opinion leaders and seekers. The former use a variety of sources, such as store visits and category‐specific newspapers and magazines. In contrast, seekers rely more on expert advice from opinion leaders. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Body modifications and young adults: Predictors of intentions to engage in future body modification

The current study employs the theory of extended self to examine fashion leadership and its predictive value of intention to engage in body modification behavior. Data were collected using a survey. Participants included 454 students from two universities located in the southern United States. Findings identify new relationships among vanity, impulsiveness, market maven and reveal a significant, but weak, relationship between fashion leadership and future intentions. The strong relationship between previous behaviors and future intentions indicates that college students who previously engaged in body modification are likely to repeat the behavior. The current findings offer management new insight as to the importance of and motivations to engage in body modification.     

Development of consumer techno segmentation and its application to international markets

This study aimed to develop consumer techno segments based on technology‐related psychographic variables in four different countries including the US, Canada, Spain and Italy. The respondents' technology innovativeness, technology opinion leadership, network externality risk and technology anxiety were used as metrics to identify consumer techno segments. Cluster analysis identified three to four distinct techno segments in each country. Multivariate analysis of variance and univariate analyses were used to validate the differences among techno segments in need for change, leisure orientation and e‐shopping preference in each local market. The similarities and differences of each techno segment were examined across different international markets. A discussion and implications were drawn to help marketers develop penetration and market strategies for different international markets by understanding an expected diffusion rate of a new product and of product life cycles for each local market.     

Market Orientation, Innovativeness, Product Innovation, and Performance in Small Firms

Most research on market orientation, innovation and performance is related to big enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In this study a model is developed to investigate the combined effect of market orientation and innovativeness on product innovation and company performance, for small firms. A specific feature of our research is that we use an objective measure for product innovation in contrast to the self-reported measures commonly used in research on innovation. To test our model data from 152 rose growers were used. This study's results show that the owner's innovativeness permeates all variables in the model and has a positive influence on market orientation, innovation, and performance. An interesting research result is also that customer market intelligence influences product innovation positively or negatively, depending on whether the innovativeness of the owner in the new product domain is weak or strong.     

The impact of market orientation on product innovativeness and business performance

The paper reports a study of the impact of market orientation on business performance. The use of product innovativeness is proposed as a mediator of the influence of market orientation on business performance. Product innovativeness is defined along two dimensions: use of new-to-the-firm and use of new-to-the-market products. Business performance was represented by relative price premium, sales growth, capacity utilization, and profitability. The findings provide support for the positive influence of market orientation on both dimensions of product innovativeness. However, only use of new-to-the-market products turns out to be a positive contributor to business performance.     

Relationships among fashion consumer groups,locus of control,boredom proneness,boredom coping and intrinsic enjoyment

Fashion change agents and fashion followers differ in their need for mental stimulation. Within a context of fashion diffusion theory, this study examined the effects of locus of control and fashion consumer group on three attributes linked to mental stimulation – boredom proneness, intrinsic enjoyment, and boredom coping. For this US sample of young women, an internal locus of control orientation was associated with a higher level of fashion innovativeness and opinion leadership. Fashion change agents, with either an internal or external locus of control orientation, and fashion followers with an external locus of control orientation, were similar in their heightened ability to entertain themselves (internal stimulation). Fashion followers with an external locus of control orientation were less able to entertain themselves than the other three groups.     

Factors Associated with Opinion Seeking

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between opinion seeking and cultural values and individual characteristics in the context of electronic products by surveying cosmopolitan adults of 15 nationalities, namely, American, Australian, British, Dutch, Filipino, German, Hong Konger, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Malaysian, New Zealander, Singaporean, Swedish, and Thai. It finds (i) positive correlation between opinion seeking and power distance, category knowledge, category purchase intention, category innovativeness, opinion giving, market maven, brand loyalty, and susceptibility to interpersonal influence, (ii) negative correlation between opinion seeking and the masculinity and uncertainty avoidance cultural dimensions, category ownership, self-esteem, education, and age, and (iii) no correlation between opinion seeking and individualism, long-term orientation, and risk taking. It then discusses the managerial implications of the findings.     

Exploring the Impact of Cultural Value Orientations on Market Mavenism and Opinion Leadership

Market mavens and opinion leaders are two key types of consumer influentials. The focus of this research is to extend their predictor characteristics by drawing on the four-way horizontal and vertical individualism-collectivism typology. The theoretical and practical contributions of this study are established by the findings based on the survey data collected from 313 online consumer panelists in the United States. Market mavenism and opinion leadership were independent yet moderately related concepts. Vertical individualism and horizontal collectivism were significant predictors of both market mavenism and opinion leadership while horizontal individualism affected only market mavenism. Vertical collectivism did not predict either type of consumer influentials. Interaction with service employees moderated the relationships between horizontal collectivism and market mavenism and between vertical individualism and opinion leadership.     

A cognitive model to predict domain-specific consumer innovativeness

Marketers who launch innovative products need to identify consumers who are willing to learn about, buy, and use these innovations. To optimize marketing campaigns, practitioners need to know the characteristics of this key segment in the diffusion process. Previous research, however, provides confounding results about antecedents of innovativeness because of two limitations: (1) previous studies have conceptualized innovativeness on different levels of abstraction (2) previous studies have not taken into account the influence of the product category. The present paper suggests a conceptual framework to overcome these shortcomings. Based on this framework, the paper suggests a theoretically founded cognitive model of domain-specific innovativeness for a product category with a utilitarian benefit. This model is empirically tested in the field of automotive interior. To this end, 521 German car drivers were surveyed. The results of structural equation modeling show that domain-specific innovativeness for utilitarian products is mainly influenced by specific need for cognition, special interest media usage and domain-specific opinion leadership.     

How fashion cewebrity influences customer engagement behavior in emerging economy? Social network influence as moderator

Social media provides opportunities for individuals to become cewebrities by gaining fame via their presence on different platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. But, how cewebrities are engaging consumers is an under-developed research area that needs researchers' attention. Therefore, this research aims to determine the influence of fashion cewebrity on opinion leaders and customer engagement behaviors in the apparel fashion industry. Also, the moderating role of social networking influence in the relationship between opinion leadership and customer engagement is tested. The data was collected from 472 consumers following fashion cewebrities of five luxury apparel brands, and hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. The results confirmed the validity of the newly established scale of fashion cewebrity and endorsed the fashion cewebrity's impact on opinion leadership while opinion leadership mediates the fashion cewebrity – customer engagement behavior relationship. This study proposes that the managers should involve fashion cewebrities during all product development and promotion stages and establish collaboration to reap profit and create strong brand equity.     

Gender,fashion consumer group,need for touch and Korean apparel consumers' shopping channel preference

Shopping preferences are affected by the culture in which an individual grows up as well as by individual differences in consumers such as differences in gender, fashion leadership and need for touch. The current study examined the influence of consumers' need for touch and fashion leadership on preference for shopping outlets (e.g. touch and non‐touch shopping channels) between genders and within a particular culture. The purpose of this study was to examine gender, fashion consumer group, need for touch and Korean apparel consumers' shopping channel preference. Participants were a convenience sample of 262 Korean college students who were recruited in Changwon, South Korea. A questionnaire was compiled that included a request for demographic information, the Need For Touch scale, the Measure of Fashion Innovativeness and Opinion Leadership, and items assessing preference for touch and non‐touch shopping channels for clothing. Women and men did not differ in overall need for touch or instrumental need for touch. Fashion change agents and fashion followers did not differ in their preference for touch and non‐touch shopping channels. Preference for touch shopping channels was more greatly affected by variables such as need for touch, gender, and fashion innovativeness and opinion leadership than preference for non‐touch shopping channels. Preference for non‐touch shopping channels was virtually unaffected by the variables examined in the current study. Implications for theory and research are provided.     

Young consumers’ innovativeness in apparel choices: A model including consumer self‐confidence

In industries with network effects, consumer innovators help to trigger the critical mass needed for a product innovation to be successful. Thus, firms can benefit from actions that increase consumer innovativeness in their target markets. Consumer innovativeness has been associated with variables such as hedonic shopping motivation, impulsiveness and status seeking. There is limited work on the impact on consumer innovativeness of consumer characteristics that reflect consumers’ self‐confident ability to choose. This study proposes and tests a model for consumer innovativeness that incorporates variables from previous research and uncovers the importance of consumer self‐confidence. We collect survey data from 534 Chilean girls, ages 10–15. After building constructs with the help of exploratory factor analysis, we analyze the data with linear regression estimation (via OLS). Our results reveal that consumer self‐confidence is positively and significantly related to consumer innovativeness. Our findings also add evidence ‐from a younger age group‐ regarding the significance of status seeking, impulsiveness and hedonic shopping motivation on consumer innovativeness. Results suggest that companies could leverage consumer innovativeness by taking actions to increase consumers’ self‐confidence. Innovative apparel choices in young consumers could possibly also be strengthened by communicating status achievement and by enhancing shopping enjoyment.     

Antecedents and outcomes of fashion innovativeness in retailing

Challenging market conditions force the fashion industry to find new ways of introducing new products, adjusting and stimulating unplanned purchases within fashion stores. Fashion innovativeness and visual merchandising play a key role in this challenge. This study examines how fashion innovativeness is related to motivational factors for shopping and actual unplanned purchases in fashion retailing. It also investigates the moderating effect of visual merchandising on the relationship between fashion innovativeness and unplanned purchases. The data, obtained through a consumer survey, were analysed using factor analyses and structural equation modelling. The results show that fashion innovativeness is positively affected by sexual attraction, shopping for recreation, recognition enhancement, and aesthetic expression, and positively influences unplanned purchases. The link between fashion innovativeness and unplanned purchases is moderated by visual merchandising. This study also provides recommendations for retailers on increasing unplanned purchases in their stores using the concept of fashion innovativeness.     

Natural Environment,Market Orientation,and Firm Innovativeness: An Organizational Life Cycle Perspective

Drawing upon the corporate social responsibility literature, we investigate the moderating effects of the natural environment and the stage of an organization's life cycle on the market orientation to firm innovativeness relationship. Through 229 owners or chief executive officer respondents, our results establish evidence of (1) a positive linkage between market orientation and firm innovativeness; (2) natural environmental policy positively moderating the market orientation to firm innovativeness relationship; and (3) organizational life cycle negatively moderating market orientation to innovativeness. Our findings suggest ventures characterized as being early in the organizational life cycle are more likely to have a positive environmental policy toward the natural environment leading to a competitive advantage through firm innovativeness.     

Marketing Innovativeness on Marketing Performance: Role of Religio-Centric Relational Marketing Strategy

Abstract

This paper is an empirical study aimed at investigating the effect of marketing innovativeness, market sensing capabilities and customer relationship management on marketing performance. The researchers tried to develop and solve the problem of the gap between marketing innovativeness and marketing performance. The respondents of this study were 318. Some of them are leaders or owners of SMEs Muslim fashion in Central Java, Indonesia. Data was analyzed by using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results of the study show that marketing innovativeness (MI) has no significant effect on marketing performance (MP), while market sensing capabilities (MSC) and Customer Relationship Management Capabilities (CRMC) have a significant effect on marketing performance. Likewise, marketing innovativeness, market sensing capabilities, and CRM capabilities have a significant effect on the religio-centric relational marketing strategy. Furthermore, religio-centric relational marketing strategy (RRMS) is able to mediate the relationship between marketing innovativeness and marketing performance.