The Various Agendas of Market Mavens

Abstract

A market maven is a highly social consumer who engages in many discussions regarding the marketplace and has a broad general knowledge of several products throughout the marketplace. They are eager to share the knowledge with other consumers and are often sought by other consumers for their information. It has been said that the behavior of market mavens is influenced by three different motives. The first is the obligation to share information, meaning some individuals feel that it is his or her duty to become knowledgeable and more discerning consumers. A second motive could be that of pleasure in sharing information. The final possible motive is the desire to help others. What drives market mavens to gather and disseminate product information? Are their motives truly selfless in nature? I contend that market mavens’ motives are not as altruistic in nature as prior research seems to suggest. Instead, in the present research, I suggest that a deeper and more selfish personal need to form and maintain a specific social identity may be attended to through market maven behavior. Perhaps the individual performing these marketing deeds is actually seeking approval and reassurance though his or her brand purchases and their resulting knowledge of products throughout the marketplace. The research in this thesis will act to uncover possible selfish and internally focused motives of marketing mavens.

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2007

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Massiah, Carolyn

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Business Administration

Degree Program

Marketing

Subjects

Business Administration -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Business Administration

Format

Print

Identifier

DP0022192

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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