Reference Groups

One of the most persuasive groups to which an individual belongs or wishes to belong is a reference group. Reference groups may be as large as an entire citizenry or as small as a bridge club. Reference groups influence both a person’s attitude and his behaviour. In our Affordable Research Papers related to this topic we will briefly describe some aspects of this forceful group.
A reference group can simply be thought of as a group which serves as a standard or model for an individual’s own behaviour and attitudes. As the name implies, it is a group to which a person refers or ‘looks up to’ for guidance and evaluation of his own thoughts and actions. Reference groups are very effective in changing attitudes and behaviour, because people value the group and tend to evaluate themselves in comparison with it.
Reference group influences us in all spheres of life. Affordable research papers highlight the concept through marketing example. In the marketplace, some products and brands lend themselves readily to reference group pressures; whereas other products and brands are less susceptible. A survey research result on the issue is very crucial.
Where neither product nor brand appears to be associated strongly with reference group influence, advertising should emphasize the product’s attributes, intrinsic qualities, price and advantages over competitive products.
Where reference group influence is operative, the advertiser should stress the kinds of people who buy the products, reinforcing, and broadening where possible, the existing stereotypes of users. This involves learning what the stereotypes are and what specific reference groups enter into picture so that appeals can be tailored to each major group reached by the different media employed.
Since people have several reference groups, the marketing communicator must identify the primary reference group which people use in evaluating his firm’s product. The importance of this information is highly relevant to the design and implementation of marketing communication programs.

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