Opinion leaders, adopters, and communicative adopters: A role analysis

Abstract

Abstract Our knowledge of the relationship between opinion leaders and adopters is based on discontinuous innovations. This paper argues that the relationship is different for continuous innovations. Previous research suggests that besides opinion leaders and adopters, communicative adopters—consumers who are both opinion leaders and adopters‐play important yet different roles in the diffusion of continuous innovations. Based on a study of 317 moviegoers, this paper shows that communicative adopters can be characterized as ‘Change agents,’ opinion leaders as ‘Interpersonal communicators,’ and adopters as ‘Nonpersonal influencers’.