Consumer Behavior Assignment

1. The primary group is the most influential group of the four, an individual’s primary group would consist of individuals they talk and spend the most time with. In many cases this is one’s family as they are the people you live with and talk to every day. This gives your family a huge influence when it comes to your purchasing decisions as your preferences will be strongly correlated with theirs. This means you will buy products that fall more in line with the ideology of your primary group. For example, if my older brother is an individual that is really influenced by cars and the automotive industry then it is likely that I would grow up also being interested in them as a member of my primary group (in this case my brother) has a keen interest in the field.

The secondary group is also influential but holds much less power than the primary group. A secondary group would consist of individuals you interactive with consistently but not so frequently, a golfing team that meets up to play every 2 weeks would be an ideal example of a secondary group. The interactions you have with these people will have some level of influence on your purchasing behavior but it would be more focused on what the group talks about. This means that the influence on purchasing behavior that the golf club has on an individual would most likely not go beyond matters related golfing.

A formal group is much like a secondary group, but the individual is ‘officially’ a member of that group. A great example is that of being a member of a church, the individual is considered a formal member of the church but the influences on purchasing behavior are much more limited than that of the primary group. Another example of a formal group is that of an exclusive football club, the individual is a formal member of the club but purchasing decisions outside of football will most likely not be greatly affected.

An informal group is much like a formal one but without the formalities, your morning jogging buddies is a great example of an informal group. There is no official acceptance or membership into the group; it is simply a common interest that brings these individuals together. In that sense one could also see how purchasing influences do not go beyond the subject matter of the group itself. Meaning that purchasing influences outside of running/jogging would most likely not be greatly influenced by this group.

In a nutshell, primary groups hold the most power and are mainly consisted of one’s family members but can also include one’s close friends. A secondary group holds less influence than a primary group but still holds a significant level of influence when it comes to purchasing behavior. A formal group is one where membership is formally granted and acknowledged such as in joining church, formal groups can potentially have more influence than secondary groups but it would be limited to the subject matter of the formal group in question. Finally an informal group is essentially the same as a formal just without the formalities.