Prof. Sharmin Tunguz Discusses Consumer Psychology with NPR Affiliate

July 29, 2011

July 29, 2011, Greencastle, Ind. — A National Public Radio affiliate's report on an early adopter's experience with and advocacy for the new, battery-powered Chevy Volt includes comments from a DePauw University professor.  The piece details Chris Robb, who is the eighth person in Indiana to register a Volt.  He drove seven hours to Michigan to pick up the vehicle and is showing it off to friends.

"Among unpaid advocates of a product, that level of effort is somewhat rare, said DePauw University psychology professor Sharmin Tunguz," notes the story.

"They don’t stand to economically gain from speaking well of the product, and so people trust that information," says Dr. Tunguz, assistant professor of psychology at DePauw. "It’s word of mouth, it’s much more powerful as a source of information than any information that comes directly from a marketer or an advertiser."

She adds, "There’s a lot of intrinsic risk involved in being an early adopter and maybe that adds to the level of excitement that early adopters have, that they know that they’re the first to embark upon what may be a risky adventure."

The reporter is Stan Jastrzebski, news director of NPR affiliate WFIU in Bloomington, Indiana, and 2003 graduate of DePauw.

Access the piece at the station's website.

Source: WFIU (NPR)/Bloomington, Ind.

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