Testing the concepts of market mavenism and opinion leadership in China

Purpose – Market mavenism and opinion leadership are two important consumer influential concepts in marketing communication literature. The purpose of this paper is to explore two overarching research questions. First, can we separate market mavenism from opinion leadership in China? The answer to this question would solve an important issue of targeting in marketing communication. Second, if market mavenism is indeed distinctive from opinion leadership, are market mavenism and opinion leadership determined by same or different factors in China? The answer of this question would help determine how to reach each type of consumer influential and add knowledge to market segmentation. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was conducted to test the hypotheses. In total, 316 Chinese respondents completed this survey. Findings – The results were illuminating: market mavenism and opinion leadership were indeed distinctive yet related concepts in China. Monochronicity, altruism, price-value consciousness, and income significantly influenced market mavenism after controlling for all other variables while monochronicity, price-value consciousness, and age significantly predicted opinion leadership after controlling for all other variables. Research limitations/implications – This study provides a richer picture of market mavenism and opinion leadership in the Chinese market. Originality/value – This study helps scholars and professionals efficiently and effectively reach each type of consumer influential.