Business Marketing: Group conformity, opinion and peer pressure

Conformity is the process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are influenced by other people. This influence occurs in both small groups and society as a whole, and it may be the result of subtle unconscious influences, or direct and overt social pressure. Conformity also occurs by the "implied presence" of others, or when other people are not actually present. For example, people tend to follow the norms of society when eating or watching television, even when they are at home by themselves.

Peer pressure plays a big role in the buying behaviuor of customers and also in every day life for example, peer pressure can lead to someone buying a item they do not need but because someone has told them to buy it.

From my own experience peer pressure can be a good and bad thing for example when in a theme park you do not want to go on a big ride but you are pressured into it you will have overcome your fear however, people may use peer pressure in a bad way for example trying to get someone to smoke or drink when it is against there beliefs.