REFERENCE GROUPS AND FAMILY Influence

REFERENCE GROUPS AND FAMILY Influence

Group can be defined as a collection of two or more people who interact with one another to achieve the goals of individuals or groups. Broader scope of this definition is two or more people who interact in a routine.

Sometimes the Group are classified according to membership status. Group in which a person becomes a member atu have a qualification to become a member referred to the Membership Group. While the group in which an individual may not receive the membership, but acting as a member by adopting values, attitudes, and behavior of Group called Symbolic Group.

Understanding THE POWER OF REFERENCE GROUPS
Reference Group is a very important thing and the idea that a profound effect on consumer behavior. Reference Group is any person or group who is considered as a comparison (reference) for a person in shaping the values ​​of general or special, or in acting. From the marketing perspective, the Reference Group is a group that is considered as a basic reference for a person in determining their purchasing decisions or consumption.

Reference Group, which affect the value or behavior is widely called the Normative Reference Group. While the Reference Group, which is considered as a benchmark specifically for each attitude or behavior is called Comparative Reference Group. Normative Reference Group influenced the development of basic behaviors. Comparative Reference Group affects the expression of specific consumer attitudes and behavior.

A broadened perspective on reference group
Meaning Group reference change from year to year. Thus came the term Direct and Indirect Reference Group. Indirect Reference Group consists of individuals or groups not directly related, such as movie stars, athletes, politicians, tooh TV, or even people who have an attractive appearance that we met on the road - the road.

Factors that influence the Reference Group

Information and Experience, a person who has direct experience of a product or service, or people who can easily obtain detailed information about a product will be more difficult to be affected by the explanations of others. Conversely, someone with little or no experience about a product, or people who are not likely to get complete information about a product will easily accept the opinions or examples of other people (more easily influenced by other people's stories.)
Credibility, attractiveness, and Power Group Reference, Reference Group which is considered credible, interesting, and the ruling could lead to changes in consumer attitudes and behavior. For example if someone is looking for information about a product or service, they would prefer the opinions of people whom they feel the trust and knowledgeable. So they are more terppengaruh by people they consider to have high credibility. When someone wants to be accepted other grouped (considering the approval of people they like) that is, people who want to emulate or who provide status or other benefits, they will tend to use the product, brand, and behave the same with the group. When a person is more concerned with the power of a person / group of them, they may tend to choose products or services in accordance with the norms / rules of the group so as not to get a punishment or ridicule.

Various different reference groups may influence beliefs, attitudes, and behavior of people at different times or circumstances.

Conspicuousness of The Product, Potential Effect of a Reference Group to the purchasing decision a person differently according to how the prominence of a product is visually and verbally compared with other products. Products that stand out in Visual is a striking diperhatikkan product (such as luxury goods or new products), while prominent in Verbal Items may be a very interesting product or can be described more easily than others.
Reference Groups and Consumer Conformity, some marketers are interested in the Reference Group the ability to change consumer attitudes and behavior by encouraging the emergence of conformity (Conformity). For that matter - things that must be done by the Reference Group are: (1) Informing or attempting to make individuals aware of a particular brand or product specifications, (2) Provide kesempatn on individuals to compare their own thoughts with the attitude and behavior of groups, (3) Affect individuals to take the attitude or behavior in accordance with the norms of a group, (4) justify the decision to use the product - the same product group.

Selected CONSUMER-RELATED REFERENCE GROUPS
Consumers potentially influenced by various people who interact with them and that they observe. The group - the group include:

Friendship Groups, including groups Informal because there is no structure and not have special levels of authority. In terms of influence, friends are the greatest influence (the family) to the purchasing decision seseoarang.
Shopping Group, two or more people who go shopping together can be referred to as the Shopping Group. In this case serves as a Purchase Pals actors (friends buy). Motivation to shop with friends Purchasing (Purchase Pals) is diverse, particularly from social motives, to reduce risk when making important decisions.
Work Groups, the people who meghabiskan their time together - just because a job with a frequency that will often give each other an influence on their consumption behavior. Both Formal and Informal working group on the same - the same effect. Formal Work Group were those who worked together as a team, and thus they have the opportunity for mutual influence consumption behavior and actions of each other. Informal Work Group were those who became a meghabiskan teOrang their time together - just because a job with a frequency that will often give each other an influence on their consumption behavior. Both Formal and Informal working group on the same - the same effect. Formal Work Group were those who worked together as a team, and thus they have the opportunity for mutual influence consumption behavior and actions of each other. Informal Work Group were those who became friends as a result of working within the same company, although not involved in the same project.
Groups Or Virtual Communities, is a type of group formed by using internet technology. With the Internet, we can start a chat with the appropriate person or group we choose. For instance, an animal lover can initiate a chat with those who are also animal lovers. From the conversation that they can influence and inform each other about the purchase of food selection decisions for their pets.
Brand Communities, there are opinions that say that if we want to create loyalty in the eyes of consumers of our products, then we must have an active social life. Therefore, many companies make a variety of club / community for users of its products. For example, manufacturers who make the community Djarum Djarum Adventure.
Consumer - action groups, type of special group of consumers - the consumer action group - emerged as a reaction to the consumer movement. There are now many similar groups that are intended for member assistance to consumers in their efforts to purchase the right decisions, use products and services by a healthy and responsible, and usually increase their overall quality of life.

Consumer Action Group can be divided into two categories:

The group was formed to correct certain abuses against the consumer and then disperse
Group formed to discuss the broader problem areas and more in-depth and operated for a long period or indefinitely.

Celebrity Appeals GROUP AND OTHER REFERENCE

Celebrities, celebrities, especially movie stars, tv characters, popular entertainers, sports figures is an attraction that has been common reference group. For those who are loyal supporters and for most of the general public, these celebrities represent an attempt to achieve the ideal life that most people imagine that they love in life.
Experts, the type of attraction that is both a reference group of experts that is a person who because of work, specialized training, or experience is in a unique position to help potential customers evaluate the product or service being promoted ad.
Ordinary people, the attraction of a reference group that uses a statement that satisfied customers are known as common man approach. Gain the power of ordinary people is to show prospective customers that a person who just like they have used and are satisfied with the product or service advertised.
Speaker of the Executive and Employees, such as celebrity spokesperson, a spokesman for the executive look admired by the general public because of their success and status that implicitly given to corporate leaders.
Character of Commerce or Spokesperson, or trade characters Spokesperson used as supporting and providing an ideal image created and distributed information is very important for products or services they support.
Fascination Other Reference Group, various other promotional strategies to function creatively as a frame of reference for consumers. The retail merchant who is respected and isis editorial various special magazine also selected to serve as the frame of reference that influence consumer attitudes and behavior.

THE FAMILY IS A CONCEPT IN FLUX
Traditionally the family or the family can be defined as two or more persons who are bound by blood relationship, marriage, or adoption who live together. The family is sometimes called the household, but not all households are family because of the broader context of household in which the relationship is not always blood relatives but can a family of friends, cousins, homestay, and others.
In western society there are three types of families that dominate:

Married Couple (husband and wife), a husband and a wife, as a newly married couple and have not started a family or elderly couple who have been raising their children.
Nuclear Family (nuclear family), a married couple with one child or more.
Extended Family (extended family), eluarga core along with at least one grandparent living in the household.

Socialization OF FAMILY MEMBERS
The socialization of family members ranging from children to adults is a function of the principal family. In the socialization of young children, this process includes instill in children the basic values ​​and how to behave in accordance with the culture.
In general include moral and religious, interpersonal skills, standards of dress and makeup, good karma, karma said words and grammar, and the selection of education, job or career that fits.

Consumer Socialization of Children (Consumer Socialization of Children)
Children's socialization aspects relevant to the consumer behavior learning is the socialization of consumers, which can be defined as a process that allows the children acquire skills, knowledge, attitude, and experience to function as a consumer. The role of parents is very dominate in this socialization, such as:

The experience of shopping together (with families, relatives and friends)
Parents often use the promise or gift items as a tool to change / control the behavior of children

Consumer Socialization of Adults (Adult Consumer Socialization)
The process of socialization does not stop at childhood but continued and constant until adulthood. For example married couples newly married or retirees will experience the process of socialization that will be tailored to consumption associated with them.

Socialization Inter-Generation (Intergenerational Socialization)
It seems that loyalty to the selected product or option on one common brand is transferred from one generation to another genrasi. Intergenerational transfers brand - brand transfer between generations - which may even occur in three or four generations in the same family. Suppose that in consumer products such as ketchup, sauces, and cooking oil.

OTHER FUNCTION OF THE FAMILY
Three other basic functions of a given family is closely connected with the discussion of consumer behavior include:

Family Welfare (Economic Well-being), related to the financial condition and financial resources obtained. In its development is currently not only the husband who mencar a living, but his wife works, too. The kids had a dozen years have been trained to look for their own finances. These developments will affect the economic role within the family.
Emotional Support (Emotional Support), emotional support such as love, affection, and intimacy in the family members is the principal function of which is important for modern family. Other functions of the family also provided support, encouragement, and assist its members in dealing with decision-making and various personal or social problems.
Lifestyle Family Match (Suitable Family Lifestlyle), other important family function is the establishment of lifestyle / lifestyle suitable for families. Education, experience, personal goals or objectives established by husband and wife together determine the importance given to education, reading, watching television, computer skills, the selection of holidays and other recreational activities.

Decision Making Consumption FAMILY-RELATED AND Roles
Although many marketers know the family as the basic unit of consumption decisions, but most of them looking for attitude and behavior of a trusted family member as the primary decision maker.

The dynamics of decision making between husband and wife
There is interest in marketers will some relative factors that influence the consumption decisions made by husband and wife and can be classified as follows:

Husband-dominated - where the husband is more dominant in decision-making.
Wife-dominated - in which she is more dominant in decision-making.
Joint - Equal, Syncratic.
Autonomic - Solitary, Unilateral.

Some factors influencing dominance in consuming decision made by husband and wife are:

Depending on the category of product or service - the decision to buy depends on the type of product or service. For example, cars are usually more didominiasi by husband and interior problems are usually dominated by the wife.
Effect of culture - cultural differences also affect domination husband or wife in making purchasing decisions.
Cross-cultural

The development of children's role in decision-making in the family
In recent decades, children play akatif purchases made within the family, as well as consumer decision-making process within the family.
Some of the tactics used by the children to influence their parents:

Pressure tactics - the children make a request, using threats, or intimidation to persuade parents to follow their wishes.
Upward appeal - the children persuade parents saying that their request has been approved by an older family member, teacher or even a family friend.
Exchange tactics - the children make an appointment either implicitly or explicitly to help parents if they get what they want.
Coalition tactics - the children seek help from others to persuade their parents to comply with their request or seek support from others for that person to agree with these children
Ingratiating tactics - the kids find the right time in a state where their parents a good mood or make their parents have a good mood before they make a request.
Rational persuasion - the children use logical opinions and tangible evidence to persuade their parents agreed to their request.
Inspirational appeals - the children use emotional appeal or a proposal that creates a feeling of enthusiasm with the attraction values ​​of their parents.
Consultation tactics - the children find their parents' opinions in making decisions.

The family life cycle
The family life cycle can be interpreted as a description of a series of steps that will occur or be predicted that most families experienced. FLC consists of a variable that made the systematic combining demographic variables of marital status, family size, age of family members, and family head employment status.

Traditional FLC stage movement is largely a family pass, starting from the not yet married (single), married, family growth, shrinking family, and end with the termination of basic units.
Stages of the FLC model is:

Stage I: The Bachelor - youth / I single adult who lives separated from parents.
Stage II: Honeymooners - newly married young couples
Stage III: parenthood - a married couple at least one child who lived life together.
Stage IV: postparenthood-a married couple who are old where no child is to live life together.
Stage V: dissolution - one spouse has died.

Non-traditional FLC, namely:
a. Family household

Childless couples - couples who choose not to have children because of the couple prefer to work.
Couples who marry at the age above 30 years - married for too long due to a career in which to decide to have fewer children or just do not even have kids.
Couples who have children at ages that are too mature (over 30 years)
Single parent I - a single parent that occur because of divorce.
Single parent II - young men and women who have one or more children outside of marriage.
Single parent III - someone who adopted one or more children.
Extended family - someone who returned to live with his parents to avoid their own costs incurred while running his career. For example a child, or grandchild who divorce and then returned to his parents' house.

b. Non family household

The couple are not married
Divorce without children
Single person - those who delay marriage or even decide not to marry Untk
Widow or widower






Reference:
Schiffman, L.G., & Kanuk, L.L. 2007. Consumer Behavior, 9th ed. New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall.