Peer Pressure for Consumers

Today in class, we talked about TV shows using Twitter hashtags to generate buzz on social media. We discussed how there have been cases where people will see others tweeting about a show (most likely because it is on live), and then they start tweeting about it even if they aren't watching it. My roommates are all serious One Tree Hill fans and talked about the show 24-7. Because they were always tweeting about it and talking about it in front of me, I started watching the show just so I could join in the conversation!

One of my classmates connected this to a concept she had learned in another course where people are on an elevator and are all facing the "wrong way". The study shows that people who entered the elevator went along with it and stood that way simply because everyone else was. I tried to research the technical name for this topic but was unable to find a technical term for it.

However, this idea, or phenomenon, can definitely work in a marketer's favor. If people are tweeting or even talking about a particular brand, others may start using it just to be like everyone else. This reminds me of peer pressure, but in a less serious sense. People give in to trends or fads simply because it is the "cool" or accepted thing to do in society. Think about it- did people really start buying UGG boots because they thought they looked stylish and cute? Probably not. I remember my sister came home wearing UGGs and I made fun of her for having them. The following winter, everyone was wearing them, so they started to grow on me. Soon enough, I had my own pair.

Marketers can definitely take advantage of the concept of "peer pressure" if they are targeting middle school students or teenagers. I can vividly remember these years being full of trying to "fit in" or go along with what everyone else was doing to feel "cool". Companies geared at this age group can generate a lot of hype and buzz about their brand. Once one kid starts wearing that cool brand of shoes they saw on a TV commercial, many others will soon follow.

All of these ideas and examples relate to marketing because they show how easily people can be persuaded! Consumers may end up buying something simply because they'll feel more accepted. This can relate to the attitude theory- but in a different way. If people think that others have positive attitudes about a product/brand, they may think favorably about them, and result in making a purchase. I would call this the peer pressure attitude theory.