Using college students as the market segment, describe the most relevant referen

Question

Using college students as the market segment, describe the most relevant reference group(s) and indicate the probable degree of influence on decisions for each of the following below. Please explain it in minimum 300 words with good examples:

a) Brand of toothpaste: friends, roommates = Low

b) Purchase of hybrid car: co-workers, friends = High

c) Purchase of breakfast cereal: family, roomates = Low (if for own use) to High (if group use)

d) Becoming a vegetarian: roommates, friends, family = Moderate

e) Choice of computer tablet such as the iPad: family members, friends = Moderate to high

Explanation / Answer

a) Brand of toothpaste: Friends, roommates=Low. The degree of influence is generally low for this products as people generally do not talk about which toothpaste do they use, thus word of mouth isn't spread. Also, people generally do not get influenced for toothpaste brand. People perceive toothpaste just as a daily use product which doesn't have thier social status or has various features to get influenced. The most relevant group would be roommates as they interact closely during use of toothpaste. Eg: roommates living in hostel life generally are aware of each others' toothpastes but never rarely get influenced by it.

b) Purchase of hybrid car: co-workers, friends = High. People generally perceive Car as a product that helps to display social status. Thus, co-workers and friends have high degree of influence in the purchase of hybrid car. Co-workers is the most relevant group. Eg: An office going person generally try to match the car purchase to his/her co-worker to showcase same status.

c) Purchase of breakfast cereal: family, roomates = Low (if for own use) to High (if group use). Both family and roommates are most relevant group when it comes to purchase of cereal as this product is consumed on regular basis in presence of family and roommmates. But it has low influence when it is only the one person who is consuming as he/she may buy anything of choice. But when a group decision is to be made as only one type of cereal needs to be purchased for all roommates or family members, then the degree of influence is high as each may have different choices. Eg: family memebers generally influence the decision as they try to purchase the most nutritional cereal.

d) Becoming a vegetarian: roommates, friends, family = Moderate. The degree of influence for this product is moderate as mostly people try to follow their food preference since childhood depending on the type of foof they get in the family. But, some times roommates and friends to affect to change the person from non-vegetarian to vegetarian and vice versa. The most relevant group would be roommates and friends as they may influence the eating habit within the group moderately. Eg: Roommates generally eats together in hostel thus the other person can influence the decision on food habits and preferences.

e) Choice of tablet: family members, friends = Moderate to high. Generally friends influence the choice of tablet as it also showcase social status and it is product with high features thus friends decision influences the choice. But, family members generally doesn't influence in the choice as for this technological products, we try to match with people who has same use as us. Thus, most relevant group would be friends. Eg: A school going student try to match his classmates' purchase as they have same utility .

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