The Market Maven: A Diffuser of Marketplace Information
研究开发了Likert量表测量消费者传播购物和市场信息的倾向，发现这类“市场行家”被其他消费者认可并影响其购买决策，但无明确的社会经济特征。
The research focus is individuals who have information about many kinds of products, places to shop, and other facets of the market, and initiate discussions with and respond to information requests from other consumers. Specifically, the authors develop a Likert-type scale to measure consumers’ propensity to provide general shopping and marketplace information. Consumers scoring high on this scale are referred to as “market mavens.” Based on a national sample of 1531 households, the findings indicate that market mavens exist and that other consumers recognize them. Consumers believe market mavens are influential in their purchasing decisions. The authors document the distinctness of market mavens from other influencers. They test several propositions about the market attitudes and behaviors of market mavens, but find no clear socioeconomic and demographic profile of these influencers. The results have implications for marketing managers and suggest a reexamination of the approach to information diffusion.