When this subgroup in the consumer adoption process enters the market, the number of competitors in the marketplace usually also has reached its peak, so these buyers have many different price and quality choices. This subgroup is known as:

a$.$ laggards.

b$.$ lead users.

c$.$ early adopters.

d$.$ early majority.

e$.$ innovators.

The term "diffusion of innovation" refers to the:

a$.$ process of balancing various engineering, manufacturing, marketing, and economic considerations to develop a product.

b$.$ process by which the use of a new product or a service spreads throughout a market group over time and over various categories of adopters.

c$.$ process of taking apart a competitor's product, analyzing it$,$ and creating an improved product that does not infringe on the competitor's patents.

d$.$ process by which a statement that describes a product or a service is presented to potential buyers or users to obtain their reactions.

e$.$ process of vertical integration between a manufacturer and its suppliers.