Adolescent Influence on Parental Purchase Decisions: Typology of Innovative Products
Adolescent Influence on Parental Purchase Decisions: Typology of Innovative Products

Summary/Abstract: Purpose – There is common agreement that children’s influence 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. Specific 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 influence 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. 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 influence 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 findings could be tested on a larger range of products. The innovativeness of the particular product is time and place bound. Originality – To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to cluster the products based on their innovativeness and the adolescents’ impact on parents in the purchasing process.

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