Adolescent Influence on Parental Purchase Decisions: Typology of Innovative Products

Abstract

Purpose -There is common agreement that children's infl uence on parents to purchase products depends on the product category (products for a child vs. products for the family; minor everyday purchases vs. shopping goods). However, purchasing an innovative product in the presence of an adolescent, compared to the purchase of traditional products, creates a special context in which an adolescent might be considered a substantial source of expertise with diverse levels of impact on parents. The current research aims to demonstrate the magnitude of adolescents' impact on parents when purchasing innovative products, and to cluster the products based on the size of the impact and the level of the perceived innovativeness. Specifi c characteristics of clusters and the implications for marketers are discussed.Design/Methodology/Approach -An Internet panel was used to survey parents and adolescents from Lithuania on their assessment of the level of innovativeness and the level of children's infl uence on the purchasing 14 product groups. Within each group, an innovative product preselected on the basis of qualitative interviews was paired with the usual product in the category. SažetakSvrha -Uobičajeno je mišljenje da utjecaj djece na roditelje u kupovini proizvoda ovisi o kategoriji proizvoda (proizvod za dijete u odnosu na proizvod za obitelj; manje svakodnevne u odnosu na kupovinu trajnih proizvoda). No kupovina inovativnog proizvoda u prisutnosti adolescenta, u usporedbi s kupovinom tradicionalnog proizvoda, stvara poseban kontekst gdje adolescent može biti smatran značajnim izvorom stručnosti s različitim razinama utjecaja na roditelje. Cilj istraživanja jest pokazati intenzitet adolescentskog utjecaja na roditelje pri kupovini inovativnih proizvoda i grupirati proizvode na temelju veličine utjecaja i razine percipirane inovativnosti. Razmatraju se specifi čne značajke grupa proizvoda i implikacije za marketinške stručnjake.Metodološki pristup -Primjenom internetskog panela, ispitivani su roditelji i adolescenti iz Litve u vezi s vlastitom procjenom razine inovativnosti i utjecaja djece na kupovinu 14 grupa proizvoda. Unutar svake grupe, inovativni je proizvod prethodno odabran na temelju kvalitativnih intervjua, uparen s uobičajenim proizvodom iz iste kategorije. Potom su proizvodi grupirani prema razini inovativnosti i adolescentskog utjecaja na roditelje. 24Vol. 30, No. 1, 2018, pp. 23-39 Later, the products were clustered by the level of innovativeness and the adolescents' impact on parents.Findings and implications -The products were clustered to demonstrate important implications for marketers, namely, where the infl uence of adolescents on parental purchase decisions is stronger and where it is weaker.Limitations -An examination of selected products shows the interrelationships between their perceived innovativeness and the impact of adolescents on their parents' purchase; however, the fi ndings could be tested on a larger range of products. The innovativeness of the particular product is time an...

Arab’s children’s influence on the buying process: comparing parent and child perceptions

“…Although this model is sometimes disparaged by researchers for not considering all possible purchase occasions (all five steps are not involved in every purchase situation like instant or impulsive purchase), hence the purchase decision process is affected by more complex influences (Arutselvi, 2012) and well demarcates grounding idea of the purchase process flow (Dikcius et al , 2018). The model is used to assess the role of children in the family buying process (Norgaard et al , 2007).…”

“…Several studies have indicated children have a certain influence on family decision-making, other studies suggested children have little influence over how much to spend, where to make the purchase and the final decision (Wang et al , 2004). Interaction between parents and children are influenced by their personality characteristics (Dikcius et al , 2018), due to which parent-child combo is found to disagree in their perceptions regarding children’s influence in the purchase of specific products, as well as general influence in family decision processes (Foxman et al , 1989). Parents will allow less involvement of children for products in which they have sufficient expertise, and the children’s involvement in the purchase decision is subject to parents’ parents’ susceptibility to interpersonal influence (Dikcius et al , 2018).…”

“…Interaction between parents and children are influenced by their personality characteristics (Dikcius et al , 2018), due to which parent-child combo is found to disagree in their perceptions regarding children’s influence in the purchase of specific products, as well as general influence in family decision processes (Foxman et al , 1989). Parents will allow less involvement of children for products in which they have sufficient expertise, and the children’s involvement in the purchase decision is subject to parents’ parents’ susceptibility to interpersonal influence (Dikcius et al , 2018). Different family compositions, patterns of communication and socio-economic status might generate slightly different patterns of the involvement of children (Bakir et al , 2006; Dikcius et al , 2018).…”

“…Parents will allow less involvement of children for products in which they have sufficient expertise, and the children’s involvement in the purchase decision is subject to parents’ parents’ susceptibility to interpersonal influence (Dikcius et al , 2018). Different family compositions, patterns of communication and socio-economic status might generate slightly different patterns of the involvement of children (Bakir et al , 2006; Dikcius et al , 2018). The generation and status-related interactions are determined by the culture, including parent-child communication related to consumption (Chan and McNeal, 2003).…”

“…The influence of the children increases with their age, hence their influential level in the family purchase decisions also increases. Wright et al (1978), Dikcius et al (2018). A Comparing parent and child perceptions study based on Australian children in age groups of 8-11 years and 12-15 years revealed different behaviour and perceptions towards the online purchase, attributing to their awareness level making them cynical towards online shopping (Thaichon, 2017).…”