Relevance of actors in bridging positions for product-related information diffusion

Abstract

Research in marketing examines concepts that deal with social interaction, for example opinion leadership and word-of-mouth. Two types of actors play key roles in social networks where social interaction takes place: actors who have a lot of contacts (so called hubs) and actors in bridging positions. Given their importance in social networks, the lack of studies in marketing literature that focus on bridges is surprising. Information on bridges' roles in the diffusion of product-related information on an individual level is important for companies to take relevant actions. Therefore, this paper analyzes the relevance of actors in bridging positions for product-related information diffusion in a representative study of consumers in the mobile phone market of a large European country. The study shows that bridges display lower degrees of information seeking as well as lower levels of opinion leadership. Therefore, although in central positions, they are less suited to be used in company-initiated actions, for example in seeding strategies.