"Do role models influence teenagers' purchase intentions and behavior?"

This article examines the influence of role models on teenagers purchasing habits. These role models include direct influence- parents, and indirect influences- celebrities, and sport stars. The article describes teenage consumer influence as three-fold: "(1) they influence their parents' spending; (2) they will spend a lot of money in the future; and (3) they are trendsetters." The way that clothing is perceived as trendy or cool is determined by teenagers. The article looks at where teenage consumer behavior originates, as a socially learned behavior that is influenced by role models. The obvious and more commonly recognized role models mentioned are parents, teachers, and peers. However where this article expands the theory is by asserting that role models can be people that these teenagers have never come directly in contact with- celebrities and sports stars. They identify several influences as having an effect on teenage consumer behavior: family, television, and education/career. In their study, the researchers used a survey and a questionnaire to examine 218 high school students between the ages of 13 and 18 from 74 different high schools. The researchers developed three hypotheses that they were hoping to prove through their research: "(1) There will be a positive relationship between role model influence and adolescents' purchase intentions; (2) Direct role models (fathers, mothers) will influence adolescent purchase intentions significantly more than vicarious role models (favorite entertainers, favorite athletes); (3) Direct role models (fathers, mothers) will influence adolescent purchase behaviors significantly more than vicarious role models (favorite entertainers, favorite athletes)." They found that celebrities and sports stars influence purchase intentions as well as parents and direct models, but that parents influence purchase behavior much more strongly. This study is very helpful in marketing research and examining what influences teenagers when it comes to actual purchase behavior.

Martin, Craig A., and Alan J. Bush. “Do role models influence teenagers' purchase intentions and behavior?” The Journal of Consumer Marketing. 17.5 (2000): 441. 22 February 2007 .