On Becoming A Ten‐Speed Bike Owner

Analyses the effects of peer pressure on a group of youngsters, using a ten‐speed bicycle as an example. Uses a survey of 12–14 year old upper middle class youngsters on the outskirts of a large Norwegian city as a model. Shows how youngsters who do not have a speed bike are left out and looked down upon by their peers. Outlines how demand for a speed bike from youngsters impacts on the families' resources. Concludes, inter alia, that: Acquisition and use of products may affect group membership and social structure; Children and teenagers may develop remarkable knowledge regarding certain products, and may thus become the expert of the household, even in cases where other members exert considerable influence on the purchase decision; Children and teenagers may actively seek information initiated by the marketer. Affirms that through improved knowledge about consumers and their behaviour, manufacturers might develop more effective marketing programmes.