Research Recap
Opinion Leaders or Opinion Followers? The Effect of Centrality on Susceptibility to Group Influence
Key Takeway
Marketers should adjust their expectations of the social influence of consumers with a large number of ties. Sometimes, social influencers want to be opinion followers rather than leaders. To harness their potential as brand influencers, marketers may need to underline the fit between the brand's traits and the community's values.
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Marketers frequently seek to spread word-of-mouth about brands through “central consumers,” consumers with relatively large number of social ties. An important question is whether these central consumers judge products and ideas independently or are influenced by others’ opinions. Are they opinion leaders or opinion followers?
The authors examine central consumers’ susceptibility to group influence using an experimental paradigm. Building on previous research, they suggest that centrality increases susceptibility to group influence (SGI) through group identification, and decreases SGI through self-perceived status. They investigate their framework in four studies across diverse group contexts (walking group, movie review website, social club, tennis club) using different measures of SGI (intent to follow a trend, deviation from mean group rating, self-reported SGI, and agreement with group opinion).
Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that centrality simultaneously enhances self-perceived status and group identification, and that each has an opposite effect on susceptibility to group influence. They also show that by focusing on the net effect, one could erroneously deduce a null effect of centrality on SGI.
A third study demonstrates that focusing central individuals on the importance of status lessens susceptibility to group influence. In contrast, focusing central individuals on group identification increases SGI.
Study 4 tests the moderating role of group setting characteristics. Specifically, fostering a competitive environment (which amplifies the importance of status) results in central consumers being less susceptible to group influence. However, fostering a collective environment (which encourages group identification) results in higher SGI.
Marketers should adjust expectations of central consumers. Under certain conditions, the central will be a follower rather than an influencer. For example, central consumers may avoid expressing opinions or endorsing brands that exhibit low fit with the community’s values and norms, especially in communities that do not tolerate overt status signaling.
Marketers can shape the flow of influence. Marketers and policy makers may affect the influence flow from the group to the central by focusing consumers on status versus group identification.
Marketers can harness the central’s SGI to overcome the “conversion challenge.” With the flourishing of influencer-marketing, central consumers receive numerous brand endorsement requests and carefully select among them. It may be easier to turn a central consumer into an influencer, by underlining the fit between the brand's traits and the community's values.
Edith Shalev is Assistant Professor of Marketing, William Davidson Faculty of IE and Management, Technion Institute of Technology. Rom Schrift is Assistant Professor of Marketing, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful for the financial support of Marketing Science Institute (MSI grant #4-2016) and for the support of the Wharton Behavioral Lab.
Marketers frequently seek to spread word-of-mouth about brands through “central consumers,” consumers with relatively large number of social ties. An important question is whether these central consumers judge products and ideas independently or are influenced by others’ opinions. Are they opinion leaders or opinion followers?
The authors examine central consumers’ susceptibility to group influence using an experimental paradigm. Building on previous research, they suggest that centrality increases susceptibility to group influence (SGI) through group identification, and decreases SGI through self-perceived status. They investigate their framework in four studies across diverse group contexts (walking group, movie review website, social club, tennis club) using different measures of SGI (intent to follow a trend, deviation from mean group rating, self-reported SGI, and agreement with group opinion).
Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that centrality simultaneously enhances self-perceived status and group identification, and that each has an opposite effect on susceptibility to group influence. They also show that by focusing on the net effect, one could erroneously deduce a null effect of centrality on SGI.
A third study demonstrates that focusing central individuals on the importance of status lessens susceptibility to group influence. In contrast, focusing central individuals on group identification increases SGI.
Study 4 tests the moderating role of group setting characteristics. Specifically, fostering a competitive environment (which amplifies the importance of status) results in central consumers being less susceptible to group influence. However, fostering a collective environment (which encourages group identification) results in higher SGI.
Managerial implications
Marketers should adjust expectations of central consumers. Under certain conditions, the central will be a follower rather than an influencer. For example, central consumers may avoid expressing opinions or endorsing brands that exhibit low fit with the community’s values and norms, especially in communities that do not tolerate overt status signaling.
Marketers can shape the flow of influence. Marketers and policy makers may affect the influence flow from the group to the central by focusing consumers on status versus group identification.
Marketers can harness the central’s SGI to overcome the “conversion challenge.” With the flourishing of influencer-marketing, central consumers receive numerous brand endorsement requests and carefully select among them. It may be easier to turn a central consumer into an influencer, by underlining the fit between the brand's traits and the community's values.
Edith Shalev is Assistant Professor of Marketing, William Davidson Faculty of IE and Management, Technion Institute of Technology. Rom Schrift is Assistant Professor of Marketing, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful for the financial support of Marketing Science Institute (MSI grant #4-2016) and for the support of the Wharton Behavioral Lab.