MEMBERSHIP GROUPS
Because positive reference groups are important, Figure 14.1 further breaks down
membership and aspiration groups. In the middle of Figure 14.1, positive member
ship groups are classified as primary or secondary and informal or formal. If a
person has regular contact with certain individuals, such as family, friends, and
business associates, those individuals are a primary group Shopping groups,
political clubs, and fellow skiers or joggers constitute a person's "secondary groups'
because he or she has less frequent contact with them. Primary groups are more
important to the consumer in developing product beliefs, tastes, and preferences
and have a more direct influence on purchasing behavior. Reingen and his colleagues found that members of groups with the greatest contact in a variety of situations primary groups were more likely to buy the same brands. 13 Because of
their influence, these groups are more interesting to the marketer.