A Comparative Study on the Characteristics of Male Innovators and Opinion Leaders Across Product Categories

다 상품군에서의 남성 혁신자와 의견선도자의 특성 비교

The main purpose of this study was to compare the characteristics of male innovators and of male opinion leaders across product categories in terms of personality, attitudes, social participation, media usage patterns and demographic aspects. Six product categories such as clothing, cosmetics, small electronic appliances, medium-large electronic appliances, interior supplies and sports-leisure goods was used. A valid and reliable self-report scale was used to measure innovativeness and opinion leadership for 423 male adults living in social area Analyses showed that venturesomeness is the most common characteristics between innovators and opinion leaders across product categories. Innovators showed higher tendency of narcissism while opinion leadership showed higher cosmopolitainsm. Common charateristics of innovators and of opininion leaders of both clothing and cosmetics are cosmopolitanism, narcissism, exhibitionism, venturesomeness. The degrees of social participation and media usage patterns were different according to product categories for both innovators and opinion leaders. The implications of these findings for diffusion theory and merchandising were discussed.