With emphasis on the importance of communication of a new product during the introductory stage, this study was conducted on the diffusion of innovation theory to understand communication behaviours in relation to consumer innovativeness. The purpose of this study is two-fold: first, to classify golfers into key market segments based on the innovativeness construct; and second, to explore differences between the identified segments based upon demographic characteristics and communication behaviours. 334 golfers from an amateur golf organisation located in the Midwest United States completed an online survey. The cluster analysis identified three meaningful segments, namely: 'Innovator/Early Adopters,' 'Early Majority,' and 'Late Majority/Laggards.'Cluster One (Innovator/Early Adopters) Cluster One comprised 31.1% of the respondents; had high interest in purchasing new golf clubs; and possessed the latest knowledge of new golf clubs. Furthermore, this group was more likely to be actively engaged in information acquisition activity, and tended to actively disseminate information to others compared to other groups.
Cluster Two (Early Majority)The second cluster comprised 33.8% of the respondents. Relative to the other groups, this group possessed a moderate degree of innovativeness. Interestingly, individuals in this group were most active in seeking a neutral information source in purchasing